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World War I

The first major use of camouflage in large-scale war came in World War I, when France became the first army to institute it in battle. It was still mostly used to hide equipment, though snipers occasionally wore the gear. The first patterned camo was handcrafted for the French by artists. Soon British soldiers adopted some of the same techniques, then the German army added painted camouflage to its helmets, making it an official part of the army program in 1918. Thick black lines separated the Germans' colored patterns, and the colors changed based on the seasons.