Type Musket Designed 1723 | Place of origin Kingdom of Prussia | |
In service Prussian Army 1723–1815. Used by Kingdom of Prussia and other principalities throughout the Holy Roman Empire, British Empire, United States Wars First Silesian War, Austrian War of Succession, Second Silesian War, Third Silesian War (Seven Years' War), First Partition of Poland, American War of Independence, War of the Bavarian Succession, French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars, War of the First Coalition, War of the Fourth Coalition, War of the Sixth Coalition, War of the Seventh Coalition | ||
The Potzdam Musket 1723 or M1723/M1740 was the first standard firearm of the Prussian Army. It was the rival of the Charleville musket (1717) of France and the Brown Bess (1722) of Great Britain and later the M1752 Musket of Spain.
Origin of the Name
Potsdam, just outside Berlin, had been Frederick the Great of Prussia's favorite place of residence as well as the city where the musket was made, hence the name.
After Frederick was crowned in 1740, he ordered the then-current Prussian musket, a version from 1723, for his army. The Potzdam musket had already made a name for itself by being the first standard German-made musket, and the 1740 model further solidified Potzdam as the key arsenal for Germany. The muskets were widely used by the Prussians and soldiers of the various German principalities in the 18th century. British-hired Hessian troops as well as troops from other German principalities in the revolting thirteen British colonies in America also used the muskets against rebels.
Though the M1723/M1740 eventually gave way for the Potzdam Musket 1809, it was still in use by Prussian soldiers at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and beyond.