'The development of the military strength of Turkey. [Translated from the "International Revue" for November 1893 and "Die Reichswehr" for February 1894.]' [‎4v] (8/16)

2
While on the subject of Yemen, we wish to draw attention to the able
and decisive manner in which the recent disturbances vvere quelled, and a
hitherto unknown state of peace and safety established in contradistinction to
the highly colored and caricatured accounts which were so freely circulated by
the Press critics.
Instead of reco-nisin* the difficulties which a country like this has had to
contend with in introducing a total reform of its military system and giving it
credit for a certain amount of vital force, the Press has always pieferred
to depict it as quivering in its death agony, and regarded its dissolution as
an event of the near future We ask the critics to note the fact that the
Army Estimates have been increased by GO per cent, since the vai of P / / -/b, and
that they now absorb 47 per cent, of the total revenue. Ihenew TVar Minister
and the Grand Master of the Artillery indeed have been able to effect a saying of
50 per cent, in their respective Departments : yet the War budget still s ands at
6 million, the Artillery at 1 million, and the Gendarmerie at 1 1 million pounds.
It was necessary to proceed step by step with the new reforms : before the
division of the Ersatz Districts could be proceeded with on any uniform plan,
the statistics of the population had to he compiled. There were difficulties to
bo contended with in the matter of the selection ot the head-quarters of the
Redif Battalions and the Store Depots, and the inequality of the population
in several districts which heretofore had been called upon to furnish equal
contingents (such as Sivas with 32,000 inhabitants and Van with only <-,000).
This distribution has now been more equally arranged even m Urdu JNo. b
(Bagdad), where the difficulties were very great. Now there are in each or t ie
first 6 Ordus—
8 Brigade
16 Regimental y districts for the Redif.
I
64 Battalion J
Each Battalion district furnishes one battalion of Redif and each Brigade
district the reserve (Ersatz) for one active Infantry Regiment.
The number of the Redif Battalions has not been increased, but only
the augmentation staffs and departments, thereby greatly facilitating the
reinforcement and mobilisation of the army.
Each Redif Battalion district lias its Commandant, Adjutant, and neces
sary staff of writers; its personnel for the arms and clothing magazines for the
Redif which it is intended to call up, and in part also for the Mustahfiz (Lands-
turm), and, in addition, weak cadres of officers for the four company districts, and
also non-commissioned officers who will in addition undertake the instruction
of the ” Mninsiz ” (who are not available in peace time) on Sundays. That all
this is actually carried out is due to the great personal interest taken by^ the
Sultan, to the energy and circumspection of Riza Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. the A\ ar Minister,
who deserves the greatest credit for the way in which he has pushed on all
these reforms, the care he has bestowed on the amelioration of the condition
of the officers and the question of armament, as well as to the energy of
Zeki Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , the Grand Master of Artillery, who has concerned himself with
the military schools and the whole system of issues to the forces in addition
to the questions affecting his own branch of the service.
The number of battalions to he raised can easily he determined from
the number of Battalion districts: each Ordu furnishes 64 Redif Battalions,
or 12 Redif Corps, and we have no doubt as to the possibility of raising
them, for there are plenty of men in the 8 Ptedif classes available.
The Mustahfiz Corps will however take longer to organise as the neces
sary quota of qualified officers is not yet forthcoming.
Now that the territorial system has been inaugurated, the mobilisation
arrangements, wbicb have long since been worked out, can be brought into
operation: the statistics relating to the capabilities of each district to furnish the
Ihtiat (the active Reserve) and the Redif (1st Reserve Troops or Landwehr)