Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/498

 462

TURKEY.

The special corps, under the command of the Grand Master of the Artillery, are likewise divided into ordous. They consist of —

1. The central corps of artillery — four regiments — one reserve regiment, and three special regiments which are quartered in the various fortresses of the empire, in the forts of the Dardanelles and of the Danube, on the coasts of Asia Minor and the Black Sea ;

2. The engineer brigade of two regiments of 800 men each.

The Reserve, or Redif, forms a second army, with the same organi- sation as that of the Nizam, and consisting of the same number of re«inients of the various arms. These regiments are divided into battalions, squadrons, and companies, and have their standing staffs of officers and corporals on active service, receiving full pay. If is the duty of the latter to live in the towns and villages among the soldiers, who, though on leave, are nevertheless not discharged from the service, and these soldiers they must collect and drill once a week. The Redif soldiers meet every year for four weeks at the head-quarters of their respective ordous, and take part in the field manoeuvres. While thus on service the men have the regular pay and the usual allowance of provisions.

The auxiliaries consist of the contingents of the tributary pro- vinces. These provinces are — Wallachia and Moldavia, Servia. Bosnia, and the Herzegovina, Upper Albania, and Egypt. The actual number of these troops varies greatly at different periods ; and depends on the politics of the time or the enemy against whom they are expected to take the field. In the late war Avith Russia the number of auxiliaries amounted to about 75,000 men, namely, 30,000 from Bosnia and the Herzegovina, 20,000i from Upper Albania, and 25,000 from Egypt.

The total of the military forces of Turkey are officially estimated as follows : —

Infantry. •.

Regiments

War-footing

Peace-footing j

36

117,360

100,800

Cavalry.

24

22.416

17,280 1

Field artillery

6

7,800

7,800

Artillery in fortresses

4

5,200

5.200

Engineers

2

1,600

1,600

f

In Candia

4

8,000

8,000

Detached corps <

Tripoli

2

4,000

4,000 !

1

Reserve

Tunis

2

4,000

4.00(1

80

170,376

148,680 j 148,680

Auxiliaries

.

.

.

75,000 :

87,000

Total of fo

rces.

459,360