Fun fact, Indie - the piece of cloth, that was used instead of socks by the Russian military is called a Portyanka and was actually used by Russian troops for centuries up until only a few years ago. It was not only comfortable but also practical, as my grandfather (who served in the Red Army for a fair while) tells me. Mainly because it was also waterproof. If the foot got wet for whatever reason, the soldier could always just take off the portyanka, flip it and use the other, dry, side.
I have done the military stage myself (not in Russia), and the best ever to wear in the army boots were not the socks. The socks actually could harm/injure me. Some thicker cloth or very thick socks was way better than the regular socks. The army provided me with one pair of thick (very thick) socks - they were absolutely amazing, very-very comfortable in the army boots, I wore them until they were unrecognizable. After that I had to "compensate" the loss, avoid the regular socks, the thick cloth being the best replacement. It "all" happened in 2004.
For those who study the Russian WW1 uniform - FRONTOVIK - This is not a rank or title of a regiment. This is the unofficial name for a soldier or officer who has been in a war and has combat experience. In uniform, they were no different from the other. But the best of them sewed on the sleeve the combat badge of the storm regiments - skull and crossbones on a blue background.
As a russian speaker I find your pronunciation very funny but accurate. The problem with stresses though. Great job Indy and the Team, thank you from Moscow)
You don't want to start it)) Instead - here some curious fact They say that Lewis Carroll , while travelling across Russia, recorded the Russian word "защищающихся" ('those who protect themselves', participle, genitive/possessive case, as he marked in his diary). He recorded it in Latin transcription instead of Cyrillic, and the look of this word is truly terrifying: zаshtshееshtshауоуshtshееkhsуа.
I was really surprised when he said "сапоги" because I always thought that it was the same word as boots and "фуражка" in russian means a cap, so it is a bit weird for me as another russian speaker, but hey you learn something new every day, right?
The pronounciations are really weird but I also find them as accurate as possible. Didn't know what a гимнастьорка was and I had seen in before in a Strugartski book but now I know :) Also, at least in Bulgaria the cloth wrappings around your foor are called "partenki".
Fun fact. The Pavlovsky Grenadiers were exempted from wearing the peaked cap. They wore the tall mitre caps from the Napoleonic era. Tsar Alexander I acknowledged their bravery in the Napoleonic wars by keeping their bullet riddled caps.
I literally just finished painting several hundred Russian WW1 miniatures last night, after a gruelling month long project. All done ... and then this video comes out !!! Really great info that is actually really hard to research. Thx. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Bit of overkill for A&A .. these are all 15mm metal miniatures for tabletop gaming, in 1914 kit. Bit of cavalry and cossacks with lances as well, fire support courtesy of Putilov field guns and a few maxims. For posterity .. for the uniform base I used a custom mix through the airbrush from a light olive khaki through to a lighter hemp color on the tunics. Vallejo "concrete" airbrush color worked out really well too. Summer uniform mix for action in the Balkans. Made sure that there is plenty of variation across the figures, as they are supposed to look battle worn. Trousers a darker shade of brown khaki. At 15mm scale, you need to go a bit heavier on the color contrast to make them "pop" sufficiently. Gotta organise photos when I get some time. Pretty happy with the end result, but man ... having this video available a month ago would have saved me a tonne of research. Next up - doing some 1914 Serbians, and Im thinking they need a greenish gray sort of color. Again - hard to find reliable info.
Basically, from the sound of it, the uniforms and kit of the Russian Imperial Army troops were pretty decent and practical-so long as logistical and supply difficulties don’t prevent the troops from receiving the items called for in their regulations.
''vodka ingredients'' were and are just sugar and potatoes, somewhat cruel if you ask me but to lighten up your typical day in the trenches i'd probably do the same.
Alex Krycek we use to do the same. We drank anything we could laid hands on. Same times we caramel sugar and put medicinal alchool over to kill the taste
@@rg-cc5kg Putin is the best chief of state of the XXI century so far, show me a leader that have more knowledge about their nation than him, I'll wait
Their uniforms could have a ruggedly smart appearance, though the soldiers of all the armies tended to look a bit like vagrants when wearing overcoats.
Wrapping a piece of cloth around feet was probably widespread even 50 years later in the Warsaw pact armies. My grandfather served in the Czechoslovak army, and even my father, who served after the iron curtain fell was instructed to wrap them, among other things. I love the specials you make, although almost every episode feels special.
I have not seen a photo of my grandfather in his uniform except one of him standing in a group in front of a pile of rubble but that would have been taken after the Russian collapse and the wars of national identity had begun. Probably, they were all lost in WW2. My father had a document from the Imperial Russian Army about his father's marriage in 1916- plenty of appreciative words about the bride- none about him! That's the way it is if you are a staff officer at least he wasn't shot by his own men- as Lenin encouraged the ordinary soldiers to do.
I was always wondering how could they manage with those pieces of clothing that they were wrapping around their feet. It doesn't sound to be wearable though :)
We had them in the Swedish army as a complement to socks until late 70’s, if you learn to wrap them the right way they are more comfortable and warmer than socks.
Good thing the team no longer has to rely on ad revenue from UA-cam to produce the show due the Patreon supporters. Doesn't mean it doesn't such to lose the extra income though.
A lot of the info on uniforms is done by fans, most of that info is in a foreign language that the crew probably doesn't know. Know anyone who has research the uniforms translated?
There is a great site for ttoman uniforms and it is in english www.ottoman-uniforms.com/ww1-1915-to-1918-period-turkish-uniforms/ www.ottoman-uniforms.com/ww1-turkish-rank-insignia/
Hi Indy, you stated in your intro that "to this day no military has adopted a single uniform". Just thought I would correct you:- When the Canadian Armed Forces amalgamated in 1968 they adopted a single 'rifle green' uniform for all services, (prior to this the uniforms were copies of the British). the all green was not very popular, especially with the navy, and at the end of the 1980s the forces reverted to their distinctive and separate uniforms.
Ah the Canadian exception then. Interesting that they tried, it makes a lot of sense but it's understandable that it's not just a piece of clothing for the people wearing it.
Actually only Russian Expedition Corp soldiers used French helmets. As you can see on 2:43 photo there is a Russian emblem at the front. During WWI none else Russian Army corp didn't use helmets, none 'elite troops and officers'
fun fact about those footclothes (called portyanka in russian): my dad, who fought during First Chechen War in 1995 also used those. This was a part of an equipment of Russian solider until late 2000th. I served in Russian navy in 2015-2016 and we had socks, but my dad says that footclothes are much better, cuz if you wet your foot you can wrap it upside-down and have a nice dry foot again,which can't be done with socks. Other fun fact, when he was heading home he wore socks for the first time in 2 years and his foots were absolutely destroyed, so he had return to portyankas.
3:14 interesting. The modern Russian army still has this minor issue with its modern digital camo uniform today. Although the cut, velcro patches, etc. are uniform, the shades of green in the camo itself varies depending on the factory in which uniforms are made.
Terek and Kuban cossacks started use the Cherkeska end of 18 centuries, before they use traditional Ukraine Clothes , all Cossacks was ethnic Ukraine they language Ukraine is well you can check if you want . Regards
@@volodimirkravcsuk4805 that's laughably incorrect, considering cossack hosts were composite groups of varying people with heavy influences from non-Slavs. It's one thing to talk about say, Zaporozhians, and another about Terek. The latter is very much NOT Ukrainian. Sorry.
HOLY SHIT I CAN'T STRESS HOW MUCH I *FUCKING LOVE YOU GUYS* FOR DOING THIS *EVERYONE* LITERALLY *EVERYONE* WHO DOES KIT AND UNIFORMS OF WW1 REVIEWS FORGETS THE RUSSIANS EVEN EXISTED AND SO THEY LIMIT IT TO BRITSH AND GERMAN UNIFORMS, SOMETIMES FRENCH IF THEY'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS. Man, this is the best freaking channel ever. Love you guys' work
My father said that the piece of cloth was way more comfortable and even warmer than socks. But like you said, it had to be done properly. He said about half of his company had sore, even bloody feet for about half a year, until they learnd to do it right. Only officers were allowed to wear socks. Granted, he wore them in the late 70s while serving in the Red Army, but I guess a piece of cloth is a piece of cloth.
As a man who served in the Soviet Army and wore footcloths, I can say that there is nothing difficult about this. You can learn how to do it right pretty quickly and easily.
One thing I love best about this channel is I learn so much more than battles or famous dates Would never dreamed that so many different uniforms were made for the Russians I can't recommend your channel so highly to people I know Look forward to learning so much more over next two years
4:16 ... according to some articles I stumbled upon several years ago, the modern Russian military STILL uses foot wraps rather than socks. I would be very grateful if someone could confirm this from official sources, it could be a decent subject for Out Of The Trenches. Thank you!
Those footwraps are actually called "portyanki". And they were indeed used up until the beginning of 21st century. Here is an article I've found: www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/jan/16/russian-soldiers-replacing-foot-wraps-socks
Pictures do not match hat names. Papakha for soldiers (do not confuse with Cossack papakha) was a hat made of woolen fabric with a fur edge that could be lowered down and covered the neck and face, leaving only a gap for the eyes. Bashlik is not a hat, but a triangular hood with long ends that are tied around the neck like a scarf. worn over a hat, for example furajka or papakha.
The reason for wearing cloth on your feet instead of socks is due to the boots they were wearing. Wearing socks with jackboots, especially if they are slightly loose, can easily wear the sock and cause it to tear. With cloth, this problem is avoided.
Да, ещё портянку можно вверх ногами наматывать, если ноги обмочил и стопа останется сухой. Мне отец рассказывал... сам я портянки (слава богу) не застал.
@@nikelangelo5123 Я не пью, ни один из моих родных или знакомых тоже. Кого не спрошу - говорят тоже от алкашки не в восторге. Так что дорогой мой это ты тут припиздываешь слегонца, а Россия уже явно не та что была при ЕБНовском разорении.
Just a bit of a clarification the boots or сапоги "sapogi" are actually pronounced sapagI, the emphasis is on the last syllable "I". However in the Russian language today sapogi actually means boots. So it's not a "Type" of boot, but just plain old boots.
@@vladimirmarkov2047 ну, просто английский обычно в школе учат и "по дефолту" второй язык именно он. Вот это я и имел в виду под вашей уникальностью, что в вашей жизни всё сложилось необычно.
peace of clothes, instead of socks, are called "portyanki", and Russian army, fleet and air forces used them until 2000's, when they were replaced by socks.
That really is! Czechoslovakian legion helped us to fight against bolsheviks and liberated many cities in Siberia. As a russian I'm proud of them, they were the real heroes. And we have lots of monuments of this legion here in Russia, because they did deserve it. Real slavs, thanks and much love from Russia
There was continuity. Russian weapons as well as Soviet tended to be fairly simple, rough and ready but reliable, as they had to stand up to harsh weather and other conditions.
At 1:37, the photo where they say "telegraph corps" is a photo of Austrian troops, not Russia. The stars on the lapels are pure Austro-Hungarian. The Russians never used such insignia.
Why dont you go to the more beautifull west then away from us who actualy love our hellhole and try to better it. Go to sweden send money home to build 5 storey house and put lions on your gate and fence and then never come back.
nexttsar I thought they looked weird. Russians didn’t have markings on their collars and always had shoulder straps and that envelop fold looks weird and wasteful, Russians wouldn’t do tgat
FYI: the white gymnastiorkas that you mentioned were sometimes worn were linen summer versions that were throwbacks to the Russo-Japanese War(and ever before). Also interesting is looking at photos from 1914 and seeing the variety of infantry uniforms as you mentioned. Sometimes you can even see them wearing what appears to be the dark green parade uniforms in combat or as pow's. I understand that when Russia called on her reserves many more men actually responded than was anticipated so the strain on supply was immdeiate. I believe that was the case(?)
Early mosins have sights zeroed with fixed bayonets, so when they are shot without them the user has to compensate the windage. Strange? Complicated? Surrealist? Nop, just Russia
виталий никитин Yeah, it's a gray line between botinki and sapogi. In English, both translate as "boot", but botinki can also refer to what most people refer to as sneakers. For example, my USMC issue combat boots would be in that gray area. They are too tall to really be called botinki, but don't really fit the traditional high top sapogi. In any case, the original point stands. Sapogi can refer to any calf length or longer boots, not just military ones.
USMC issue combat boots is definitly "botinki", nobody call it "sapogi". Sneakers is "krosovki"- the sport shoes or close to sport, and "botinki" is shoes usually made of suede or leather without tops, or with shoelace and tops for ankle, if tops higher its "sapogi", and shoes for ankle without shoelace is "sapozgki"(little sapogi) but its informal
виталий никитин Vitalik, the USMC combat boot reaches to mid-calf. It's well above the ankle. I've heard the modern Russian issue infantry combat boots referred to as "sapogi". They seemed roughly equivalent to the USMC gear I had at the time. (Except being black rather than tan.)
sorry my english is not enough good, I mean shin not ankle, the point equally between knee and feet,I do not know where you catch it but in russia ( In central part of european part of Russia, where I live)nobody call USMC C.B. sapogi, its sound little weird
Hi, fyi Canada did issue the same work dress uniform to all soldiers, army,navy, air foce in the 1968. It was hatted with a passion (navy with green uniforms!). The only thing that varied was an ascot tie that varied from regiment or units. In the 80s, I was a navy cadet and we still had these old uniforms, with some variations between land,air,navy. The uniforms were split again in 1980. They look similar in cut, but the colors vary between army, navy and air force.
A trivia: The cloth (a form of puttee) that the Imperial Russian soldiers wrapped around their legs are called Chaussette russe (Russian stockings) in French.
5:42 In Tsarist Russia, vodka [whatever] you. 4:29 I think it is a piece very connected to Russian life in general. One of the wonderful short stories written by Nikolai Gogol is about it ('The Overcoat', 1842).
Even the video about the uniform contains Russophobic cliches. Here are just a couple of them from this short clip: «Gas masks were of several types actually. But probably the most effective was the Zelinksky model, which used charcoal filtering that was originally designed for purifying vodka». This is а joke, I hope? «The men of the Russian Imperial army fought everywhere, died by the millions» Where are these statistics from?! According to the most overstated estimates, the number of died Russian soldiers in the World War I is 1.3 million.
You had me at "charcoal filter originally used for purifying vodka" ;-) There is a single Russian military garment I've always been especially curious about, the *telnyashka*, the iconic white undershirt with horizontal stripes, which were apparently used in a colour code later on to mark different service branches. In summer, Russian troops often wear their blouses open far enough so a triangle of the striped fabric is seen below the neck. It says on wikipedia these were originally adopted from French fishermen's garb from Brittany and only made it to the land army in WWII, so probably no more on those on The Great War?
The telnyashka, at the outbreak of WW1, was worn *exclusively* by Russian sailors. The became popular in every branch of the Soviet/Russian Armed Forces in the 1950's.
The telnyashka, as above mentioned, was first just a sailor's garment. During Soviet times other specialist branches started wearing it as well, as a badge of their skill or special qualification. (This perception comes from that sailors in the red fleet were usually technically trained individuals).
I like the uniforms in WWI. Doesn't matter if it's for the Entente or Central Powers, the style is interesting and it has a sense of pride in it for each country. Would like to see it nowadays.
Such a curiosity: Russian military coat called - "shinel" supposedly designed himself Tsar Alexander the Secound. And as for the uniforms in the Russian army was very special formation called "Cossacks." It was not only the military but also social class - free peasants, who in exchange for land they serve the tsars in the event of war. Cossacks persecuted very severely by the Communists again reborn now. And the characteristic elements of their clothing were always pants with stripes and fur hats - Papakha. Some of them used special coat called - Tserkieska with a filter cups on his chests
portyanki or foot wraps were used well until Soviet Army did not start to introduce boots with laces. The wrap could be anything, usually thicker material for winter use. Socks just don't work well with high leather boots. The advantage is that portyanki can be easily taken off a foot (try that with frozen/dirty/bloody socks), washed, if wet they dry faster than socks as it's a flat strip of cloth. To do the wrap correctly, you need to know how to do it right.
Can confirm that the strips of cloth are more comfortable than socks. The FDF still used them when my father served, but by the time I was conscripted (2014) they had been dropped in favour of normal socks. Having used them in civilian life however, as long as you don't wrap them poorly they are way superior.
***** Not to mention that, as Norway is the only Nordic country in NATO, it allows the Russians to exert military pressure on a large part of northwestern Europe which hasn't been tangible since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although I would assume an invasion of Norway would come after any potential aggression towards Sweden and Finnish Lapland, partly because of their neutral status. By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what's the status of conscription in Norway? Is it sort of semi-voluntary in that it is easy to avoid if you want, but that it's technically mandatory?
***** Finland is neutral, they have no alliance with Norway or anyone else. There is of course stuff like the Nordic Battlegroup, but that is merely normal co-operation between states. There's also recently been discussion about a Fennoscandian alliance, but I don't think any real conclusion has been reached. Personally, I would welcome a stronger Nordic/Fennoscandian (military) unity. Estonia and the Baltic countries have been a part of NATO since 2004, so the only real penetration in northern Europe available to Russia without directly going to war with NATO members is through Sweden and Finland. Of course, NATO membership is only worth as much as the defence clause can be trusted. Considering recent events, NATO does not seem capable of retaining a European peace for all eternity, which calls for heightened co-operation on a local/regional level, but we'll see what happens. Also, I find it curious that Norway has such a small military now as opposed to the Cold War era. I mean, I understand it in a way (Finland recently decreased the active reserve from 500 000 to 250 000), but one would imagine that the immense strategic value of Norway would warrant a larger body of soldiers. To an outsider it seems like the Norwegian military has a fair bit of resources though. All the professional soldiers in my brigade ran around in Norwegian combat boots, so I'm assuming there's quality to it.
Footwraps were not exclusive to the Russian forces, but they did use them longer than most. "In the Russian Army footwraps remained in use for tasks requiring the wear of heavy boots until 2013," en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footwraps
One note. These strips of cloth which were wore instead of socks were called portyanki and were replaced by the socks in the Russian army not so long ago.
Leather jackets were often associated with officers and NCOs in technical jobs, railway troops, the air service etc. They also came to be associated with Reds during the Civil War. Trotsky's armoured train, for example, was staffed by troops who wore special leather uniforms, I think they were reddish in colour. Supporters of the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 also wore them, almost as a kind of uniform. In fact in the 1920s and 1930s in Europe, leather jackets tended to have a left-wing image.
I have a 1914 M1891 that was captured by Bulgaria probably sometime in 1915 or 1916. Even after 102 years and 2 world wars it still shoots like a champ.
The Russian military fiercely resisted the abolition of footcloths and the introduction of socks into the army. Therefore, replacing footcloths on socks in the Russian Army finally succeeded only in 2017th year. The era that had begun in the times of Ivan the Terrible ended.
Could you guys do s special episode or out of the trenches thing on the navies? Like go from each country no matter how big or small and list how big its navy was?
4:11 "The russians did not wear socks" --> I tried to using russian foot wraps a few times, they are actually quite nice to wear. But it's a strange feeling in the beginning if you are not used to it. Here is a video i found about it: ua-cam.com/video/sK67zXzwngA/v-deo.html
Fun fact, Indie - the piece of cloth, that was used instead of socks by the Russian military is called a Portyanka and was actually used by Russian troops for centuries up until only a few years ago. It was not only comfortable but also practical, as my grandfather (who served in the Red Army for a fair while) tells me. Mainly because it was also waterproof. If the foot got wet for whatever reason, the soldier could always just take off the portyanka, flip it and use the other, dry, side.
I have done the military stage myself (not in Russia), and the best ever to wear in the army boots were not the socks. The socks actually could harm/injure me. Some thicker cloth or very thick socks was way better than the regular socks. The army provided me with one pair of thick (very thick) socks - they were absolutely amazing, very-very comfortable in the army boots, I wore them until they were unrecognizable. After that I had to "compensate" the loss, avoid the regular socks, the thick cloth being the best replacement. It "all" happened in 2004.
Can confirm does work.
NASA, spends thousands of dollars to develop a pen that works in zero gravity.
Roscosmos, uses pencils.
Olaf Von Hambergler they still had to develop special pencils due to the graphite particles floating in zero gravity
Olaf Von Hambergler but if the tip breaks the lead could go into ur nose which is why they spent a fortune
For those who study the Russian WW1 uniform - FRONTOVIK - This is not a rank or title of a regiment. This is the unofficial name for a soldier or officer who has been in a war and has combat experience. In uniform, they were no different from the other. But the best of them sewed on the sleeve the combat badge of the storm regiments - skull and crossbones on a blue background.
As a russian speaker I find your pronunciation very funny but accurate. The problem with stresses though. Great job Indy and the Team, thank you from Moscow)
You don't want to start it))
Instead - here some curious fact
They say that Lewis Carroll , while travelling across Russia, recorded the Russian word "защищающихся" ('those who protect themselves', participle, genitive/possessive case, as he marked in his diary). He recorded it in Latin transcription instead of Cyrillic, and the look of this word is truly terrifying: zаshtshееshtshауоуshtshееkhsуа.
I was really surprised when he said "сапоги" because I always thought that it was the same word as boots and "фуражка" in russian means a cap, so it is a bit weird for me as another russian speaker, but hey you learn something new every day, right?
You're right, that is terrifying. I would like to see that thrown out at a spelling bee, or even better, at our next presidential debate. :)
The pronounciations are really weird but I also find them as accurate as possible. Didn't know what a гимнастьорка was and I had seen in before in a Strugartski book but now I know :) Also, at least in Bulgaria the cloth wrappings around your foor are called "partenki".
the transcription method Carroll used is really cumbersome, it looks a bit better if written with the modern method: zaschischayuschihsya
Fun fact. The Pavlovsky Grenadiers were exempted from wearing the peaked cap. They wore the tall mitre caps from the Napoleonic era. Tsar Alexander I acknowledged their bravery in the Napoleonic wars by keeping their bullet riddled caps.
I literally just finished painting several hundred Russian WW1 miniatures last night, after a gruelling month long project. All done ... and then this video comes out !!!
Really great info that is actually really hard to research. Thx. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
axis and allies 1914? :)
+Aleksandar Milojkovic central, axis was WWII
Bit of overkill for A&A .. these are all 15mm metal miniatures for tabletop gaming, in 1914 kit. Bit of cavalry and cossacks with lances as well, fire support courtesy of Putilov field guns and a few maxims.
For posterity .. for the uniform base I used a custom mix through the airbrush from a light olive khaki through to a lighter hemp color on the tunics. Vallejo "concrete" airbrush color worked out really well too. Summer uniform mix for action in the Balkans.
Made sure that there is plenty of variation across the figures, as they are supposed to look battle worn. Trousers a darker shade of brown khaki. At 15mm scale, you need to go a bit heavier on the color contrast to make them "pop" sufficiently. Gotta organise photos when I get some time.
Pretty happy with the end result, but man ... having this video available a month ago would have saved me a tonne of research.
Next up - doing some 1914 Serbians, and Im thinking they need a greenish gray sort of color. Again - hard to find reliable info.
He's referring to the board game Axis & Allies, where you can use miniatures to play.
+Dubspool _ thats the name of the board game. their first A&A was ww2. google it, its a good game
Basically, from the sound of it, the uniforms and kit of the Russian Imperial Army troops were pretty decent and practical-so long as logistical and supply difficulties don’t prevent the troops from receiving the items called for in their regulations.
A gas mask originally designed to purify vodka...
Bet that never got abused.
It's hard to abuse if you don't actually have any vodla ingredients.
they drank medicinal alcohol which was died so they use bread or gas mask charcoal to remove the die
andrew brindescu
Sounds like Russia alright.
''vodka ingredients'' were and are just sugar and potatoes, somewhat cruel if you ask me but to lighten up your typical day in the trenches i'd probably do the same.
Alex Krycek we use to do the same. We drank anything we could laid hands on. Same times we caramel sugar and put medicinal alchool over to kill the taste
Man they all look so smart, say what you will about the Russians, but they have style.
That did not age well.
@@rg-cc5kg why not? I absolutely do not support that way but those men are all dead ptobably
@@rg-cc5kg Putin is the best chief of state of the XXI century so far, show me a leader that have more knowledge about their nation than him, I'll wait
@@sergiowinter5383 Yea and his nation is being invaded XD
I absolutely love military uniforms, so this is great!
History Freak yes please!
MrPolandball
... Anschluss Zeit?
@@bobinbox1239 irony
Russians had the best looking uniforms in my opinion .
Their uniforms could have a ruggedly smart appearance, though the soldiers of all the armies tended to look a bit like vagrants when wearing overcoats.
Too bad most of the soldiers wore rags
Поверь! Полезная штука! Сам носил!
They did there my favourite military unifr ms besides the 19th century British army uniforms and us cavalry.
Germany?
I'm half Russian half Hungarian from Hungary... My Russian great grandfather was fought in the great war and he was injured and became a P.O.W.
Wrapping a piece of cloth around feet was probably widespread even 50 years later in the Warsaw pact armies. My grandfather served in the Czechoslovak army, and even my father, who served after the iron curtain fell was instructed to wrap them, among other things. I love the specials you make, although almost every episode feels special.
I have not seen a photo of my grandfather in his uniform except one of him standing in a group in front of a pile of rubble but that would have been taken after the Russian collapse and the wars of national identity had begun. Probably, they were all lost in WW2. My father had a document from the Imperial Russian Army about his father's marriage in 1916- plenty of appreciative words about the bride- none about him! That's the way it is if you are a staff officer at least he wasn't shot by his own men- as Lenin encouraged the ordinary soldiers to do.
My goal by November:
WW1 Russian Moustache
I was always wondering how could they manage with those pieces of clothing that they were wrapping around their feet. It doesn't sound to be wearable though :)
Well, apparently it's more comfortable than socks could ever be if done right.
wow, I think I should try it :)
We had them in the Swedish army as a complement to socks until late 70’s, if you learn to wrap them the right way they are more comfortable and warmer than socks.
"War" in the title, demonetized!
+Fou Lu good thing this show is funded via Patreon
Good thing the team no longer has to rely on ad revenue from UA-cam to produce the show due the Patreon supporters. Doesn't mean it doesn't such to lose the extra income though.
there is a reason most youtubers have patreon now
Did any nation's soldiers swap their footwear for the cardboard soled shoes of Hötzendorf's troops during his Carpathian winter offensives ?
then they can´t have hade anything to swap out.
WHAT they used shoes HOETZENDORF !!!
Maybe you could use them on your days off to confuse the muggers?
nimeq
even my worst shoes are better then cardbord
Better than wearing Crocs.
Indy please do Ottoman uniforms of The Great War
cemo1999 ye
yah
That would actually be pretty cool, I don't think many people know the history behind Ottoman uniforms!
A lot of the info on uniforms is done by fans, most of that info is in a foreign language that the crew probably doesn't know. Know anyone who has research the uniforms translated?
There is a great site for ttoman uniforms and it is in english
www.ottoman-uniforms.com/ww1-1915-to-1918-period-turkish-uniforms/
www.ottoman-uniforms.com/ww1-turkish-rank-insignia/
Great stuff as usual!
4.16 those stripes of cloth are called "portyanki" (портянки). I used to wear them too when I was in the army. They really made boots wearable
Hi Indy, you stated in your intro that "to this day no military has adopted a single uniform". Just thought I would correct you:- When the Canadian Armed Forces amalgamated in 1968 they adopted a single 'rifle green' uniform for all services, (prior to this the uniforms were copies of the British). the all green was not very popular, especially with the navy, and at the end of the 1980s the forces reverted to their distinctive and separate uniforms.
Ah the Canadian exception then. Interesting that they tried, it makes a lot of sense but it's understandable that it's not just a piece of clothing for the people wearing it.
Hey Indie, great job on this channel. It has grown a lot
Fun fact: The Russian Army only replaced foot wraps with socks in 2013.
Actually only Russian Expedition Corp soldiers used French helmets. As you can see on 2:43 photo there is a Russian emblem at the front. During WWI none else Russian Army corp didn't use helmets, none 'elite troops and officers'
I got to the end of the video waiting for 3 or 4 hours of, "Ok, uniform number 371, Machine gunners: the cap was..."
Should have also mentioned the iconic fashion of wearing the rolled up greatcoat over the shoulder during the summer.
Thank you for such informative videos!
Will you guys do an episode on Japanese uniforms in WW1?
Thank you for mentioning the lack of socks. It's one of those little factoids that continuously blows my mind.
5:47 Cheeki Breeki, 1916 edition
but heels are not on the ground, western spies confirmed. they should be sent to gulag for opposing stalin and treason.
But they are imperial.
@@amarogos2023 Slav is Slav. No matter if it is Fascist,Communist or Imperial.
@@5.7moy yes
Oh shit gas! Comrade hand me the vodka filter...
Just a quick fyi, "comrade" was not really a thing before the Soviets took over.
Да, да. В России кроме водки ничего нет.Да.
Fantastic video Indy!
fun fact about those footclothes (called portyanka in russian): my dad, who fought during First Chechen War in 1995 also used those. This was a part of an equipment of Russian solider until late 2000th. I served in Russian navy in 2015-2016 and we had socks, but my dad says that footclothes are much better, cuz if you wet your foot you can wrap it upside-down and have a nice dry foot again,which can't be done with socks. Other fun fact, when he was heading home he wore socks for the first time in 2 years and his foots were absolutely destroyed, so he had return to portyankas.
3:14 interesting. The modern Russian army still has this minor issue with its modern digital camo uniform today. Although the cut, velcro patches, etc. are uniform, the shades of green in the camo itself varies depending on the factory in which uniforms are made.
I have waited for this episode! I'm sure its going to be great, same as any other episode of the show!
Фуражка, гимнастёрка, шинель, сапоги, фронтовик, башлык, папаха. Я ничего не забыл? Ах, да - портянка!
Трехлинейку возьми! И саперку не забудь.
Excellent video!!!
And don't forget that the Terek and Kuban cossacks wore Caucasian traditional garments called Cherkeska.
Terek and Kuban cossacks started use the Cherkeska end of 18 centuries, before they use traditional Ukraine Clothes , all Cossacks was ethnic Ukraine they language Ukraine is well you can check if you want .
Regards
@@volodimirkravcsuk4805 that's laughably incorrect, considering cossack hosts were composite groups of varying people with heavy influences from non-Slavs. It's one thing to talk about say, Zaporozhians, and another about Terek. The latter is very much NOT Ukrainian. Sorry.
@@volodimirkravcsuk4805yeah there is very few cossacks in proportion who were actually from ukraine
I'm surprised the famous "veshchmeshok" or rucksack wasn't mentioned.
HOLY SHIT I CAN'T STRESS HOW MUCH I *FUCKING LOVE YOU GUYS* FOR DOING THIS
*EVERYONE*
LITERALLY *EVERYONE* WHO DOES KIT AND UNIFORMS OF WW1 REVIEWS FORGETS THE RUSSIANS EVEN EXISTED AND SO THEY LIMIT IT TO BRITSH AND GERMAN UNIFORMS, SOMETIMES FRENCH IF THEY'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS.
Man, this is the best freaking channel ever. Love you guys' work
And there is going to be more. We will talk about Romanian and Ottoman uniforms soon.
The Great War *no way* :O
i will reiterate, i love the work done in this channel. So much depth and everything. Best regards to Indie.
My father said that the piece of cloth was way more comfortable and even warmer than socks.
But like you said, it had to be done properly. He said about half of his company had sore, even bloody feet for about half a year, until they learnd to do it right. Only officers were allowed to wear socks.
Granted, he wore them in the late 70s while serving in the Red Army, but I guess a piece of cloth is a piece of cloth.
As a man who served in the Soviet Army and wore footcloths, I can say that there is nothing difficult about this. You can learn how to do it right pretty quickly and easily.
Another great episode!
One thing I love best about this channel is I learn so much more than battles or famous dates Would never dreamed that so many different uniforms were made for the Russians I can't recommend your channel so highly to people I know Look forward to learning so much more over next two years
This show gets better and better
4:16 ... according to some articles I stumbled upon several years ago, the modern Russian military STILL uses foot wraps rather than socks. I would be very grateful if someone could confirm this from official sources, it could be a decent subject for Out Of The Trenches. Thank you!
They stopped just a few years ago.
Those footwraps are actually called "portyanki".
And they were indeed used up until the beginning of 21st century. Here is an article I've found:
www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/jan/16/russian-soldiers-replacing-foot-wraps-socks
I use them even today in rubber boots over socks in winter time when I am outdoor
and it smells great as well ? right ?
ODDBALL SOK left. I'm not into sniffing them just use them.
Pictures do not match hat names.
Papakha for soldiers (do not confuse with Cossack papakha) was a hat made of woolen fabric with a fur edge that could be lowered down and covered the neck and face, leaving only a gap for the eyes.
Bashlik is not a hat, but a triangular hood with long ends that are tied around the neck like a scarf. worn over a hat, for example furajka or papakha.
The reason for wearing cloth on your feet instead of socks is due to the boots they were wearing. Wearing socks with jackboots, especially if they are slightly loose, can easily wear the sock and cause it to tear. With cloth, this problem is avoided.
Да, ещё портянку можно вверх ногами наматывать, если ноги обмочил и стопа останется сухой. Мне отец рассказывал... сам я портянки (слава богу) не застал.
5:40 haha oh Russia, even your gas mask had something to do with Vodka. Staying classy i WW1
What an ignorant comment. UK and German masks by 1915 had no any charcoal filters - they were breathing a pure chlorum.
@Андрей Драго 70% ты напиздел)
@@nikelangelo5123 Я не пью, ни один из моих родных или знакомых тоже. Кого не спрошу - говорят тоже от алкашки не в восторге. Так что дорогой мой это ты тут припиздываешь слегонца, а Россия уже явно не та что была при ЕБНовском разорении.
@@nikelangelo5123 Да это он по пьяни спизданул про 70% ))
Wow i. Can't believe that they respond to the comments! Good on ya The Great War
Well, what are they good for if you don't use them?
Your commentary was gold Indy, thanks for the bonus laughs.
So happy to know that my family name is actually a gas filter for vodka! Another great video as always Andy the team, you made my day!
Just a bit of a clarification the boots or сапоги "sapogi" are actually pronounced sapagI, the emphasis is on the last syllable "I". However in the Russian language today sapogi actually means boots. So it's not a "Type" of boot, but just plain old boots.
This was absolutely excellent! Well Done!
At 5:30, they had a shovel which doubled as a frying pan. Wait, what! That’s a new one on me. I’ll just go to the garden centre and buy a frying pan 😆
Дякую панам польским за их язык в sab'ах, именно благодаря им я хоть что-то понял!
я тоже)
Вы знаете польский, но не знаете английский.
Вы уникальны.
@@t.on.yЯ сперва выучил польский, затем английский. Польский полегче выучить. Но английский просто полезнее, потому его обычно и учат.
@@vladimirmarkov2047 ну, просто английский обычно в школе учат и "по дефолту" второй язык именно он. Вот это я и имел в виду под вашей уникальностью, что в вашей жизни всё сложилось необычно.
peace of clothes, instead of socks, are called "portyanki", and Russian army, fleet and air forces used them until 2000's, when they were replaced by socks.
Hi Indy. Amazing video.
Thinking about it, is there any Great War video on Czechslovakian legion in Siberia? Because that's one hell of a story!
That really is! Czechoslovakian legion helped us to fight against bolsheviks and liberated many cities in Siberia. As a russian I'm proud of them, they were the real heroes. And we have lots of monuments of this legion here in Russia, because they did deserve it.
Real slavs, thanks and much love from Russia
@@danieleboch3224
ну ты и дурак
0:25 I like that you address some of the issues Russia had prior to the soviet time that often get attributed to the soviet time entirely.
There was continuity. Russian weapons as well as Soviet tended to be fairly simple, rough and ready but reliable, as they had to stand up to harsh weather and other conditions.
this channel has grown substantially the last time I was here
That's how we like it.
Nice video, keep it up!
Everything done correctly. I'm pleased to report that I was unable to find a slightest mistake.
History Freak I mean... Half of the slavic languages are written in Latin ;)
At 1:37, the photo where they say "telegraph corps" is a photo of Austrian troops, not Russia. The stars on the lapels are pure Austro-Hungarian. The Russians never used such insignia.
Why dont you go to the more beautifull west then away from us who actualy love our hellhole and try to better it. Go to sweden send money home to build 5 storey house and put lions on your gate and fence and then never come back.
nexttsar I thought they looked weird. Russians didn’t have markings on their collars and always had shoulder straps and that envelop fold looks weird and wasteful, Russians wouldn’t do tgat
Excellent episode! Great work putting so much into so little time. I can't wait for the next uniform special!
FYI: the white gymnastiorkas that you mentioned were sometimes worn were linen summer versions that were throwbacks to the Russo-Japanese War(and ever before). Also interesting is looking at photos from 1914 and seeing the variety of infantry uniforms as you mentioned. Sometimes you can even see them wearing what appears to be the dark green parade uniforms in combat or as pow's. I understand that when Russia called on her reserves many more men actually responded than was anticipated so the strain on supply was immdeiate. I believe that was the case(?)
6:01
Officer: AFFIX BAYONETS!!!!
Russian Soldier: You guys take yours off?
Early mosins have sights zeroed with fixed bayonets, so when they are shot without them the user has to compensate the windage. Strange? Complicated? Surrealist? Nop, just Russia
Sapogi is plural for boot (sapog). It doesn't actually refer to any specific kind of boot.
in russian sapogi(сапоги) it is high boots, jackboots- the shoes with high tops
виталий никитин Yeah, it's a gray line between botinki and sapogi. In English, both translate as "boot", but botinki can also refer to what most people refer to as sneakers.
For example, my USMC issue combat boots would be in that gray area. They are too tall to really be called botinki, but don't really fit the traditional high top sapogi.
In any case, the original point stands. Sapogi can refer to any calf length or longer boots, not just military ones.
USMC issue combat boots is definitly "botinki", nobody call it "sapogi". Sneakers is "krosovki"- the sport shoes or close to sport, and "botinki" is shoes usually made of suede or leather without tops, or with shoelace and tops for ankle, if tops higher its "sapogi", and shoes for ankle without shoelace is "sapozgki"(little sapogi) but its informal
виталий никитин Vitalik, the USMC combat boot reaches to mid-calf. It's well above the ankle.
I've heard the modern Russian issue infantry combat boots referred to as "sapogi". They seemed roughly equivalent to the USMC gear I had at the time. (Except being black rather than tan.)
sorry my english is not enough good, I mean shin not ankle, the point equally between knee and feet,I do not know where you catch it but in russia ( In central part of european part of Russia, where I live)nobody call USMC C.B. sapogi, its sound little weird
Well done
Hi, fyi Canada did issue the same work dress uniform to all soldiers, army,navy, air foce in the 1968. It was hatted with a passion (navy with green uniforms!). The only thing that varied was an ascot tie that varied from regiment or units. In the 80s, I was a navy cadet and we still had these old uniforms, with some variations between land,air,navy. The uniforms were split again in 1980. They look similar in cut, but the colors vary between army, navy and air force.
Love your show.
I always liked Russian uniforms of this era, especially that furazhka.
A trivia: The cloth (a form of puttee) that the Imperial Russian soldiers wrapped around their legs are called Chaussette russe (Russian stockings) in French.
5:42 In Tsarist Russia, vodka [whatever] you.
4:29 I think it is a piece very connected to Russian life in general. One of the wonderful short stories written by Nikolai Gogol is about it ('The Overcoat', 1842).
"Resource shortages, poor infrastructure, and a corrupt bureaucracy..." Is that 1914 or 2022?
So not much has changed then
1:47 a quarter masters nightmare, I petty the person keeping track of those uniforms.
Will there be a separate episode about the Jäger Movement (volunteers from Finland who trained in Germany as Jägers)?
was there ever one?
Damn those boots are stylish
Even the video about the uniform contains Russophobic cliches. Here are just a couple of them from this short clip:
«Gas masks were of several types actually. But probably the most effective was the Zelinksky model, which used charcoal filtering that was originally designed for purifying vodka».
This is а joke, I hope?
«The men of the Russian Imperial army fought everywhere, died by the millions»
Where are these statistics from?! According to the most overstated estimates, the number of died Russian soldiers in the World War I is 1.3 million.
Stop it.
Charcoal is great filter, im pretty sure they actually used it...
1:42 is it the world earliest foldable bike?
You had me at "charcoal filter originally used for purifying vodka" ;-)
There is a single Russian military garment I've always been especially curious about, the *telnyashka*, the iconic white undershirt with horizontal stripes, which were apparently used in a colour code later on to mark different service branches. In summer, Russian troops often wear their blouses open far enough so a triangle of the striped fabric is seen below the neck.
It says on wikipedia these were originally adopted from French fishermen's garb from Brittany and only made it to the land army in WWII, so probably no more on those on The Great War?
The telnyashka, at the outbreak of WW1, was worn *exclusively* by Russian sailors. The became popular in every branch of the Soviet/Russian Armed Forces in the 1950's.
The telnyashka, as above mentioned, was first just a sailor's garment. During Soviet times other specialist branches started wearing it as well, as a badge of their skill or special qualification. (This perception comes from that sailors in the red fleet were usually technically trained individuals).
15 million served! Man the tactics and strategy must have been bad if Russia had that many soldiers.
Providing of ammo was awful due regular workers riots.
I like the uniforms in WWI. Doesn't matter if it's for the Entente or Central Powers, the style is interesting and it has a sense of pride in it for each country. Would like to see it nowadays.
Such a curiosity: Russian military coat called - "shinel" supposedly designed himself Tsar Alexander the Secound. And as for the uniforms in the Russian army was very special formation called "Cossacks." It was not only the military but also social class - free peasants, who in exchange for land they serve the tsars in the event of war. Cossacks persecuted very severely by the Communists again reborn now. And the characteristic elements of their clothing were always pants with stripes and fur hats - Papakha. Some of them used special coat called - Tserkieska with a filter cups on his chests
portyanki or foot wraps were used well until Soviet Army did not start to introduce boots with laces. The wrap could be anything, usually thicker material for winter use. Socks just don't work well with high leather boots. The advantage is that portyanki can be easily taken off a foot (try that with frozen/dirty/bloody socks), washed, if wet they dry faster than socks as it's a flat strip of cloth. To do the wrap correctly, you need to know how to do it right.
I am aww1 ww2 collector . Great information keep it coming. ..
At 4:59 : The guys on the right look veeery young. The one in the middle can´t be older 13-14 years in my opinion.
i like this guys videos hes very professional yet doesnt bore you with boring facts
Great episode. was way more interesting then i thought it would be.can you say thanks to the team from me? =)
Can confirm that the strips of cloth are more comfortable than socks. The FDF still used them when my father served, but by the time I was conscripted (2014) they had been dropped in favour of normal socks. Having used them in civilian life however, as long as you don't wrap them poorly they are way superior.
***** Not to mention that, as Norway is the only Nordic country in NATO, it allows the Russians to exert military pressure on a large part of northwestern Europe which hasn't been tangible since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although I would assume an invasion of Norway would come after any potential aggression towards Sweden and Finnish Lapland, partly because of their neutral status.
By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what's the status of conscription in Norway? Is it sort of semi-voluntary in that it is easy to avoid if you want, but that it's technically mandatory?
***** Finland is neutral, they have no alliance with Norway or anyone else. There is of course stuff like the Nordic Battlegroup, but that is merely normal co-operation between states. There's also recently been discussion about a Fennoscandian alliance, but I don't think any real conclusion has been reached. Personally, I would welcome a stronger Nordic/Fennoscandian (military) unity.
Estonia and the Baltic countries have been a part of NATO since 2004, so the only real penetration in northern Europe available to Russia without directly going to war with NATO members is through Sweden and Finland.
Of course, NATO membership is only worth as much as the defence clause can be trusted. Considering recent events, NATO does not seem capable of retaining a European peace for all eternity, which calls for heightened co-operation on a local/regional level, but we'll see what happens.
Also, I find it curious that Norway has such a small military now as opposed to the Cold War era. I mean, I understand it in a way (Finland recently decreased the active reserve from 500 000 to 250 000), but one would imagine that the immense strategic value of Norway would warrant a larger body of soldiers. To an outsider it seems like the Norwegian military has a fair bit of resources though. All the professional soldiers in my brigade ran around in Norwegian combat boots, so I'm assuming there's quality to it.
***** Huh, that's interesting. Thanks for the clarification!
Footwraps were not exclusive to the Russian forces, but they did use them longer than most.
"In the Russian Army footwraps remained in use for tasks requiring the wear of heavy boots
until 2013,"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footwraps
One note. These strips of cloth which were wore instead of socks were called portyanki and were replaced by the socks in the Russian army not so long ago.
Im super mad I didnt find this when I was working on my Leviathan fanfiction
That leather jacket at 5:08 😍
Leather jackets were often associated with officers and NCOs in technical jobs, railway troops, the air service etc. They also came to be associated with Reds during the Civil War. Trotsky's armoured train, for example, was staffed by troops who wore special leather uniforms, I think they were reddish in colour. Supporters of the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 also wore them, almost as a kind of uniform. In fact in the 1920s and 1930s in Europe, leather jackets tended to have a left-wing image.
I have a 1914 M1891 that was captured by Bulgaria probably sometime in 1915 or 1916. Even after 102 years and 2 world wars it still shoots like a champ.
The Russian military fiercely resisted the abolition of footcloths and the introduction of socks into the army. Therefore, replacing footcloths on socks in the Russian Army finally succeeded only in 2017th year. The era that had begun in the times of Ivan the Terrible ended.
Они действительно удобные
5:45 "Get out of here, Stalker!"
Was a iron cross like medal also awarded in Russia? 2:08
Order of Saint George
Love the intro indy
Could you guys do s special episode or out of the trenches thing on the navies? Like go from each country no matter how big or small and list how big its navy was?
4:11 "The russians did not wear socks" --> I tried to using russian foot wraps a few times, they are actually quite nice to wear. But it's a strange feeling in the beginning if you are not used to it.
Here is a video i found about it: ua-cam.com/video/sK67zXzwngA/v-deo.html
Wow..fascinating stuff. Who knew?!