Why did the British Wear Red?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ม.ค. 2019
- It's a common question, and a one to which there are a variety of different answers floating around on the internet. Unfortunately, many of these answers are only partially correct, or entirely false. In this video I discuss some of the more common misconceptions, and explain the true origin of the iconic "Red coat" of the English and later British soldier of the 17th Century onward.
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I know that some of the information in this video is a 'repeat' of a very early one that I did, but I figured it was worth mentioning in this, what is effectively a more detailed/updated version.
Also, go 'like' my Facebook page, so I can earn more internet points.
facebook.com/BrandonFYT
Because the English flag has red in it?
Just make people watch all of your videos my dude
This is an interesting topic. Why did the French wear white? Why did they switch to blue?
Why did the Austrians wear white? Why did the Spanish? Was there any danger or possibility of their formations getting mixed up?
Why did the Prussians wear blue? Why did the Russians go with green? Etc...
Did anyone ever position their soldiers with a different amount of space? So that they appeared as more or less?
Because red ones go faster! (Sorry. I couldn't resist.) And why did it take all the way until World War II for soldiers to start using camouflage?
Simple, because red ones go faster.
If dey wann'ed ta be sneaky gitz, dey'd weah purpal!
WWWAAAGGGGHHHHHH
This video needs more dakka!
DIE GREENSKINS!!!
I just wanted see the ork comments
I always heard that the red dye was simply cheap, durable, and relatively low maintenance.
I also heard that, given the technology of the period, the advantages of being highly visible were greater than the disadvantages. And that in the same period there were few bonuses to being hidden/camouflaged.
I actually never thought about high visibility being an advantage, but yeah realising how important it is to know where your own troops are, most battles pre-radio would benefit from just being able to see where they are. Thanks for pointing that out.
@@EmberBright2077 Yeah, particularly in the days before smokeless powder, when muskets/rifles/cannon would produce genuinely vast clouds of smoke.
In poor visibility, you want to know whether the men lurching out of the smoke were friend or foe very quickly.
It was a time when generals still stayed in contact with forces mostly by way of physical line of sight and dispatch riders.
My guess is that the need to be spotted and commanded by a general outweighed the cost of being spotted and slaughtered by the enemy.
Especially since accurate firearms won't be available for less than 2 centuries (if memory serves the New Model Army emerged in the 1650s, roughly 190 years before the British Baker rifle could become available enough to equip everyone).
As my papa always said, "it is always a little disconcerting to know you are going to war with equipment provided by the lowest bidder."
@@magnashield8604 Clearly he was a man of some discernment and understanding
So the gist is essentially that the British Army adopted Venetian Red as their official color because it was...
“RED-ily available” to them??
I’ll happily see myself out now.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Lol
Just take my life and leave
Pun-nniest pun about history 🤣👏🎬
I wasn’t RED-y for that
I always assumed armies at the time wore the brightly colored uniforms for easy identification of allied/enemy forces through the smoke and confusion of battle or for the Commanders overseeing the battle to identify at a distance. Always assumed the different covers or trim colors served a similar purpose: to allow a Commander to know what type of unit was where as the battle progressed.
As a fan of history and self proclaimed historian I'd like to just say that you are 100% correct! That's why the American Revolutions Army uniform was officially bright blue or why the French used bright white. The video makes a good point by mentioning the cost, that is why they used the color red but the British would have been in a bright colored uniform regardless of the color due to the smoke that happens in battles, cannons going off, muskets then you have smoke all around you and you need to know really quickly with nearly no visibility that the guy over there is a good guy and not a bad guy how do you do that? Well the bright uniform is how you do it. You also have to understand that those nice red uniforms get covered in black soot while In battle so the red gets darker in battle. The bright of the uniform was more important than camouflage because muskets where notorious at hitting nothing and so there wasn't the fear as much that by standing out you'd get killed. That's why they fought in lines so you could simply throw as much lead down range as possible, your bound to hit something doing that. The video should just say "They are red because it was the cheapest material but this is why tactically a bright colored uniform was important". Instead of just going on and on about dumb theories.
Yes literally everyone in the comments has said this. You get a C for being late to the lesson
@@manwithballsonarm6775 I'm not taking feed back or criticism from someone named "Ball sack arm guy". I also added in information describing how bright colors are used and added in the way the smoke and dirt affects that. I also just saw the video for the first time when I commented on this.
@@kylewetzel1750 it was joke man calm down and don't take stuff so seriously. I said you get a c to show you that it was joke
For identification of enemy and friendly forces. Black powder rifles sent plumes it f heavy smoke when fired. Twenty thousand black powder guns firing simultaneously.......... you needed to know who to fire at.
They wore red because they knew every nerd would be debating the reason for hundreds of years..
Says the one with an Einstein pfp pic
@@Notagoodgoalie35 that's what I'm saying
Made me giggle.
@“Ye Wanna Know How I Got These Scars?” ye wanna know how I got this rank
💯👍... LMAO, Indeed..
Great video Brandon, I see you're loving the new 54th uniform.
Oh, so much. Hopefully I will get some recording done with the other men of the 54th soon, as well.
Notice me comrade Senpais
Hello good sir
The same reason barns are red!
TWO HISTORIANS THAT SPECIALIZE IN WWI AND EARLIER? GOD *DAMN*
The "I can't see any blood on him!" line was perfectly delivered. Love your channel!
I return to this video just for this part, still cracks me up.
3:12
Blood won't dry red anyhow
the brown pants are so the enemy can't see our fear
Fun fact, when anyone bakes a cake nowadays and adds red food colouring to it they are using the same dye as was used to dye the redcoats uniforms. It comes from the cochineal beetle.
Actually the dye used in England was iron oxide, rust. That's way cheaper than cochineal beetle. Beetroot red is also sometimes used in earlier times. Though that has a slight hint of purple. There is also a dye made from lichen and copper oxide that is believed to be the green of the robin hood legends. Its meant to be red orange but goes green if you get the recipe proportions wrong and then boil it at the wrong temperature.
@@hatac I've used beetroot in dying, I always got a pink from it and it faded quite quickly. Also as you noted iron oxide make a dyes but it is unpredictable. Sometimes brownish red, sometimes brown, I have used iron as a mordant though. Madder can be used but the beetle gives such a strong, vibrant red...and you can dye a lot of fabric from it.
@@hatac How did the Russian and French armies get enough greens and blues for mass production? given the cost of dyes I'm starting to understand why dead soldiers were stripped and left naked on the battlefield in the 18th and 19th centuries.
@@meilinchan7314 South Carolina, the Caribbean, Spain and Italy grew indigo though, as the name implies, the dye is from India. That's the blue. You are right greens are hard. The main green dyes were yarrow or Lilly of the Valley. Most were yellow greens. There is also many yellow dyes which with a dash of indigo made greens. There was also Aniline (iodine) that could be many colors. The later Wilhelm Dye was an emerald green but the dye and the cloth was toxic, arsenic. I have a copy of Fortunes from Formulas. It has a dozen dyes going back to the Romans. Re-dying uniforms weekly was a normal thing in some cases.
Well that's just false
Duh, it’s because EU4 unit models for Great Britain are red.
Incendiary Bullet true
Nah i play only with mil 3 tech
Andris Mednis when you have diplomacy-999999 and administration-999999
But 3 mil tech
To answer the question- its the cheapest dye ever....
How did you do that? It took me 11 minutes...
Brandon F. Common knowledge, milord
Wouldn't it have been cheaper to not dye the fabric at all?
@@seneca983 Then it would not present a uniform color.
@@seneca983 I'm afraid that'd result in a strange mixture of white, créme white (slightly more of a yellow/beige undertone), tints of beige, browns and black. Seeing that it'll differ per sheep (since most uniforms at the time were predominantly made out of wool, rather than cotton or linnen, for example. (Sidenote: The lining of coats, waistcoats and the like may well have been linnen or cotton (or early on, for the richer of soldiers (usually officers) even silk). Within a single coat, one would need around 3 meters worth of woollen fabric (at the very least, 2,5m I have found) just for the outside of the coat alone, nevermind the lining. This would mean that one could easily have one sleeve a dull brown, while the other is as dark as the night's sky with a cuff in an entirely different tint.
TL;DR
It just looks a lot more organized and just overall, a lot better to dye them in one singular colour.
I like how YT just recommended me these videos like 2 weeks even though I've never expressed any sort of interest. Yet I still manage to watch every one of these videos that pop up. All I can say for once and unsarcstically, is thanks YT Algorithm.
Well thanks for being here!
Cool video dude!
But if you keep doing it, better make it shorter. YT stop using the +10 minutes rule.
As a British hearing an American explaining red coats is liberating
Well if they didnt wear red then they wouldnt be THE redcoats, you silly billy
Good point.
Your a techpriest so your biased. You guys basically wear red.
@@torinodeguzman4243 01100010 01100101 01100101 01110000 00100000 01100010 01101111 01101111 01110000 00100000 01111010 01101001 01110000 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100000 01101101 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100010 01100001 01100111
translates to "beep boop zip it meatbag" glorious
@@EnRandomSten You make it sound like a binary choice...
Spoiler alert:
It's a cheap colour
Black Templar Oh, you’ve spoiled it.
Spouiler alert
thnks saved me 10 minutes now I have time for more important things........
Thankyou ,I might die if I have to listen to him ranting on anymore
"Very Dark Black."
Brandon F - 2019
Gotta be specific. It could be light black.
neon black is my favorite color
You have to look closely though. It could just be very very very very VERY dark blue. :/
As an old re-enactor who swallowed the shilling back in '85, I know 'Red Coats' come in many colours. Rich at first it becomes less dramatic as it fades in the sun. I've marched in parade down many streets in a 'Green' coat and I've marched down almost as many a street in a 'Red Coat'. Time and observation taught me an interesting lesson. All most all the the ladies in the crowds beamed when we went by in Red and all their men scowled : )
They wore red because we British like to play fair and red makes one stand out and easier to shoot thus giving the enemy a very good chance of a hit. Red also matched the facial colour of an Englishman exposed to the sun.
"It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
that though the English are effete
they're quite impervious to heat"
Actually the bright colours of 18th and 19th century military uniforms made it easier to identify friendlies in the midst of the smoke filled battlefield which was very important for morale reasons.
@@RocketHarry865 Its even more important for the commanding General to be able to identify his own men during a battle and control strategy which is also why flags were carried, so units could be seen at a distance and over the clouds of gunsmoke.
He has to be able to see if his units are holding, retreating, if hes sent a flanking attack whether they are in position and so on. Itmight be better for the individual soldier to be able to hide, its not good for the whole army.
No infact completely the opposite. The colour red blurs in the distance more than other colours. So you would not be able to count the number of men in a line, compared to blue.
I highly doubt it was to allow the enemy to see them
Because it somehow increases their lethality against the French?
... Wait a second...
... This isn't Lindybeige!
lol!!!!!!!
Lindy beige for PM
there ar no flames on the coats.
This video is just 11 Minutes long, of course it isn't.
Lloyd is hiding his true identity as a Frenchman
English Civil War Re-Enactor here. I was always under the impression that it was common knowledge that the reason why Redcoats were Red was because Bastard Cromwell and Poxy Parliament knew it was cheaper to dress the NMA in red. Also, as some Royalist armies wore white, it was a good distinction between the two, though us Cavillers are far less fussy about dress!
As a normal Canadian here I thought it was because the English flag is a red cross on a white background, hence a red coat on an (often a least) white undershirt.
which civil war do you reenact? or do you do all of them?
@@drewparry2574 obv the British civil war
@@conor987 haven’t they had like 6 of them?
It says a lot that, referring to "Bastard Cromwell and Poxy Parliament" doesn't necessarily mean that you are a Royalist. 👍
The “how many men are in the opposing army” thing feels more like us looking back at the period and projecting our own perspective on it.
The British soldiers dressed in red because it gets them all the chicks.
@USA#1 !! Well now, My cousin was part of a British Army goodwill mission to the USA in the 90s.
The British boys were a great hit with the American Ladies.
A few marriages resulted.
The origin of the soldiers wearing red dates back to Cromwell's New Model Army sourcing cheap cloth for their uniforms.
Some astute merchant unloaded all his stock of red cloth(which he hadn't been able to sell! lol). Or so l've read!
@@vertmicko4763 American girls love that accent.
@@liberalbias4462
This Canadian man also love the accent of some British lass.
USA#1 !! You would be surprised how much American woman coming to London love queens guards
That is something someone without manners would say.
As a British soldier myself, it's great to see these videos and this information. I love your video's man, please keep it up.
Stay away lobster back. We hate you for what you did to us
@@madeinAmericasince-rz9cp Lol, you more than likely have English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh heritage. Hates a strong word, as I've never come across a true American that hates the British.
@@Damo3445 bloody backs must get bloodied
@@madeinAmericasince-rz9cp lol ok gramps
@@Damo3445 remember lobster. Your alive because we saved your ass twice. You owe us
My guess before he explains: identification during fog of war. People don’t understand just how much smoke black powder produces and how it obscures the battlefield. Friendly fire is a thing to be avoided, and brightly colored uniforms helped with that.
Edit: So money was the primary reason. Also makes a lot of sense.
Money was the reason for red in particular but I do think it was chosen for it's bright colour as well. it was the cheapest brightest colour not just the cheapest.
The uniforms were quite notorious for the dye running and turning a pinker shade or requiring repair which led to the coats not being quite as uniform as we imagine today.
I heard that it was chosen for the new model army during the English civil war as it was the cheapest dye
Ooh, turns out I was right. Yay!
Correct, but my favourite story is of a Royal Navy officer addressing a dinner after a sporting contest with the Army, informing the guests that the Army had chosen red to hide blood stains and the Navy had chosen blue for the same reason
You heard correctly.
Correct!
@@alecblunden8615 while Nelson needed no jacket just his Duty to keep him warm. God bless you Nelson, God save the King.
The French wore white uniforms at the time? How have I not heard about this? It seems like it would be perfect for surrender jokes.
They probably also had facings on the back so it looked like they were staring at you as they ran away.
Royalist France....Napoleon made Revolutionary France powerfully popular in people's perception
The Dutch Grenadiers in the the French military at the time wore white uniforms with red detailing
Democrats are scum of the earth vote red and trump
This escalated quickly
The reason the suits were red was to respect those who died in the revolutionary war on Mars just ten years prior. They had to blend into the dark red Martian terrain.
The key question is why don't British officers duck?
Its no good anyway, and the men dont like it
Because they thought that the enemy will never shoot at gentlemen officers, because they belonged to the aristocracy and/or the ruling class.
Because you might put your head in the way of a ball just as easily if you duck as if you don't. Also it ain't officerlike, don't cha know, old chap! British officers were, and are, expected to lead by example and show courage and determination - not to mention contempt for the enemy.
Reminds me of Union General John Sedgwick (1813-1864), who, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House during the American Civil War, told his men that Confederate sharpshooters couldn't hit an elephant -- whereupon he was shot and killed.
@@thismortalcoil696
Feeling better now?
One of the reasons, in the smoke and haze of the battle, wearing different color uniforms was one of the way the officers could keep track of the battlefield.
Well it’s simple
Red ‘uns go fastah
Oi! That dun mean them Hussar folk be makin' da bigger boom, all deck'd out'n yellow?
@@ryantoth676
Yes, And purple is da sneakiest colour!
@@Gothic7876 'Course it be! Ya ever seen a purple Spaniard? Naw? Iz because they's invisible!
For Warboss n' Clan! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
your attempt at a britis accent in type is stereotypical and marginally racist.
As an English person, thank you for teaching me something about my own country that my schools all failed to teach me
As well as cost (I'm just theorising here), red may have also had symbolic value, as it's been a prominent colour on English flags and coats of arms for a long time - the Norman coat of arms is three lions on a red background, and I believe the standard of the Kingdom of Wessex also had a red background. Although there is almost no evidence to say the Romans valued red, the colour is often associated with Rome in modern times, which may have been true back then but nobody can ever be sure about that
"The Fighting man" of Wessex was (as far as I am aware) indeed a white figure on a red banner.
@@thismortalcoil696 unfortunately he is right, and you are wrong.
Price was exactly why it was used for the new model army.
The Romans in Asterix have green uniforms.
@@patricksputnick5094 As I said there is no evidence to say that the Romans actually placed any special value on the colour red, they could have used any colour for their tunics and symbols - if anything white and purple are the colours Rome probably saw itself as most closely linked to. However, there is a prevailing association with Rome and the colour red in modern times which might have been true back then as well.
By that logic they should rock yellow
Red was the least expensive, most readily common dye that was manufactured in Britain. It also stood out well against a background making it easier to see and manage troups.
“Dark black”
-Brandon 2019
I love your channel keep up the great stuff
“It was “”red””ily available. I see what you did there.
Andreas Dazos LoL
And red is fabulous colour
that pun blue my mind.
I like the way everything is explained in a fashion that is both intellectual and fun. Great presentations and clear annunciations ... awesome work.
You can only see like 5-10 ft with all the smoke so soldiers need to easily tell who's friend a or foe
Thank you for your channel! I just discovered it today!
I was walking on a wooded path here in Georgia and saw a guy walking a distance away wearing union blue and realized how absurd bright colors were in post non rifled musket Combat age. During wilderness fighting it was an advantage to wear neutral grey.
It was REDily available. They used red because they got a wicked deal on the first batch of coats from the coat maker and after that they just went with it.
I use a move Zulu Dawn in one of my film classes. I point out the discrepancies and of course the reproduction of the iconic horse jump with the colors at the end. However, along with the 'Red coats' there are other color uniforms and detachments. I would love a review of the uniforms, the meanings and any general info.
So essentaially: why were red coats red coats?
Commie
@@VeryProPlayerYesSir1122 Yep. The British Empire was always the pinacle of communism... amirite?
@@robertnett9793 Ah yes, the great United Komunist Kingdom.
@@hatred9427 .... hm. Thought of something... isn't it somewhat ironic, that communism literally was invented in England?
The British uniforms were actually white. They just had their uniforms stained red by the blood of the dying Frenchmen.
HUZZAH!!
And Americans....the yanks lost most of their battles until they were properly trained by European officers. The whole "backwoodsmen" with rifles defeating the Brits is largely BS. Washingtons Army used the same weapons ( brown bess musket) and tactics as their British and Hessian counterparts
Riley Sheppard odd how they kept getting their ass kicked until the Prussians got involved and Nappy got thirst for a polish blonde
@@Reprodestruxion Nah.Wellington kicked the arse of all of Boney's Marshalls, then Boney himself at Waterloo. Boney himself said "In spite of everything, I should have won that battle" Then, later, of Wellington he said "he is my equal, but has the advantage of being more prudent" Look it up.
@@DMG00111-p i don't think that during that time any army had rifles to use. if they would that would have been a big boost in warfare. all guns where smooth bore back then.
I love this channel sir. I only recently discovered it but I’m such a history nerd I like watching these it’s great informative, entertaining and often funny 😁 keep doing these videos please and much love to you from Deutschland 🇩🇪
I've been teaching this in my Military History class for years...it's nice to see you also dispelling myths about this.
Man, thanks for answering this question that has plagued me a while. Love the video and yout humour (author of Renee: St. Mary's Virus").
I have a pretty profane question, if I may. What is your experience with the uniform, you are wearing in this episode when it comes to cold weather, rain and wind? Does it get you drenched easily or are all the layers efficient enough to provide a dry and warm body underneath?
@Miles Burgess Also Wool is a great wicking fabric. Unlike cotton, which is basically like wearing a bloody great sponge on your body; wool will pull the moisture to the outermost layer where the air will wick it away. When in hot weather, throwing your wool jacket on for a few seconds will dry you off pretty quickly (just don't leave it on for any length of time if you can help it.)
Colour-fast dyes were not invented until the mid-1800s and colours faded rather quickly. One British soldier in Spain during the Peninsular War noted that after months of burning sunlight and the occasional heavy downpour, his red coat had faded to a blackish shade.
"Profound", not "profane" :)
tryptychUK I meant to say 'simple' or 'basic' question. Something the well knowing reenactor will know and have experienced, but the one with no experience at all will not.
tryptychUK
No.
Prosaic.
If the yanks would have known this at the time they might have referred to the redcoats as "those cheap bastards."
247tubefan cheap fabulous bastards
@@Yoyle-jq9ul Well, yes, we may perhaps have over-enthusiastically invited ourselves to an indefinitely-extended sleep-over with a a full quarter of the inhabitants of the globe at one time or another and, OK, bumped into a few fortresses and navies and armies things and knocked them over and broke them when we arrived - butterfingers! - and, all right, fair's fair, maybe sort of got a bit too "at home" and started rearranging their furniture... and buildings... laid a few new roads and railways here and there... built some prison camps... and, OK, accidentally-on-purpose packed up every last bit of their valuable stuff and sent it back home ahead of us, and still never quite got around to setting a date for leaving - oops! - and that all really wasn't very polite of us at all...
...but *damn* we looked good while we did it.
@@tommcewan7936 And gave 'em a damn fine language they could do what they liked with!
Cheeky Bastards coming
cheap bastards with balls of steel.
Very well informed, I enjoyed the lesson. As a history nerd myself I have always wondered this and now I know the answer. Thank you Brandon, you have earned a sub. o7
This is a well made and entertaining presentation. You wear your uniform well. I chuckled at time time 9:36, when you said that Britain chose red because it was "readily" available. :)
7:26 is the answer
I always thought the scarlet coats of the British were just classy and awesome
I read, recently, units directly under the crown, household army(?), before the formation of the new model army and the dropping of dye prices wore the red because it was classy, and expensive, this also has something to do with officers coats and enlisted men's coats being a slightly different hue. When a massive show of British force was needed the elite troops were deployed, say in Ireland or on the continent. This is were an association of British Soldiery with the red coat came from initially. But this was before there was a unified dress code.
“Heck”- Brandon F
I love this
Great narration ! Full of intonation and enthusiasm ! Brilliant !
Normal people:Perfectly logical explanation
Me: becuz they looked cool.
Same😂
I have this fantasy. I have cousins living in Concorde (mas), I’d wear one of Brandon’s redcoat uniforms kick down their front door and say “look who’s back!” I’d crack up, not sure they would.
Go as a Hessian !
Well it is Massachusetts so you may get away with that today. Here in Pennsylvania that would get your ass shot!
@Denise Bond 🤔 I live in Berks county PA, wasn't aware of that.
“How many times do we have to teach you a lesson old man?!”
@@bigthoughts2644 : Oh shut up, we nuked you twice you know🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍
Thanks for sharing that I had no idea about that I enjoy history and I never had thought about that but it is an interesting point and fact you brought up 🙏
Very good and enjoyable piece! I knew the history but was nice to hear it again.
And the Canadian Mounties kept it because the First Nations trusted British officers to negotiate with
Sadly, no. Despite what some of the more flowery histories of the North West Mounted Police like to state, such as it was recognized by the First Nations, or it was a symbolic connection to the British crown, the truth is that they wore/wear red because the newly formed Canadian government bought surplus infantry tunics from the British Government. They originally briefly debated a blue tunic for the force but the red tunics were cheap, ready made, and easily obtainable. The North West Mounted Police did use a connection to previously established British institutions as a way in with First Nations groups in the early days of their operations in the North West Territory, but it was done through agents of the Hudson's Bay Company, who had long established trading relations with groups in the territory.
@@ChrisMartin-mv9gt Your answer is spot on, those blue coats they were originally interested on were surplus American coats in some instances, but the British had better rates. Something about import/export taxes. :) (The more things change, the more they stay the same.)
@@thunderfoot11 Indeed :)
In later years the force did intentionally augment their uniform to have a deliberate connection with established cavalry regiments.
They originally wore beige/tan trousers but changed to dark blue trousers a few years in to their service. They added the yellow stripe to the blue trouser through permission by and a connection to the British 11th Hussars (can't remember the exact date of this change off hand).
The force also wore a white cork helmet and brimless forage cap for much of its early service, then sometime around 1904 the then Royal North West Mounted Police adopted the iconic stetson hat and high brown Strathcona riding boots through a direct connection to the Canadian army's Lord Strathcona Horse. The connection came by way of Sam Steele, the third sworn officer of the NWMP upon their raising, who went on to serve as the commanding officer of the Strathcona's during the Boer War.
That's a long way of saying that they did eventually forge an identity based on their experience and cultural connections to British and Canadian military institutions, but that came after they were established in the west and were seeking/developing a regimental identity/traditions of their own. The initial choices made with respect to their uniform were indeed budgetary, not symbolic.
@@ChrisMartin-mv9gt Yeah, I'm pretty sure the Stetson was in direct response to the Cavalry units from the US that they shared a border with, it has been a staple in the US cav ever since the waning days of the Civil War. (Still is for certain ceremonial occasions). Frankly if I was wearing a Pith Helmet in Canada and saw a counterpart to the south wearing a Stetson, I'd want one too. XD Didn't they also wear a campaign style hat for a brief time in the late 19th and early 20th C.? (much like the US/British Military units wore prior to WWI and for a period thereafter.)
thunderfoot11 a pillbox was more uncomfortable and goofier
Nicely put together and very accurate too! Incidentally, during the Zulu War of 1879 it was found that the faded red coats of the 24th Regt. actually blended in very well with the colour of the foliage of Zululand/Natal and the British columns were very hard to pick out from any great distance.
Also since regiments carried their flags into battles you could count their banners to get an idea of their number.
Great videos and history lessons Brandon, We utilize your videos for various film projects. Good job. Thank You.
Great video as always. i am your 37th sub btw since i have subbed i love your channel
Thanks for adding the closeup of the painting featuring african American redcoats
What is the name of the song in the introduction? Starts at 0:03? I remember hearing a marching band playing it years ago, but can't recall hearing it since???
Great topic for a video, and good explanations. I'm wondering if anyone proposed, as a secondary reason for the red color, that it helped soldiers easily spot friendly ranks when the battlefield was covered with thick, gun smoke from black powder muskets/cannons. I had a WWI history professor tell me that reason years ago, and that armies slowly abandoned brightly-colored uniforms once smokeless powder came about. The French were the last to abandon bright colors on their uniforms (Blue coats & red trousers) in 1914/1915.
If I remember correctly, one of the reasons for abandoning the red trousers (which had become somewhat of a national symbol) was that the dye used for them came from Germany, which, for obvious reasons, wasn't going to work out for them.
Yes, what you said was exactly my understanding as well. Smoke on the battlefield caused great confusion with soldiers inadvertently running into each other’s lines. That was overlooked in this video.
May I politely request a march playlist? A playlist of the music used in intros and outros for the videos, I'm terrible at pinpointing the names of the marches.
Keep up the amazing content
Well thank you!
Great video, very eloquent
I always thought that they were red because it was cheap and that it allowed the British to easily recognize each other
Why wore red? Because it's striking, instills courage, dope and cheap.
Hello there.
@@obi-wankenobi1233 Good day, General Kenobi.
Hey Brandon! Do you know if a group will provide a uniform for a little while before you get yours? Thank you!
john Mullholand thanks
It actually makes sense .Budget cuts have been with us since time immemorial! Much appreciated sir
Very interesting. Now you've explained why they chose red could you make another video explaining in more detail why they were called Redcoats?
Last video you said you forgot which regiment wore red facings, it was the 33rd
If I remember from reading Sharpe, didn't the 33rd had yellow facings ?
There's a unit,with black facings.
58th reg of foot wore black. 33rd defintely wore red facing but the made up regiment, south Essex, wear yellow.
@@oliverjolly8953 A simple wikipedia search shows that you're right
I even saw something written, about a blackcoat, faced red. It was a revolutionary war uniform book.
And cheapness is why France and the Austria went "white" which was at first was undyed linen.
Austria was white because snow in alps
France become blue in revolution, before revolution there no nations, there only nobles and mercenary as soldiers
All navies uses various crew (nationality) if you want to be sailor you welcome
@@tihomirrasperic Napoleon brought back the white uniform in 1806, but the soldiers wouldn't have it. So they reverted back to blue in 1808. Never understood the exact reason, if to recapture the old tradition or economic reasons.
@@jorge6207 www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?306393-The-Offical-Napoleon-Total-War-Historic-Uniforms-Thread
@@tihomirrasperic I'vge learnt that pice of trivia as I research Portuguese military history and the guy who first spotted French inside Portugal in November 1807 clearly stated that he saw French white uniforms. He wouldn't be mistaken as he was a seasoned liuetenant colonel. I checked and indeed the french infantry uniforms were white in this period, even if that was evidently not popular.
"In 1806 as a result of the British naval blockade there was a shortage of indigo used for dyeing cloth. Napoleon ordered the introduction of a white uniform for his line infantry. According to Decree of April 25th 1806 the following regiments of line infantry were assigned white coats: 3rd, 4th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 32nd, 33rd, 34th and 36th Line. (Journal Militaire Vol I 1806, pp 176-178)" in: napoleonistyka.atspace.com/French_infantry.html#_uniforms
Thanks for explaining an important part of British military history. When I'm asked about this I always explain New Model Army 1645.
I love your youtube channel. Where did you get those regimental buttons? I used to reenact the 38th light infantry and I can't find the buttons for my uniform. Also, do you know where you got the rev war pattern for the uniform? Do you have any info on the 38th reg? What does a Capt. in the 38th look like? I've looked everywhere for it and there is nothing that comes close. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9:36 How *red* ily available was it?
NX NightShadow111 rumours say redcoats dye their uniform with their own blood when the government couldn’t afford a cheap dye
If the British Army wore red because it was cheapest then why didn't the other nations wear red? As you mentioned earlier the French wore white and the Prussians wore blue, why didn't they also wear red? I assume the price of the dyes would've fluctuated but I also imagine both mentioned nations would've came up with the idea roughly around the same time. Maybe they got the dyes through trade with different markets? I remember playing Empire Total war and seeing the French flag being a large amount of the "Fleur De Lis" on a white background. If that flag was used pre revolution then that might explain the white uniforms... but the Prussian flag is typically associated with White, black, grey, etc. I apologize for a long question but to sum it up, were there any other reasons why other nations chose their uniform colour?
I forgot who it was, but I believe there was a particular English noble who happened to have large supplies of red dye at the time, thus making it the cheapest option for the English at that particular time. Blue is also a relatively cheap dye I think, and so it was also very common for uniforms.
@@BrandonF Brilliant, makes a lot of sense and also very interesting. Thank you so much for your response
Yes that's true, the french and austrians (iirc) wore white, the russians wore green and the the prussians, bavarians and swedes wore different shades of blue
Denmark used red until 1849. when it changed to very dark blue.
(after testing showed that the best color to "hide" the men in the smoke of blackpower was gray and the 2nd best dark blue)
Because the guns in those days created shed loads of smoke which affected their visibility. If they wore the same colour they wouldn't be able to differentiate themselves from each other properly, leading to friendly fire.
It may not be exciting but it is certainly something I wondered about. None of those other explanations made sense to me, "it's cheapest" does. Thanks for answering that question!
Old joke (the figures are inaccurate, I know);
Wellington at Waterloo, receives a message "My Lord, 5000, enemy have been sighted."
Wellington "Fetch me my red jacket."
"You're red jacket My Lord - won't that make you stand out?"
"Perhaps, but if I get shot, the sight of their commander bleeding may affect the morale of the men..."
5 minutes later "My Lord, the signal was garbled. There are Fifty thousand enemy!"
Wellington turns to his batman "Fetch my brown trousers..."
Another good reason was identification. In the fog of war and the heat of battle you needed to know who and where your men were on an open battlefield, especially when they were maneuvering.
The generals of the British army at the time from a distance could see the British troop formations easier as to work out how the battle was going..... and so they could take appropriate measures to change battle plans....and red stood out easier as a colour on the battlefield.... And was cost effective.... Cheap dye...
Amazing video,
Let’s go Brandon!
"Why would the French soldiers wear white?"
Must... Resist... Temptation... To make... Bad... Joke!
Resisting
In palpatine voice “give in to your memes”
Must, ahhh resist
It matched the flag, of course. No, really, the flag of the Kingdom of France was entirely white.
@@TheJTMcDaniel And the original sign of surrender was to fly the flag of your enemy(or something approximating it). The fact that this became the universal sign of surrender says quite the opposite than the silly modern french stereotype.
It's a combination of both cost effectiveness of the dye and nationalistic color coding.
Musket=Gun + Smoke grenade
Exactly. Some battles were so covered in gunpowder smoke that they could barely see 5-6 meters in front of them. It was necessary to be able do distinguish friend from foe.
Not sure how I ended up here, but glad I did. Great video!
Yes, I always teach this to my 8th graders that the red was cheap. The French wore white.
Simple count the ears and divide by two, that will give you a good estimate.
So when was the earliest time a green or camoflage pattern uniform would have been useful?
For conventional warfare? Generally when you had smokeless powder AND common rifles.
You'd really need both.
Riflemen and light infantry during the napoleonic wars would be often already wearing a green uniform to sorta blend in with the surroundings.
@@gabrielboi3465 I think you''ll find that the Riflemen from Britain are largely coincidental. Not really much of a point in hiding infantry at this point. Voltigeurs wore red shoulder bands and the austrain skirmishers wore white.
TheIfifi It was not only the British riflemen that wore green, also the Prussian jager, and Italian light infantrymen as well, even tho most light infantry units wore the same uniforms of the line, sometimes they were issued with more bland and less visible uniforms, like in these examples.
“Hiding” Troops was common in that era, maybe not in the way we intend now, for example, Wellington hid his troops of the line behind a hill at Vimiero, but in the case of the riflemen, where combat usually involved open formations and skirmish tactics, hiding them would make even more sense, also because, Riflemen were very commonly engaged in skirmishes with other light infantry units, resulting in a less “conventional” type of warfare.
Not to mention the way these kind of troops operated, in a totally different way in comparison to the more common units.
I liked the video, I already knew the answer just wanted to see how you presented it, bravo lad, I just subscribed.
Fun fact: The painting of which a small portion is shown at about 09:50 is a Danish one marking the country's turn to absolutism in 1660. The painting is more or less contemporary to the event at which the painter (Wolfgang Heimbach) was himself present. The historical event, along with the painting itself, is commonly know as "Arvehyldningen". In the full picture, lines of irregularly dressed soldiers can also be seen further down, and the contrast to these completely uniformed ones is quite enlightening.
So Paul Revere can shout: "The redcoats are coming!" Duh!
Although red was initially chosen because of its low cost, that is not the reason why it was kept. Otherwise, we would have to think of the French in white and Prussians in blue and all the other colours of national armies as a bunch of spendthrifts. Why would they all not go for that nice, cheap red?
The real reason is what modern armies call IFF (identification friend/foe). As the modern military say goes, "friendly fire isn't." Wearing red means that we know those guys are on our team, so we better not shoot them. In spite of all our guys wearing red, the 18th and 19th centuries are still full of friendly fire incidents, usually at night or in other circumstances of reduced visibility. Sometimes those friendly fire incidents had serious consequences. For example, in the USA, General "Stonewall" Jackson was killed by being shot by his own troops at night.
Another example is the Battle of Stoney Creek on June 6, 1813. This was the furthest the US Army got in its invasion of Canada. Night attacks upon a field army are rare in this time period, because they are very, very risky. But the Anglo-Canadian forces were horribly outnumbered, and knew that a conventional daylight battle would mean their inevitable defeat. With the fate of their country at stake, they rolled the dice on a risky night attack, and won. At one point, the US cavalry charged their own US 16th Infantry, who were themselves disorganized and firing upon each other in confusion. Oops!
So the real reason for national armies all wearing the same colour of uniform is to identify troops as friend or enemy. Because shooting the people on your own side is bad for morale.
You are forgetting that the British armies also used Green and blue uniforms.
Armies did usually not wear just one color across all branches.
Artillery and cavalry often had different uniforms.
And some "British" light cavalry units had uniforms that even had the same cut as french hussars.
In the danish army in 1848 the infantry had red uniforms
jægers green, light cavalry skyblue, heavy cavalry white uniforms.
Also most 18th century armies was not national armies.
They where bases on what ever state was ruled by what ever king.
The danish army in 1810 was made up of Norwegians, Danes and Germans.. and that is when we are talking men from within the danish state.
@@thomasbaagaard Yes, very true. There were exceptions to this rule. Sometimes people believed that this conveyed advantages that overcame the IFF disadvantages. For example, the 95th Rifles, the famous "Greenjackets." They believed that the camouflage advantage of wearing green overcame the IFF disadvantage.
"And some 'British' light cavalry units had uniforms that even had the same cut as french hussars." I think that you can see the problems that would ensure. It is the job of light cavalry to do jobs such as scouting, screening and pursuit of a defeated enemy. Suppose me and my buddies are doing one of those jobs and night is falling. In the gathering darkness we come across a bunch of other light cavalry wearing uniforms that look the same in the darkness. Are they friends? Are they enemies? Should we run away or attack them? Problems!
Even irregular troops such as local militias or guerrillas who could not afford uniforms tended to wear some sort of prominent cockade or armband. That was not a fashion statement. It was a way of saying something like, "Hey British Army! We are on your side fighting for the legitimate King of Spain against that scum Napoleon. So please don't shoot at us."
@@kevinlove4356 You are still missing the point. If the armies had really cared about IFF, they would have used the exact same uniform and other uniform item across all types of units. They did not. It was way more important to have uniforms that showed that a soldier belonged to a specific unit. That is why you got different colored facings on the British uniforms.
Artillery, different types of infantry, different types of cavalry. all had different uniforms in most armies.
One reason is that it could help improved the esprit de corps with in that unit.
Having different uniforms was the norm back then. Standardization is something we start to see in the mid 19th century and not until The Great War was is it taken seriously. And faster and cheaper production and a lot less paperwork is the main reason for this. Not IFF.
Blue was their color during this time period since a lot of the military was German soldiers
"distinctly unfunny things" hihi, you got me there xD
I didn’t expect such a detailed video. I have never seen this channel before and now I’m curious what his channel is all about. I’m assuming military history? Possibly the most interesting fashion channel on TH-cam?