Return to the origins of the military salute

Originally, the military salute is a sign of peace and courtesy, taking on a more solemn character through the centuries to become today a sign of loyalty and fraternity. There are as many military salutes as there are armies in the world, but its origin is common to all military members.

Table of Contents:

• The History of the Military Salute
• How to salute a military member?
• The military salute beyond borders...

The history of the military salute dates back to antiquity, when two warriors met, they exchanged a sign with their right hand (open palm) to indicate they were not armed. This sign of peace testified to their good intentions toward each other.

But the meaning of the military salute would take on its full significance in the Middle Ages, becoming then a gesture of respect and courtesy. When two knights faced each other in a duel, it was customary for each to reveal his face before combat to salute the opponent. This salute was expressed by a gesture of the right hand brought to their helmets to raise the visor of their helmets.

In the 17th century, when two military members crossed paths, they raised their right hand toward the sky spreading three fingers, to allude to the three persons of the Holy Trinity. Over time, this gesture common to all military members evolved: the hand would stop at the height of the headgear (beret, helmet…), then a sign of mutual loyalty and fraternity.

According to the French army infantry manual of 1916, the military salute is performed as follows:

"Bring the open right hand to the right side of the headgear, the hand in line with the forearm, fingers extended and together, thumb joined to the other fingers or slightly separated. Palm forward, arm roughly horizontal and aligned with the shoulders. The salute position is taken with a quick and decisive gesture while looking at the person being saluted. Once the salute is completed, the right hand is quickly returned to position.

Any military member encountering a superior salutes them when six paces away and maintains the salute position until they have passed them. If they are passing a superior, they salute when reaching their level and maintain the salute position until they have passed them by two paces. If they are armed, they present arms while turning their head toward the superior. […] "

But this highly regulated military salute is specific to the French army. As for the rest of the world, each army now has its own military salute.

The United Kingdom and France share the same military salute unlike the rest of the world. Furthermore, one might think that the United States and Canada perform a military salute similar to that of the French, but it is not identical.

The salute is performed the same way, but the palm is turned inward (horizontally). This military salute would originate from a naval tradition: crew members, often having dirty hands, would turn their palms inward so as not to display them to the eyes of officers.

Each military salute has its own subtleties, but only the Polish army has preserved the ancestral salute with three fingers. Even if, ultimately, the military salute remains above all a gesture of courtesy…

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