Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Uniforms of the 19th Century

The Crimean War is sometimes considered to be the first "modern" conflict and introduced technical changes which affected the future course of warfare. It also brought to a close the era of Anglo-Russian domination in Europe. The wars of German and Italian unification forged two new united nations, and resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states. The American Civil War, while primarily fought over the issue of slavery, also restored the Union by settling the issues of nullification and secession and strengthened the role of the Federal government. The Americans then had to turn their attention to the native Indians and the Spanish to defend their gains, and in other colonies around the world the old empires were crumbling with insurgencies in India and China. In contrast the Boer wars were fought on the old issues of land and power, with the gold-hungry British defending their interests in South Africa, and the Boers and the Zulus desperate to establish ownership over territories. What all the conflicts had in common was a massive deployments of men, with armies crossing continents, making alliances, fighting old and new enemies, and in the case of the Americans, each other. The uniforms from the period are some of the most colourful and varied in the history of uniformology. In this book there are artworks of familiar Austrian hussars, Prussian dragoons, French chasseurs, American continentals and British grenadiers, but also grim and desperate Boer farmers, ferocious Zulu, Apache and Souix warriors, Boxers from the Chinese rebellion, and rebel Sepoys from the Great Indian mutiny. As well as illustrations of the uniforms, equipment and kit, the expert text, a collaboration of renowned military historians Kevin Kiley and Digby Smith, examines the organization, tactics and experience of the men-at-arms of these pivotal and formative times, where a century of war saw the beginning of a new era. This comprehensive volume presents not only a unique visual directory of uniforms, but an evocative portrait of the political, military and social contexts of the soldiers of the time.