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Uniforms of the |
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| Great Patriotic War
Uniforms
The army used two official patterns of uniform during the Great Patriotic War. The first pattern was the older 1935 designs, minor changes were introduced in August of 1941. More sweeping reforms occurred in 1943 to bring back a more traditional Russian look. This raised morale and helped give the people a tangible link to the military history of Russia. Soon after the 1943 pattern uniforms were introduced, a massive propaganda campaign began. Its goal was to use every possible reminder of traditional Russian patriotism to inspire the people to defend their homeland. The final changes were the introduction of parade uniforms in 1945. The wartime developments did away with years of Bolshevik military fashion, and allowed the Red Army to fight the greatest war in its history as Russians, not Soviets. The distinctive changes of 1943 showed that Red Army designers had turned their back on the Bolshevism of the 1920's and 1930's for good |
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