Musketeer

Musketeers in the French history

The body of the musketeers of the Military household of the king de France was created in 1622 when the king Louis XIII equipped with mousquets (arms with infantry) a company of Horse-light S of the Garde also called Carabin S (light cavalry), it even created by his/her father, Henri IV. On 1622 to 1629, the musketeers depend on the captain-lieutenant of thelight ones. In 1622, the first of them was Jean de Bérard de Montalet. In 1634, the king does it captain of the company of the musketeers, leaving the effective command to the sior of Tréville.

The musketeers are recruited only among the gentlemen having already been useful in the Guard. The passage to the musketeers is a promotion. It makes it possible to join a crack corps, near to the king. Moreover, it is expected that the men leaving its rows are named Enseigne or lieutenant (rank much then higher, especially in the crack corpses) in the Guards or officers in the regiments. In the absence of military academy, the passage under the eyes of the sovereign makes it possible to check the competence and the fidelity of each man.

These musketeers had the characteristic to fight indifferently with foot or horse. They formed the usual guard of the king outside, the guard inside the royal apartments being that of the bodyguards and the Swiss guards. Mazarin, hardly appreciating the turbulent musketeers of the king, made dissolve their company in 1646. It reappeared only in 1657, counting 150 men then. To died from Mazarin in 1661, the company of the musketeers of the cardinal passed to the king Louis XIV. It was reorganized on the model of the first company in 1664 and accepted the nickname of “gray musketeers” due to the dress of its horses, whereas the second company was called “black musketeers”.

At this same time, manpower of the companies were doubled. Indeed the musketeers were one of the military bodies most prestigious of the kingdom, gathering only the noble ones in theory. Number among the latter, forced since the reforms of Tellier to pass a certain number of years in the troop before reaching the rank of officer, preferred to carry out this service in a privileged body. Thus, as well of the soldiers as the marshal of Montesquiou as of the writers as the duke of Saint-Simon were musketeers.

In 1776, the musketeers were removed for reasons of economy by Louis XVI. Reformed in 1789, they were removed shortly after.

The Restauration recreates them on July 6th, 1814, and dissolves them definitively on January 1st, 1816.

Literature

Alexandre Dumas immortalisés them in its trilogy whose first volume is entitled the Three Musketeers , while taking as a starting point memories apocryphal books of Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras. The currency of the musketeers: for all, all for one.

This novel made popular the musketeers but does not have to in no case to be regarded as a historical work so much freedoms with the history are numerous. Using the very free and already extremely fictionalized Memories of Mister d' Artagnan published in 1700 by Courtilz de Sandras, Dumas built with virtuosity and talent a romantic vision of the reign of Louis XIII.

Some historical errors are extremely remarkable:

the Musketeers, guards of the King, would certainly not engage in defense of the queen. That Ci was extremely badly perceived for its foreign origin and its intrigues against the king and Richelieu. This extremely romantic vision constitutes neither more nor less than one case of injures majesty

To render service to George Villiers de Buckingham, Prime Minister and general English, then in state of war and enemy of France east of the high treason.

the true one of Artagnan, musketeer before very under Louis XIV was before his lieutenancy the creature of Mazarin, which used it for secret missions, following the example Rochefort in the novel.

List French musketeers

See too

External bond

Biographie of the Musketeers
the Gentlemen of Tools - Association of Fencing Musketeer
site dedicated to Artagnan and to the Musketeers

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