Armies -- Europe -- History -- 19th century; Europe -- Armed Forces -- History -- 19th century
The whole Empire is, for military purposes, divided into fifteen
Territorial Districts; these are of various sizes, so that the Austrian
Army Corps are not all of the same strength. In case of war, the whole
“Imperial and Royal” Army would be grouped into three armies, under one
supreme command, each army consisting of three or more Army Corps. The
Army Corps consists of 2 Infantry Divisions, each of 2 brigades. The
division is commanded by a “field-marshal-lieutenant,” corresponding to
our lieutenant-general, and the brigade by a major-general.
Each Infantry brigade has as a rule 2 regiments, and 1 battalion of
Rifles. Besides the 2 Infantry brigades, each Division has in addition
2 to 4 squadrons of Cavalry, 1 battery division (2 to 3 batteries of
Field Artillery), and 1 company of Engineers.
[Sidenote: +Infantry.+]
[Illustration: Officer of Infantry (Marching Order).]
The Infantry of the Active Army comprises 102 regiments, each of 4
Field and 1 Ersatz battalions; the latter is in peace-time represented
by a cadre only. The 4th Field battalions, so-called “Mobile”
battalions, have mostly a stronger peace-establishment than the others,
and are used to garrison Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the Sanjak of
Novi-Bazar; _i.e._ they are completely separated from their regiments.
[Illustration: Cavalry Officer (Undress).]
The Rifles comprise the Tyrolese Rifle Regiment of 10 Active and 2
Ersatz battalions, and 32 independent battalions of Rifles, each of 4
Field and 1 Ersatz companies.
The Infantry has (since 1868) laid aside its historical white uniform,
and is now clothed in dark blue tunics or loose jackets, and light
blue trousers, the latter in the Hungarian regiments being ornamented
with embroidery and fitting like tights. The Hungarian regiments wear
lace-boots, the remainder Wellingtons. The usual head-dress is the
fatigue-cap, and, on great occasions, the shako. The Rifles are dressed
in blue-grey.
After 1866 the Austrian Infantry was armed with an excellent
breech-loader, the Werndl rifle. Since the German Infantry have
attained a certain moral superiority by being armed with a
magazine-rifle, the authorities have introduced a magazine-rifle for
the Infantry and Rifles.
So quickly has the work of manufacturing and issuing them proceeded,
that by the autumn of this year (1890) it is expected that they will
all be thus armed, and will have overtaken the German Infantry. The new
Austrian magazine-rifle, called after its inventor, Colonel Männlicher,
is of ·315-inch bore, and can fire 30 to 40 shots in the minute.
Austria possesses an excellent Rifle Regiment in the Tyrolese, the
so-called Emperor Rifles, mentioned above, which is composed of men
accustomed from their youth up to the use of the rifle. They are
recruited in the Tyrol and Vorarlberg.
[Sidenote: +Cavalry.+]
The Cavalry of the Active Army consists
of—
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