II.

History

As permanent armies were formed during the 17th century, soldiers began to wear mass-manufactured clothing of the same style, but without any orderly system of distinguishing friend from foe. Thus, during the English Civil War, Royalist armies wore red sashes to distinguish them from the Parliamentarians, who wore orange sashes. By the 19th century, however, uniforms had become so elaborate that more functional clothing was demanded. Uniforms of most armies were then supplemented with so-called fatigue clothing, such as smocks, overalls, and forage caps, so that the more expensive formal uniform articles could be spared for parade and ceremonial duties. New developments in weapon technology, such as smokeless powder and machine-guns, made concealment on the battlefield a necessity. From 1900 all armies began to develop battledress uniforms, which were usually plain, serviceable garments in drab colours. World Wars I and II and the need for economy ended the use of the traditional full dress uniform for all but a few special military units. An ancient surviving example is the 16th-century garb of the Swiss Guard of the Vatican.