Cockade facts for kids
A cockade is a special decoration made from ribbons or fabric, often shaped like a circle or oval. It usually has distinct colors and is worn on a hat, cap, or clothing. People wear cockades to show who they support, their nationality, or their group.
The word "cockade" comes from the French word cocarde. People first started using cockades in Europe around the 1400s. Armies used them to easily tell their own soldiers apart from enemies. This idea came from knights in the Late Middle Ages, who wore colored bands to identify each other during battles and tournaments.
Later, cockades became important symbols during big changes and uprisings in the 1700s and 1800s. They were easy to see, so everyone knew what political ideas the wearer supported. They were also easy to hide if needed, unlike a large flag.
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The History and Meaning of Cockades
Early Uses and Identification
In the 1700s and 1800s, people across Europe used colorful cockades to show their loyalty to political groups or their country. Sometimes, they even showed a person's rank or if they were a servant. Cockades were a simple and affordable way for armies to identify soldiers from different nations, especially since uniforms could vary a lot.
Men often pinned a cockade to the side of their tricorne or cocked hat, or on their jacket lapel. Women could wear them on their hats or in their hair.
Before the French Revolution, the royal family of France, the Bourbons, used an all-white cockade. In Great Britain, people who supported the old royal family (Jacobites) wore white cockades. The new royal family (Hanoverians) used black ones.
During the American Revolution, the American army first used different colored cockades to show rank. For example, officers might wear red or pink, while captains wore yellow. Later, they adopted the black cockade from the British. When France became an ally, American soldiers added the French white cockade to their black one. The French did the same, adding black to their white cockade. This black-and-white symbol became known as the "Union Cockade," showing their alliance.
Cockades in Revolutions
The French Revolution saw cockades become very important. At first, revolutionaries wore green, but they soon changed to red and blue, the traditional colors of Paris. Later, they added the white of the old French monarchy, creating the famous cockade of France with blue, white, and red. Different colors and styles of cockades helped people identify which revolutionary group someone belonged to.
In Italy, the green, white, and red cockade became a national symbol. It first appeared in Genoa in 1789. This cockade was a key symbol during the Italian unification, a time when different parts of Italy came together to form one country. The Italian tricolor cockade led to the creation of Italy's first national military banner in 1796 and its national flag in 1797.
Cockades in Military History
National Symbols in Uniforms
Since the 1400s, European armies have used cockades to show their soldiers' nationality. These symbols helped tell friends from enemies on the battlefield. Early cockades were ribbons, worn on helmets and hats like tricornes and bicornes. Later, metal cockades appeared on helmets, and smaller button-like ones on kepis and peaked caps. Cockades were a simple and cheap way to identify soldiers, especially when uniform colors varied between different regiments.
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During the Napoleonic Wars, French soldiers wore their imperial cockade, and Russian soldiers wore the larger cockade of St. George on their shakos (tall military hats).
In the German Empire (1870–1918), soldiers wore two cockades on their headgear: one for the empire (black-white-red) and another for their specific state, which had its own colors. After World War I, the new German government, the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), removed these state cockades to help unite the country.
When the Nazi government came to power (1933–1945), they changed the colors again. They used black, white, and red on all army caps. These colors represented parts of Germany, like Prussia (black and white) and the small Hanseatic League cities (white and red).
Cockades in Aircraft and Modern Use
When France started its first Air Service in 1909, they chose the traditional French cockade as their national emblem for military aircraft. This symbol is now often called a roundel. During World War I, many other countries also began using their national cockades as roundels on their military planes. These designs often included an extra symbol in the center to further identify the aircraft. For example, French navy planes had a black anchor inside their cockade.
Cockades are still important symbols today. For instance, Hungarian revolutionaries wore cockades during their revolutions in 1848 and 1956. Because of this, Hungarians traditionally wear cockades on March 15th each year to remember these events.
Cockades in the American Civil War
Before the American Civil War (1861–1865), people in the Southern states who supported leaving the United States often wore blue ribbon cockades. These cockades were a common way to show their support for secession.
National Cockades Around the World
Many countries around the world have their own unique national cockades, each with specific colors and designs. These symbols continue to represent national pride and identity.
See also
- Cap badge
- Rosette (politics)
- Roundel
