organisation in 1869 until 1871, the peace establishment of the regiment was considerably below the war establishment, but, appreciating the difficulties of providing for a sudden increase in men and horses on a mobilisation, and recognising the necessity of having a thoroughly trained and well organised, if small, body of horse ready at any moment to take the field, the War Ministry resolved to place the field squadrons of the regiments on a permanent war-footing, and from March, 1871, the strength of each was increased by 31 mounted and 4 dismounted men, the only difference existing now between the peace and war establishments being that, on the former, the paysergeant is not mounted: there is in consequence I horse less. The regimental staff numbers in peace 10 officers, in war, 18 non-commissioned officers and men, 5 horses: 10 officers, 46 non-commissioned officers and men, 59 horses, inclusive of drivers and draught horses for the regimental train. A field squadron numbers in peace 5 officers, 166 non-commissioned officers and men, in war an additional horse. The depôt-cadre numbers in peace 2 officers, 17 non-commissioned officers and men, forming in war a depôt squadron of 8 officers, of whom 3 staff, 168 non-commissioned officers and men, and a reserve squadron of 6 officers, of whom I staff, 167 non-commissioned officers and men, 150 horses. A regiment on the peace establishment numbers therefore in war, 1,073 of all ranks and 903 horses: 1,431 of all ranks and of which combatants 1,209 of all ranks with an equal number of horses, allowing one to each officer; the total force of cavalry in peace is therefore 43,993 of all ranks and 37,023 horses, in war 58,671 of all ranks and 51,619 horses, of which combatants 49,569. The combatant strength of the infantry and rifles on the war establishment is 525,584 of all ranks; the proportion of cavalry to infantry is therefore about I to 104. Cavalry regiments have no bands; they were abolished on the introduction of the new organisation. On a mobilisation, therefore, the regiments are at once ready to take the field, the horses and drivers for the wagons of the regimental transport, always kept in store at their respective head-quarters, having alone to be furnished. The depôt-cadre has nothing to do in peace with the drilling of recruits or the training of young horses, but is solely engaged in keeping the books and muster-rolls of the furlough and reserve establishment of the regiment, classifying the personnel according to trades and professions, and in taking charge of the augmentation stores of clothing, equipment of man and horse, arms, ammunition, &c. The recruits and young horses are trained with the field squadrons. In war, the depôt-squadron assumes all the duties of training and instruction, and furnishes the reliefs to the regiments in the field. The reserve squadrons do not take the field with the field squadrons, but are mainly employed in rear, watching lines of communication, as garrison and staff cavalry, &c.; only in an exceptional case would the reserve squadrons of several regiments be combined under one command and employed as an independent body in the field; perfect horsemen and thoroughly trained horses are therefore not so absolutely essential; the object is to obviate the necessity, on a mobilisation, of detaching men and horses from the combatant strength of a regiment, to perform the minor duties of staff cavalry, orderlies, &c., which may well be entrusted to a less perfect material, and to enable the field squadrons of a regiment to take the field intact. The Austrian cavalry labours under many very great disadvantages. Mention has been already made. of the short regimental service, three years, the result of which is that each squadron gets an annual contingent of recruits of one-third, frequently over that fraction, of its strength; these recruits join on October 1, and their instruction in the section, both theoretical and practical, must be completed by May 1, when they must be fit to enter the squadron; by the end of June the squadron instruction is completed, by the end of September the division instruction, when they must be fit for work in the regiment, brigade, or larger unit. The instruction of the men, as well as the training of the young horses, is carried out entirely by the subaltern officer in charge of the section, with the assistance of some of his senior non-commissioned officers. His quotum of recruits and remounts is placed at once, on joining, under his care, and he is solely responsible for the efficiency of his section to the squadron-commander, whose duties lie mainly in general superintendence. The adjutant is employed exclusively at the regimental head-quarters, in charge of the books, correspondence, &c. : in the field he acts as the orderly to the commander. There is no riding-master, as in our service, and no staff of highly trained rough-riders and drill-instructors. Another disadvantage is the present unavoidable necessity of splitting up the regi ments into a number of small detachments: it is rare to find more than two squadrons together at the head-quarters; regiments are sometimes distributed among as many as twenty different places. There are but few regular cavalry barracks, and those at the principal stations alone have covered-in riding schools, the small detachments being generally billeted on the peasants in the villages. The drill of the recruits and schooling of the remounts have, therefore, to be mainly carried on in open manèges, and owing to the vicissitudes of climate in the different parts of the Empirefrost, snow, and mud or bog alternating-are frequently stopped for weeks at a time: the period actually available for practical instruction in the open is, therefore, considerably below the nominal prescribed period. This evil will shortly be in some measure remedied, by building additional barrack-accommodation and covered-in riding schools. The diversity of nationalities, frequently prevailing even in one regiment, is another source of disadvantage. The dragoon regiments are mainly recruited from Bohemia, Upper and Lower Austria, Moravia, Silesia, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, and the coast district; the lancer regiments, from Austrian Poland, Gallicia, Croatia, and Slavonia; the hussar regiments, from Hungary and Transylvania. Hungarians, Poles, Slovacks, Serbs, &c., however, commingle, and must be instructed each in his own language, involving a great additional labour on the officers, who must be conversant with the several dialects prevailing in their regiments. The recruit |