Editing Musketeer (section)

===Russia===
{{Main|Streltsy}}

'''Streltsy''' ({{langx|ru|Стрельцы}}, [[Grammatical number|sing.]] {{lang|ru-Latn|strelets}}, {{lang|ru|стрелец}}, literally "shooter"; often translated as "musketeer", but more properly "harquebusier") were the [[Military unit|unit]]s of [[Russia]]n guardsmen l from the 16th to the early 18th centuries, armed with [[firearms]] and [[bardiche]]s. They are also collectively known as ''Strelets Troops'' ({{lang|ru|Стрелецкое Войско}}).

[[File:01 108 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg|thumb|Streltsy in 1674]]

The first streltsy units were created by [[Ivan the Terrible]] sometime between 1545 and 1550 and armed with the [[arquebus]]. They first saw combat at the [[Siege of Kazan (1552)|Siege of Kazan]] in 1552. [[Military service]] in this unit became lifelong and [[hereditary]]. The bearded strelsty were organized into regiments, each with a long coat (''kaftan'') and pointed cloth hat of a distinctive colour. By 1680, there were 20 regiments of Moscow streltsy totaling 20,048 men and comprising about 12 per cent of the total army<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n9 8]|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date= 2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref> (along with cossacks, militia and an increasing number of regular soldiers). In addition, there were significant numbers of frontier and garrison streltsy serving outside Moscow, although these were less formally drilled and equipped.<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n10 9]|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date= 2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref>

The Muscovite government was chronically short of cash so that the streltsy were often not paid well. While "entitled" to something like four rubles a year in the 1550s, they were often allowed to farm or trade in order to supplement their incomes. Textiles for clothing and foodstuffs were sometimes issued as part of their pay. A commander of one hundred musketeers ({{lang|ru-Latn|sotnik}}) received up to 20 roubles a year and a regimental head ({{lang|ru-Latn|streletski golova}}) between 30 and 60.<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|pages=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n20 19]& 21|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date=2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref>

In the late 17th century, the Streltsy of Moscow began to actively participate in a struggle for power between different government groups, supporting [[dissident]]s and showing hostility towards any foreign [[innovation]]s.<ref>{{cite book|first=Angus|last=Konstam|page=[https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons/page/n9 9]|title=Peter the Great's Army 1: Infantry|url=https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons|url-access=limited|isbn=1-85532-315-X|date= 1993}}</ref>

After the fall of [[Sophia Alekseyevna]] in 1689, the government of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] engaged in a process of gradual limitation of the streltsy's military and political influence. In order to counter their power, Peter began to raise a new regular army, still armed with muskets but disciplined, uniformed and organised along West European lines. In spite of these measures, the streltsy revolted yet again while Peter was on his Great Embassy in Europe. The four regiments involved were disbanded and 1,200 of the mutineers were executed. The remainder were exiled, had their property confiscated and were banned from future military employment.<ref>{{cite book|first=Chris|last=Middleton|page=22|title=Winds of Revolution|isbn=978-0809464586|year=1987}}</ref> The entire corps was technically abolished in 1689; however, after having suffered [[Battle of Narva (1700)|a defeat at Narva in 1700]], the government retained some streltsy units in service.<ref>{{cite book|first=Angus|last=Konstam|pages=[https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons/page/n9 9]|title=Peter the Great's Army 1: Infantry|url=https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons|url-access=limited|isbn=1-85532-315-X|date=1993}}</ref>

Gradually, the streltsy were incorporated into the regular army. At the same time, the Tsarist government started to disband the Municipal Streltsy. Liquidation of the last streltsy units (by then social rather than military groups) was finally completed by 1728.<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n36 35]|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date=2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref>

The [[Preobrazhensky regiment|Preobrazhensky]] and Semenovsky regiments of the [[Russian Imperial Guard|Imperial Guard]] replaced the streltsy as the political and military force closest to the tsar.<ref>{{cite book|first=Angus|last=Konstam|page=[https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons/page/n11 11]&12|title=Peter the Great's Army 1: Infantry|year=1993|url=https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons|url-access=limited|isbn=1-85532-315-X}}</ref>