PFW-F6001
Team Miniatures
The infantry uniform for the French was largely a product of the French experience in Algeria, which saw the introduction of the kepi and the habitual wearing of the greatcoat as the only upper garment on campaign. The uniform depicted here was the latest of a series of successive modifications introduced on 2 December 1867. The greatcoat (model 1867) was woven of 90% blue and 10% white wool. Red trousers had been worn since 1829, although those shown here were the product of the 1867 regulations which replaced the elegant but impractical chasseur type worn since 1860. The habit of tucking the trousers inside the gaiters was also a habit acquired in Algeria. The kepi (model 1867) was universally liked as both practical and comfortable, although numerous modifications were made to the dimensions and the shape of the peak.
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire (and later, the Third French Republic) and the German states of the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France's determination to restore its dominant position in Europe, which it had lost following Prussia's crushing victory over Austria in 1866.