Hungarian War of Independence
1848-1849

Hungarian Army 1848-49:
Figure Availability

By William W. Haggart

There is only one company producing Hungarian miniatures that I am aware of, 1848 Productions out of Australia. I am not sure they are still in business. Their 25mm figures are very old fashioned in their design, more like old Hinchcliff (cir 1970s) than foundry. However, it is still fairly easy to get figures that will work. Reasonable substitutions are available in all scales:

Austrian Infantry: The 1815 Austrian line in shako and grenadier figures, both German and Hungarian with pompom, will work. French 1815 infantry in shako and greatcoats also work for both sides. There are some figures that have no backpack and can be given bedrolls over their shoulders. With 54mm figures, Mexican 'Alamo' infantry in shako work very well for the regulation Austrian uniform as do Mexican shako infantry for 1848. They are even in pants. I have bought 54mm Napoleonic French in gaiters for the Hungarians. Cut off the buttons on the gaiters and it looks right and Hungarian tight.

Austrian Artillery: These are difficult, as the artillery wore the Corsican hat: It had a wide brim, one side folded up flush with the round, flat crown. There was a feathered cockade in the front. Later in the war, Austrian artillery is seen wearing the shako too. I use Austrian Napoleonic Jaegers in the Corsican hat as artillerists.

Hungarian Infantry and artillery: Besides the Austrian/Hungarian uniforms, ACW figures in kepis can also be used. Both the short shell jackets and long coats seen on the Negro and Heavy Artillery units are appropriate. And they will have the blanket rolls too. The problems will be the pants and waist belts. The pants will have to be cut close to the leg for most Hungarian uniforms and the waist belt eliminated either by knife or putty. The French and British Crimean infantry without front button lace will work for Hungarian infantry in the smaller shako--they don't have waist belts. There are also command figures with the small shako on horse-back in the Crimean lines that can be used for Hungarian general officers. To have the 9th "Red Hats" will require some conversion of the Kepi. It is possible to find infantry figures from the Spanish Carlist wars and Pendraken makes figures for the Danes 1864 that have the small shakos. The Austrian infantry for the 1859 war also can be used for the small shakos and the Hungarian troops still can have the tight Hungarian trousers and no waist belt. Of course, on all these figures the Hungarian cording will have to be painted on.

Hungarian National Guard, Serbs and Guerillas: I have seen some Crimean Russians in 15mm and 25mm offered that are not wearing their greatcoats, but I can't find them now. The ones in helmets and no greatcoat are perfect for the regulation uniform of Hungarian National Guard. The native Serbs, Romanians, Slavs, and Hungarian Guard in native dress are the hardest to match. I haven't found much. ACW zouaves in fez's will work for native Serbian forces. I have tried everything from western and Mexican figures to Greek and other native Balkan dress, but figures are few and don't work well without some conversion. A western figure in a brimmed hat with a poncho that is thrown over the shoulder or cut to represent the coat has worked best. This "Fist full of Dollars"/ Clint Eastwood kind of figure is available in both 15mm and 25mm. The rifle or farm implement has to be added.

Austrian Cavalry: The tall helmets and simple uniforms of the Austrian horse in 1813-1815 are perfect for the 1848 cavalry, from Chevaulegers, Dragoons to Curaissiers. The Curaissiers still have the black breastplate on just their front. The Uhlan uniform is almost identical also.

Hungarian Cavalry: Most any Hussar figure with pelisse and shako will work for the first twelve regiments. The national regiments are harder to find because they often didn't have the pelisse or wore it as a coat, and the shakos were smaller. Mexican regular cavalry circa 1848 works well here as both troopers and generals. ACW cavalry in slouch hats or Mexican cavalry in brimmed hats work for the 13th Hunyady. Converted kepis will work with cavalry wearing the cavalry forage cap. British dragoons from the Indian Mutiny have small shakos that will work. Again, the one line of Carlist Figures in 15mm have cavalry with the small shako. The French Chasseurs d/Afrique from the Crimean or Franco-Prussian War have a similar small shako. The Polish Lancers have a classic Prussian Lancer uniform of the 1870 period, save for the unique plastron.

Russian Army: This is the Crimean army in every detail. An easy fit. The only complication is that most of the Russian Infantry did not wear the greatcoats during the hot summer campaign of 1849. Their forest green uniforms are a nice contrast to the Austrians and Hungarians.

Below is a table with an admittedly incomplete list of the makers that carry the figures mentioned above in the various scales. All the makers can be contacted on the internet and most will take orders over the phone or internet. 54mm and 20mm Plastic Figures: Classic Toy Soldiers carries almost all the makes of each, including 20mm plastic Crimean and 54mm Mexican figures.

X = Some figures mentioned are available
XX = All figures mentioned in the period are available in the line W = Western figures available C = Spanish Carlist Wars

More Hungarian War of Independence 1848-1849

Back to MWAN # 120 Table of Contents
Back to MWAN List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2002 Hal Thinglum
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com