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{{Short description|German steel helmet from 1916 to 1992}}
{{No footnotes|date=September 2025}}
{{Italic title}}
{{for|the German WWI veteran's organization|Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten{{!}}''Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten''}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox military gear
| name               = ''Stahlhelm''
| image              = [[File:Duitse militaire Stahlhelm M.35, grijsgroen met rijkswapen, leren binnenhelm en kinriem met gesp 050551.JPG|300px]]
| caption            = M35 on display at [[Museum Rotterdam]]
| origin             = [[German Empire|Germany]]
| type               = [[Combat helmet]]
| service            = 1916–1992
| used_by            = See ''[[#Users|Users]]''
| wars               = [[World War I]]<br/>[[German Revolution of 1918–1919|German Revolution]]<br/>[[Russian Civil War]]<br/>[[Chinese Civil War]]<br/>[[Spanish Civil War]]<br/>[[Winter War]]<br/>[[Continuation War]]<br/>[[World War II]]<br/>[[Korean War]]<br/>[[Vietnam War]]<br/>[[Soviet-Afghan War]]
| designer           = Dr. Friedrich Schwerd (M1916)
| design_date        = 1915
| manufacturer       = 
| unit_cost          = 
| production_date    = 1916
| number             = 
| variants           = See ''[[#Variants|Variants]]''
| spec_label         = 
| weight             = <!---{{convert|123|kg|lb|abbr=on}}--->
| length             = <!---{{convert|123|cm|in|abbr=on}}--->
| width              = 
| height             = 
| diameter           = 
}}

The '''''Stahlhelm''''' (German for "''steel helmet''") is a term used to refer to a series of German [[steel]] [[combat helmet]] designs intended to protect the wearer from common battlefield hazards such as shrapnel.

The armies of the [[great power]]s began to issue steel helmets during [[World War I]] as a result of combat experience and experimentation. The [[German Army (German Empire)|German Army]] began to replace the [[boiled leather]] ''[[Pickelhaube]]'' with the ''Stahlhelm'' in 1916. The ''Stahlhelm's'' distinctive ''[[coal scuttle]]'' shape was instantly recognizable and became a common element of [[propaganda]] on both sides, like the ''[[Pickelhaube]]'' before it. The name was used by ''[[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten|Der Stahlhelm]]'', a German [[veterans' organization]] that existed from 1918 to 1935.

After [[World War II]], both [[East Germany|East]] and [[West Germany|West German]] militaries adopted helmets unrelated to the archetypical German helmet designs from the world wars, but continued to refer to the new models as ''Stahlhelm''. The WWII era Stahlhelm continued to be used by police and [[Bundesgrenzschutz|border guards]] in West Germany until the 1990s,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/wwii-equipment-of-the-bundesgrenzschutz/ |title=WWII equipment of the Bundesgrenzschutz |author=jwh1975 |date=10 April 2016 |publisher=wwiiafterwwii |access-date=14 May 2018 }}</ref> when they were replaced by modern [[kevlar]] helmets.

==Historical context and origin==
Before the Great War, most types of military [[headdress]] were not designed for protection. Most militaries had adopted either a cap or helmet, usually made of fabric or leather. Only some types of [[cavalry]] retained a metal helmet, albeit these were designed to protect against sabre blows rather than the causes of injury that would become prevalent in the war.

With the growing prevalence of artillery and the widespread adoption of [[trench warfare]], the proportion of casualties on all sides suffering head injuries rose dramatically. Numerous units on both sides independently developed and locally produced their own ad hoc protective helmets starting in 1915. Stationed in the rocky area of the [[Vosges]], [[Armee-Abteilung B|Army Detachment Gaede]] recorded significantly more head injuries caused by stones and shell fragments than other units elsewhere. The artillery workshop of the Army Detachment developed a helmet that consisted of a cloth and leather skullcap with a steel plate (6&nbsp;mm thickness). The plate protected not only the forehead but also the eyes and nose.<ref name="WW1.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.worldwar1.com/sfgstal.htm |title=The German Stahlhelm, M1916s |author=Ralph Reiley |access-date=19 July 2024}}</ref>

While the Germans were the first to initiate development of a modern combat helmet, they were plagued by red tape and inaction.<ref name="WW1.com" /> The French were the first country to adopt and issue their [[Adrian helmet]] to units starting in 1915.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bélanger |first1=Adrien |last2=Amalric |first2=Adrien |title= La Grande guerre: chronologie, plans, cartes, illustrations, annotations sur l'armée, la troupe, les batailles, le matériel, les armes, etc. en parallèle de la transcription des extraordinaires journaux de guerre d'Adrien Amalric |trans-title=The Great War: chronology, plans, maps, illustrations, annotations on the army, troops, battles, equipment, weapons, etc. alongside the transcription of Adrien Amalric's extraordinary war diaries |language=fr |page=268 |location=Domérat |date=2008 |isbn=978-2-9523027-3-9}}</ref> The [[British Empire]] followed suit later that year with the [[Brodie helmet]].

==Development==
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R05148, Westfront, deutscher Soldat crop.jpg|thumb|right|World War I German [[Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany)|stormtrooper]] on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] wearing the ''Stahlhelm'']]
The design of the ''Stahlhelm'' was carried out by Dr Friedrich Schwerd of the Technical Institute of [[Hanover]]. In early 1915, Schwerd had carried out a study of head wounds suffered during trench warfare and submitted a recommendation for steel helmets, shortly after which he was ordered to Berlin. Schwerd then undertook the task of designing and producing a suitable helmet,{{sfnp|Tubbs|Clawson|2000|p=10}} broadly based on the 15th-century [[sallet]], which provided good protection for the head and neck.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2003/1/2003_1_34.shtml |title=Hardheaded Logic: The Helmet is older than the city-state and newer than the airplane |first=Edward |last=Tenner |journal=American Heritage |date=Summer 2003 |volume=19 |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828155127/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2003/1/2003_1_34.shtml |archive-date=August 28, 2008}}</ref>

After lengthy development work, which included testing a selection of German and Allied headgear, the first ''stahlhelm'' were tested in November 1915 at the [[Kummersdorf]] Proving Ground and then field-tested by the 1st Assault Battalion. Thirty thousand examples were ordered, but it was not approved for general issue until New Year of 1916, hence it is most usually referred to as the "Model 1916". In February 1916 it was distributed to troops at [[Battle of Verdun|Verdun]], following which the incidence of serious head injuries fell dramatically. The first German troops to use this helmet were the [[Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany)|stormtroopers]] of the ''Sturm-Bataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr)'', commanded by Captain [[Willy Rohr]].

In contrast to the [[Hadfield steel]] used in the British [[Brodie helmet]], the Germans used a harder [[martensite|martensitic]] [[silicon]]/[[nickel]] steel. As a result, and also due to the helmet's form, the ''Stahlhelm'' had to be formed in heated dies at a greater unit cost than the British helmet, which could be formed in one piece.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dunstan |first1=Simon |first2=Ron |last2=Volstad  |title=Flak Jackets: 20th Century Military Body Armour |url=https://archive.org/details/flakjacketstwent00duns |url-access=limited |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=1984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/flakjacketstwent00duns/page/n5 5] |isbn=0-85045-569-3}}</ref>

Like the British and French, German troops identified highly with their helmets. The ''Stahlhelm'' became a popular symbol of paramilitary groups after the First World War. Such was the attachment of the World War One generation to the design that it was reportedly the reason that Hitler rejected a modernised, sloping helmet design to replace it.<ref>Tenner, Edward, and Edward Tenner. ''Our own devices: The past and future of body technology''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003, pp. 252–253</ref>

==''Stahlhelm'' use in other countries==
[[File:Jointhevolunteers.jpg|thumb|[[Irish Army]] soldiers in Stahlhelm-like helmets]]
Germany exported versions of the M1935 helmet to various countries. Versions of the M1935 ''Stahlhelm'' were sent to [[Republic of China (1912–49)|Republic of China]] from 1935 to 1936 and the M1935 was the main helmet of the [[National Revolutionary Army|Chinese Nationalist Army]] (especially the "central" divisions) during World War II. [[Francoist Spain|Spain]] also received shipments of the helmet. During the inter-war years, several military missions were sent to South America under the command of [[Hans Kundt]]. After the [[Chaco War]], the Bolivian army adopted the ''Stahlhelm'' and continued using it until recently. The exported M1935 helmets were similar to the German issue, except for a different liner.

Some countries manufactured their own helmets using the M1935 design, and this basic design was in use in various nations as late as the 1970s.

[[File:Finnish Waffen-SS volunteers of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking during their homecoming parade in Hanko, Finland, 1 June 1943. (49025125816).jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[Finnish volunteers in the Waffen-SS|Finnish Waffen-SS volunteers]] of the [[5th SS Panzer Division Wiking]] during their homecoming parade in [[Hanko Peninsula|Hanko]] in 1943]]
The Germans helped the Hungarians copy the M1935 design. The WWII M38 Hungarian steel helmet is nearly identical to the German M1935. Both have almost the same shape, riveted ventilation holes, and the classic rolled edge. Differences include somewhat rougher Hungarian finishing, a different liner and different rivets position – the [[split pin]]s are situated behind the ventilation holes. A square metal bracket is riveted on the rear, above the back brim, to secure the helmet to the knapsack while marching. It was typically painted in Hungarian brown-green, though blue-grey versions existed. It is sometimes called the "Finnish M35" due to its extensive use by the Finnish Army during the [[Continuation War]] 1941–44.

After World War I [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]] seized large quantities of M1918 helmets. Most were later sold to various countries, including Spain. However, at the end of the 1930s, it was discovered that the standard Polish [[Hełm wz. 31|wz. 31 helmet]] was unsuitable for [[tank]] troops and motorized units; while offering decent protection, it was too large and heavy. As a stop-gap measure before a new helmet was developed, the General Staff decided to issue M1918 helmets to the [[Polish 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade|10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade]], which used them during the [[September Campaign]].

During the time of the [[Warsaw Uprising]] the helmet was also worn by the members of the [[Armia Krajowa|Polish Home Army]] and it was during this time that the helmet became the symbol of the resistance, as every ''Stahlhelm'' worn by a soldier of the underground army signified a dead German occupier it was taken from.

In November 1926, the [[Irish Defence Forces]] adopted the ''Stahlhelm''. As the [[Treaty of Versailles]] barred Germany from exporting steel helmets, the Irish turned to London-based [[Vickers]], ordering 5,000 copies of a model closely resembling the M1918 helmet. The helmet remained in use until it was replaced by the British Mark II model in 1940. Following the outbreak of World War II, the helmets became the subject of anti-Irish propaganda in Britain. A large number of the withdrawn helmets were reissued to various emergency services after being painted white.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/artefacts-vickers-helmet/|title=Artefacts: Vickers helmet|last=Thompson|first=Glenn|date=5 October 2014|work=History Ireland|access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref>

Switzerland used a helmet, designated the M1918, that was roughly similar to the M1916 but had a shallower, wider and more rounded crown and skirt. This was to protect against the harsh winter winds of the alpine regions.

The [[Chilean Army]] was a prolific user of the Vulkanfiber models, bought before the Second World War, along with a few M1935 and [[Czechoslovakian M32 helmet|Czechoslovak M32 helmets]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/chile/chifibra.html |title=Mº 35 de fibra |work=cascoscoleccion.com |access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> After the war, local production of lightweight fiber and plastic models started, which are still in ceremonial & garrison use today.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/chile/chifibr1.html |title=Mº 35 de fibra |work=cascoscoleccion.com |access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/chile/ch35fim.html |title=Mº Alemán ejército (fibra) |work=cascoscoleccion.com |access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> Small runs of steel helmets were made by [[FAMAE]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/chile/chi35fam.html |title=Mº 35 (FAMAE) |work=cascoscoleccion.com |access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> in the late 90s, either newly made<ref name="Plasseraud 2013 106">{{Cite book|title=Les Casques Militaires des Etats d'Amerique latine XIX eme au XXIeme|last=Plasseraud|first=Yves|publisher=Maharg Press|year=2013|isbn=9780982806302|pages=106}}</ref> or by reforming [[M1 Helmet]] shells,<ref name="Plasseraud 2013 106"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.academiahistoriamilitar.cl/academia/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/anuario16.pdf |title=Historia de los cascos modelo alemán en uso en el Ejército de Chile |work=Anuario de Historia Militar N.° 16 |access-date=2024-02-01}}</ref> but ultimately were not adopted due to the ascendance of [[kevlar]] and synthetic ballistic fiber helmets by that time. A ''Stahlhelm'' with crossed bayonets and the corresponding number is the standard insignia of infantry regiments.

The Imperial Iranian Army used small numbers of the Vulkanfiber model, mostly with the Imperial Guard and a few units around Tehran, acquired prior to the [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran]].
[[File:Royal_Afghan_Army_soldier_photographed_in_1969.jpg|left|thumb|Royal Afghan Army soldier poses for the cover of a magazine in 1969]]
During World War II, the [[Argentine Army]] adopted a similar model made of pressed fibre. For combat and provincial police use, imported [[Swiss M1918 Helmet]]s were still in service as late as 1976.

In the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]], due to large quantities captured by [[Yugoslav Partisans|World War II Partisans]], the ''Stahlhelm'' was used in [[Yugoslav People's Army]] up to 1959, when it was phased out and replaced by the [[M59/85]] steel helmet.

=== Postwar ===
[[File:Bonn19 1.jpg|thumb|256x256px|[[West Germany|West German]] Bundesgrenzschutz band at [[Hammerschmidt Villa|Villa Hammerschmidt]], in front of German [[President of Germany|Federal President]] [[Heinrich Lübke]] (1959-1969)]]
After World War II, [[West Germany]]'s [[Bundesgrenzschutz]] border guards and some West German police units kept the ''Stahlhelm'' in their inventories (police units can be seen wearing them during footage of the [[Black September (group)|Black September]] [[Munich massacre|hostage crisis]] in 1972), and the [[Fallschirmjäger]] variant was used for some time by the [[GSG 9]]. With the re-armament of West Germany the [[Bundeswehr]] introduced the [[United States Army]] [[M1 Helmet]] which was replaced by a [[Kevlar]] helmet ([[Gefechtshelm M92|''Gefechtshelm'']]), similar to the modern [[PASGT|US helmets]], in the 1990s. [[German fire services|German firefighter units]] today still use ''Stahlhelm''-shaped helmets in a fluorescent colour.

[[East Germany]]'s [[National People's Army]] M-56 helmet was modelled on an unused 1942 German design with a more [[cone (geometry)|conical]] shape.{{sfnp|Tubbs|Clawson|2000|pp=80–81}} The [[Chilean Army]] still uses the ''Stahlhelm'' design for ceremonial purposes, as does the [[Bolivian Army]]. There are also some Japanese cycling helmets (with accompanying goggles) that resemble the ''Stahlhelm''. Many schools and universities in Mexico such as the [[Autonomous University of Baja California]] have military bands that use or resemble the M35 ''Stahlhelm''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mexicalisport.com/uabc-mexicali-campeones-de-la-1ra-copa-leones-de-bandas-de-guerra/|title=UABC MEXICALI CAMPEONES DE LA 1RA COPA LEONES DE BANDAS DE GUERRA – MexicaliSport|last=Mexicalisport|first=Redacción|date=18 September 2015 |language=es-ES|access-date=2019-02-08}}</ref>

The U.S. Army's 1980s and 1990s era [[Kevlar]] [[Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops Helmet]] was sometimes called the "Fritz helmet" for its resemblance to the ''Stahlhelm''. The U.S. Army and Marines have continued to use a design akin to the PASGT helmet with the [[MICH TC-2000 Combat Helmet]] and [[Lightweight Helmet]], respectively.

The [[People's Liberation Army|Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers]] still used M1935 helmets which were captured from the Chinese Nationalist Army during the [[Chinese Civil War]] until the 1970s.

Since 2012, [[El Salvador]]'s Policia Nacional Civil use a navy/indigo blue-coloured helmet that strongly resembles the ''Stahlhelm''; this helmet is used by some members of the riot-control unit and rarely used by the Police's assault teams.

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Mike Mullen with Chilean honor guard in Santiago 3-3-09.jpg|Chilean honour guard next to U.S. Admiral [[Michael G. Mullen]] in March 2009
File:Wuhan german divs.jpg|Chinese soldiers of the [[National Revolutionary Army]] wearing ''Stahlhelme'' before the [[battle of Wuhan]]
File:It-miehet.jpg|Finnish AA-MG crew in 1942. The soldier in the middle has a Austro-Hungarian M1917 and the others have Hungarian M38 helmets.
File:1950s Afghanistan - Afghan Army soldiers on parade.jpg|Afghan Army soldiers wearing ''Stahlhelm'', 1950s
File:Euromaidan Kiev 2014-03-23 13-08.JPG|Ukrainian [[Euromaidan]] protester wearing ''Stahlhelm'' with modified [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] insignia, 2014. The inscription says "Putin, think or you'll end up like Hitler".
</gallery>

==Variants==
The different ''Stahlhelm'' designs are named for their year of introduction. For example, the ''Modell 1942'' which was introduced in 1942 is commonly known as ''M1942'' or simply ''M42''. Here, they are referred to by their M19''XX'' names.

=== German WW1 variants ===

==== M1916 and M1917 ====
[[File:Danish War Museum Krigsmuseet Slotsholmen, Copenhagen, Denmark. World War I Imperial German Army (Deutsches Heer) military steel helmet (Stahlhelm) M1916 with camouflage paint German gas mask M1918 (2024-05-24) IMG 2900.jpg|thumb|M16 variant with a M15 gasmask and 1918 camouflage pattern ]]
The ''Stahlhelm'' was introduced into regular service during the [[Battle of Verdun|Verdun campaign]] in early 1916.

The M1916 design had side-mounted horn-like ventilator lugs which were intended to support an additional steel brow plate or ''Stirnpanzer'', which saw limited use only by snipers and [[trench raiding]] parties, as it was too heavy for general use.<ref name=bull>{{cite book |last1=Bull |first1=Stephen |first2=Adam |last2=Hook |title=World War I Trench Warfare: 1914–16 |url=https://archive.org/details/worldwaritrenchw00bull |url-access=limited |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2002 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/worldwaritrenchw00bull/page/n11 10]–11 |isbn=1-84176-198-2}}</ref>

The shell came in different sizes, from 60 to 68, with some size 70s reported. Helmet weight varied from 0.98&nbsp;kg to 1.4&nbsp;kg, depending on shell size. The suspension, or liner, consisted of a headband with three segmented leather pouches, each holding padding materials, and leather or fabric cords that could be adjusted to provide a comfortable fit. The one-piece leather chin strap was attached to the shell by M1891 chinstrap lugs, the same kind used in the [[Pickelhaube]] helmet.

The M1916 design provided excellent protection. Reserve Lieutenant Walter Schulze of 8th Company Reserve Infantry Regiment 76 described his combat introduction to the helmet on the [[Battle of the Somme|Somme]], 29 July 1916:

<blockquote>... suddenly, with a great clanging thud, I was hit on the forehead and knocked flying onto the floor of the trench... a [[shrapnel shell|shrapnel]] bullet had hit my helmet with great violence, without piercing it, but sufficiently hard to dent it. If I had, as had been usual up until a few days previously, been wearing a cap, then the Regiment would have had one more man killed.{{sfnp|Sheldon|2007|p=219|ps=, quoted and translated from Gropp, ''History of IR 76'', p. 159.}}</blockquote>

But the helmet had a few flaws. The ventilator horns often let cold air in during the winter, requiring the wearer to block the vents with mud or fabric. The large, flared skirt tended to make it difficult for soldiers to hear, distorting surrounding sounds and creating an echo when the wearer spoke.

Originally painted ''[[Feldgrau]]'' (field grey), the ''Stahlhelm'' was often camouflaged by troops in the field using mud, foliage, cloth covers, and paint. Official issue cloth covers in white and grey appeared in late 1916 and early 1917. Camouflage paint was not formally introduced until July 1918, when German Army Order II, No 91 366, signed by General [[Erich Ludendorff]] on 7 July 1918, outlined official standards for helmet camouflage. The order stipulated that helmets should be painted in several colours, separated by a finger-wide black line. The colours should be relevant to the season, such as using green, brown and ochre in summer.<ref name=bull/> In the closing months, some experiments were conducted on the Stahlhelm paint. ''Wollstaub'' was one such paint iteration that was infused with crushed felt in hopes of glare reduction.

After the effectiveness of the M1916 design was validated during the 1916 campaigns, incremental improvements were subsequently made. The M1917 version saw improvements to the liner but was otherwise identical to the original design.

==== M1918 ====
[[File:M18-helmet.png|thumb|The M18 variant|199x199px]]
Introduced on February 12, 1918, extensive redesigns were made for the M1918 model. A new two-piece chin strap was introduced and was attached directly to the helmet liner rather than the shell. The M1918 ''Stahlhelm'' can be distinguished from the M1916, as the M1918 shell lacks the chinstrap rivet on the lower side of the helmet skirt found on earlier models.
[[File:WW2 German Army steel helmet WW1 model 1918 Ear cutout Wehrmacht Stahlhelm M18 mit Ohrenausschnitten Third Reich military eagle-and-swastika Wehrmachtsadler Decal. Færder Militærhistoriske Museum, Torås fort, Tjøme, Norway 2021-08.jpg|thumb|173x173px|M18 cut out hemet "transitional", as refitted to be used in WW2.]]
Certain examples of the M1918 had cutouts in the rim along the sides of the helmet. It has incorrectly been said that these cutouts were to accommodate headphones while wearing the helmet or that the helmet were specifically made for the cavalry, so this iteration was once dubbed the telephone talker helmet or cavalry helmet, despite the fact that it was intended to be utilized by all units; today they are known to collectors just as "cut-out M18s". These cutouts were actually done to improve hearing and to reduce echo created by the large, flared skirt. About 100.000 were created in the closing months of the war.

==== Full-visor prototype ====
[[File:Full-visor.png|thumb|Full-visor helmet, in the M16 configuration.]]
The '''full-visor helmet''' (also called the ''sloping-brow helmet'') was a rare experimental variant of the Stahlhelm produced in both '''M16''' and '''M18''' configurations during the late stages of World War I. It is characterised by a gently curved, forward-extended brow — typically cited as roughly 3&nbsp;cm longer than standard models — apparently intended to improve compatibility with contemporary gas-mask arrangements and to offer a more sloping frontal profile.  Surviving evidence indicates the model was trialled only in limited numbers and saw a very short production run; contemporary descriptions and later cataloguing report a somewhat heavier shell, a deeper profile, and simplified interior fittings (including reports of a steel sweatband and altered liner construction).  Period photographs and later collector research place examples in both German and Austro-Hungarian contexts, but firm documentation of issue, distribution, and production provenance remains scarce; only a handful of specimens have been documented in literature and collecting forums.  Because primary evidence is limited, the full-visor helmet is generally treated in the historiography as a late-war experimental or trial variant rather than a standard service type.{{sfnp|Tubbs|Clawson|2000|p=22}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baer |first=Ludwig |title=The History of the German steel helmet, 1916-1945 |date=1985 |publisher=R.J. Bender Pub |isbn=978-0-912138-31-2 |edition=1st |location=San Jose, Calif |pages=36}}</ref>

==== Full-visor "Ottoman/Turkish" M1918 and "Tanker" visorless M1918 ====
[[File:Turkish Stahlhelm Wien 2.jpg|thumb|The M1918 tanker variant]]
The commonly so called Ottoman or Turkish M1918 featured silhouette is similar to the normal M1918 stahlhelm, but instead of a projecting visor the rim (skirt) continues unbroken around the shell., without creating the typical angles between the brim and the sides. The rationale for this departure from the German pattern is not documented and has been the subject of conjecture. An early explanation proposed that the lack of a visor allowed Muslim soldiers to prostrate themselves in prayer without removing the helmet; this explanation has since fallen into discredit, simply because it is not physically possible to touch the forehead to the ground while wearing the helmet. A more credible hypothesis is that the Ottomans sought a headpiece that reflected their own traditions and was visually distinct. The Turkish M18’s form may have been selected because it echoed a widely worn sun helmet favoured by officers and [[Non-commissioned officer|NCOs]].

Much of the reliable information on the Turkish M18 derives from Chris Flaherty’s study, which draws in part on material published by the Turkish Military Museum in Istanbul and on French-language sources that were previously little accessible to anglophone researchers. Flaherty reports that every Turkish M18 was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk [[Thale]] AG and bears the maker mark “ET” together with a size stamp - which is invariably 66 for these helmets. He also notes that they were fitted with the German Model 1918 liner, featuring white liner pads, and used chinstrap attachments with carbine-clip fittings. Eisenhüttenwerk Thale delivered 5,400 M18 “full-visor” helmets to the Ottoman Turkish army before further shipments were refused by the Turks. That production figure (5,400) has at times been transposed and mistakenly cited as the quantity of the so-called “visorless” helmets. One source of this confusion appears to be Floyd Tubbs’ early collector work Stahlhelm, in which the visorless example is labelled the “Turkey steel helmet” and is asserted to number 5,400 deliveries to Turkey — a claim later research has demonstrated to be incorrect.

Among collectors the Turkish M18 is frequently called the “full-visor” Turkish helmet to differentiate it from the similarly termed “visorless” so-called “Turkish” helmet. Contrary to popular assumption, Flaherty maintains that the visorless pattern was produced for the Imperial German Army rather than for Ottoman forces. There is also a recurring assertion that these visorless helmets were intended for armoured vehicle crews. Period photographs exist showing Freikorps personnel operating with tanks while wearing the visorless helmets, and such imagery likely contributed to the belief that they were designed for tank use.

=== Austro-Hungarian WW1 variants ===
[[File:Pripadniki 17. pešpolka na Soški fronti.jpg|thumb|Austro-Hungarian soldiers at the [[Isonzo front]] with ''Stahlhelme''|247x247px]][[Austria-Hungary]] purchased about 416,000 German helmets from November 1916 until the end of the war and also began its own licensed production starting in May 1917. Around a million ''Stahlhelm'' of all variants were issued until the end of the war.<ref name=verlag>{{cite book |last=Ortner |first=M. Christian |year=2002 |title=The Emperor's coat in the First World War: Uniforms and equipment of the Austro-Hungarian army from 1914 to 1918 |location=Vienna |publisher=Verlag Militaria |page=141 |isbn=978-3-9501642-1-3}}</ref>

==== Austro-Hungarian M1917 ====
The '''Austrian M17''' helmet was similar to the German M16, it was indicated "nach deutschem Muster“ i.e. "following Germany's example". It was coloured golden-brown (known as [[Isonzo front|Isonzo]]-braun), had a cloth chinstrap, an Austrian chinstrap bale and had the chinstrap rivet located higher up on the steel shell. From May 1917 till the end of World War I 534,013 were produced,<ref name=verlag/> many of which were manufactured at the [[Krupp]] in [[Berndorf, Lower Austria]].[[File:AM.021751.jpg|thumb|The Austrian Berndorfer M17 variant|168x168px]]Other known production locations were:
* Adolf Westen factory in [[Celje]], present day [[Slovenia]]
* Brüder Gottlieb u. Brauchbar in [[Brno]], present day [[Czech Republic]]
* Bleckmann & Poldihutte in [[Kladno]], present day Czech Republic
* C. A. Scholtz in Matejovce, [[Poprad]], present day [[Slovakia]]
* [[Nădrag]], present day [[Romania]]
* [[Reșița]], present day Romania
* Weiss Manfréd Acél- és Fémművek in Csepel, [[Budapest]], present day [[Hungary]]
* Bruder Lapp in [[Rottenmann]], present day Austria
* Warchalowski, Eissler & Co in [[Vienna]], present day Austria
* Gebruder Bohler & Co. in [[Kapfenberg]], present day Austria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alexanderandsonsrestorations.com/About-WWI&WWII-helmets/ |title=About WWI & WWII German & Austro-Hungarian Helmets |work=Alexander & Sons Restorations |access-date=26 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707160704/http://www.alexanderandsonsrestorations.com/About-WWI%26WWII-helmets/ |archive-date=7 July 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Berndorfer M17 variant ====
There was also a quite different, domestically developed '''Berndorfer''' variant. It was indicated as "österreichisches Muster" i.e. Austrian mode. 139,968 were produced from May till November 1917 at the Krupp in Berndorf.<ref name="verlag" />

==== Berndorfer Austro-Hungarian M1918 ====
[[File:Berndorfer m18.png|thumb|171x171px|The Berndorfer M18 helmet]]
This helmet is known by collectors as '''Hungarian M18''' variant and it was similar to the Austrian M17 design, but the chinstrap rivet was smaller in size and located even higher up than the Austrian version. It was coloured in golden-brown (known as [[Isonzo front|Isonzo]]-braun). Another difference was in the attachment method of the chinstrap, it was fixed to the same rivet that held the liner metal ring. These were manufactured at the Krupp in Berndorf.

=== German pre and inter WW2 variants ===

=== M1933 ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H15390, Berlin, Kaserne der LSSAH, Vergatterung.jpg|thumb|right|[[1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler]] troops wearing refurbished WW1 ''Stahlhelme'', during a drill inspection in Berlin, 1938]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-16108A, Vereidigung von Reichswehr-Soldaten auf Hitler.jpg|thumb|right|German [[Reichswehr]] soldiers wearing WW1 ''Stahlhelme'', but with the new insignia]]
In 1932 the Army High Command ordered the testing of a new prototype helmet intended to replace the older models. It was made entirely from a composite plastic material called "[[Vulcanized fibre|Vulkanfiber]]". The Model 1933 Vulkanfiber helmet kept the basic form of previous helmets but was much lighter. It was put into limited production following favourable field tests in early 1933 and small numbers were issued to [[Reichswehr]] infantry, artillery and communications units. It was removed from service following the introduction of the M1935 helmet and most of the remaining stock were reissued to civil organizations such as fire brigades and police forces.<ref name=bell>{{cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Brian C. |first2=Kevin |last2=Lyles |title=Wehrmacht Combat Helmets 1933–45 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2004 |page=12 |isbn=1-84176-725-5}}</ref> Some examples were also retained for parade use by senior officers, who were not generally issued with the ''Stahlhelm''.

=== M1935 ===
In 1934 tests began on an improved ''Stahlhelm'', whose design was a development of World War I models. The company "Eisenhüttenwerke [[Thale]]" (today Thaletec) carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of [[molybdenum]] steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armour shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet's shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet's safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The [[Oberkommando des Heeres|Army's Supreme Command]] within the Third Reich's ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' or combined armed forces officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.<ref name=bell/>

More than 1 million M1935 helmets were manufactured in the first two years after its introduction, and millions more were produced until 1940 when the basic design and production methods were changed.

===Gladiator civil defense helmet===
[[File:NS-Luftschutzhelm um 1944 (DFM).JPG|thumb|right|1944 pattern Luftschutz helmet]]
[[File:BulgarianM38.jpg|thumb|Bulgarian issued M38 Gladiator Helmet for Anti air & Chemical Defense]]
In 1938, the Germans developed a variant of the ''Stahlhelm'' with a wider, flared peak and ventilation holes originally intended for [[civil defense]] and [[Luftschutz]] personnel.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U87-CgAAQBAJ&q=luftschutz+helmet&pg=PA96 |title=Hitler's Armed Forces Auxiliaries: An Illustrated History of the Wehrmachtsgefolge, 1933–1945 |first=Jean-Denis G. G. |last=Lepage |year=2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1476620886 |access-date=28 September 2018 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FclpM5Zq9osC&q=luftschutz+helmet&pg=PA67 |title=Stahlhelm: Evolution of the German Steel Helmet |first1=Floyd R. |last1=Tubbs |first2=Robert W. |last2=Clawson |year=2018 |publisher=Kent State University Press |isbn=978-0873386777 |access-date=28 September 2018 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Known as the [[gladiator]] pattern, the privately purchased Luftschutz helmet was originally made from three pieces of steel and typically painted black or dark blue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://combathelmets.blogspot.com/2008/10/wwii-nazi-germany-luftschutz-helmet.html |title=Mannie Gentile: Combat Helmets of the 20th Century: German Luftschutz Helmet |first=Mannie |last=Gentile |date=12 October 2008 |access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref> Later in the war these were issued to [[Volkssturm]] personnel, and sometimes repainted in [[Feldgrün]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.german-helmets.com/VOLKSSTURM%20Helmet%20Photos-More.htm |title=Picture of Feldgrum Volkssturm helmet |access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.german-helmets.com/VOLKSSTURM%20Helmets.htm |title=Volkssturm helmet |access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref> By 1944, the helmets were stamped from a single steel sheet, and the original leather lining replaced with vinyl or cloth to reduce costs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30091243 |title=Steel Helmet, M44 Luftschutz |website=Imperial War Museums |access-date=28 September 2018}}</ref>  A modified postwar version in fluorescent green, white or yellow continued to be issued to rescue workers in the [[West Germany|Bundesrepublik]] until the early 1990s.

=== M1940 ===
The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.<ref>{{cite web |title=M35 Stahlhelm vs. M40 Stahlhelm |url=http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30111 |work=Helmet History |publisher=Luftm40 |access-date=5 June 2013 |archive-date=26 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126132634/http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30111 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====''Fallschirmjäger'' version====
A variant of the M1935 helmet with a shell lacking the projecting visor and deep flared rim was issued to {{Lang|de|[[Fallschirmjäger (Nazi Germany)|Fallschirmjäger]]}} ([[Luftwaffe|German]] [[paratrooper]]) units. It was so designed in order to lessen the risk of head injury on landing after a parachute jump; also to reduce the significant wind resistance and resulting neck trauma. Early {{Lang|de|Fallschirmjäger|italic=no}} helmets were manufactured from existing M1935 helmets by removing the undesirable projections, which were omitted when the new design entered full production.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.feldgrau.com/ww2-german-weapons-and-equipment-of-the-fallschirmj%c3%a4ger/ |title=Weapons and Equipment of the Fallschirmjäger |first=Jeffrey Lynn |last=Dunford |work=Feldgrau.com |access-date=13 April 2014}}</ref> The modified shell also incorporated a completely different and more substantial liner and chinstrap design that provided far more protection for German airborne troops. The chinstrap featured a four-point retention system that has come into use again by modern combat helmets such as the [[Modular Integrated Communications Helmet|MICH]] since the late 1990s.

=== M1942 ===
The M1942 design was a result of wartime demands, by order of Hitler, to ‘maintain intimidation but reduce cost’. The rolled edge on the shell was eliminated, creating an unfinished edge along the rim. This edge slightly flared out, along the base of the skirt, reducing the protection the helmet gave. The elimination of the rolled edge expedited the manufacturing process and reduced the amount of metal used in each helmet. Shell paint colours were typically matte grey-green (Heer) or grey-blue (Luftwaffe), and the decals were eliminated in 1943 to speed up production and reduce the helmet's combat visibility. Greater manufacturing flaws were also observed in M1942 helmets made late in the war.<ref name="german-helmets.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.german-helmets.com/HELMET%20TYPES%20MAIN.htm |title=World War II Combat Helmet Types |publisher=German-Helmets.com |access-date=13 April 2014}}</ref>

=== M1944 ===
A new variant, designed in 1942 by the Institute for Defence Technical Materials Science in Berlin, was the so called M44. It was stamped out of one piece of metal, but with sloped sides. It was similar in appearance to the [[Mk III Turtle helmet|British 1944 Type Mk III helmet]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Hancock |first=M. Donald |title=The Bundeswehr and the National People's Army: A Comparative Study of German Civil-Military Polity |publisher=University of Denver |year=1973 |page=25}}</ref> They were tested in three variant models B, B/II, and C. The one selected for extensive tests was the B/II. They were produced by the Thale Eisenhüttenwerke. The B/II will inspire the East German M56 in fact they looked very similar. M44 helmet was never approved for service and it remained a prototype.

=== M1945 ===
There have been reports of a variant manufactured in the last months of the war. The M1945 was reported to have been similar to the M1942 design but did away completely with the ventilator. These helmets are reported to be extremely rare. Many collectors and historians are of the opinion that the M1945 helmet is just a regular M1942 helmet that lacked the vents simply because of machine malfunctions in the factory, or unfinished M1942 helmets that were completed in the post-war era.<ref name="german-helmets.com"/>

=== East Germany variants ===

==== M1954 ====
It was an evolution of the prototype M1944 with a modified and more squared line. The appearance of the helmet was a transitional way between the M35 and the M44. It was nicknamed "Kesslerbombe" as a reference to the general [[Heinz Keßler]]. It was used by the [[Kasernierte Volkspolizei|KVP]] of the GDR and it was fitted with two different suspension systems during its life in service. The first one fixed with three rivets as in the WW2 models, the second type required further holes in the helmet shell. It was substituted by the helmet M1956.

==== M1956 ====
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-N1007-0009, Berlin, 25. Jahrestag DDR-Gründung, Parade.jpg|thumb|right|M1956 East German ''Stahlhelm'']]
[[File:East German military cadet DF-ST-89-04333.JPEG|thumb|A sentry of the East German [[Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment]] wearing an M-56 helmet]]
The [[East German]] M-56 helmet was inspired by the 1942 designed helmet, intended as a replacement for the M1935/M1940 model ''Stahlhelm''. It was initially developed for the Wehrmacht by the Institute for Defense Technical Materials Science in Berlin (see ''M1944'' above). The helmet had seen trials since 1943 but was not adopted during World War II.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baer |first=Ludwig |title=Die Geschichte des Deutschen Stahlhelmes: von 1915 bis 1945; seine Geschichte in Wort u. Bild |trans-title=The history of German steel helmets: from 1915 to 1945; their story in words & pictures |publisher=L. Baer (Selbstverlag) |location=Eschborn |year=1977 |language=de}}</ref>

The design was not used until the requirement for a distinct German helmet for the [[Volkspolizei]] and the [[National People's Army]] arose. The East German leadership was motivated in large part by a desire to avoid provoking the offence that using a traditional ''Stahlhelm'' design would have caused East Germany's Warsaw Pact allies (especially Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Soviet Union),{{sfnp|Tubbs|Clawson|2000|pp=80–81}} but a more practical military necessity was also present due to the continued use of surplus ''Stahlhelme'' by West German units, in particular border guards. Moreover, the East Germans suspected the West could re-issue the ''Stahlhelm'' on a general basis in the Bundeswehr at any time and therefore needed a helmet that was easily distinguishable from that of their potential enemy. For both reasons, the 1942 design was likely chosen because it was the most similar of all German designs to the most recognizable [[SSh-39 and SSh-40|Soviet helmets]], in particular the iconic [[SSh-39 and SSh-40|SSh-40]] design. Such a design not only served a political purpose but was one that NATO armies were unlikely to duplicate closely. Indeed, the M-56 was similar enough in appearance to the SSh-40 that some Westerners failed to realize its German origins altogether and assumed the East Germans had adopted a Soviet design.

The M-56 helmet came in three basic versions, Mod 1 or I/56, Mod 2 or I/57 and Mod 3 or I/71, and was widely sold (or given) to [[Third World]] armies.

=== West Germany variants ===

==== M40/51 ====
When the [[Bundesgrenzschutz]] (BGS) (Federal Border Guards of Germany) was formed in 1951, it was supplied with old salvaged and refurbished M35, M40 or M42 helmets. Among the changes made, there was the replacement of the interior and the introduction of new eyelets for the chinstrap, some welded inside the helmet some even fixed to the helmet with rivets. The helmets for the BGS were repainted in dark green RAL 6012.

With the progressive depletion of stocks, starting from 1951 new helmets were produced following the construction rules of the M40 model. Regarding the interior, was used the simplified M31 type, with a chinstrap directly fixed to it, (adopted above all by the police forces of the Länder), and a liner with a chinstrap fixed to the helmet according to the methods described above; this version was adopted by the BGS.

==== M40/53 ====
Starting in 1953, a further update of the interior was introduced with the type called I53, developed by the company Schuberth Werke Braunschweig.

This interior was no longer fixed with the classic three nails that ran along the helmet shell but by a screw placed inside, in the centre of the upper part of the helmet.

For this reason the helmet is recognizable from the previous versions by the absence of the rivets on the shell. In later versions, the ventilation holes were also removed. As regards to the fastening of the chinstrap, were used the same solutions of the previous model.

==== M56 & M1A1 ====
[[File:Bw-Helm, alte Art, seitliche Ansicht noBG.jpg|thumb|Helm M1A1, as it was worn in a similar form since 1956. Its retirement began in 1992.]]
The [[West Germany|West German]] M-56 ''Stahlhelm'' was a direct copy of the U.S. M1 helmet. It was properly called "zweiteiliger ''Stahlhelm''" (two-piece steel helmet). In 1958 the helmet was made as a one-piece helmet and renamed ''Stahlhelm'' M1A1. The M1A1 came in three sizes: 66, 68, and 71. This helmet was used until 1981 when a modified version was released and renamed the Helm1A1. Modifications included a 3-point chin strap with the third point connecting at the nape, extra-large sizes, and a further adjustable liner.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theocadcollection.com/euroclones---an-essentiel-collectors-guide.html |title="Euroclones": An essential guide to postwar steel helmets |first=Roger |last=Lucy |date=January 2015 |work=OCAD Militaria Collectors Resource |access-date=26 November 2016 |archive-date=11 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911205148/http://www.theocadcollection.com/euroclones---an-essentiel-collectors-guide.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

The M1A1 ''Stahlhelm'' remained in service until 1992 when the [[Bundeswehr]] replaced it with a [[Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops|PASGT]]-derived [[kevlar]] [[helmet]] called the ''[[Gefechtshelm M92|Gefechtshelm]]'' ("Combat helmet").

==Decals and insignia==
After ''Stahlhelm'' shells were painted, the colours of which varied by organization, small identification or insignia [[decal]]s usually were affixed to one or both sides of the helmet. Almost every military, naval, and political organization had its own distinctive insignia, which was applied as decals to the sides of helmets.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020|reason=The domain name has expired.}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.german-helmets.com/DECAL%20INSIGNIA%20MAIN.htm |title=Collector Topics: Helmet Decals |work=German-helmets.com |access-date=13 April 2014}}</ref> The right side of early M35 helmets bore the tricolored [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|shield]] of black, white, and red stripes, the traditional national colors of the [[World War I|pre-WWI]] [[German Empire]] (cf. the black, red, and gold of today's [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]], hearkening back to the [[Revolutions of 1848|1848 Revolt]]). The left side of the shell often received decal insignia denoting the branch of the armed forces, or ''[[Wehrmacht]]'', or an organization within the [[National Socialist German Workers Party|Nazi Party]].

The combined ''Wehrmacht'' military forces of Nazi Germany consisted of the ''[[German Army (Wehrmacht)|Heer]]'' ([[army]]), the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' ([[navy]]), and the ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' ([[air force]]). While not technically part of the Wehrmacht, the ''[[Waffen-SS]]'' ("Armed-[[Schutzstaffel|SS]]") tactically operated as such and was considered part of Germany's armed forces during the war. The same was true of some ''[[Sturmabteilung]]'' (SA) units, along with other subsidiary organizations, which functioned as part of the armed forces particularly towards the end of the war. Wehrmacht branches typically displayed distinctive emblems in the form of decals on their helmets. The Heer, or army, displayed a black shield bearing the frontal view of a silver-coloured German eagle holding a [[swastika]] in its talons (known as the ''Reichsadler''), while the navy used the same eagle emblem in gold. Luftwaffe decals displayed the side view of an eagle in flight, also holding a swastika. The [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] was both a [[paramilitary]] and a political organization, and its black [[Sig Rune|runic initials]] on a silver-coloured shield (normally applied to the right side of the shell) looked like twin lightning bolts. Other military, political, and civil or defence organizations used similar decal insignia to distinguish their helmets. Such visible identification devices were gradually abandoned as the war progressed, however, so that by war's end most Wehrmacht helmet insignia had been eliminated to reduce the wearer's visibility in combat.

For the Chinese Nationalist Army soldiers, their M35 helmets were stencilled with the [[Blue Sky with a White Sun|Chinese Nationalist Insignia]] on the left side. Bolivian Army personnel carry the national flag and [[Wiphala]] decals on their Stahlhelms when in the full dress.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024|reason=No evidence of the Wiphala ever being on a stahlhelm}}

==Users==
<!--READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you.-->
{{more citations needed section|date=March 2019}}
{{missing information|section|which specific kinds — at minimum, whether it’s from the classical coal-scuttle line or either of the M-56s|date=December 2021}}

* {{Flag|Kingdom of Afghanistan}} − M18 Hungarian model, purchased from Czechoslovakia in the 1930s<ref>{{cite book |last1=Isby |first1=David |title=Russia's War in Afghanistan |date=2013 |orig-date=1987 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | pages=106−107 |edition=PDF |isbn=978-1-4728-0179-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KXqHCwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Argentina}} − A hardboard local made helmet called M38 was used between 1938 and 1956
* {{Flag|Austria-Hungary}} − M17
* {{Flag|Belgium}}
* {{Flag|Bolivia}}
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Bulgaria|name=Bulgaria}} −M16-18 used in WW1 and the M36 used in WW2
* [[People's State of Bavaria]] − M18 stolen from Germans
** [[Bavarian Soviet Republic]]
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–1970)|name=Cambodia}}
* {{Flag|Chile}}
* {{Flagdeco|Republic of China (1912-1949)|1912}}{{Flag|Republic of China (1912–1949)|1928}} − M35
* {{Flag|People's Republic of China}} − M35, Captured from the Nationalists
* {{Flag|Colombia}}
*{{flag|Croatia}} − M56<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://brendonshelmets.weebly.com/croatia-m5676.html|title = Croatia M56/76}}</ref>
**{{Flag|Independent State of Croatia}}
*{{flag|Cuba}} − Seen worn on sappers auxiliaries and supplied by Czechoslovakia<ref>[[File:Cuban auxiliaries sappers c.1962.jpg|thumb|Cuban construction worlers wearing M35 Stahlhelms exported by Czechoslovakia]]</ref>
* {{Flag|Czechoslovakia}} − Used German or Austro-Hungarian M16/M17s until the early 1920s, when they were replaced by the M22, a domestic design<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jowett |first1=Philip |title=Central European Wars 1918–21: Revolutions and Border Wars in the Former Austro-Hungarian Empire |date=2025 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-6717-9 |page=9 |edition=PDF |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R8ZPEQAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Dominican Republic}}
* {{EST}} − M16-18
* {{FIN}}
*{{flag|Georgia}} − Seen worn by Gamsakhurdia's forces during the [[Georgian Civil War]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/gvs-fighters-in-samtredia-russia-georgia-samtredia-ext-news-footage/1385722552?adppopup=true|title = Georgia Stahlhelm | date=16 March 2022 }}</ref>
*Germany
** {{Flag|German Empire|empire}} − M16-18
** {{Flag|Weimar Republic}}
** {{Flag|Nazi Germany}} − M35~M42
** {{Flag|East Germany}} − M56
** {{Flag|West Germany}} − Copies of M35, for Bundesgrenzschutz use
* {{Flag|Greece}} −limited use by [[Greek People's Liberation Army|ELAS]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/steel-helmeted-elas-troops-use-a-corner-building-as-a-news-photo/3310159|title=Greek Troops|website=Getty Images|date=9 April 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/elas-troops-with-machine-guns-and-rifles-are-shown-in-the-news-photo/514969900|title=Elas Troops with Guns and Rifles|website=Getty Images|date=10 March 2016 }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Hungary|name=Hungary}}
* {{Flag|Imperial State of Iran}}
* {{Flag|Irish Free State}} − Used 1926−1940 {{clarify|date=January 2020}}
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Italy|name=Italy}}
*{{Flag|Latvia}} − M16, M1918<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Dambītis |first=Kārlis |date=2016 |title=Latvijas armijas artilērija 1919.-1940.g.: Vieta bruņotajos spēkos, struktūra un uzdevumi |trans-title=Artillery of the Latvian Army (1918–1940): structure, tasks and place in the Armed forces |url=https://dspace.lu.lv/dspace/handle/7/31857?locale-attribute=en |publisher=University of Latvia |type=PhD thesis |page=178, 230}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=MA |first=S. Kiersons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9szOAwAAQBAJ&dq=latvian++m16+helmet&pg=PA62 |title=Boys of the Dvina - Latvia's Army 1918-1940 |date=2012-06-23 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-300-01591-8 |pages=62, 63 |language=en}}</ref>
*{{flag|Kingdom of Libya}}
*{{Flag|Lithuania}} − M1918
* {{Flag|Mexico}} − Limited use of M1916, replaced by M26 [[Adrian helmet|Adrian Helmets]] in 1938)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mahargpress.com/military-helmets/chapters-summaries/central-america/mexico/|title=Mexico|work=Maharg Press|access-date=2018-11-12|language=en-US}}</ref>
*{{flag|Norway}} - Used by the [[Norwegian Armed Forces]] from 1945 until the introduction of the American [[M1 helmet]] in the late 1950s
* {{Flag|Ottoman Empire}} − M18
*{{Flag|Ukrainian People's Republic}} − M18
*{{Flag|Poland|1928}} – Interwar Polish state issued WW1 stahlhelms to [[Border Protection Corps]], [[10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade (Poland)|10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade]], and state police units. During the World War II helmets captured from the German occupying force were used by [[Polish Underground State|Polish underground formations]].
* {{flagicon|Russia}} [[White movement|Russian White movement]] - supplied by [[German Empire|Germany]] to [[West Russian Volunteer Army]] troops in the [[Russian Civil War]].
* {{Flag|Sweden}} (Försökshjälm Modell B. A variant to the [[Swedish M1926|M1926]]){{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
* {{flagicon|Spain|1938}} [[Francoist Spain|Spain]]
* {{flag|Russian SFSR|1918}} − M18 stolen from Germans or supplied by Soviet Bavaria used in the Russian Civil War
*{{Flag|Tunisia}} − used by National Guard in 60s and spotted in Battle of Ben Guerdane. [http://abload.de/img/lib04r4uy8.jpg Picture of  a Tunisian national guard officer wearing a ''Stahlhelm'']
*{{TUR}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://me.me/i/german-gaede-skull-cap-portuguese-helm-italian-farina-helmet-stahlhelm|title=German Gaede Skull Cap Portuguese Helm Italian Farina Helmet ''Stahlhelm'' Mod 1916 Turkish ''Stahlhelm'' ''Pickelhaube'' British Brodie Helm French Toque Berndorfer Helm Adrian Helmet Sohlberg Helm M17 Belgian Adrian {{!}} Love Meme on ME.ME|website=me.me|language=en|access-date=2020-02-08}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*{{Flag|Venezuela|1930}}
*{{Flag|Vietnam}} − M56 East German helmet<ref>{{cite book |last1=Higgins |first1=David R. |title=US Marine vs NVA Soldier: Vietnam 1967–68 |date=2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-0900-1 |page=27 |edition=PDF |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7j-XCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Pickelhaube]]''
* [[Sallet]]
* ''[[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten|Der Stahlhelm]]''
* [[Uniforms of the German Army (1935–1945)|Wehrmacht uniforms]]
* [[Brodie helmet]]
* [[Adrian helmet]]
* [[SSh-36]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{Cite book |last=Baer |first=Ludwig |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofgermans0000baer/mode/1up?view=theater |title=The History of the German Steel Helmet, 1916–1945 |year=1985 |publisher=R. J. Bender Publishing|isbn=0912138319}}
*{{Cite book |last=Dean |first=Bashford |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/20017513/ |title=Helmets and Body Armor in Modern Warfare |year=1920 |publisher=New York: Yale University Press (Metropolitan Museum of Art)|isbn=9780342024551}}
* {{Cite web |last=Krause |first=Jürgen |url=https://www.armeemuseum.de/images/publikationen/stahlhelme.pdf |title=Stahlhelme vom Ersten Weltkrieg bis zur Gegenwart |trans-title=Steel helmets from the First World War to the present |work=Veröffentlichungen des Bayerischen Armeemuseums. Vol. 8 |year=1984 |language=de |access-date=2016-08-13 |archive-date=2015-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924080758/http://www.armeemuseum.de/images/publikationen/stahlhelme.pdf |url-status=dead }} Special exhibition at [[Bayerisches Armeemuseum]], Ingolstadt.
* {{Cite book |last=Sheldon |first=Jack |year=2007 |url=http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1360 |title=The German Army on the Somme 1914–1916 |location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK |publisher=Pen & Sword Military |isbn=978-1-84415-513-2 |oclc=72868781}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Tubbs |first1=Floyd R. |first2=Robert W. |last2=Clawson |title=Stahlhelm: Evolution of the German Steel Helmet |publisher=Kent State University Press |year=2000 |edition=Revised and expanded |location=Kent, Ohio |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FclpM5Zq9osC |oclc=43706682 |isbn=9780873386777}}
* [https://germanhelmetvault.com/ German Helmet Vault]—Collecting German WW2 helmets in the 21st century

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Stahlhelm}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a4StqX0v4Y Video about the helmet of German soldier Kurt Günther, of Flak Regiment 59, who was shot through the head and killed by the French Resistance during the Liberation of Paris]

{{helmets}}
{{WWIAus-HunInfWeaponsEquipment}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1916 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:20th-century fashion]]
[[Category:Combat helmets of Germany]]
[[Category:Combat helmets of Poland]]
[[Category:German military uniforms]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1916]]
[[Category:World War I military equipment of Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:World War I military equipment of Germany]]
[[Category:World War II military equipment of China]]
[[Category:World War II military equipment of Germany]]