Musketeer

"All for one and one for all"

– Alexander Dumas

The Musketeers are one of the few things which are both undisputedly French and undisputedly awesome.

The Musketeers of the Guard were founded in 1622 by Louis XIII, and served with glory through the reign of Louis XIV (the Sun King). While popularly depicted as freewheeling, drinking, swashbucklers in tabards, they were actually, as their name suggests, primarily a musket formation and typically fought as dragoons (horse infantry that dismount to fight, unlike cavalry). Their purpose was to serve as the king's guard outside the palace (the palace guard being a separate corps with swiss mercenary support) and as such needed to be a highly mobile but primarily defensive force.

At the time France as being torn apart by religious disputes. The crown and country were sworn to Catholicism but were beset large numbers of protestant Huguenots, necessitating an elite force to provide the king continuous protection. Shortly after the formation of the Musketeers, Cardinal Richelieu petitioned the king to create a second company of musketeers for his protection as well. This request was granted, creating the Cardinal's Guard. Later the two companies would be reorganized as the Grey and Black companies, based on the colors of the horses they rode.

Serving in the Musketeers was extremely prestigious and virtually all its members were sons of aristocracy. The Tellier reforms mandated that nobility seeking to become officers needed time in ranks to learn military life, so a term in the Guard was a highly desirable posting to serve out that term before seeking a commission.