Description
Object description
Dark blue cloth waistcoat, with undyed cotton back piece and lining. Red braiding around collar and running, vertically, at front to waist as a false join. Two small gusset pockets, one on each front panel. Waistcoat is fastened, on the right, by five blue cloth flaps, three at the side and two at the shoulder. These button on to white metal buttons, marked EQUIPMENT MILITAIRE, sewn on to the waistcoat back. '2e Zs' is stamped inside a black rectangular box on the right front lining, and '4 1 68 5024' on the back.
History note
This is part of the uniform of a soldier of the 2e Regiment de Zouaves. In 1914 the 2nd Zouaves formed a regiment de marche to serve on the Western Front. This consisted of its 1st and 5th regular battalions, together with a reserve battalion raised in France.
The first Zouave units were raised on 1 October, 1830, following French expansion in Algeria. Initial recruits included former soldiers of the deposed Charles X's Royal Army, those who had been involved in fighting during the 1830 revolution, and volunteers from Algerian tribes. The initial name was Zouaouas, but this was frenchified as 'Zouaves'.
These predomoninantly European units gradually lost their native contingents which were reformed as tirailleurs in 1841.
The Zouaves retained their North African/Turkish influenced uniforms and were copied by other armies, notably during the American Civil War by states with connections with the French.
There were four regiments of Zouaves in the French Army in North Africa in 1914, and these provided the basis of a number of regiments de marche to serve on the Western Front.
The Zouaves gain a reputation for ferocity in attack during 1914, their distinctive uniforms making them very popular with the press. However, these uniforms, intended for wear during the North African winter and for actions against tribesmen, were impractical for use when fighting a modern European army like Germany's. From November, 1914, the Zouaves began to wear more practical khaki uniforms. As the French Metropolitan Army began to replace its colourful uniforms with 'horizon bleu', the Army of Africa adopted similar uniforms, but in khaki cloth.