One of the most important collections of the National Military Museum’s patrimony is the Foreign Uniforms Collection whose basis are laid after the Great War, when, at the Cultural League and Army’s Exhibition, a series of 1916-1919 captured equipment was displayed. The first systematic activity for acquiring foreign military equipment took place at the end of the 1920’s when opening a Great War Allied exhibition hall was designed. In order for this to take shape, the museum’s leaders contacted Allied similar institutions or leader of armed forces, in order to obtain, by trade, 1914-1918 Allied soldiers’ tenues.

A great number of foreign uniforms was obtained by donations from foreign important military figures such as General Henry M. Berthelot or his descendants. The Royal Family also donated uniforms and pieces of equipment which belonged to Kings Carol I, Ferdinand or Carol II, as commanders of various foreign military corps. As time went by, this collection grew with sets of uniforms belonging to Romania’s allies on the Eastern Front in World War Two, various branches of service uniforms belonging to the states of the former Communist Block, generous donations made by foreign military attachés or officers who, ending their term in Romania, gave their own uniforms to the museum or aided the museum in receiving uniforms from their military institutions, especially tenues belonging to Western armies or NATO members.

Currently, the Foreign Uniforms Collection holds over 2000 museum items, with over 4500 components, representing the armed forcers of 41 nations, thus becoming of importance to our institution. It is constantly being enriched by new donations, showing an ample image of the evolution of the world military phenomenon.