qsy-complains-a-lot:

bantarleton:

Grenadiers originated in late seventeenth century European militaries with the increased use of hand grenades. 

They were typically used in attacks on enemy fortifications, and developed a reputation as shock assault units, with recruits ideally drawn from the tallest, strongest and bravest men. Unsurprisingly this soon gave them the status of elite troops in early eighteenth century armies.

The use of grenades became rarer as the eighteenth century progressed, with most grenadiers not actually be issued grenades by the 1740s. Their name persisted however, as did various uniform trappings. These included tall (rather than wide-brimmed) hats, supposedly because it’s difficult to throw something (eg. a grenade) overarm without knocking a wide hat off. These tall hats came in a variety of styles, from mitres to bearskins – below are examples of British, German (Hessian) and French grenadier hats throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth century.

Other uniform additions were common, including more distinctive epaulettes, and brass fuse boxes on crossbelts (an example of the latter below).

In terms of organisation, the sovereigns of most countries maintained a small number of elite regiments that consisted either entirely of grenadiers, or were modelled along similar lines. Most grenadier soldiers, however, were part of specific grenadier companies attached to regular army regiments.

In the late eighteenth century the emergence of light infantry challenged the elite status of grenadiers, and the concept of entire companies or regiments of grenadiers started to go out of fashion. The Continental Army, for example, while copying the British use of light infantry companies, never bothered to form grenadier companies for their regular regiments.

While no longer active as coherent units, the individual concept of “grenadiers” re-emerged in the early twentieth century in the form of soldiers armed with a large number of hand grenades or grenade-related weaponry. Grenadiers exist in modern armies in two forms – on a practical level they’re usually soldiers armed with grenade launchers or similar weapons. Below is a modern US Marine grenadier specialist.

Grenadiers also exist in the names of many modern military units, albeit usually as a reflection of historical lineage rather than equipment. For example, the British Army’s 1st Foot Guards regiment are the Grenadier Guards (below). Much like the old grenadier regiments and companies, men over 6 feet tall are favoured in Britain’s Foot Guards.

Now, of greater importance than all this, is the eternal debate as to whether the pre or post 1768 uniform regulation British grenadiers looked better.

French grenadier c.early 1920′s