Westphalian Uniforms 1808–1813: 48 Tafeln by Herbert Knötel is a uniform plate series documenting the military dress of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Westphalia during its existence under Napoleonic rule (1807–1813).
The work consists of 48 illustrated plates (“Tafeln”) depicting officers and soldiers from various branches of the Westphalian army, including infantry, cavalry, artillery, and guard formations. Each plate reconstructs uniforms with attention to color, insignia, equipment, and rank distinctions.
A central theme is the French influence on Westphalian military organization and appearance, as the kingdom was created by Napoleon Bonaparte and ruled by his brother Jérôme Bonaparte. The uniforms shown reflect French-style military reforms, including standardized cuts, shakos, epaulettes, and regimental color systems adapted to local units.
The plates also document the diversity of Westphalian forces, including line infantry regiments, light infantry, cavalry such as hussars and chevau-légers, and specialized units. This illustrates how a newly formed German state adopted a modernized, centralized military structure modeled on the French Imperial system.
Beyond their artistic function, the illustrations serve as a historical reconstruction of Napoleonic-era military dress, based on archival research, regulations, and earlier visual sources. They are widely used in military history and uniformology studies for their detailed representation of early 19th-century German-French hybrid military systems.
