THE STRENGTH OF EUROPEAN ARMIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7783, 29 January 1887, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE STRENGTH OF EUROPEAN ARMIES.

(Morning Post, November 26.)

The numbers of armed men which the several European countries are able to raise have always been, to some degree, a matter of speculation, although there is a generally prevailing impression that they are prodigious. The publication of , the, figures given below, therefore, of interest at any time, will be more so at the present moment, as it enables us to form an approximate idea ! of what "Europe in arms" really, means. Both the peace and war strengths of the various armies; with the number of guns and horses when ;on 7a war footing, as they were at the end of 1885, are indicated. It will be seen that, as regards numbers of armed men, Germany occupies the chief position, although some statisticians w6uld place Russia first. It should be borne in mind that, whilst Russia has the largest population to draw upon, she i 3 not nearly ready tor war to the same extent as the German Empire, for .every man enumerated in the case of the latter country hti been passed through the active army, which cannot be said with regard to Russia nor any other country in the statement btl»w Austria—Peace strength of the united army of Austria and Hungary, 17,867 officers, 208,005 rank and file ;—total, 286,422, with vbb guns and 50,362 horses. War strength, "^o °mcers, 1,0*4,319. men;-total 1,0,,,104, with 1609 guns and 211,462 horses. '

Lelgium.—The peace strength of the Belgian army is 45,600 (2706 officers), with 204 field guns and 10,4(35 horses. The war strength-is 101,268 (3020 officers), with 240 guns and 20,794 horses. The acvive Garde Oivique numbers 30,954 (27,125 of which are infantry), the non-active Garde Civiaue about 90,000 men.

Denmark.—The peace strength of the Danish army (first levy) is 36,510 men, of whom 1201 are officers. By calling in the second levy, or reserve, the army reaches a war strength of 50,500 (1496 officers), with 128 guns and about 3000 horses. France.—The peace strength of the French army is as f0110w5:—26,974 commissioned officers, 42,720 non-commissioned officers 454,130 men; total, 523,824, with 2694 guns and 110,890 horses. On the outbreak of war France is able to raise an army, including the reserve and territorial forces, of 1,5)59,861 men, with 2952 guns, of which 1,355,205 are field and reserve troops' and 604,656 territorial troops. The army of the first line is estimated by French sources as 2,051,459 men, that of the second line as 2 007,196 men, or a total of 4,108,655 • but that estimate can scarcely be depended upon. ~ ■ * .

Germany.—The peace strength of the German army, according to the budget of 1886 is 410,424 men, of which number 18,150 are otocers, 51,591 non-commissioned officers, 13,42/ musicians, 1698 surgeons, 3532 hospital assistants, 618 veterinary surgeons 1570 paymasters, G56 gunsmiths, 10,091 artisans An Jfieabove total are not in

volunteers (between 7000 and 8000 men) the gendarmerie (about 9500 men), about 2500 cadets, and the reserves of the first class The number of horses is 81,598. Of the various states of the German Empire Prussia and the contingents incorporated with the Prussian army furnishes 14 045 oihcers, 330,629 rank and file, and 64423 horses; Bavaria, 2215 officers, 150,224 rank and file, and 8771 horses; Saxony 1138 officers, 27,006 rank and file, and 5133 horses'YVurtemberg, 772 officers, 18,815 rank and nle, and 3443 horses. The war strength of the German army is—without the Landsturm, which by law is placed under international protection, without being specially organised as an army—1,519,104 men The number of guns is 2506, that of horses tn?l™ The Landsfcui'm is estimated at 993,000 men. The total war strength of the forces at the disposal of Germany is consequently, in round numbers, 2,762 000 men Great Britain.—The British army lias an effective strength of 595,320 officers and men, of which the regular forces at home and m.the colonies number 130 7^9 • firstclass reserve, 39,268; second-class reserve, 7738; militia, including reserve, 139 786 • yeomanry, 11,488; volunteers, 208,365 ; regular forces in India, 57.925. If we add the native forces of India (120,882 men), we obtain a total of 716,202; and by including the Irish (190,000), both forces being organised on a military basis, a grand total of 918 °02 of which number 26,077 are officers 'The number of guns is 610, and of horses 59 568 onf 203-9 Strength °f tbe regular aim? is Holland.—The European forces of Holland have a peace strength of 65,014 men (2325 officers), with 130 guns. The Dutch Indian Army lias an effective of 39,683. This gives a total peace effective of 104,697. " By calling out the Schutteryen (communal guard) to the number of 114,301, the Dutch arrnv is raised to a war strength of 218,998, besides which there is the levee in masse, which is estimated at about 100,000 men. Italy.—The Italian forces are divided into the regular army, the mobilsed militia, and the territorial militia. The peace strength of the standing army is 215,000 (14,000 officers). In this number are not included the n?n™? S (^. OUt 23' 000> and the Douaniers fto1?00^ he total number of &UQs is 1032, and that of horses of the standing army 38,000. The war strength of the Italian fS COrdinS/ 0 the" budget of- 1885, is' 2,400,078 men, of which 801,203 belong to the regular forces, 362.353 to the mobilised militia, and 1,156,522 to the territorial militia.

_ Norway.—The Nowegian forces are divided into three branches-Line, Landvcern, and Lankstorm. The troops of the line number /oO ofkcers and 18,000 rank and file of all arms. On a war footing, the army of Norway isto comprise in future about 50,000 mcii with 10S guns and about 4000 horses. Portugal.—The Portugese army has a peace strength of 35,775 men (2,506 officers), with 132 guns and 4409 horses and mules. Its war strength (including the colonial forces) was estimated in 1885 at 128,778, of which number 3862 are officers, with 280 guns and 12,973 horses. Russia.—The peace strength of the Russian army is 807,242 (27,472 officers), with 1632 guns, and 129,736 horses. The war strength is 2,489,333, with 4016 guns and 464 586 horses. Of this total, 1,064,013 belong to the active army, and 1,241,064 belong to the reserve army, 41,486 are enrolled in the frontier battalions, while the Cossacks form i a force of 142,821 combatants. There is besides, a territorial reserve of nearly 2,000,000 men, and a national militia of 1,200,000 men. Thus Russia has at her disposal an armed host of nearly 6,000,000 men. Spain.—The peace strength of "the Spanish army is about 95,000 men with 3SB guns and 20,000 horses. Its war strength, when the reorganisation scheme of 1882 is carried out m its entirety, will be about 600,000 men, of which 306,000 will be enrolled in the active army and 295,000 in the reserve, with GOO guns and about 50,000 horses. The colonial forces of Spain number about 34,000 men. Sweden.—The regular forces of Sweden comprise 37,249 troops of the line, with 258 guns and 6490 horses. These, with 134,108 reserves, and 20,811 militia with 24 guns give a war strength of 192,166 men, with 252 guns and 6490 horses.

Switzerland. — The Swiss Confederation lias no standing army, but in case of war it may raise a force of 202,000 men, with 360 field and 250 seige guns and about 9000 horses.

Turkey.—ln 1885 the active army of Turkey numbered about 170,000 men, with 828 guns, and 23,025 horses. The war strength of the Turkish army, when completely reorganised, will comprise : —Field army (Nizam and Redif), 588,600 men, 1512 field guns; garrison army, 203,000 men, 1836 siege guns ; Mustehafix, 370,000 men • total strength, 1,161,600 men, 3348 guns, 95 000 horses. •

Balkan States.—Amongst the armies of the Balkan Peninsula are comprised those of Bulgaria and Eastern Ronmelia, Greece Montenegro, Ronmania, and Servia. The combined forces of Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia have a peace strength of 26 000 men, and aSwar strength of about 128,000 men with 106 guns and about 6000 horses. The Greek army comprises in round numbers 30,000 men on a peace and 80,000 on a war footing, with 72 guns and 4000 horses. Montenegro has no regular troops,'excepting 300 men of the Prince's body guard, and 1470 infantry, organised in three battalions. In war the country would raise about 30,000 men, with 46 guns. The peace strength of the Roumanian army is about 35,000 men, and its war effective close upon 100,000 men, with.3oo guns and 24,000 horses. During peace the Servian army has a strength of about 17,000 men, with 144 jzuns, raised in time of war to an effective of 170,000 men, with 408 guns, and 10,000 horses. The grand totals of the above figures are as follow: —Men (peace strength), 3,134 304 • (war strength), 14,752,862; guns, 17,985----horses, 1,464,093.