Through periods of glory, defeat and renaissance, the German Army uniform has evolved. Prussianistic and Germanic traditions have remained strong throughout the uniform's history, and can still be found in the insignia and equipment of the present-day soldier. In 1870 the uniforms worn by Imperial German soldiers varied between the different principalities. The spiked helmet (pickelhaube) was first adopted by Prussia in 1842, but it was later used throughout Germany. The pickelhaube was made out of leather, with metal reinforcement and a metal spike. It went through a number of modifications, such as the introduction of a round visor and the replacement of the rear spine. Within the colonies, there was even greater variation in uniform and equipment. In German East Africa, the soldiers wore white service uniforms with white tropical helmets and the national cockade of black, white and red. The East Asia Brigade wore a field gray jacket with four front pockets lined with leather, designed for carrying cartridges. Uniforms of the German Soldier has more than thirty color photographs and more than 300 black-and-white photographs, giving the reader an unparalleled analysis. Each photograph is accompanied with a detailed caption, explaining interesting aspects of the soldier's uniform, insignia and equipment.

During the Third Reich, almost every German wore a uniform, whether military or civil. Nearly 250 of the most important ones appear here, modeled by their most typical wearers. The paintings -- based on contemporary photographs for accuracy-depict all the primary styles ptive sections explain each uniform's place in the hierarchy, the battle roles of the wearer, and a fascinating range of detail.

One of the distinguishing features of the World War II German Army uniform is the use of shoulder straps and boards to denote rank, branch of service, and in some cases the assigned unit right down to the company. This heavily illustrated book covers construction methods, material, types and styles of embroidery and metal devices, as well as the identification of branch and unit. Detailed charts are used to identify unit affiliation of Gothic letters, Latin letters, Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, and Symbolic Devices. Containing over 1,000 color photographs of straps and boards, as well as other loose cloth insignia, collar tabs, and tunics to assist the collector or historian in identifying original examples, this book is the definitive reference.