Bavarian Army.
The kingdom of Bavaria, with, a population of a little under five millions, furnishes two army corps to the German army. Like Saxony, Bavaria, originally an electorate, was enlarged and made into a kingdom by Napoleon. Under the command of Marshal Wrede, a distinguished Bavarian, her troops fought side by side with the French through the campaigns of 1805 to 1812, but in 1813 she seceded and joined the Alliance, and attempted to intercept the French on their retreat from Leipsic. Napoleon, however, inflicted a severe defeat on his old general at Hanau, and opened his road to France. In 1866 the Bavarians took part against Prussia, but owing to their dilatoriness in taking the field, the Prussians were able to beat them in detail, nor did their generals or troops shine in this war. In 1870, however, they joined their former enemy in the war against France, and bore their full share in the glories and losses of the campaign, the second Bavarian corps having suffered more heavily than any but the third Prussian corps. Her army has now been assimilated to that of Prussia in most respects, but still retains certain distinctive peculiarities of dress and equipment, such as her old light blue uniform, and helmet with black plume.
Würtemberg Army.
Lastly, Wiirtemberg, with a population of a little under two millions, furnishes one army corps, organised, clothed, and equipped in all respects like the Prussian army. Like the Bavarians, the Wiirtembergers fought against the Prussians in 1866, but in 1870 made common cause with them against the French, and by the convention entered into the following year, placed their army permanently under the command of the Prussian king as emperor. The emperor nominates to the highest commands, but the king of Wiirtemberg retains the nomination and appointment of officers in the lower grades.
The total military forces of the German empire (war strength) are shown in the following table:—
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Field Troops. Officers and lien. Horses. Guns. Infantry 143 Regiments 453 731 15 540 26 Rifle Battalions.... Cavalry 93 Regiments 26,756 62 234 754 63 932 Artillery 18 i Brigades... 68,321 64 350 1800 liingineers 18 Battalions 15 457 3 9-21 Train 1 8 Battalions 36 315 43 386 Staff and Administration .. 14 9 9 13 404 Total Field Troops 676 843 204 587 1800 Dep6t Troops 242 979 18 989 342 Garrison Troops[1] 431 869 34 522 Q1 Q Grand Total 1,251 691 258 098 2 460
But even this does not represent the entire force at the disposal of the empire in war. More than 100,000 trained soldiers still remain available ; while the Ersatz reserve of men untrained, but registered, and ready to be drafted into the depots, raises her total to over two millions of men.
French Army.
From the earliest times the inhabitants of Gaul were distinguished for bravery and enterprise. First as enemies and afterwards as subjects and auxiliaries, they played an important part in the great wars of Rome ; and though they yielded to the irruption of the Franks, the admixture of races seemed only to heighten the warlike spirit of the nation. Under Charlemagne, and, later, in the Crusades, and under Philip Augustus and St Louis, the chivalry of France especially distinguished itself. The excessive power and independence of the great vassals, however, long pre vented the formation of any permanent national force, and made France a prey to intestine wars and foreign inva sions. Charles VII. availed himself of the lull which followed the final expulsion of the English in the middle of the 15th century to organise his compagnies d ordonnance, and thus laid the foundation of a national standing army. But the armies that followed the kings in their wars still consisted mainly of foreign mercenaries, hired for the occa sion ; and the creations of Charles and his successors . fell to pieces during the religious wars. Louvois, War Minister of Louis XIV., was the true creator of the French royal army. On his accession to power, the king s guards, some squadrons of gendarmerie, and a few infantry regiments (afterwards distinguished as the "old"), constituted the whole of the standing army. All other forces had to be created at the outbreak of a war, being usually raised under contracts allotted to generals and others. Louvois first transferred the army from the hands of contractors and speculators to those of the king. He abolished the arriere-ban, and substituted a money tax for the liability to service, thereby obtaining funds for the maintenance of a regular army. In 1672, after ten years of his administra tion, Louis XIV. was able to take the field with a force of 91 ; 000 infantry, 28,000 cavalry, and 97 guns, all perma nently organised troops, the largest national army that had yet been seen ; and six years later the military forces of France had been raised to nearly 280,000 men. The last half of the 17th century is a brilliant period in the annals of the French armies. Organised by Louvois, animated by the presence of the great king, and led by Conde", Turenne, Luxembourg, Catinat, and Vendome, they made head against coalitions which embraced nearly all the powers -of Europe, and won a series of victories that ex tended the bounds of France, and made her for a time the first military nation of Europe. But after the death of Louis XIV. the French army gradually deteriorated. In the Seven Years War it was disgracefully defeated. Under the reign of Louis XV. confusion and maladministration prevailed everywhere, and the highest idea of military art was to copy servilely every minute detail of the Prussian army. The higher officers, usually nobles about the court, seldom went near their regiments ; and Madame de Genlis relates how, when young courtiers departed to join their regiments for a few weeks duty, the ladies of the court decked them with scarfs and favours, as if proceeding on a distant and perilous expedition.
Under Louis XVI. the army improved somewhat ; the American war and the successes of Lafayette and Rocham- beau revived a more warlike spirit ; instruction was more carefully attended to, a good system of drill and tactics was elaborated at the camp of St Omer, and attempts made to reform the administration. But the E evolution broke over France in the midst of these attempts at reorganisa tion ; the old royalist army disappeared with the monarchy, and was merged in that revolutionary army which under a new flag was destined to raise the military fame of France to its greatest height.
was so of the revolutionary army. At the outbreak of the Revolution the royal army consisted of 105 infantry regiments of 2 battalions each, 14 rifle battalions, 7 regi ments of artillery, and 62 regiments of cavalry, numbering about 173,000 in all, but capable of augmentation on war strength to 210,000. To this might be added a provincial
or militia force of about 60,000, but nominal rather than- ↑ Of these garrison troops, alxiut 165,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and 156 guns are available as reinforcements to the field troops.
