30 YW: Painting Guide for the Thirty Years War
The Eighty Years War (1568-1648) overlapped the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). See the Painting Guide for the Eighty Years War for Spanish, Italians, Walloons, and Dutch. Other nations (Swedes, French, Imperialist, etc) are covered here.
General
Armour
Armour was usually blackened in this period.
Cavalry
Broadly speaking there were three types of cavalry in the Thirty Years War (Brzezinski, 1993). The type affected how the men behaved, or more importantly for a painting guide, how they looked.
- Arquebusier: men with back and breast and helmet, armed with an arquebus.
- Cuirassier: men in 3/4 armour and helmet, armed with pistols. Over time their equipment lightened and they essentially morphed into Horsemen.
- Horsemen (Reiters): men armed with pistols. They might have back and breast and a helmet, or a hat and no armour at all. For example, native Swedish cavalry.
On occasion cavalry regiments or companies were issued coats of a uniform colour, but during this period cavalrymen usually wore whatever they liked (Brzezinski, 1993).
Coloured Infantry Regiments
The Protestants were fond of regiments with colour names (Brzezinski, 1991). The names were more about the colour of the flag rather than the coat colour, but some did have matching uniforms. Examples of units, most of which were mercenary, with the date they were raised/named:
- 1620-21 Mansfeld formed the Red, Blue, Yellow and Green regiments.
- 1625-26 the Danes formed the Red, Blue, Yellow and Green regiments. Of these the Red and Blue regiments definitely had uniforms of a matching colour in 1626, light blue in the case of the Blue regiment.
- 1625-27 the first Swedish coloured regiments acquired their names,
although the units already existed:
- Yellow. Raised 1624 and named "Yellow" from 1626, and had a yellow coat.
- Blue. Raised 1624; renamed "Old Blue" from 1634; had a blue coat.
- Red. Rraised 1624-25; had a red coat.
- Green (raised 1627; unclear if had a green coat but some units were clothed in green).
- 1628 "New Blue Swedish Regiment" (as distinct from the "Old Blue" mercenary unit).
- 1629-30 the Swedes raised new coloured regiments: Three Black (1629), a fourth Black (1630), Orange (1630), Brown (1630), White (1630)
Coloured Infantry Brigades
The colour of a brigade had nothing to do with the colour of the uniforms (Brzezinski, 1991).
Spanish
The Spanish shunned uniforms but reds and yellow dominated. Sashes, if worn, were always red. It seems from the illustrations that red plumes were also standard.
The pictures are from the New York Public Library (NYPL): The Vinkhuijzen collection of military uniforms. Vinkhuijzen is not particularly reliable on his dates, but the illustrations are indicative of this period. I included some figures from an earlier period, but in the absence of pictures from the Thirty Years War they are something to go on.
1650 Pikeman |
1633 Musketeer, Pikeman, Arquebusier |
1650 Musketeer |
1638 Dragoon |
1632 Drummer, Standard Bearer, Fifer |
1650 Drummer, Fifer |
1576 Hombre de Armas |
1560 Hombre de Armas |
1632 Hombre de Armas
|
1603 Caballo Coraza |
1638 Caballo Coraza |
|
1632 Arquebusier |
1633 Arquebusier |
|
1560 Herreruelo |
1576 Herreruelo |
| Item | Colour |
| Hair (their own) | Black or dark brown |
| Tunic & breeches | Various but yellow and/or red seem to dominate. Gush (1975) says by 1650 a black hat, white shirt, dark brown doublet and breeches and buff coat was the norm, although this is not born out by the illustrations. |
| Hats (if worn) | The illustrations suggest white (or possibly light brown), with a red plume. Gush (1975) says by 1650 a black hat was the norm, although this is not born out by the illustrations. |
| Stockings | Various but red is most common, or white. |
|
Cloaks (if worn) |
Various, although scarlet was common in earlier period. |
| Gloves | White or possibly Light brown. Dragoons, for example, had calf skin gloves. |
|
Sash (worn by officers, pikes and cavalry) |
Red (always) |
| Cassock | Seem to be grey |
| Cartridge bag | White |
| Powder flask | Blue |
| Leather (Boots + straps + belt, etc) | Brown or black. |
| Plate armour and helmets | Varied but usually bright steel. Could be gilded, or blackened. Helmets had red plume. |
| Buffcoat | Buff |
| Horse Harness | Brown leather, sometimes red. Saddle cloth variations on red and yellow. |
| Lance | Wood with yellow over red pennant |
Spanish Dragoons
Early dragoons had a white slouch hat with a red feather, buff coat, calfskin gauntlets and boots, and breeches decorated with red slashes and piping (Gush, 1975).
Dutch
Some infantry regiments adopted a uniform colour (e.g. "yellow coats" and "red coats") from at least 1600 (Brzezinski, 1991).
An orange sash was used to indicate nationality (Heath, 1997).
English
English troops serving in the Netherlands wore uniforms (Heath, 1997). Most often with red or blue cassocks. Yellow and red facings are also mentioned - as it happens on a blue cassock.
German (Imperialist and Protestant)
Some infantry regiments adopted a uniform colour (e.g. "yellow coats" and "red coats") from at least 1600 (Brzezinski, 1991).
On occasion cavalry regiments or companies were issued coats of a uniform colour, and this may have been common amongst the Imperialists, but in general during this period cavalrymen usually wore whatever they liked (Brzezinski, 1993).
Wallenstein's army used red officers sashes from 1632 (Brzezinski, 1993).
German artillery in the 16th century always had a black carriage with red metal fittings (Miller, 1976), and this may have continued into the 17th century. The wheels were left their natural colour. Barrels were bronze.
Swedish
Buffcoat, either sleeveless or with sleeves, were expensive so only some officers in Swedish service could afford them (Brzezinski, 1991). When worn, sleeveless buffcoats were more common.
Based on plates in Brzezinski (1991, 1993) troops in Swedish service wore:
- blackened armour (back and breast, helmet)
- grey or tan (perhaps "bone coloured") brimmed hats.
- brown fur hat.
- light brown Monmouth cap
- white stockings, shirts (hence collars), and officer's lace
- brown gaiters (look like gaiters to me anyway)
- leather could be black or brown, but items were typically:
- brown leather sword strap, sheath, pouch, officer or cavalry boots, horse harness;
- black leather shoes and bandolier.
- natural wood staves for the standards
- buff buffcoat (surprise, surprise)
- breeches in a colour to match the coat, or grey or brown.
Infantry in Swedish Service
Until about 1620 Swedish conscripts - infantry by definition - were issued woollen clothes of a natural greyish-white (Brzezinski, 1991). From 1620 regimental trim was added to the greyish-white.
From 1626 infantry regiments began to issue coats of a uniform colour - both Swedish and mercenary (Brzezinski, 1991). Some of the coloured regiments (at least Yellow, Blue/Old Blue, Red) adopted coats of a matching colour, and others may have done the same. Some non-coloured regiments also adopted uniform colours. Bear in, however, that references to "any-colour-at-hand cloth" are common, reflecting the fact that suppliers were not shy of providing a mixture of colours to a regiment if they couldn't provide a single colour.
There is some evidence that Gustav was trying to standardise on blue uniforms for native Swedish troops (Brzezinski, 1991). Examples of native Swedes wearing blue are the "New Blue Swedish regiment" recorded in 1628, the two Swedish brigades at Breitenfeld, and the Swedish brigade at Lutzen.
There is some evidence that Scottish units at least partially wore undyed grey cloth, which could be either for coat or breeches (Brzezinski, 1991). Both Scots and Irish favoured blue bonnets, and might have worn checked trews until these were replaced by other cloth.
Swedish pikemen were meant to wear back and breast, gorget, tassets for thighs, and a helmet (Brzezinski, 1991). The musketeers were meant to wear a helmet. By 1635 the Swedes no longer tried to give their infantry armour as the men threw it away anyway.
During 1624-28 some Swedish musketeers were issued swinesfeathers in addition to their musket rests (Brzezinski, 1991).
After Gustav died the supply of clothing deteriorated and the Swedish armies of the late 1630s were ragamuffin in appearance (Brzezinski, 1991).
Dragoons in Swedish Service
Dragoons in Swedish service were issued cloth, and being considered infantry may have been given uniforms. The only documented example is black cloth issued after Gustav's death (Brzezinski, 1991). In 1633 one company of the Yellow Regiment was reclassified as dragoons and probably kept their yellow uniforms.
Cavalry in Swedish Service
Although Gustav intended the cavalry had uniforms, there is little evidence that cavalry in Swedish service actually wore them (Brzezinski, 1993). In fact during this period cavalrymen usually wore whatever they liked. Few had buffcoats, with most men wearing a cloth coat.
The Swedes found it difficult to obtain armour and by 1632 there is little evidence of cavalry using armour (Brzezinski, 1993). The shortages meant that in late 1630 Gustav had ordered only the front rank of his mercenary regiments be issued armour. The native Swedish regiments may have been better equipped.
Swedish cavalry wore sashes of a variety of colours, but in 1632-35 they avoided the Imperialist red (Brzezinski, 1993). By 1645, i.e. very late in the war, blue sashes became more standard.
Officers in Swedish Service
Up to 1630 Swedish officers seemed fond of black (Brzezinski, 1993).
Swedish officers wore sashes of a variety of colours, but in 1632-35 they avoided the Imperialist red (Brzezinski, 1993). By 1645, i.e. very late in the war, blue sashes became more standard.
Swedish Artillery
Most artillerymen were native Swedish, although man power was bulked out with commanded musketeers (Brzezinski, 1991, 1993). The professional artillerymen probably wore black, or other dark colours.
Swedish Fieldsigns
Swedish fieldsigns varied over time (Brzezinski, 1993):
- At Breitenfeld (17 Sep 1631) green branches in hat or helmet, and possibly green sashes.
- From late 1630s: twisted bands of straw in hat and/or on left arm.
- At Wittstock (4 Oct 1636) small green sashes around their arms
References
Brzezinski, R. (1991). The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1): Infantry [MAA 235]. Osprey.
Brzezinski, R. (1993). The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (2): Cavalry [MAA 262]. Osprey.
Gush, G. (1975). Renaissance Armies 1480-1650. Patrick Stephens.
Heath, I. (1997). Armies of the Sixteenth Century: The Armies of England, Ireland, the United Provinces, and the Spanish Netherlands 1487-1609. Foundry Books.
Miller, D. (1976). The Landsknechts [Men-At-Arms 58]. Osprey.
New York Public Library (NYPL): The Vinkhuijzen collection of military uniforms