The positional standoff on the Western Front of World War I, utilizing deeply echeloned defenses, increased the number of head injuries. Most of these injuries were not from direct bullet hits, but from shrapnel and heavy soil flying during explosions.

One of the first steel protective helmets was the helmet developed by General L. Adrian, which was adopted by the French army in 1915. The helmet had a spherical shape with front and rear visors, and a ventilation hole covered by a metal crest on the top of the dome. Inside, the helmet was equipped with a leather liner, and its weight was about 700 grams.

The introduction of the Adrian helmet reduced the number of head injuries by three times. This success prompted other warring countries to begin developing their own steel helmets.

Russian troops first encountered the helmet in the spring of 1916. Units of the Russian Expeditionary Corps, arriving in France, were supplied with French 'Adrians,' on which a metal emblem featuring the Russian double-headed eagle was attached instead of the branch insignia.

The successful use of the helmets prompted the Russian military leadership to order the production of 2 million Adrian helmets from France. The Russian version of the helmet was structurally similar to the French one but was painted in light ochre and featured an emblem of the national coat of arms. Before the revolution, about 300,000 helmets were supplied from France, used on all fronts.

In 1915, based on the Adrian helmet, the development of the Russian steel helmet began. The new helmet externally resembled the prototype but had a different shape for the visors and ventilation cover. The helmet, designated M-17, was characterized by higher technological efficiency and ease of production.

The production of the M-17 helmet was organized in Finland, but the revolution and subsequent separation of Finland resulted in only a small number of helmets reaching the Russian army.