The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1903-09-11
THESUlTAN'S
Over One Million Men In Tur-
... keys Army.


Nineteen Army Corps-Nizams and
Redifrs Are Splendid Soldiers.
The organization of the Turkish army
now in Macedonia only takes Mussul-
mans into account, says the st. James
Gazette. In spite Of provisions to the
contrary laid down in 1886, Christians
are still excluded from the Ottoman
military service and are compelled to
the payment Of substitution tax.
For Ottoman subjects military serv-
ice is obligatory for twenty years-viz,
from the age Of twenty to forty-and
it is divided as follows: Six years with
the nizam, or active army; eight years
with the redif, or reserve army, and
six years with the mustafiz, or land
sturm. The service with the colors is.
Eaccording to regulation, three years,
the remaining three years Of active
service being spent in the nizam re-
serve, but the former period is fire.
quently extended to four, five or even
more years. The registration list of
recruits shows that about 100000 men
are liable to service each year, but as
| a matter of fact only about $4,000 are
Incorporated into the army. A few
years back the leakage was consider
ably more.
The nizam troops have a peace
strength Of 216,53O and a war strength
of 74,3OO. while in peace or war the
/ number of guns is the same-viz, !, ,494.
the nizam comprises 800 infantry bat
4 talions, 200 squadrons, 255 horse, field,
4 howitzer and mountain batteries, 145
| siege and fortress artillery companies,
4 36 companies of engineers, 8 railway
land telegraph companies, "a compa-
nies Of military train troops and 63
4 companies Of artificers and workmen.
There are 374 battalions Of redif in
i fantry and 4S squadrons Of redif cav
airy. In addition there are distributed
4 through the whole empire 1876 battal-
ions Of gendarmerie and 200 squadrons
i of mounted gendarmes.
i Since 1891 endeavors have been made
to utilize the most warlike Of the Kurd
] tribes by forming them into a special
militia on the Cossack model This
militia. called the Hamidie, after the
reigning sultan, their organizer. COM
prises 266 4squadrons. Every man fur
nishes his own equipment and mount
and is armed with a lance. So far the
Handle have only succeeded in earn.
ing for themselves an unenviable noto-
riety on account of their Outrages in
Armenia, and they form a dangerous
element in the army at large.
The nizams are splendid soldiers, their
long term Of service adding gBeatly to
their effectiveness, and the redifs are
almost their equals. Indeed, the por'
ton most worthy of note in the Turk
ish military organization is the redif
These troops possess permanent cadres
composed Of all the officers necessary
for the mobilization of the units, and
Turkish officers consider it distinc-
ton to be appointed to the redif. Each
of the seven military districts is divid'
ed into four divisional areas, these
Iagain being partittoned into subdfvi-
sions corresponding to the different
units of the redif, down to and mclud.
ing the company. The captains reside
In the midst Of their company district
and attend to the training Of the men
who are called out usuaIfy for one
month every two years.
At the present day the Ottoman en-
pire can mobilize nineteen army corps
twelve Of which are redif, while the
total armed strength, excluding the
gendarmerie and the mustafiz, is as
follows:
Officers .......................... 19,0O(
800 battalions Of nizam infantry. 224, ,00(
374 battalions of redif infantry..... 280, ,O0(
666 battalions of ,ilawe infantry..... 660.00
200 regiments Of nizam and redif
cavalry .......................... 25.oo
225 battalions of horse, field. noun
tain and howitzer artillery. $500
145 companies of siege and fortress
artillery ......................... 1900
Technical troops ..................... 1000
266 squadrons Of Handle cavalry. $500
Grand total ......................... i, 90