Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1293

 DEFENCE 987

troops, and includes all those who have passed through active service, as also those who have not been taken into the active army, though able-bodied. It is intended chiefly to complete the active troops in time of war, and enables Russia to call out, in case of need, 19 classes of drilled conscripts. * Cadres ' having been formed in the 'Opoltchenie,' the men called out in case of war will tind ready battalions, squadrons, kc, wherein to enter, and these parts will be provided with artillery. Drilling of some parts of the militia has been introduced. The second part, or vtoroi razryad (including all able-bodied men who have served in the first division, as also those liberated from service as not fully able-bodied, or being single workers in their families), can be called out only by an Imperial manifesto, and only for organising corps of militia.

The Cossacks, who constitute 11 separate voiskos (Don, Kuban, Terek, Astrakhan, Orenburg, Ural, Siberia, Semiiyetchensk, Transbaikalia, Amur, and Usuri — the latter erected to a separate voisko in 1889), are divided into three classes : the first in active service ; the second on furlough with their arms and horses ; and the third with arms but without horses. Each xoisko is bound to equip, clothe, and arm its soldiers. Part of the Cossack cavalry is incoqwrated in the field troops, together with regular cavalry. The obliga- tions of each voisko are regulated by separate laws.

The indigenous troops, which number in time of peace 23 squadrons and 2 companies, are organised from Caucasians.

By the law of December 18, 1878, which came into force on January 1, 1881, personal military service is declared obligatory in Finland. The Finnish troops form 9 battalions of riflemen, each with 18 oflicers and 505 men, and number in all 4,833 and 1 regiment of dragoons. In 1886 obliga- tory military service was extended to the natives of the Caucasus, but, accord- ing to the law of June 9, 1887, the Mussulman population of Caucasia has had a tax imposed of 528,000 roubles, to be paid from January 1, 1890, instead of military service.

By a law. May 15, 1891, a new rank of subaltern officers, nominated in case of war out of sub-officers not entitled by education to the grade of officers {zauryad-praporschiki), as well as of clerks of the same kind in the military administration {zauryccd-tchinovniki), has been introduced. They are intended to fill the several thousands of places of both officers and officials which would be vacant in case of mobilisation.

During the year 1892 new measures have been taken for the speedier for- mation of the militia in case of war ; standing * cadres' are to be formed, and a new (3rd) ' mortar regiment ' has been formed on the western frontier. In the ten governments of Poland, all men of the militia {opolcheniye) who have passed through the army will be ready to be mobilised at the same time as the army itsel f.

For military purposes the Russian Empire is divided into 13 districts (in- cluding one province), and among these are distributed the 24 army corps of which (with the addition of some independent divisions) the army consists. An army corps has in general a staff, 2 infantry divisions, and 1 cavalry division (with attached artillery), a corps of engineers (consisting of 1 com- pany of sappers, 1 telegraph company, 1 section of field engineers, and half a pontoon battalion), 1 battalion of train, and a section of the reserve horse depot. Its normal strength is about 1,030 officers, 47,653 men, 16,965 horses, and 124 guns. The active army is supplemented by the Reserve troops, Depot troops. Fortress troops, Local troops, and the Imperial militia, these supplementary forces being distributed among the various arms as shown in the following statement.