{{Short description|Red trousers worn by the French army}} {{Italic title}} [[File:798px-French soldier early uniform WWI(1).JPG|thumb|French infantry uniform of 1914]] [[File:Uniformes du 59e régiment d'infanterie de 1837 à 1870.jpg|thumb|A progression of French infantry uniforms from 1837 (left) to 1870 (right)]] The '''''pantalon rouge''''' (French for 'red trousers') were an integral part of the uniforms of most regiments of the French army from 1829 to 1914. Some parts of the [[Kingdom of France]]'s army already wore red trousers or breeches but the [[French Revolution]] saw the introduction of loose fitting white trousers for infantrymen. Following the 1814 [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]] white breeches or blue trousers were worn but red trousers for infantry were adopted in 1829 to encourage the French [[rose madder]] dye-growing industry. Madder red is a shade darker than the [[Scarlet (color)|scarlet]] of British uniforms.
By the early 20th century other European nations had adopted drab [[combat uniform]]s as a response to the changing nature of warfare. An early 1914 attempt by the Minister of War [[Adolphe Messimy]] to modernise the French infantry uniform was rejected after opposition in the press that it was "contrary both to French taste and military function". The bright French uniform contributed to the high casualty rate in the first months of the [[First World War]]. In December 1914 the French adopted a less conspicuous [[horizon blue]] uniform based on Messimy's proposal. The change in uniform was due to a shortage of the German-produced artificial [[alizarin]] dye which had been used in place of the traditional madder dyes.
== Use == During the early years of the 18th century red breeches were worn by 23 of the dragoon regiments of France's royal army,<ref>{{cite book|first=Liliane et Fred|last=Funcken|pages=23–25|title=L'Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre en Dentelle 2|ISBN=2-203-14316-9}}</ref> but after 1757 a yellowish shade of brown was substituted.<ref>{{cite book|first=Liliane et Fred|last=Funcken|page=29|title=L'Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre en Dentelle 2|ISBN=2-203-14316-9}}</ref> Later Kingdom of France uniforms varied significantly between regiments but red breeches were limited to generals, members of the royal household, and the ''[[Maréchaussée]]'' (until 1763). Infantry regiments universally wore white breeches after the 1750s, replacing the mixture of regimental colours previously favoured by individual colonel-proprietors. With the often chaotic transition period of the revolution, [[breeches]] were frequently replaced with [[trousers]] in the army and during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] infantrymen wore both types of garment in white cloth, often with multiple stripes in variegated colours.<ref>{{cite book|first=Andre|last=Jouineau|pages=60-61|title=L'Infanterie de Ligne 1776-1810, Tome I|ISBN=978-284048-556-8}}</ref> Standardised issues of white breeches returned during the [[Napoleonic Wars|Napoleonic period ]] but red was worn by cavalrymen of the Imperial [[Guards of Honour (France)|Guards of Honour]], the lancers, three regiments of hussars and the 3rd Regiment of [[Scouts of the Imperial Guard]].<ref name=duprat/>
The [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]] of 1814 brought in departmental legions in white coats and white breeches. When line infantry regiments were restored in 1820 they were issued blue trousers. Red breeches or trousers featured more heavily in the cavalry, being worn by the guard hussars, dragoons, lancers, [[chasseurs à cheval]] and most regiments of hussars.<ref name=duprat>{{cite book |title=L'intermédiaire des chercheurs et curieux |date=1919 |publisher=Benj. Duprat, Libraire de l'Institut |pages=37–38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9KbNAAAAMAAJ |language=fr}}</ref>
The ''pantalons rouge'' were adopted by the French Army on 26 July 1829, to encourage the [[rose madder]] dye-growing industry in France.<ref name=duprat/><ref name=ludovici/> This distinctive garment was quickly adopted by most regiments and became symbolic of the French Army for the remainder of the century.<ref>{{cite book|first=Andre|last=Jouineau|page=138|title=L'Infanterie de Ligne 1814-1845, Tome II|ISBN=978-284048-565-0}}</ref>
By the 20th century the synthetic dye [[alizarin]], imported from Germany, was used to colour the cloth of the ''pantalons rouge''. The French infantry wore the same pattern of trouser from 1867 to 1914.<ref name=david/> During the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870-71 the trousers became so synonymous with the French soldier that civilians referred to them as "red legs" or "red trousers".<ref name=ludovici>{{cite book |last1=Ludovici |first1=Albert |title=An Artist's Life in London and Paris, 1870-1925 |date=1926 |publisher=T.F. Unwin Limited |page=33 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lqI5AAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref>
On the eve of mobilisation for World War I (August 1914) red trousers or breeches formed a conspicuous part of the uniforms worn by all branches and corps except the [[chasseurs|Chasseurs a' pied]], artillery, engineers, colonial troops and certain North African native regiments ([[tirailleurs]] and [[spahis]]). The most spectacular version of the ''pantalons rouge'' was the voluminous "oriental dress" worn by the [[zouave]]s. In red cloth this was so conspicuous that with the outbreak of war it had to be replaced by a white summer version until re-tailored blue and eventually khaki trousers could be issued.<ref>{{cite book|first=Laurent|last=Mirouze|page=216|title=The French Army in the First World War - 1914 to 1918|ISBN=978-3-902526-20-5}}</ref> [[File:Zouaves in ww1 tournassoud.jpg|thumb|Early colour photograph of French 3rd Zouaves 1912]]
In addition to the bulk of the infantry and cavalry units, red trousers were also worn by non-combatant personnel belonging to the medical, veterinary and administration sections of the army.<ref>{{cite book|first=Laurent|last=Mirouze|pages=490–509|title=The French Army in the First World War - to battle 1914|ISBN=3-902526-09-2}}</ref>
== Replacement == [[File:Feld-Uniformen unserer Feinde im Westen Französische Feldarmee Englische Belgische Kriegsbilderbogen 4 Bildtafel WWI field uniforms France England Belgium plate wall chart No known copyright.jpg|thumb|A comparison of French (upper), British (lower left) and Belgian (lower right) army uniforms in 1914]] With changes in battlefield technology and tactics comparable European armies had switched from colourful uniforms to more [[Drab (color)|drab]] versions in the period leading up to the [[First World War]]. The British Army adopted a [[Khaki]] field service uniform, in place of the traditional infantryman's [[Red coat (military uniform)|redcoat]], just after the [[Second Boer War]] (1899–1902), Imperial Russia moved from "Tsar's green" to khaki-grey between 1908 and 1910, and in 1909 the German army replaced its traditional [[Prussian blue]] uniform with ''[[feldgrau]]'', a grayish green color.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Klueger |first1=Robert F. |title=Wilson, Clemenceau, Lloyd George and the Roads to Paris |date=18 May 2021 |publisher=Bridge & Knight Publishers, Ltd. |isbn=978-1-7363873-2-0 |page=350 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E8ErEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref><ref name=fried>{{cite book |last1=Friedland |first1=Roger |last2=Boden |first2=Deirdre |title=NowHere: Space, Time, and Modernity |date=1994 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-08018-8 |page=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zKCXX8ChEJkC |language=en}}</ref> The United States, Austro-Hungary, Italy and the Ottoman Empire all made similar moves between 1902 and 1910. However for reasons of national pride and military morale these major powers, and many smaller armies, largely retained their historic brightly coloured uniforms for ceremonial, parade, and off-duty "walking out" dress until the outbreak of war in 1914.<ref>{{cite book|first=A.E.|last=Haswell|pages=1–81|title=Vanished Armies. |ISBN=978-0-74780-739-1}}</ref>
Suggestions that the French army adopt predominantly brown or grey uniforms were rejected in the decades preceding the war.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stempel |first1=Jim |title=The Nature of War: Origins and Evolution of Violent Conflict |date=26 November 2014 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9058-5 |page=141 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zs468s_b5xMC |language=en}}</ref> After observing the actions of the 1912–13 [[Balkan Wars]] the French minister of war [[Adolphe Messimy]], well-regarded as a humane and professional army officer, proposed replacing the ''pantalon rouge'', red [[kepi]]s and blue tunics with less conspicuous colours.<ref name=fried/><ref name=lloyd>{{cite book |last1=Lloyd |first1=Mark |title=The Art of Military Deception |date=4 December 2003 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=978-1-84468-010-8 |page=38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_dikAwAAQBAJ |language=en |access-date=17 May 2023 |archive-date=27 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027114756/https://books.google.com/books?id=_dikAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Messimy's proposal was for a uniform of so-called tricolore fabric, woven from a mix of 60% blue wool, 30% red wool and 10% white wool.<ref name=david>{{cite journal |last1=Matthews David |first1=Alison |title=Decorated Men: Fashioning the French Soldier, 1852-1914 |journal=Fashion Theory |date=2003 |volume=7 |issue=1 |page=32}}</ref>
The proposal was fiercely opposed in the press which objected to the army wearing "muddy, inglorious" colours; the ''[[Écho de Paris]]'' stated that "to banish all that is colourful, all that gives the soldier his vivid aspect, is to go contrary both to French taste and military function".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Briggs |first1=Asa |last2=Clavin |first2=Patricia |title=Modern Europe, 1789-Present |date=6 June 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-86849-1 |page=171 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jMYFBAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Army History: The Professional Bulletin of Army History |date=1992 |publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History |page=16 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vF1OAQAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> Former war minister [[Eugène Étienne]] also opposed the proposal, declaring "''jamais! le pantalon rouge, c'est la France''" ("never! the red trousers are France"), which became a catchphrase of the conservative movement in France.<ref name=fried/><ref name="lloyd"/> The outcry over the proposal almost cost Messimy his ministerial position.<ref name=lloyd/>
The infantryman's uniform, including the ''pantalon rouge'', was especially visible in the yellow-cropped fields that were fought over in August and September 1914, contributing to the high French casualty rate.<ref name=fried/><ref name=lloyd/> After the outbreak of war, red [[alizarin]] dye could no longer be obtained from Germany. As a result, in December 1914 the French Army adopted a variation on Messimy's 1913 proposal. The mix of blue and white wool was retained, but without the red component, producing a uniform in [[horizon blue]]. Whilst less conspicuous than the pre-war uniform it was not perfect: the colour showed up well on the blue-sensitive film used in aerial photography of the time. The Germans had carefully developed their ''feldgrau'' to be hard to detect by photography or the naked eye.<ref name=david/> The ''[[Armée d’Afrique]]'' initially adopted uniforms made from [[khaki]] cloth manufactured in Britain, but later changed to a lighter brown colour with a yellowish tinge known as "mustard" ({{lang|fr|moutarde}}).<ref>{{cite book |last=Kidd |first=R Spencer |date=2012 |title=Military Uniforms in Europe 1900 - 2000: Volume One |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FE4DBAAAQBAJ |publisher=Lulu.com |page=42 |isbn=978-1291187441}}</ref>
==Limited readoption== During World War I red trousers never completely vanished from depots plus lines of communication units and training establishments,<ref>{{cite book|first=Andre|last=Jouineau|pages=11–47|title=French Army 1918|ISBN=978-2-35250-105-3}}</ref> although this reflected shortages of the new horizon-blue garments rather than nolstalgia. From 1928<ref>Michel Baudouin, pages 8-14 ''Armes Militaria No. 57'', Mensuel Mai 1990</ref> the colourful pre-war uniforms were reintroduced for those regiments of the French Army of Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco) that were primarily dependent on voluntary enlistment. Limited to parade and off duty wear, this recruitment measure meant that red trousers were worn again until 1939 by officers and re-enlisted personnel of the [[tirailleurs]], [[zouaves]] and [[chasseurs d'Afrique]]. Only the [[Foreign Legion (France)|Foreign Legion]] did not return to ''pantalons rouge'' after peacetime stocks were used up after 1919. In 1931 serving officers of all metropolitan and colonial branches were required to acquire full dress for social and ceremonial occasions in pre-1914 colours.<ref>{{cite book|first=Andre|last=Jouineau|pages=5–56|title=French Army 1940|ISBN=978-2-35250-179-4}}</ref> In addition to these officers, cadets at the [[Saint Cyr Military Academy]] reappeared in blue and red from 1931 onwards.<ref>{{cite book|first=Andre|last=Jouineau|page=8|title=French Army 1940|ISBN=978-2-35250-179-4}}</ref><ref>Jean-Pierre Baly, page 9 "La Gazette des Uniformes", no 154, Mai-Juin 1995</ref>
[[File:First Battalion ESM Bastille Day 2007 n1.jpg|thumb|left|Sr Cyr cadets 2007]]
World War II marked the final termination of the ''pantalons rouge'', with the notable exception of Saint Cyr; plus a limited number of military bands and small detachments from units that had historically worn this iconic garment in various forms between 1829 and 1914.<ref>{{cite book|first=Paul|last=Gaujac|page=41|title=L'Armee Francaise 1943-1956|ISBN=978-2-35250-195-4}}</ref> [[File:Nouba 1er Régiment Tirailleurs Épinal.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Bandsmen of the modern [[1st Tirailleur Regiment]] of [[Épinal]]. Officer in ''pantalons rouge'']]
== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed"> File:Louis Cylkow Le pantalon rouge.jpg|A poster for a 1904 operetta entitled ''Le Pantalon Rouge'' and depicting a French army officer File:France, 1829-1830 (NYPL b14896507-1634127) (cropped).tiff|French light infantry uniform, 1830 </gallery>
{{Wide image|Infanterie. FRENCH INFANTRY UNIFORMS Warriors soldiers from antiquity (Gauls) to 1918. Public domain illustration Larousse du XXème siècle 1932 (cropped to post 1820).jpg|600px|French army uniforms from 1820 (upper left) to 1918 (lower right)}}
== References == {{reflist}}
[[Category:French military uniforms]] [[Category:19th-century fashion]] [[Category:Trousers and shorts]] [[Category:Breeches]]