Army, Service and Full Dress Uniforms of Representative Units of the Armies that Took Part in the Great War

A visual summary of the armies that took part in the First World War.

True to it’s name, the First World War engulfed over thirty independent nations in the first industrialized global conflict of the 20th century. Participants from around the world traveled for thousands of miles to distant campaign theaters, fighting on behalf of institutions well outside their scope of control (and often comprehension).

This print was drawn by J.F. Campbell for inclusion in the 1922 edition of Harmsworth’s Universal Encyclopedia. Both infantry and cavalry from all major powers are fully illustrated. Of particular interest are the Russian Cossacks, Italian Alpini, British Highlanders, Sikhs, and German Jaegers.

There is an interesting juxtaposition of resplendence and more modern outfits, reflecting the changing trends from Napoleonic warfare to more modern conceptions.