The King's Musketeers
Despite its fame—largely owed to Alexandre Dumas (father)—the corps of musketeers of the Military Household of the King of France is not well known. Let's explore the history of these famous soldiers together.
The King's Men
In 1622, in the throes of the war against the Protestants, Louis XIII founded a new unit for his guard: the musketeers.
Under the direct authority of the king, who was their captain, these soldiers carried out all the tasks required for warfare, but were also entrusted with special missions, such as quelling rebellions or arresting prominent people.
Between 1663 and 1664, Louis XIV set up the final organization of the musketeers by creating a second company. Nicknamed the Grey Musketeers and the Black Musketeers, they belonged to the Military Household and were part of the army's elite.
The musketeers were shock troops and were feared by their opponents for their violent actions. This fury was the expression of their bravery and was reflected in the motto that adorned their standards and flags: "Quo ruit et lethum," which means "to fall, there is death."
Deux mousquetaires à cheval (17th century) by AnonymousMusée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
We sometimes tend to forget that the musketeers, who traveled on horseback and fought on foot, often operated in challenging tactical situations and sometimes experienced high numbers of casualties.
Musketeer of the 2nd company, King's Household (between 1750 and 1760) by UnsignedMusée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
The Gentlemen's Academy
The musketeer companies served as training schools for officers and welcomed young men from noble families. It was possible to join the company at the age of 15, sometimes even younger with special dispensation.
What was this academy's purpose? To teach young men how to fight on horseback and on foot. But most of all, they had to master the ideals of a powerful aristocracy: courage, audacity, and allegiance.
Grand traité de l'art de l'escrime (Between 1609 and 1610) by Ridolfo Capoferro da CagliMusée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
Fencing was very important to the musketeers. More than just a practice, fencing served as a model of self-control. One had to brave the danger with composure, make swift and precise movements, and do it with elegance.
Swashbuckers
Even from behind, you could recognize a musketeer, right? Modern representations always portray them equipped with a thin sword, and wearing a large feathered hat and a cape. Swashbuckling movies have played a major role in building their image.
In 1622, when the musketeers company was created, they wore a blue woolen coat lined with red, which were the royal colors. Each tail of the coat was decorated with white crosses and fleur-de-lys
Bandoulière de mousquetaire (Ca. 1640)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
In battles, they were equipped with a forte épée, (a kind of broadsword) and a firearm called a musket. Here, you can see one component of a musketeer's equipment: a dozen prepared charges of gunpowder.
Epée de chevet (Ca.1640)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
Musketeers could also carry less cumbersome swords, such as épées de chevet, (bedside swords), which were lighter, less ornate, and had shorter blades. As their name suggests, they could be slipped under a pillow! You never know …
Épée, Espagne, vers 1650 Épée, Espagne, vers 1650 (Ca. 1650)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
One can easily imagine a musketeer carrying this sword, known as a taza, because of the large guard that protects his hand. Actually, musketeers used all kinds of bladed weapons, this one and many more!
The end...
After Louis XIV's demise (1715), our brave musketeers rarely participated in battles. They were mostly relegated to a prestigious service to the king. For financial reasons, the musketeer companies were eventually disbanded in 1775.
Habit de grande tenue de mousquetaire, 2e Compagnie, Première Restauration Habit de grande tenue de mousquetaire, 2e Compagnie, Première RestaurationMusée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
When Louis XVIII was crowned king in 1814, he sought to revive the splendor of the monarchy by re-establishing the musketeers' company, which from then on was assigned to escort the king.
Unfortunately, the comeback of the musketeers was short-lived, as they were definitively disbanded on September 1, 1815.
The historical heritage was reinterpreted by Alexandre Dumas (father) who turned the musketeers into heroes, virtuoso swordsmen always ready to defend a woman's scorned honor in a breathtaking fight. But the author overlooked the main function of this corps: making war!
A story written and edited by the teams of the Army Museum.
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