Reprinted from "The Armchair General" by kind permission of the editor.

The Prussian Uhlan regiments facing France in 1870, had two things going for them besides lances and a good supply of pipe tobacco - the name, which suggested Tartar hordes to the levies who fought for France after the surrenders at Sedan and Metz, and brass scaled epaulettes which prevented the collarbone-to-ribcage slices favored by Austrian heavy cavalry in the previous war.

Coats were of Prussian blue in the Prussian units, Green in the Bavarian units.

Girdles: Prussian, Wurttemburg, Saxon; dark blue with 2 stripes in the turnback color.
Overalls: gark grey, but with light blue stripe in 17th & 18th Regts. Dark green with crimson stripe in Bavarian units.
Czapska: Black polished leather, scale chin-chain, emblem in front with metal binding on peak. In the filed, the full-dress upper part was covered with a cloth in the epaulette color.
Forage Cap: Dark blue in Prussian and Wurttemburg units, white in Saxon units, dark green in Bavarian units.
Belts: Normally white and worn under the tunic. In Bavarian units, black worn outside.
Shabraque: Dark blue in Prussian and Wurttemburg units. In Saxon units, black sheepskin. In Bavarian units, dark green trimmed crimson.
Lance pennons: Prussia, black over white. Wurttemburg, black over red, Saxony, green over white. Bavaria: light blue over white. Lance shaft in all cases painted black.
Sword: steel scabbard.

Other distinctions as follows:

Unit	Collar, Cuff Turnback	Background of Epaulettes	Buttons	Shoulder Strap of Greatcoat
1st Guard	scarlet, white turnbacks w/2 yellow lace bars on collar, 1 on cuff	white	white	white
2nd Guard	As above	scarlet	yellow	scarlet
3rd Guard	yellow, white lace	yellow	white	yellow
1st	scarlet	white	yellow	dark blue
2nd	scarlet	scarlet	yellow	dark blue
3rd	scarlet	yellow	yellow	dark blue
4th	scarlet	light blue	yellow	dark blue
5th	scarlet	white	white	dark blue
6th	scarlet	scarlet	white	dark blue
7th	scarlet	yellow	white	dark blue
8th	scarlet	light blue	white	dark blue
9th	white	white	yellow	dark blue
10th	crimson	crimson	yellow	dark blue
11th	yellow	yellow	yellow	dark blue
12th	light blue	light blue	yellow	dark blue
13th	white	white	white	dark blue
14th	crimson	crimson	white	dark blue
15th	yellow	yellow	white	dark blue
16th	light blue	light blue	white	dark blue
17th	dark red, white piping, capband light blue, 2 bars white lace on collar, 1 on cuff	light blue	yellow	light blue w/white piping
18th	dark red, white piping, 2 bars of yellow lace on collar, 1 on cuff	light blue	yellow	light blue w/white piping
19th	scarlett	scarlett	white	dark blue piped sc.
20th	yellow	scarlett	white	dark blue piped yellow
1st Bavarian	crimson	crimson	yellow	crimson
2nd Bavarian	crimson	crimson	white	dk green piped cr.

More Prussian Cavalry 1870-71

Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Uhlans
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Cuirassiers
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Hussars
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Dragoons
Prussian Cavalry 1870-71: Illustrations (50K)