The pickelhaube, literally “spiked bonnet,” was originally designed for use in t
The pickelhaube, literally “spiked bonnet,” was originally designed for use in the Prussian military by Friedrich Wilhelm IV in 1842. It was made from boiled leather and trimmed with metal. The spike is sometimes, usually in the case of artillery regiments, replaced with an orb. The helmet, thanks in large part to Allied propaganda during the First World War, is now thought of as a symbol of Imperial Germany. However, in its heyday, the pickelhaube swept the uniforms of the world by storm, like the Prussians at Sedan. The upper image is a pickelhaube from the uniform of a German infantryman from WWI. The lower, interestingly enough, is the U.S. Army Dress Helmet, Model 1881. It remained a part of the dress uniform of the United States Army until 1902. -- source link
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