Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/409

 ARMY. 373

The period of service is fixed at 22 years for the guard, and 25 years for the other troops. But since 1840, soldiers after 10 or 1 5 years' service, according as they belong to the western or eastern divisions of the empire, are entitled to an indefinite leave ; and are sent home to their native place, their names being enrolled in the reserve of the battalion or squadron of the regiment to which they belong, that they may, if necessary, be again called into active service. The aggregate strength of the reserves — those of 10 years' service being called the 1st reserve, and those of 15 years' service the 2nd — is estimated at about 215,000 men. The entire number of reserve troops formed in this manner is divided into two great levies, the total amount of which is as follows: — First levy: nine battalions of grenadiers, three of carabineers, thirty-six of in- fantry of the line, and thirty-six of chasseurs, or a total of eighty- four battalions of infantry, fifty-two squadrons, and twenty -four foot-batteries, or in round numbers 100,000 men, with 192 guns. Second levy : twelve battalions of the guard, twelve of grenadiers and carabineers, seventy-two of infantry of the line and chasseurs, or a total of ninety-six battalions of infantry, sixty-two squadrons, and twenty-four foot, with eleven horse-batteries, and two and a half battalions of sappers, or in round numbers 11 5, 000 men with 280 guns.

Formerly, the annual recruitment took place simultaneously throughout the whole empire ; but this being attended by many inconveniences, the Emperor Nicholas, in 1834, divided his realm into two moieties, to be subjected to the recruitment in alternate years. The divisions were at first into northern and southern, but were changed, in 1839, into eastern and western halves. At pre- sent, the two divisions consist of the following Governments : — The Eastern Half comprises Vologda, Kostroma, Yaroslaf, Vladimir, Moscow, Kaluga, Tula, Riazan, Tambof, the country of the Don Cossacks, Caucasia. Astrakhan, Saratof, Penza, Nijni Novgorod, Samara, Simbirsk, Kazan, Viatka, Perm, Orenburg, Tobolsk, Tomsk, Yeniseisk, and Irkutsk. The Western Half consists of Archangel, Olonetz, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Tver, Smolensk, Pskof, Esthonia, Livonia, Courland, Vilna, Grodno, Minsk, Vitebsk, Mohilef, Vol- hynia, Kief, Podolia, Kherson, Taurida, Ekaterinoslaf, Poltava, Tchernigof, Orel, Kursk, Kharkof.

The imperial ukase which fixes the number of recruits is generally issued in November; the levy commences on the 15th of January, and must be concluded by the 15th of February. The inhabitants of some provinces are at times released from the necessity of fur- nishing recruits on account of a bad harvest ; they are debited, however, with the amount on future levies. The military colonies in the south furnish eight men in a thousand every alternate year. The levies ordered by the Government were, in 183G, for both