THE COSSACKS PRUSSIA'S LIGHT CAVALRY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 75, 25 September 1914, Page 4

THE COSSACKS PRUSSIA'S LIGHT CAVALRY

! SERVING WITHOUT PAY. The Cossacks ! This name is a horror for every German and for every Austrian (writes Lieutenant-Colonel Rouston Bek in a London paper). Germany and Austria-Hungary both fear these "freebooters" extremely, remembering their exploits against Napoleon and during the rebellion of Hungary in 1849. The celebrated bandit Ermak, the conqueror of Siberia, l'o'unded the Siberian Cossack " voisko," and submitted the whole of Sibeiia to the Tsar Ivan the Terrible. So the adventurous spirit of the Cossacks lies deep in their blood, and is the growth of many centuries in their spirit. I spent more than half my military service with the Cossacks. I had them under my command, and I know them well. During my long military experience I was with Orenburg Cossacks during my expeditions in Central Asia, witla Siberian and Amur Cossacks in Manchuria, and with Ural, and Don Cossacks on the German and Austro-Hungarian frontier. The above-mentioned Cossacks are the most important and strongest in Russia. Many Englishmen have asked me if th» Cossacks are a special sort, of light cavalry, like Uhlans and Hussars. Many of them think that the Cossack recruits are mobilised froni any of the governments of Russia, as is usually done for the other regular regiments. That is not so. We Russians call the Cossacks "irregular cavalry," but such a name is not strictly accurate. Many years ago, whep Catherine 11. ruled over Russia, they were "irregular," and very often rebelled and turned against Russia, but at present the Cossacks are quite regular cavalry. No country in the world has such a frontier guard as Russia. The Cossacks cost Russia nothing. The Empire endowed them with certain special privileges, and they are bound in return to give military service, all at a certain age, under special conditions. , The Cossacks constitute ten separate "voiskos" and some independent regiments. The first are Don, Kuban, Terek, Astrakhan, Ural, Orenburg, Siberian, Amur, Semiryechensk, and Ussuri. Besides these voiskos thore are in Russiasix regular squadrons of Dageston Cossacks, three squadrons of Caucasian militia, one squadron of Kuban Circassians, eight sotnias (squadrons of 125 men each) of Terek Cossacks, three sotnias of Kars Cossacks, two infantry and one mounted sotnias of Batum, and quite recently in Transcaspia were formed several sotnias from halt-wild Turkomans. These will be employed at the moment of a Russian invasion of Austria. CHILDREN OF SKOBELEFF. They are the creation of the celebrated Russian General Skobeleff, nicknamed tlie " White General," whose name was prominent at the time of the RussoTurkisli war, the conqueror of Turke stan, who has been as popular in France as in Russia. His hatred of Germany was so great tnat Bismarck was seriously afraid of him. He went to Paris and made many speeches, and. worked out a very interesting plan of campaign for France to tako back, with the help of Russia, the lost provinces. It was in 1880, one year before Alexander 11. was assassinated, that Skobeleff put forward his project to form an immense Cossack coiss from the wild population of horsemen of the recently conquered Central Asian provinces. He knew well the gallantry of those men and the terrible role which they could play in the moment of a Russian invasion of Germany. The project was objected to by Alexander. But after the death of the Tsar the former friendship with Germany fell off, and Alexander 111. made an alliance with France. Skobeleff's project had attracted attention in high administrative circles, but the Germans stopped it. One beautiful German actress to whom General Skobeleff • paid attention (she was supposed to be in the pay of the German Government) poisoned the young Russian hero in the Hotel Dussot, iv Moscow, Now it seems that his plan has been partially realised. The total Cossack population at present is about 3,000,000 (women about 1,700,000), and they own abont 146,500,000 acres of land. Military service is obligatory for all men for twenty years, beginning at the age of eighteen, but practically the Cossack youth starts his service in the voisko at fourteen, like boy scouts. Active service every Cossack does for three years in the preliminary division, the next twelve in active service, and the last five years in the reserve. Every Cossack is bound to provide his own uniform, equipment, and horse, the Government supplying only the arms. MILLIONAIRE ARMY CORPS. Every voisko on active service is divided into three equal parts according to age, and the first third only is in real service, while the two others stay at home, but are bound to march out as soon as an order is given. Generally every voisko is very rich, and possesses excellent horses, which, as well as arms, are the pride of every Cossack. The reserve capital for war necessities is about £2.800,000. The general administration is kept separate for eacli voisko. The central administration, at the Ministry of War, is composed of representatives of each voisko. In time of war the ten Cossack voiskos are bound to supply 900 mounted sotnias, 112 infantry sotnias, and 260 guns, representing about 5000 officers and 126,500 men ; but in full mobilisation this figure will be higher. At present Russia possesses 328,705 Cossacks mobilised, and seven-tenths of them are concentrated on the German and AustroHungarian frontiers, and they will meet the first columns of a hostile force. Popular education among the Cossacks stands at a higfk'r lovel than in the remainder of Russia. They have more schools, and a great proportion of their children go to school. I remember an interesting incident in which a Gossaok figured when the Kaiser visited St. Petersburg on the eve of the Franco-ltussian Alliance. I was attached to the Ural Guard sotnia of Ural Cossacks, which was a guard of honour to the Kaiser. When he inspected this sotnia he noticed a beautiful sword of one of my comrades, and asked to be allowed to see it. -" I know," he said, in Russian, " that the swords of Cossacks are excellent. Ts it an heirloom?" '' Yes, your Majesty," replied the officer, "it is a very old one." The Kaiser took the sword, and read the engraving on the blade. The engraving was : " God give me opportunity to load my horse to drink from the Spree "' (the river on which Berlin is situated). " 1 hope you will be successful." the Kaiser said, ''and fully accomplish the desire of your ancestor." My friend is head of a Cossack regiment now, and in the first line of the 23rd Corps (Warsaw). BARKED YOWI* SHINS? Well, use Dr. Sheldon's Magnetic Liniment; it will I;ik-r» away all the pain and ntiffii-est., and you will forget all a'otnit it. Prk"\ hi 6d and 3e. — Advt. A large stock of "Canadian" (two garment) and niick-to-kneu costumes, in all weights. Deo. Fowlds, Ltd., Mannersstreet. — Advt. For Bronchial Uciughi, lake WoutU Great Peppermint Cure. Is 6d.— Advt.