cylindershakoHetalia © by Hidekaz Himaruya
- drawn for a friend -
Preußen (プロイセン)/Gilbert Beilschmidt (ギルベルト・バイルシュミット)as Husar (ユサール ) of the 1. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 1 (1st Body-Hussar-Regiment Nr. 1), also known as Totenkopfhusaren (Death Head-hussars) or Schwarze Husaren (Black Hussars). These hussars were known for their black (schwarz/ブラック) uniform and the death-head (Totenkopf/トーテンコップ) as insignia.
"Totenkopfhusaren" was a nickname for three hussar-regiments in the Königlich Preußische Armee (王立プロイセン軍) which itself was part of the Deutsches Heer (ドイツ軍) during the monarchical Deutsches Reich (ドイツ帝国) from 1871年-1918年.
At that time, there were the hussar-units in the prussian army with this nickname: the depicted prussian 1. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 1, the prussian 2. Leib-Husaren-Regiment "Königin Victoria von Preußen" Nr. 2 (2nd Body-Hussar-Regiment "Queen Victoria of Prussia" Nr. 2) and the Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17 (Brunswick Hussar-Regiment Nr. 17; in 1886年, the Brunswick (ブラウンシュヴァイク) Army had been into the prussian army).
While the two prussian Totenkopfhusaren wore black uniforms with white lacings, the brunswick Totenkopfhusaren wore black uniforms with golden lacings and had a different death-head on their headwear.
The 1. Leib-Husaren featured red (Rot/赤)as additional distinctive colour (headwear and sash/belt), and the 2. Leib-Husaren featured white (Weiß/ホワイト), contrary to the prussian order of featuring white for number 1 and red for number 2.
The predecesor-unit of the two prussian Death-Head-Hussar-regiments was founded in 1741年 by Friedrich II. "der Große", König von Preußen (フリードリヒ2世 "大王", プロイセン王) aka der "Alte Fritz" (the Old Fritz).
Even though they were named "Leib-Husaren" (Body-Hussars), they were not (!) the royal (body-)guard of the hussars - that role was taken by the Leib-Garde-Husaren-Regiment (Body-Guard-Hussars-Regiment) which had a red attila (jacket) with golden lacings, a blue mente (fur jacket), blue trousers and a the eight-jagged prussian silver guard-star on the kolpak (fur hat).
Generally speaking, the hussars are a kind of light cavalry, mainly fighting with a sabre (but often armed with pistols and carbines, too). The huszars originated from Hungary and were adapted in most european armies, thus their distinctive uniform-style which was heavily influenced by east-european clothing-style.
As headwear, a fur hat was iconic, but in the prussian army, peaked caps (officers) and round cloth-caps were worn, as well. On the side, a flat leathern bag is worn while on the leathern strap crosswise on the torso, a small cartouche is worn on the back.
The distinctive insignia, the hussar's Totenkopf (death head) was re-used by the Wehrmacht in WW2, when it was featured on the black uniforms of the "cavalry-successor" Panzerwaffe (lit. Tank-Force).
2016-07-25 02:23:48 +0000