Inspiration behind the Wehrmacht collar insignia?

[Mujo]

What exactly was the inspiration behind the bar like collar tabs worn by the Wehrmacht?
I'm aware of early Prussian uniforms and the lace they used and I'm inclined to believe the Wehrmacht wanted to link itself to that old tradition.

[John G.]

Of course it was for traditional reasons... the Wehrmacht making the system of branch piping and braiding a somewhat complex identification and ranking identifiers... similiar systems by all the major powers can be traced back to pre-napolianic designs (speaking generally).
John G.