THE ARMIES OF EUROPE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4204, 10 September 1874, Page 3

THE ARMIES OF EUROPE.

A German paper (May 20) publishes a statement concerning thp increase that lias taken place in the armies of Europe since 1859. The forces' of Austria have, it says, increased by 222,580, and amount at present to 850,980 men ; Russia had augmented her armies, which now number 1,519,810 men, by 295,060 ; Italy counts 287,560 more soldiers than in 1859, and her present aggregate military strength is 005,200 men ; the German Empire can summon to the field 1,261,100 men, an increase of 424,360 since the abolition of the old federal constitution. The French army, 977,060 strong, is greater by 337,100 than that maintained by Louis Napoleon, and under the new army organisation is steadily increasing. Great Britain, including Volunteers, has added 233,020 to the total of her land forces, which now include 478,820 men. The Swedish army of 204,510 has been augmented by 09,010; the Belgian army of 93,590, by 13,340 ; and the Dutch army of 64,320, by 5770 men. Denmark alone has diminished her war power, her present army of 48,700 being less by 8850 men than in 1859. These figures bring out, the startling conclusion! that the additions to these armies during the last fifteen years amount to no leas than 1,889,990 men, and that the number of soldiers of all descriptions at present at the disposal of the different Governments of Europe show a grand total of 6,110,090. In the Austrian army, to every 1000 combatant foot soldiers there are 103 cavalry and four field guns ; in the European army of Russia, 178 cavalry and four guns ; in the army of Asia, 910 horsemen and three guns ; in the Italian army, 57 cavalry and three guns ; in the German, 117 cavalry and three guns ; in the French, 119 and five guns ; in the English, 133 and four guns.