Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1113

 DEFENCE 991

territorial militia. The second category men form what is called the ' com- plementary force.'

The term of service in the ranks of the permanent army is now 2 years for all arms. After passing through the ranks, the men are placed on 'unlimited leave,' i.e., they are transferred to the reserve, in which they remain until they have completed a total of 8 years' service. From the reserve the soldier passes to the mobile militia, the term of service in which is 4 years. After completing his time in the mobile militia he is trans- ferred to the territorial militia, in which he remains 7 years ; thus finishing his nulitary service at the age of 39.

The second category recruits are regarded as belonging to the permanent army for the first 8 years of their service. Dming this period they receive from 2 to 6 months' training, which may be si:)read over several years. They then pass to the mobile militia, and afterwards to the territorial militia, the periods of service in each being the same as in the case of the first category soldiers. The men allotted to the third category, who are posted at once to the territorial militia, receive 30 days' training.

In Italy each regiment receives recruits from all parts of the country, and the troops change their -stations by brigades every four years. On mobilisation regiments would be filled up by reservists from the districts in which they are quartered at the time. Reliefs are so arranged that at least half the reservists shall have previously served in the unit which they would join on mobilisation.

The field army consists of 12 army corps and 3 cavalry divisions. The army corps consist of 2 divisions, except the IXth army corps, in the Roman district, which has an additional division. There are two brigades of infantry each consisting of two regiments of three battalions, and a regiment of field artillery (5 batteries) to each division, which has a war strength of 14,156 oflScers and men, 1,399 horses, and 30 guns. There is a regiment of field artillery (6 batteries of 6 guns), a cavalry regiment, and a regiment of Bersaglieri, to each array corps. Cavalry divisions each consist of 2 brigades of 2 regiments, and of 2 horse artillery batteries.

Each regiment of Bersaglieri (light infantry) consists of 3 battalions of infantry and 1 battalion of cyclists, the cyclists being iutended to supple- ment the cavalry in the field. The Alpini are frontier troops, specially organised to defend the mountain passes leading into Italy ; they consist of 8 regiments (26 battalions) of Alpine infantry, and 2 regiments of 36 mountain artillery batteries. There are, furthermore, 1 regiment of horse artillery of 8 batteries, 2 regiments of heavy artillery of 10 batteries each, and 10 regiments of fortress artillery. The engineers are organised as 6 regiments : 2 consist of pioneers, 1 of pontoon troops, 1 of telegraph troops, 1 of sappers and miners, and 1 of railway troops.

Tlie Carabinieri are a force of military police. They are recruited by selection from the army, and they remain in the ranks of the force until they have completed 3 years' service. They then serve in the reserve of the carabinieri for 4 years, after which they are transferred to the territorial militia for the remainder of their service, and are reckoned as a part of the ai-my.

The strength of the field army (12 army corps and independent cavalry) is about 400,000 combatants. The nominal strength of the mobile militia is 326,000, but the numbers put into the field would not perhaps exceed 200,000. The 'complementary' troops should be sufiicient to maintain the strength of the first line and mobile militia in the field. The territorial militia is strong numerically, but only about half the number, viz. : the