Evening star., 1915-05-21
3,15O,0OO SOLDIERS
|NTALY'S WAR ARMY
500, 900 in First Line. 1.150.OO0 in
Second, With 100000
More Available.

with Italy ready to enter the war.
interest naturally centers in the ex-
tent of the military and naval forces
she can muster to aid the allies.
The Italian army grew out of the
old Piedmontese army with which, in
the main, the unification of Italy was
brought about. The high military
qualities of the Piedmontese pre-
served the independence of their small
Kingdom between two such powerful
neighbors as France and Austria. When
Piedmont was temporarily absorbed
into the French republic and empire
the Italian troops who fought under
Napoleon proved themselves the best
of the French allies.
After 1915 Piedmont was at the mead
tated Italy and ended in her unif1ca-
tion. Italy then rose against Austria
and the Piedmontese army, after many
hard fought battles, Invariably relieved
even in defeats. succeeded in uniting
the whole peninsula under the rule of
Victor Emmanuel H.
While the Piedmontese system was
admirably adapted to compact little
province. it was wholly inadequate TO a
kingdom with as varied people and in
terests as Italy. The strategic condi-
tions forced the concentration of the
troops along the northern border and
the territorial system of organizat lion
as understood in the remainder of con-
tinental Europe was impossible
Men from all over Italy did their Serv-
ice in barracks in the north, and were
then returned to their homes. and it
thus became impossible to mobilize by
corps except at the maximum of fric-
tion and expense. Besides, these condi-
tions resulted in Italy being for some
months almost completely disarmed.
Present Military System.
Many efforts at reform were made,
but they were all rejected on account of
financial geographical or social condi-
tions until the present system was in
troduced by Gen. Spingardi about four
wears ago While this is far from per-
feet il does away with some of the
evils of the past, permitting the main
tenance at all times of an approximate te
peace strength and of more rapid ana
less expensive mobilization.
The military organization OF Italy is
determined by the conscription law OF
the kingdom of Sardinia. which made
universal liability to service the basis
of recruiting As unification meant for
the army the DESCRIPTION of contingents
from all parts of Italy. the territorial
system was not adopted and the differ
ent types of soldiers are blended by
The army consists of ninetysiX three
battalion regiments of infantry of the
line and twelve of 'bersaglieri trife-
mem. each of the latter having a cy-
clist company: twenty-six regiments OF
cavalry. of which ten are lancers, each
of six squadrons; twenty-four regi-
ments of artillery, each of eight bat
teries one regiment of horse artillery
of six batteries; one of mountain artil-
lery and twelve batteries and three in
dependent mountain batteries. The
garrison artillery consists of three
coast and three fortress regiments,
with a total of seventy-two companies.
There are besides six regiments Celev-
en- battalions) of engineers and nearly
10000 carabinieri tgendarmerie), re-
cruited from selected volunteers from
the army.
Ordinary and extraordinary military
expenditures amount to about s35.000,-
900 per annum, a slight sum compared
with the military expenditures of other
countries. especially considering the
excellent organization, equipment and
discipline of the Italian army.
New Recruiting Scheme.
Under the new recruiting scheme of
1907 the term of liability for service in
the army is divided into nine years in
the active army and reserve two years
with the colors), four in the mobils mi
litia and six in the territorial militia
Peace strength of the army is nomi-
nally 100000. but actually 1t is lower
since the medical standard of accept
ance Is high and not all the available
contingent of recruits is drafted into
the army. The war strength is 10000
first line troops. 1.150,000 second-line
troops and more than 100000 avail
able in excess Of the above. SO that
Italy's total war resources OF all kinds
amount to 3,150,000.
Tho italian arrnv IN {pto
twelve army corps. each Of two divis-
ions. six of which are quartered on the
plains of Lombardy and Venetia and
on the frontiers, and two more in
northern central Italy. In addition,
there are twenty-five Alpine battalions
and fifteen mountain batteries sta
toned on the Alpine frontiers