"Sparticists, Berlin 1919" Topic

I thought I would try the German Revolution of 1919. Influenced by the excellent Tsuba figures from Empress Miniatures. I have found information on the net about this episode. Good uniform info for Freikorps and civilians.

What I do not understand is the dress for the Sparticists -- communist revolutionaries. Tsuba figures are somewhat civilian dress but they all have flat top peaked caps. Are these student caps and the figures representing students? Why so many in this style cap ?

Does anyone know a good source for a variety of pictures of these guys, in color. Are they uniform or all different?

Thanks

These caps were just the fashion of the day for the Berlin worker class (and many others, in differing variations) – going out without headgear was unusual.

I agree. It is a hat of the working class, and most men of this time period would wear a hat.

Yes, the flat cap was very popular headgear at that time. It was commonly worn by men all over Europe and America and remained popular for decades. Various styles of flat caps are enjoying a resurgence even now thanks to TV series like, "Peaky Blinders." I myself have 3 flat caps 2 are "Ivy" style and one "Newsboy" style (nice and warm in the winter).

Cheers!

Gallo

Spartacists were either workers or returning soldiers with leftist politics as opposed to rightist ones. Thus the workers would wear whatever industrial overalls were prevalent in Germany back then. And the ex-soldiers would probably wear something very similar to the Freikorps but with communist emblems painted on them as opposed to those born by the Freikorps members. Given the philosophy of the Spartacists the former military types probably mixed some civilian dress with their old uniforms too. This appears to be born out by photos from the period.