When and why did Germany switch to grey uniforms?

As I understand it the original color used for Germany's military was Prussian bleu. When and why did they change to grey?

I suppose it might have made it easier to distinguish between German and French uniforms which where also blue.
 

sharlin

Banned
Probably that reason, because they could be mistaken for an enemy. French were blue, English were red for a long time before going for khaki.
 
Contrary to popular belief, German uniforms were never fully grey, at least not until the modern day. The color you know as being on German uniforms, feldgrau, is, despite meaning "Field Grey", in fact, a vary dark shade of green
 
I think they switched the uniforms ca 1907-1910 for pretty much the same reason the British started using khaki. Feldgrau was actually a decent camouflage color. Many armies started using darker and/or less conspicuous uniforms after machine guns and rifles with longer range of fire got into service. France also intended to introduce khaki uniforms, but the government gave up, because the public opinion defiantly defended old blue and red uniforms. "Le pantalone rouge c'est la France" - "The red trousers are France" - claimed the opposition.Thousands of French soldeirs paid with their lives for that idiocy.
I also heard an explanatin that grey uniforms with white insignia were supposed to symbolize knight's shining armour. No idea it any of this is true.
 

Anderman

Donor
The reason why the German Army switched to Feldgrau and the British Army to Khaki was smokeless Powder for the fire arms. Now there was no/less smoke and battlefield and the colorfull Uniforms were no longer needed to separate friend from foe.
 
The reason why the German Army switched to Feldgrau and the British Army to Khaki was smokeless Powder for the fire arms. Now there was no/less smoke and battlefield and the colorfull Uniforms were no longer needed to separate friend from foe.

I think the main reason would be for camouflage, not because there was less smoke on the battlefield.

In fact, during WWI there was more smoke. and gas.
 
I think the main reason would be for camouflage, not because there was less smoke on the battlefield.

In fact, during WWI there was more smoke. and gas.

Lots of white, gunpowder smoke = bad to have camouflage due to misidentification

Less smoke + machine guns + long ranged, accurate rifles = bad to have brightly coloured uniforms which scream "Shoot Me!!!"

And there would have been less smoke at the Marne than at Waterloo. The smoke in the latter would have been created literally every time a gun was fired. In the former it would only exist when somebody set something alight.
 
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