Infantry Uniforms 1800 - 1840

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Introduction

In the beginning of the 1800s there was a definitive break with the uniforms of the 1700s. The uniforms being developed in the 1800s were far better designed for battle conditions. The former ruffs, ruffles and the blue and yellow sashes were now abolished. Pick a period:

Period 1800 - 1840

Uniform m/1801

The current monarch of Sweden, King Gustav IV Adolf, was a great admirer of an earlier Swedish monarch, King Karl XII, and when the new uniform m/1801 was designed it was influenced by the Carolean uniforms of King Karl XII, m/1706. The coat m/1801 ended at the waistline. The blue color, the high folded collar, the row of buttons, pocket flaps etc showed a great resemblance to the Carolean uniform. The hat was different though; it was the new bicorne, which was in reality a flattened three-cornered hat (tricorne). This uniform got a lot of prestige since it was also assigned to the field marshal and other generals, adjutants, the Garde du Corps (Drabantkåren) and to officers of the Artillery and the Fortification. However, the uniform m/1801 of the Fortification wasn’t blue but gray. The uniform was also supplied with a greatcoat, the surtout (syrtut). The rank insignias on the uniform was shown with embroidery around the cuffs and collar and by braids on the hat. Initially it was only the company officers (lieutenants and captains) that wore these new rank insignias. From 1809 also the regimental officers used rank insignias on their collars. Their insignias were embroidered buttonholes. Example of rank insignias, m/1801:

Uniform m/1802

In 1802 yet another uniform was introduced, m/1802. This uniform was wasn’t a brand new uniform but a modification of an earlier uniform from the 1790s. The facing remained, however now both wider and longer and reached up to the shoulder seams. The uniform included both a tunic and a coat with tails. Headgear was the bicorne. This uniform was assigned to the body of officers (Except for officers already wearing m/1801) and to the Life Guards. The NCOs of the Svea Life Guards had buttonholes with piping and cuffs with silver braids. There was also a jacket being part of m/1802 with short tails tucked up wedge- shaped. This jacket or short coat was worn by NCOs and soldiers of rank and file in the infantry and by the majority of other units, the mounted units excluded. The image to the right shows the infantry uniform m/1802. National Museum. The units on foot wore dark blue jackets except for Jönköping regiment who wore medium blue jackets and Jämtland Regiment whose jackets were gray. Collar, cuffs and lining were different for each regiment. The trousers were tight fitted and white. Footwear were shoes with black high gaiters. Headgear was a high hat with plume similar to hat m/1792. White trousers might look good in parades but the Pomeranian War 1805 - 1807 proved that white trousers weren’t suitable for battle condition.

Uniform m/1806

In 1806 a new regulation stated that color of vest and trousers were to be gray in the infantry. The trousers were to have blue stripes, one inch wide, along the outer seams. Footwear were boots reaching up to the calves. The facing of the coats was abolished. The grenadier battalion of the Life Regiment and the Life Grenadier Regiment wore blue vest and trousers. The trousers were equipped with red stripes along the outer seams. The blue stripes on the trousers were later removed and in the fall of 1806 it was ruled that the jackets were to be gray too. A new greatcoat was introduced, the kapott. The kapott was gray and had a blue standing collar. The entire Swedish infantry were now wearing gray uniforms with the exception of the two regiments mentioned above. The enlisted infantry kept the blue jacket and white trousers. The headgear was an 8 inch high cylindrical hat with a yellow wool plume and a black ribbon around the crown. The hat was equipped with a company badge of wool of distinct colors for each company. The scarf was black. The jacket had 4 inches long tails and 10 buttons in front. The collar was a 5 cm high standing collar. The vest was equipped with sleeves and had 9 buttons in front. The trousers had a high waistband and the waistband wasn’t visible when the soldiers were wearing the jacket. there were also a 5 cm wide blue and yellow belt worn on top of the jacket. The uniform also included black high gaiters, one pair of woolen stockings, one pair of shoes and two shirts. The uniforms of the regiments in real Sweden had a dark gray color while the regiments in Finland had a slightly lighter shade of gray. Example of colors for some the different infantry units:

Uniform m/1807

There were changes to the m/1806 uniform as early as in 1807. Now, the regiments in real Sweden as well as in Finland were to wear the same shade of gray of the uniforms, m/1807. The color was set to dark gray with dark blur color of collar, cuffs and lining. The regiments were equipped with regimental badges, differentiated for each regiment. The regimental badges were slightly bigger than the company badges. The soldiers of rank and file were wearing a cylindrical hat with a white plume. NCOs and the band were wearing the bicorne hat with a silver braid and a button. The Rangers wore jackets equipped with green collar, cuffs and lining and their hats had green plumes and braids. The image to the right shows infantry uniform m/1807. War Archives. The former sleeveless cloak was now finally abolished in favor of a greatcoat called kapott. The kapott had sleeves and a large folded collar covering the shoulders down to the elbows. The color of the coat was gray with dark blue collar, cuffs and lining. The image to the left shows the greatcoat, a so-called kapott. Early 1800s. There were many uniform regulations issued during the first decade of the 1800s. Several of these changes to the uniforms were overridden by new ones before they were implemented. Further, there was a shortage of resources, both material and money, so old uniforms were to be worn out before new one could be acquired. Also, Sweden was involved in several wars during this period, so there was little time to change uniforms.

Uniform m/1809

The gray color of the uniforms was very unpopular. In 1809 there was a new regulation reinstating the blue color of the uniforms. However, the regiments that already been equipped with the gray uniforms were to wear them until worn out. From 1772 all Swedish officers had been wearing a white ribbon around their left upper arm as a banner. However, during the Swedish-Russian war 1808 - 1809 it became clear that it was ill-advised to openly in battle display to the enemy who were officers. So, the officer banner was abolished in 1809. The image to the right shows an artillery officer wearing the white banner on his upper left arm. Photo Hans Högman. Army Museum.

Uniform m/1810

In 1810 there was yet a new uniform produced for the infantry, m/1810. This uniform was intended for the provincial regiments, grenadiers excluded. The m/1810 was similar to the m/1806/07 but with a different color, blue. The tailcoat jacket was blue with dual rows of buttons, yellow lining, standing collar, cuffs with flaps. The trousers remain gray. The collar and the flaps on the cuffs were to be in the regimental color. The brass badge in the front of the hats were replaced with a black broadcloth ribbon equipped with a new brass badge with the coat of arms of province where the regiment was established. The uniform also had a long blue and yellow belt of broadcloth which reached two times around the waist. The shoes were equipped with lacing instead of a buckle. Black gaiters were used on the lower part of the legs. The vest was no longer necessary since officers and soldiers now were equipped with greatcoats.

Napoleonic Wars

After the Swedish-Russian War 1808 - 1809, when Finland was lost to Russia, were the Swedish uniforms were in bad shape and the replacement of uniforms took a long time. The Swedish troops participating in the Napoleonic Wars in 1813 were therefore here and there dressed in poor uniforms. This became clear in contrast with the uniforms used by other armies. Since the new Swedish uniforms being developed in the first decade of the 1800 only partially been distributed to the military units due to wars, many units still wore the old uniforms which were, at the time, regarded gaudy and thereby old fashioned. One example of old fashioned details are the high collar and the high round felt hat. The armies on Continental Europe wore at the time a headgear known as the shako (Swe: tschakå). A shako was a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with some kind of ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise, and often has a feather, plume (see hackle), or pompom attached at the top. Many Swedish units adopted the shako while participating in the Napoleonic Wars.

Uniform m/1815

In 1815 the shako (Swe: tschakå) was enacted as the standard headgear of the Swedish infantry. The shako introduced into the Swedish infantry was the Russian shako - the kiwa; The kiwa (also kiver) was a style of shako introduced into the Imperial Russian Army in 1812; its distinguishing feature was the dished or concave top. The Swedish shako was made of black felt with a leather visor and crown. The shako was equipped with a banderole, brass badge with the regiment’s coat of arms, cockade and a pompon as a company sign. The officers’ shako was also equipped with a yellow plume. The image to the right shows a shako m/1815 for soldiers of rank and file, Kronoberg Regiment. Free image Wikipedia.

Uniform m/1816

Some Swedish officers had on their own accord provided themselves with new more modern uniforms. A few of the new details of the uniforms were epaulettes (Swe: epålett) on the shoulders and embroideries on collars and trousers. The uniform, m/1816, had a blue jacket with dual rows of buttons (7 buttons in each row). Each button had the regimental number engraved. A general order, dated March 26, 1816, stated that each infantry regiment was to be assigned a regimental number. These number were kept unchanged until 1925.For example, the Södermanland Regiment were assigned number “10”, i.e. infantry regiment number 10 (I10). The collar of m/1816 was lower than previous uniforms and red. The cuffs were red and equipped with a blue flap with three buttons. The shoulder straps were blue with a red piping and equipped with two buttons. The jacket lining was yellow. The trousers were blue with a 3 cm wide stripe along the outer seam. The officers wore gray trousers. The Södermanland, Jönköping and Västgöta-Dal regiments as well as the Småland Infantry Battalion were allowed to keep their respective regimental color on collar and cuffs. Footwear were shoes and low gaiters. Beside the colors and the new headgear was this uniform similar to the m/1810 uniform. Beside a few modifications, the m/1816 uniform was used by the infantry more or less unchanged until 1845. To the “släpmundering” (Undress uniform) the soldiers wore a camp hat / forage-cap (Swe: lägermössa). In 1818 the stripes of the officers’ trousers were changed to red. In 1821 the gray color of the trousers was changed to blue. Also, in 1821 all infantry regiments were to have red collars. In 1821 all provincial infantry regiments, except for First Life Grenadier Regiment and Jämtland Rifle Regiment, wore the following colors of their uniforms: • Gray greatcoat (kapott) with a red standing collar, dark-blue jacket with dual lapels and dual rows of brass buttons. Collar and cuffs were red while the lining yellow. The trousers were blue. Headgear was the shako with pompon and a white banderole. Further shoes and gaiters. Jämtland Rifle Regiment wore the same uniform but in green color. The banderole on the shakos was abolished in 1829 as well as the embroideries and stripes on the collar. Previously the high-boots had been worn over the trouser. Now the trouser was to be worn over the boots. The stripes on the trousers were replaced with narrow red piping. Further, shoulder straps were reenacted (red) and new epaulettes introduced. Shoulder straps and cuffs were in the same color. In 1830 the officers received a new greatcoat with standing collar with a folding hanging down over the shoulders. NCOs and soldiers kept still used greatcoat m/1806. In 1831 the shako m/1815 was replaced with a new model, m/1831. This shako was taller and straight upright and didn’t weight as much as the old one. There was a brass badge in front with Swedish coat of arms; the three crowns and a plate with the name of the regiment, yellow cockade of leather and a pompon. The image to the right shows a shako m/1831 for soldiers of rank and file, infantry. Free image Wikipedia. In 1838 the provincial infantry soldiers of rank and file received and new jacket with a single row of buttons, m/1838. The officers were then already wearing this jacket.

Grenadier Regiments

The grenadier regiments were excluded in the 1806 regulation regarding gray color of the uniforms. Instead they were equipped with blue coat, vest and trousers. The Life Grenadier Regiment and the Life Regiment Grenadiers wore in 1810 the high cylindrical hats supplied in 1802 respectively 1807. These felt hats were equipped with a tagelliggare. A tagelliggare was a large comb or crest (lying plume) made of horsehair (tagel) used as adornments on hats and helmets. The 1802 hat was equipped with a braid and a brass plate and a white upright plume. In 1814 the Life Grenadier Regiment received a new uniform with a hat equipped with a tagelliggare and a large bushy plume, brass braid and a flaming grenade made of brass. The coat was a tailcoat with a high collar and red epaulettes . Cuffs and collar were red. The trousers were blue and had white stripes with red edges along the outer seams. The Life Grenadier Regiment was in 1816 divided into two new regiments; First and Second Life Grenadier Regiment. In 1821 the grenadier regiments were supplied with shakos (tschakå) as headgear. This wasn’t the same shako as the regular infantry wore at this time but similar the shako the regular infantry was supplied with in 1831. See above. The shako was equipped with a large front-plate and an upright white plume. The white plume was replaced in 1827 with a large black plume made of horsehair. The banderole was removed in 1833. In 1832 the two Life Grenadier Regiments were supplied with a new headgear, hat m/1832. This hat was similar to the hat worn by the Life Guards regiments. The hat was equipped with a tagelliggare and a high plume made of black horsehair. In front the hat had a fixed flaming grenade and a brass badge. The First Life Grenadier regiment’s badge had a red griffin engraved and the Second Grenadier regiment a brass griffin. The image to the right shows hat m/1832 worn by the First Life Grenadier Regiment, soldiers. Crest and comb of black horsehair. Grenade and plate of brass with badge in black-and-red. Army Museum. The Småland Dragoon Regiment’s Infantry Battalion was established in 1812 and were equipped with in infantry uniform of the time. In 1824 the unit recieved the name Småland Grenadier Battalion and where then equipped with the shako as headgear. The uniform regulation of 1829 didn’t affect the grenadier regiments.

Life Guard Regiments of Foot

The Life Guard regiments of Foot, Svea Life Guards and Second Life Guards, were equipped with a new uniform in 1802, uniform m/1802. This uniform had a blue tailcoat with stripes and white trousers worn with high black gaiters. The cuffs had three buttons. Kolett jacket was introduced in 1803. Headgear was the three-cornered hat, tricorne. The NCO hat was equipped with a silver stripe and a yellow plume. Only officers wore the hat after 1807. Soldiers and NCOs were then equipped with kask, a Custodian-style helmet. The helmets were equipped with a horsehair plume. In 1812 the Life Guards were supplied with a new tailcoat. In 1813 NCOs were equipped with a new headgear, the bicorne. This hat had a stripe, plume and a straw cockade. Svea Life Guards wore yellow stripes, collar and cuffs while the Second Life Guards wore red color on corresponding details. The Life Guard regiments received a new uniform in 1816, m/1816. There was no new headgear to this uniform, previous headgears were kept. Also the previous white trousers were kept. The tailcoat was new and was now equipped with a low collar. New blue trousers with white stripes were supplied to be worn alternatively to the former white trousers. The white trousers were abolished in 1833. The image to the right shows uniform m/1816 for the Life Guards. Left soldier Svea Life Guards wearing grenadier cap m/1823 (grenadjärmössa), right soldier Second Life Guards wearing hat m/1807 (Grenadjärmössa m/1824). Army Museum. The hat was replaced with the shako in 1837 equipped with a brass badge in-front and a high horsehair plume. The shako worn by the Life Guards was bigger than the shako reenacted by the regular infantry in 1833. The image to the left shows shako m/1837 for Svea Life Guards, officers. Army Museum.

Reserve Soldiers (Vargeringen)

During the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century there was a system of producing reserv soldiers or replacement soldiers called Vargeringen. Such a soldier was called a vargeringssoldat/vargeringskarl/vargeringsman. These reserve soldiers were to replace fallen soldiers in times of war. The vargeringen was activated during the Swedish- Russian War 1808 - 1809. These reserve soldiers were equipped with uniforms too; coat, vest, trousers, greatcoat or cloak, woolen stockings, hat and shoes. However, it wasn’t important with the details on the uniforms of the vargeringen. Collars could be different, and the material was simpler and some garments could even be civilian garments. The hat on the other hand according to regulations equipped with the regimental badge of the regiment of the province. Conscripts were called up during this war. These conscripts were organized through in units called Lantvärnet. Soldiers of Lantvärnet wore basically the same of uniforms as in Vargeringen. According to regulations they were supposed to wear a gray coat of broadcloth or wadmal with a blue standing collar. Further, gray sleeveless vest, gray long trousers black gaiters, shoes and the round hat with white stripes, yellow plume and company badge and regimental badge. Basically, this uniform was the uniform m/1807. However, in reality the conscript soldiers were only occasionally equipped with these uniform garments. The lack of proper uniforms diminished the use of these troops during the war.

Conscription (Beväringen)

Due to the failure of Lantvärnet during the 1808 - 1809 war an act was passed in Parliament in 1812 about the establishment of a new conscript system called Beväringen. Beväringen was a forerunner to the Universal Conscription System introduced in 1901. The conscript soldiers were only regarded as a reinforcement of the regular army. This attitude to the conscripts was also reflected in how they were equipped. During the Napoleonic Wars they were only partially equipped with proper uniforms. Theoretically the conscripts were to wear the same uniform as the provincial regiments in which they were serving/being trained. However, it was common that the conscripts were equipped with older uniform models, uniforms often being worn out. It was foremost the infantry that were assigned conscripts. The cavalry wasn’t assigned conscripts until mid-1800s. The conscript soldiers of Beväringen were never equipped with the then new uniform, m/1816. As mentioned above, the conscripts were equipped with older uniforms. Their hats had no adornments. There were also independent units with conscript soldiers with their own commanding officers. An example of such a unit was the Gotland National Conscripts (Gotlands Nationalbeväring) established in the island of Gotland. The officers in this unit wore in 1812 a uniform with gray long-coat, wide trousers and a round hat with a stripe, brass badge, plume and cockade. The soldiers of rank and file were at this time still wearing civilian clothes. In 1829 the officers and NCO assigned the same uniform as the regular infantry. Headgear was shako. Not until 1837 were the soldiers equipped with a military uniform. The poor uniforms of the conscripts increased their wish for wearing better uniforms. It was therefor common that conscripts from wealthy families bought their own uniforms. This was allowed in the beginning but banned in 1835. However, in 1869 a new regulation changed this and also included a reimbursement, to a certain degree, to conscripts wearing their own uniforms (a wear-and-tear compensation).

Related Links

• Unit Designation Listing of the Swedish Military Units • Branch and unit insignias of the Army • Designation of Swedish military uniform models • Reference literature Top of page