Return of Body Armor

What I noticed was that in and after Renaissance, metallic body armors and helmets of knights were abandoned in favor of standard military uniform. How can we prevent this or at least give a return of the armors in later years (with better protective material)?

Thanks in advance!
 
Armor wasn't totally given up after the Renaissance: there were a few cavalry units that kept a reduced mettalic armor. The best example I can think of are the French Cuirassiers who still had a metallic plate. Of course, it was more or less decorative by that point...

The main problem with armor is the discovery of gunpowder: unless you find a metallic alliage strong enough to stop bullets, armor is useless against guns...

There might be a solution but I don't know if this is really a return of armor: an earlier discovery of Kevlar could result in earlier bullet-proof uniforms. If so, you could have "Kevlar Body Armor" being developped. Questions remains though: what would be the cost of this? And is it possible to develop Kevlar earlier? I also believe it has more chances of being a post-1900 POD...

On a side note, when I read the title, I couldn't help but think of a PSP video game... Valkyria Chronicles II. It's a strategy game set in a fictionnal universe with World War II technology and fantasy elements. Among the soldiers you control, there is this: http://valkyriachronicles.neoseeker.com/wiki/Armor_Tech
 
WWII bomber air crew brigandine with manganese steel plates.

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I've always thought this would make for an interesting facet in a TL.

During the French Campaign against Korea, 1866, the military of the Joseon Kingdom, at the time using matchlock rifles, experienced the superiority of western rifles. As a result, Heungseon Daewongun, then acting leader of the Joseon Kingdom, ordered the development of bullet-proof armor. Through multiple live fire tests using matchlock rifles Kim Gi-Du (김기두, 金箕斗) and Gang Yun (강윤, 姜潤), who were national weapon developers, found that 30 layers of cotton fabric were effective in preventing penetration by rounds fired from a matchlock rifle at around 100 meters [2].


So to deal with modern rifles, the solution is to come up with something capable of stopping matchlocks, which are several levels of development more primitive, at long range.


We are not impressed guys.


Although the vests were effective[citation needed] against bullets, they were susceptible to fire because they were made of cotton. The vests were easily burnt by fragments from cannon fire; US records[citation needed] indicate that some Korean soldiers caught fire after a cannon attack. Also, the vests were too hot to wear in summer.[citation needed]

Too many citation needed comments.


This may be an interesting concept, but the wiki article isn't very helpful or encouraging.
 
The soviets found breastplates useful at Stalingrad due to the German use of Sub-machine guns, which said armour could stop at about 100 yards. Never saw much use outside of cities though, too heavy and restrictive.
 
The main problem with armor isn't a lack of ability to stop bullets; continued use of armor by cuirassiers and the occasional infantryman through WWI shows that, yes, you can stop a bullet if you put enough steel between yourself and the gun.

The issue that forced out armor is the same as the issue that forced in guns, though: economics. Gothic plate was expensive. Even just breastplates or mail also start getting very, very pricey when you're equipping tens or hundreds of thousands of men with them.

Armor is also heavy. In the early modern era, soldiers were increasingly expected to carry their own supplies, and while a hoplite could run a marathon in 25kg of bronze, I doubt that the average peasant could march 30 km a day for a month while carrying spare socks, ammunition, molds, powder, food...and whatever armor his commander's decided to inflict on him. Note that armor in the post-Renaissance age was mostly used by cavalry, or by people in static positions (like the limited deployment of armor in WWI). In WWII, flak jackets were used primarily by airmen and naval crew, and not infantry because they were so heavy.

The fact that body armor started to get reintroduced on a wide scale in the 50s, after the introduction of plastics, aluminum and advanced ceramins, and the reduction of military sizes (relatively), strengthens my points, I think.

So, in order to get armor to stay widespread, you'd need to find something cheap and light to make it out of. Maybe somehow make the silk industry huge? I think that high-grade ceramics are impossible without 20th century chemistry, but maybe someone can make a good PoD.
 
The main problem with armor isn't a lack of ability to stop bullets; continued use of armor by cuirassiers and the occasional infantryman through WWI shows that, yes, you can stop a bullet if you put enough steel between yourself and the gun.

Cuirassier breast plate could not stop rifle bullets. They did stop sabre and bayonets and some early muskets. Though of limited use, it none the less had psychological value for the heavy cavalrymen. By WWI it was badly obsolete, kept around for the same reason as colorful uniforms still used early in the war, tradition.

As far as cost goes, it's not really a factor in the industrial revolution. Yes you can't make breast plate the old fashioned way, custom fitted and all that. But munitions grade armor has always been around. Also look at the German trench armor of WWI or Soviet WWII body armor for how mass production can be applied to personal armor.
 
As far as cost goes, it's not really a factor in the industrial revolution. Yes you can't make breast plate the old fashioned way, custom fitted and all that. But munitions grade armor has always been around. Also look at the German trench armor of WWI or Soviet WWII body armor for how mass production can be applied to personal armor.

I'm familiar with those, but they were far from standard issue. Even with mass production and standardized sizings, steel armor is expensive.
 
Depends what you mean by standard issue. They were issued by the state, just in few situations, although more generally among assault engineers and tank desant infantry.
 

NothingNow

Banned
Cuirassier breast plate could not stop rifle bullets. They did stop sabre and bayonets and some early muskets. Though of limited use, it none the less had psychological value for the heavy cavalrymen. By WWI it was badly obsolete, kept around for the same reason as colorful uniforms still used early in the war, tradition.

That, and it's good for dealing with shrapnel. That's what a Brigandine or the like is best at. A Proper Curiass with a real Gorget, or a Bevor and Sallet combo would be very useful in the Trenches.
 
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