Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1441

 DEFENCE 1085

Defence. I. Frontiers.

Turkey occupies the South-Eastern cornei of Europe and the Western portion of Asia.

The boundaries of Turkey have been considerably modified of late years. European Turkey has for fi-ontier States in the north, Montenegro, Bosnia, Servia, Bulgaria, and Eastern Roumelia. The frontiers are mountainovis towards the east, but at many points passage is easy.

The western frontier of European Turkey is formed by the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas. Its southern limits are formed by Thessaly, the ^gean Sea, the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmora, and the Bosphorus, the shores of which are strongly fortified.

Asiatic Turkey has for its northern boundary the Black Sea, the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmora, and the Dardanelles.

The boundaries to the west are the Archipelago, the Medi- terranean, Arabia Petrea, and the Red Sea. Its limits to the south are Central Arabia and the Persian Gulf, those to the east Persia and Trans-Caucasia (Russia), the chief stronghold near the Russian frontier being Erzeroum.

II. Army.

In Turkey all Mussulmans over 20 years of age are liable to military ser- vice, and this liability continues for 20 years. Non-Mahometans are not liable, but pay an exemption tax of about six shillings per head, levied on males of all ages. Nomad Arabs, though liable, furnish no recruits, and many nomad Kurds evade service. The army consists of (1) the Nizam, or Regular AiTuy, and its reserves ; (2) the Redif or Landwehr ; and (3) the Mustahjuz or Landsturm. Conscripts are divided into the first and second levies. The former serve 6 years in the Nizam — 4 with the colours and 2 in the reserve ; 8 years in the Redif — 4 in the first ban and 4 in the second ; and

6 years in the Mustahfuz ; 20 years in all. The latter consist of those not drawn for the contingent. They form what is called the Tcrtih Sani and the Mainsiz; they constitute part of the reserve, undergoing from 6 to 9 months' drill in the first year of .service, and 30 days' drill at their homes in subsequent years.

The whole empire is divided into 7 army districts, with which are associated

7 corps d'annce called Orchcs, with their headquarters respectively at : — 1, Constantinople ; 2, Adrianople ; 3, Monastir ; 4, Erzinjan ; 5, Damascus ; 6, Baghdad ; 7, Sanaa (the Yemen). The troops of the 7th district are recruited chiefly from the 4 th and 5th districts, while the garrisons of Crete and Tripoli are recruited from the 1st, 2nd, and 5th districts.

The Nizam infantry is organised in companies, battalions, regiments,