Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1321

 DEFENCE

1199

The fluctuations of the Russian national debt are seen from the following : —

January 1

Roubles

1 January 1

Roubles

1862 .... 1882 .... 1902 ....

1907 ....

1908 ....

1.376,420,117 4,356.638,149 6,430,651,061 8,625,560,215 8,725,523,210

1909 ....

1910 ....

1911 ....

1912 ....

1913 ....

8,850,781,670 9,038,756,433 9,014,141,796 8,941,640,620 8,845,717,768

The payments of interest and capital for the State and railway debts in the budget estimates for 1911 and 1912 and in the project of the budget for 1913 appear as follows : —

—

1911

1912

1913

1.

2. 3."

Interest

Capital

Banking and miscellaneous expenses.

Total payment of loans

Roubles.

378,996,325

27,059,519

1,110,860

Roubles 375,661,670 27,893,326 966,550

404,521,546

Roubles 371,060,020 30,734,616 1,112,449

407,166,704

402,907,085

Defence. I. Frontier.

Russia has an extensive frontier both by sea and land, protected by numerous fortifications of various classes. On the west, Poland is defended by a system of four strongholds, sometimes called the Polish Quadrilateral — Novogeorg'ievsk on the right bank of the Vistula ; Warsaw and Ivangorod each on both banks of the Vistula ; Brest-Litovsk on the Bug. There are numerous other fortified places, mostly neglected, on the Vistula and Bug.

The more important fortresses and forts are divided into three classes as follows : — In the first class are "Warsaw, Novogeorgïevsk, and Brest-Litovsk in the "Warsaw district, and Kovna in the Vilna district. The second class consists of Kronstadt and Sveaborg in the St. Petersburg and Finland district ; Ivangorod in the Warsaw district ; Kerch in the Odessa district ; Libau in the Vilna district ; and Vladivostok in the Amur district. In the third class are Viborg in the Finland district ; Ossovets and Ust-Dvinsk (previously Dünamünd) in the Vilna district ; Sevastopol and Ochakov in the Odessa district : and Kars and Batum in the Caucasus district. There are also forty-six places unclassed, many of them being mere fortified posts.

II. Army.

Military service in Russia is universal and compulsory. Sei-vice begins at the age of 21 and extends to completion of the 43rd year. Owing to the extent of the Empire, there are 3 armies in Russia, known as the army of European Russia, the army of the Caucasus, and the Asiatic army. These armies are practically distinct from each other, and the terms of service in each are slightly different.

Speaking generally, service in the first line, or active army, is for 3 years