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Warfare History

Ghosts of the Trenches: Camouflage Tactics in World War I

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2. The Use of Earth-Toned Uniforms

loading stokes mortar middle east
Photograph of British troops loading Stokes mortar, in a sandbagged emplacement. Clothing and headgear indicates somewhere in the Middle East. Source: Wikipedia

The chaos of trench warfare made traditional, brightly colored uniforms dangerously obsolete. Armies rapidly adopted earth-toned uniforms to help soldiers fade into the mud, clay, and shattered landscapes. The British introduced khaki, while the Germans opted for feldgrau—a muted green-gray shade. These colors proved vital for concealment, reducing the visibility of troops to both snipers and aerial observers. As highlighted by Smithsonian Magazine, the transformation in uniform design was a fundamental step in the evolution of battlefield camouflage.

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