Manuel Coelho Baptista de Lima Military History Branch
The French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War profoundly impacted European ‘military fashion’ and beyond. Most armies transformed their uniforms in line with the victor’s style, and so broke away from the French style that had prevailed until then. In Portugal, the most obvious reform was the adoption of a spiked helmet in the Uniform Plan of 1885, which was inspired by the Pickelhaube from the German states (including Prussia).
By the middle of the 19th century, the exaltation of humanist values and human life led duelling to be banned. From Man’s apparent need to measure himself by the strength of weapons, recreational and sporting shooting became socially established. We present a set of weapons that illustrate this transition, which would profoundly impact the social and political turmoil of the late 19th century until the Great War.
The visit will be led by MAH senior technicians Joana Freitas and Jaime Regalado.