The International Magazine, Volume 4, No. 5, December 1851Various
History
The International Magazine, Volume 4, No. 5, December 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
The Sultan now set himself to replace the Janissaries by other regular
troops; but Russian ambition did not give him time to organize a new
army, and he was obliged to fight with his young and undisciplined
recruits against the "veteran warrior-slaves of the Czar." The Ottoman
army was accordingly defeated; and the war was brought to a close by
the disastrous treaty of Adrianople. His successor, the present sultan,
Abdul Medjid, has been more fortunate. He has enjoyed several years of
peace, which have enabled him to form a powerful and well-disciplined
army, of which Mr. Skene gives us a valuable and interesting account.
It was established at the beginning of the year 1842:
"It is divided into six separate armies, called _Ordu_ in Turkish. Each
of these consists of two services, the Active, or _Nizamia_, and the
Reserve, or _Rédiff_. The former contains two corps, under the command
of their respective lieutenant-generals (_Férik_); and the latter, also
two corps, commanded in time of peace by a brigadier (_Liva_); the
whole _Ordu_ being under the orders of a field-marshal (_Mushir_). The
general staff of each army is composed of a commander-in-chief, two
lieutenant-generals, three brigadiers of infantry, one of whom commands
the reserve, two brigadiers of cavalry, and one brigadier of artillery.
In each corps there are three regiments of infantry, two of cavalry,
and one of artillery, with thirty-three guns. The total strength of
these twelve regiments of the active force is 30,000 men, but it is
diminished in time of peace by furlough to an effective strength of
about 25,000 men in three of the six armies, and of 15,000 in the other
three, in consequence of the recruiting system being as yet incomplete
in its application all over the Turkish Empire. The whole establishment
of this branch amounts, therefore, to 180,000 men, belonging to the
active service, but its effective strength is at present 123,000. The
reserve of four of the six armies consists in eleven regiments--six
of infantry, four of cavalry, and one of artillery; composing a force
of 212,000 effective soldiers, while the other two armies have not
yet their reserve of soldiers who have served five years. In time of
war, however, the reserve would form two corps of 25,000 men in each
army; giving a total of 300,000 when this establishment shall have
been completed. The two services, therefore, as they now stand, form
an effective force of 335,000 men; and when their full strength shall
have been filled up it will amount to 480,000. Besides these six armies
there are four detached corps; one in the Island of Crete, consisting
of three regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, in all 11,000 men;
another in the pashalik of Tripoli in Africa, composed of one regiment
of infantry and one of cavalry, about 5,000 strong; a third at Tunis of
the same strength; and a fourth, which is the central artillery corps,
formed of a brigade of sappers and miners with engineer officers,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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