Small represents the glory, power, and strength of France much better than the musketeers. Romanticized, idolized, and immortalized by contemporary movies, books, and legends, the musketeer has taken on an virtually mythological status in modern minds - and for very good reason. Their prowess in battle, dashing style, dangerous lifestyle and romantic demeanor all seem to represent the ideal qualities of a man. Ladies wanted them and men wanted to be them. This view, having said that, is only accurate for a particularly modest selection of musketeers all through history.
The name "musketeer" applies to soldiers from all over the world whose main weapon was the musket, a precursor to the rifle. It was a muzzle loading, smooth bore gun which was only accurate out to 50 to 100 yards depending on the target. Nations all over the world equipped their infantry with muskets that, with the addition of the bayonet, produced both pikes and older gunpowder weapons obsolete. Musketeers became the rank and file soldiers of any army, the simple infantry.
The immortalized image of a musketeer, nevertheless, refers to the French Musketeers of the Guard, an elite group of soldiers consisting entirely of skilled nobles or the high elite of the widespread soldiers. They defended the king and his household in addition to taking part in just about each French campaign in the 17th and 18th centuries. They had been the preferred of the greatest the cream of the crop. Their days had been spent training or on guard and they received the greatest of every little thing. In war they had been rightly feared and their presence could turn the tide of a battle. In duels they had been deadly with their pistol or trademark rapier and major gauche. Several competing nobles lost their lives in honor duels with these elite musketeers.
Extremely influenced by Renaissance style clothing of the time, the blue musketeer tabard with the silver cross and fleur-de-lis crest combined dashing style with daring and adventurous practicality. Leather gauntlets and black suede boots along with an undershirt, dueling pants, and a leather cavalier hat completed the look and created a potent symbol of the ruling French monarchy. Cardinal Richelieu organized a personal musketeer guard for himself and gave them the blood red tabard. Ruthlessly putting down revolts and political opponents in the French government, blood red became a disturbingly accurate color for his "reign" as the king's chief advisor and proper hand man. A black colored tabard appeared in Alexandre Dumas' The Man in the Iron Mask.
Their numbers ranged between 150 and 300 depending on which point in history 1 is looking at, they had been nevertheless a highly dependable and potent fighting force. Able to fight on foot at long range with a musket or pistol as nicely as in close, hand-to-hand combat with the rapier and major gauche, the Musketeers of the Guard had been ready for every single scenario called for. In addition to becoming on foot, they were skilled horsemen and could both fire and fight from horseback. They were ultimately totally disbanded in 1816 immediately after 200 years of service as the French government could no longer finance them.
