The idea of a military uniform that is completely standardized in terms of design,
colour, etc. according to a particular country, division or rank is a
relatively new one that appeared with the standing armies of the late 17th
century. Distinct military dress, however, has been around since antiquity
and has served a similar purpose in all its years of existence.
Modern battle dress is utilitarian; comfort and mobility as well as
ability to blend into one's surroundings are key design factors. Uniforms
are specific to each country as well as different ranks and divisions;
through this standardization, one is able to easily indentify any individual
soldier. The modern uniform offers protection from the elements according
to the situation, but as military technology has advanced through the
ages, it has become unnecessary to intimidate the enemy or to offer the soldier
direct protection from hand weapons or projectiles in the way armour did.
With the advent of modern long-range rapid-fire weapons, camouflage became
a more effective form of protection.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, uniforms served as much to unify and
indentify troops as they did to intimidate the enemy. Similarly to the way that many animals
increase their apparent physical size when threatened, much of the military
dress of the 18th and 19th century extended the wearer's height and size
with tall hats and heavy boots as well as ornamentation akin to a bird's
plumage. Full dress still retains much of these qualities, but battle
dress and service dress, to an extent, have become much simpler than
before.
The function that military dress does still retain even from antiquity
is to distinguish the soldier from the civilian. The prestige associated
with belonging to any armed forces was stressed through the dress whether
it was a Roman centurion's menacing uniform, a medieval knight's armour or
the elegant uniform of today.
These pages will present a variety of uniforms worn by Canadians from
the seventeenth century onwards. Uniforms are being put online as they
become available to be photographed. Currently, two uniforms from each
of the World Wars are available for viewing. If you are using a graphical browser,
please select a conflict fom the timeline below. If you are using a text-based
browser, please follow one of the hyperlinks to the war from which you wish to see
uniforms.
![[An image map and index to exhibit; use links below]](../images/timeeng.gif)
[ World War I ]
[ World War II ]
©1996, Musée canadien des civilisations / Canadian Museum of Civilization
