exceptions from this general rule occur. During a time of peace, the Landwehr of the 1st levy is only called out once every two years, when they go through their manoeuvres for several weeks with the line regi ments. The chasseurs have no actual Landwehr attached to them, but each battalion, when marching into the field, calls in enough men on furlough to form a fifth company, called the reserve, so that 2 battalions of chasseurs would remain behind. According to these regulations, Prussia could, therefore, employ in a foreign campaign: For garrisoning the numerous fortresses, chief towns, formation of depôts, there would be left in addition to the Landwehr of the second It is indubitable that, in case of need, a large portion of the latter troops could be sent into the field. The military organisation of Prussia is of such a nature, that from 280,000 to 290,000 excellently-disciplined and thoroughly-equipped infantry troops can always be employed beyond the frontiers of the country. Of course, such exertions must not last any great length of time, for they would prevent the cultivation of the ground, and disturb the regular relations of commerce. In addition to the Landwehr of the 1st levy, the 2nd levy is made up of 116 infantry battalions 82,900 men. This levy is not intended to be employed in an external war, but is amply sufficient for garrisoning fortresses and disciplining recruits, &c. The officers are generally selected from those who have retired on a pension, or have obtained civil employment; and the rank and file are men between thirty-two and thirty-nine years of age, who have also served. During peace, the 2nd levy is not called out; but in the autumn of 1850 they were generally under arms. The numerous evils detected on this occasion the government has been since earnestly engaged in removing. This 2nd levy will never be converted into parade troops, but they will perform all that is required of them, and that is the main point. At the present time, the arms and accoutrements of the 2nd levy are all in readiness, which was not the case in 1850. The Prussian CAVALRY are also divided into the guards, the line, and the Landwehr. The guards and line cavalry are made up as follows: 10 cuirassier regiments (2 belonging to the guards) = 40 squadrons. On a war footing each of these regiments will be composed of 1 Colonel 1 Staff-officer 6 Captains (2 attached to the Landwehr) 4 First lieutenants (ditto, ditto) 12 Second ditto 4 Cornets 89 Non-commissioned officers 616 Men The entire regiment is made up of 744 men, with 702 horses (without officers). The Prussian cuirassiers wear white tunics, grey trousers, metal helmets, and white or yellow back and breast-plates. They are armed with a long, straight cut-and-thrust sword: in addition, each man has a pistol, and 20 in each squadron carbines. Their horses are tall and handsome, and are generally obtained in the eastern provinces of the empire, namely, East and West Prussia and Pomerania. The total strength of the cuirassiers is equal to 7410 men, who are all intended to take the field. The Prussian guard and line uhlans are mounted on horses very like those of the Austrian dragoons, and form the transition from light to heavy cavalry. There are 2 guard and 8 line uhlan regiments, made up precisely like the cuirassiers, and, therefore, amounting to 7410 men. The horses of the uhlans, of whom a regiment is attached to each corps d'armée, are very good, and not so slenderly built as those of the hussars and dragoons. Their arms consist of a lance, with a black and white pennon, and a sabre: 20 men per squadron have carbines, the remainder a pistol. The uniform is dark-blue jackets, with red collars and facings, and dark-grey trousers and cloaks, such as are worn by the entire Prussian cavalry. The light cavalry is made up of-(1.) 13 regiments of hussars (1 belonging to the guards). Each regiment is of the same strength as the preceding, or, altogether, 9633 men, all intended for active service. Their principal weapon is the sabre, and, in addition, two-sevenths carry short rifles, four-sevenths carbines, and one-seventh pistols. The uniform consists of dolmans and fur jackets of various collars, a bearskin cap with a colpak, grey trousers and cloaks. (2). 5 regiments of dragoons (among them 1 of dragoon guards), altogether amounting to 3705 men. The dragoons are mounted and armed precisely like the hussars, and are only distinguished from them by the uniform, which consists of a light-blue tunic and a helmet of leather, with brass ornaments. The light cavalry horses are chiefly obtained from East and West Prussia and Lithuania, and are generally very good and handsome, though here and there some of them are not sufficiently strong. The strength of the whole guard and line cavalry is, consequently, 40 Squadrons cuirassiers رو = = 7410 men 40 uhlans (1.) 2 guard Landwehr regiments, each regiment of 4 squadrons, with 602 horses, or, altogether, 2408 horses. The men are chosen from those who have served their time in the guards, and, when called out, are generally commanded by old officers of the same branch. A portion of these guard Landwehr cavalry, whom we had an opportunity of seeing in 1850, was most admirably equipped and drilled, and might fearlessly challenge comparison with any regiment of the line. (2.) 8 heavy regiments of Landwehr cavalry 32 squadrons = 4816 men. These heavy regiments are made up with men who have served their time in the 8 line cuirassier regiments, and are attached to them in such a manner that 1 heavy Landwehr and 1 cuirsassier line regiment are commanded by the same colonel. (3.) 8 Landwehr uhlan regiments 32 squadrons 486 men, also attached to the 8 line uhlan regiments, and armed, like them, with lances. = 48 squadrons (4.) 12 Landwehr hussar regiments attached to the 12 line hussar regiments. (5.) 4 Landwehr dragoon regiments = 16 squadrons attached to the dragoon line regiments. The total Landwehr cavalry of the first levy will, therefore, amount to 136 squadrons, or, on a war footing, 20,416 horses. The whole of this Landwehr cavalry of the first levy, intended for service in the field, can always be called out within a few weeks, as all the matériel is ready, with the exception of horses. The officers and men have all served for various periods in the cavalry of the active army, and find themselves perfectly at home in their military duties very soon after calling out. The remounting of this Landwehr cavalry varies rather, as this is generally effected in that province to which the Landwehr regiment belongs. In East and West Prussia, Lithuania, several districts of Pomerania, Brandenburg, Silesia, Saxony, and Westphalia, where a good breed of horses is kept up, the Landwehr cavalry is excellently mounted: in the Rhenish provinces and some districts of Westphalia, Silesia, and Saxony, this is not exactly the case. Some time must, besides, always elapse before a newly called out Landwehr regiment of cavalry is thoroughly disciplined and organised. But when this has once taken place, and the regiments have passed a few months in the field, they would not be in any way inferior to a line regiment. They are all armed like the line. The uniform consists of a dark-blue tunic, with different collars and facings, according to the various arms, and a light helmet of the dragoon pattern. The Prussian cavalry intended to be employed in an external war would consequently be made up of 28,158 men, line and guards 20,416 Landwehr cavalry (1st levy) 48,574 men, thoroughly equipped In addition to these 34 Landwehr regiments of the first levy, there are 8 reserve squadrons, appointed to serve in the fortresses. Whenever the army is on a full war establishment, 55 depôt squadrons will be formed, with a total strength of 6350 horses. These reserves and depôts will have a strength of 7000 or 8000 men and horses, and are sufficient to keep up the field regiments at their full strength. The Landwehr cavalry second levy is intended to be made up of 104 squadrons, each squadron of 120 horses, or, altogether, 12,480 combatants. We do not doubt that by an extraordinary exertion the whole of the second levy could be mobilised, but we believe that, otherwise, it would present great difficulties. They would not be employed except in case of an invasion of the country, and though they would have many defects, they would still be of some service to the state. The ARTILLERY of the Prussian army is composed of 9 artillery regiments, of which 1 is attached to the guards. Each regiment is made up of 3 detachments, each commanded by a staff-officer, and is composed of 4 6-pounder foot batteries of 8 guns 11 Batteries with........ 32 guns 24 In addition, each regiment has 1 fortress artillery detachment, 1 reserve company, 1 artisan company, 1 laboratory column, and 6 ammunition columns. On a war footing each regiment will be made up of 5 Staff-officers 21 Captains 15 First lieutenants 50 Second ditto 3 Pyrotechnic ditto 1374 Non-commissioned officers and privates There is no actual Landwehr artillery, but each regiment has Landwehr artillery officers and men attached to it, who are called out to exercise in time of peace, and in war would be employed to reinforce the regiment and serve the fortress ordnance. In addition to the artillery, the Prussian army has numerous arsenals, foundries, powder-mills, which are all under military management, and served by soldiers. The strength of the artillery intended to take the field is 19,000 men, with 99 batteries of 792 guns. In comparison to the general strength of the Prussian army, this number of field guns appears to us rather small. Recent strategics attach a great weight-and we believe justlyto heavy batteries. It seems as if Prussia had recognised this defect, for, as we heard recently, each artillery regiment is to be augmented by a battery, which would form an additional total of 9 batteries, equal to 72 guns, and hence 864 guns will be brought into the field in future. But even this number is not sufficient, and it ought to be raised to at least 900, with as many 12-pounders as possible. Since small arms have been so extraordinarily improved during the last ten years, we believe that it will be necessary to introduce guns of much heavier calibre than the 6-pounders which are now so much in vogue. The French artillery, which is an object of special attention, has set a good example in this. If there was a period when the Prussian artillery was treated in a rather step-motherly fashion, every exertion has been made since 1848 to repair the error, and it is now on a very satisfactory footing, The officers, educated in excellent schools, combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience, the men are well disciplined, and the matériel is first rate. The horses are powerful animals, which are principally bought up in the eastern provinces. As in all else, the guards have a preference here, and their horses are considerably superior to those of the line artillery. The uniform is a dark blue tunic with black collars and facings, a helmet of leather with brass ornaments, trousers and cloaks dark grey. The ENGINEER corps, with the pioneers, who must also perform the duties of pontonniers, contains 216 officers and 9 pioneer detachments (1 belonging to the guards); each detachment has 2 companies, and contains 452 men. In war, a depôt company of 225 men is to be formed of the Landwehr men of the pioneer detachments. There are also 2 reserve pioneer companies, together amounting to 500 men, attached to the Federative fortresses, which Prussia helps to garrison. The total strength of the pioneers on a war footing, after calling out the Landwehr pioneers, will amount to 7743 men. As Prussia has many strong fortresses, not more than 5000 pioneers could be detached for a foreign campaign. This number appears to us rather small. The general condition of these troops is declared by competent military authorities to be extremely satisfactory, and we could not indeed expect otherwise in so intelligent an army as the Prussian. The Prussian army on a war footing would also have the following corps attached: (1.) A transport corps, subdivided into various detachments. On a war footing it would amount to 27,000 men, and its organisation is most praiseworthy. (2.) Mounted orderlies, especially attached for carrying despatches, &c., 4 officers and 77 men. (3.) An army corps of gendarmerie, attached to the various staffs, whose number is not settled. (4.) A company of non-commissioned officers of the guards of 80 men, who serve in the royal palaces and gardens. As the organisation of the Prussian army is especially calculated upon the intelligence of the officers and men, all the military educational establishments are, and always have been, excellent. For officers the following schools have been founded: Five cadet houses. Numerous divisional schools for preparation of ensigns. An artillery and engineer school. A general war school for the higher instruction of officers. In addition to the regimental and company schools, we also find : A military orphan school, with branches through the country. For the purpose of introducing a regular system of equitation in the cavalry, there is a military riding-school at Schwedl, and an instructive battalion for infantry at Potsdam. The various regiments detach competent officers and soldiers to join these establishments. The whole Prussian army, including the Landwehr of the 2nd levy and the reserves, would thus have a strength of 580,000 men. Of these there might be employed in a campaign beyond the frontiers of the country: Guard, line and Landwehr infantry (1st levy) Engineers, officers, and pioneers or, in round numbers, 300,000 effectives. 226,452 men 48,574 19,000 |