Armour plates of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th – early 20th century: origin and evolution

Abstract

The history of armour protection and that of engineering advances run parallel within the context of a unified system. That being the case, development in the framework of this system should be considered both as a consequence of and at the same time as a stimulus to improving industrial production and technology. The period from 1870 to the 1910s saw the development of protective gear of the Russian soldier, varying in terms of material and type. It is in the context of this process that a diversity of armour plate forms appeared. The latter could be divided into collective (mobile shield) and individual (loop plate, loophole plate, trench shield, rifle shield, sapper’s shield, body shield).