MILITARY SYSTEM AND EDUCATION IN RUSSIA. J. MILITARY SYSTEM. THE Emperor is commander-in-chief of all the forces, by sea and land, assisted by the Staff Office, the members of which are expert linguists, as well as scientific experienced and military officers. The army is under a Minister of War, assisted by a colleague and a military council. The office of Master of Ordnance is generally grand prince. The regular force, or army of occupation filled by a consists of about 783,000 men, which can be easily swelled to at least 1,200,000, as the whole male population are liable to serve when summoned. The army is mainly recruited by conscription, which falls on the serfs and laboring population, as the nobility, officials, clergy and merchants are exempted. The term of service is twenty years for the guards, twenty two for the line, and twenty five for granted soldiers the train and military servants. But few pensions are to discharged or furloughed soldiers, although veteran. are frequently appointed to situations as doorkeepers, watchmen, overseers, &c., in government establishments and public institutions. Promotion by seniority, imperial favor, and good conduct on the field. Every officer must be educated and trained to his business, and serve from the lowest to the highest rank. Non-commissioned officers, musicians, assistant veterinary surgeons, head workmen in the milit tary workshops and factories must all be trained for their, special duties. A large portion of these classes are the sons of soldiers, who have been surrendered by their parents to the govern ment, who receive them at the age of six or twelve, by special ar rangeme ent. They are termed cantonists. Among the special military schools of a technological character are, eleven for garrison artillery; three for armories; three for powder mills; three for arsenals; one for riding masters; one for fencing; one for ac30untants; one for topographical drawing, &c. II. MILITARY SCHOOL FOR OFFICERS. The officers of the Russian army obtain their first commission after passing through the Military Schools or Cadet Corps, or if qualified in scientific and other instruction, ascertained by open examination, by serving as privates six months, and as sergeants or ensign two years. Applicants for the Staff Corps, must have served as officers two years, must be recommended by their superior, and have been two years in the Staff School-and there pass an honorable examination in military history and strategy. The following statistics are taken from the Kalender of the St. Petersburg Academy, for 1859. I. Under a Commission or Board of Military Instruction, which reports directly to the Emperor, there are 3 Military Schools of Special Application, viz.: 1 The Nicholas Academy of the Staff, with 22 teachers and 250 scholars 1 The Nicholas Upper Engineer School, 1 The Michael Artillery School,.. 1 Page Corps, or College,.. 1 Ensign's School of the Guards, . 22 Cadet Corps or Military Colleges,. 27 66 50 126 66 32 117 The Cadet Corps, or Military Schools, receive their pupils young, and impart a general as well as a scientific education, preparatory to entering the Special Schools of Application either for Engineer, or Artillery, and later in years and experience, the Staff School. These Special Military Schools are not surpassed by any of the same class in Europe. II. Under the Ministry of War there are the following Scientific Establishments and Schools. The Military Schools are of an elementary and technological character, and are intended to supersede a class of schools known as the Cantonist Schools. The experience of the Crimean War demonstrated to the world, the wise forecast of the Russian government in providing for the thorough scientific and practical training of the officers of her great armies as was confessed by the "London Times," in the bitter dis appointments of the English people with their own officers. MILITARY SYSTEM AND EDUCATION OF THE UNITED STATES. 99.66 I. MILITARY SYSTEM. THE Constitution of the United States grants to Congress the power" to raise and support armies," "to provide and maintain a navy," "to make rules for the government of the land and naval forces; and to provide for calling forth the militia," as well as "for organizing, arming and disciplining" the same, and for governing such parts of them as may be employed in the service of the United States-reserving to the States, respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress. By the same instrument the President is made commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States when called into actual service of the United States "to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions." By law of August, 1789, a department of war, and in 1798, a secretary of the navy is provided to aid the President in the administration of military and naval affairs; and the original rules and articles of war enacted by the Congress of 1776, were continued in force, and in 1806 made the basis of the military code which has since governed all troops mustered into the service of the United States. men. In 1790 the rank and file of the regular army was fixed at 1,216 In 1796 this force was organized into one corps of artillerists and engineers, whose head-quarters was at West Point, two companies of light dragoons, and four regiments of infantry of eight companies each. This force was increased by additional regiments in the war of 1812, the Indian war in Florida, and the war with Mexico, till in 1861, the army consisted of 14,000 men, stationed in the different forts and garrisons, and mainly on the Indian frontier. In the war of the Rebellion the regular army was increased to 50,000 men. By act of July 15, 1870, the number of enlisted men was reduced to 30,000 by or before July 1, 1871. On the 20th of October, 1871, the army was composed as follows: Two regiments of Cavalry, 8,800 enlisted men. 3,105 66 46 23,742 66 314 66 444 46 202 When the insurrectionary movements and combinations of the Southern States in 1861, proved too powerful to be suppressed by ordinary civil powers, the President, April 15, called for 75,000 volunteers for three months, to defend the capital, and May 3, 42,000 to serve for three years or during the war. On the 22d of July he was authorized to accept the services of 500,000, which, within six months afterwards was increased to 1,000,000. This force proving inadequate, a levy of 300,000 men was ordered in 1863, and in 1864, another call for 500,000 men-making an aggregate of 2,653,062 mustered into the service of the United States, or nearly one fourth of the entire male population of the Northern States. This entire force was disbanded within one year from the close of the war. The development of the naval resources of the country was quite as marvelous. In 1861 the entire navy consisted of 94 war vessels of all classes and in all conditions, capable when in service of carrying 2,415 guns. Only 43 of these ships were in commission, and the seamen and mariners numbered 7,000. In less than three years 200 war vessels were constructed and 418 merchant vessels were converted to military service, and over 50,000 men enlisted in the naval service. The Southern States in rebellion put into the field over 500,000 men, and exhausted their pecuniary resources, with the loss of 300,000 soldiers on the field or in hospital. The debt of the United States contracted in the prosecution of the war, stood in 1866 at the enormous sum of $2,783,425,879. These extraordinary efforts were made under circumstances which are not likely to exist again, and such expenditures could not be repeated without national bankruptcy. The Militia of the United States, by act of Congress of 1792, consists of all white male citizens between the ages of 18 and 45, who must be enrolled and arranged into brigades, regiments, and companies, as the legislature of each State may direct. Of the militia, as organized by state legislation, the governor is commander-in-chief, except when called into the service of the United States. To provide arms and equipments for the whole body of militia, arsenals and armories are provided by Congress, in different parts of the country, at an annual charge of $200,000 (since 1808). In the absence of any official information respecting the number and condition of the Militia of the several States,* we gather the following statistics from a pamphlet by General J. W. Hoffman, of Philadelphia, on the subject of the National Guard. State. Population. Alabama-996,992. Military Organization. Arkansas-484,167-78 companies of State Guard, with a total of 5,484 men. Colorado-39,864. Illinois-2,539,891. No state organization; a few volunteer companies who provide their own uniforms and are furnished with arms and accoutrements by the State. Indiana-1,680,637. No organization. Iowa-1,191,792. No State organization. Kansas-364,399. No state organization beyond the 2 companies to operate against the Indians. Kentucky-1,321,011. No organization. Louisiana-726,915,-37 companies of uniformed infantry, 3 of cavalry, 1 of artillery; organized with 6 regiments, 2 divisions-one of which has 2 brigade organizations; aggregate strength, 3,469 out of 107,821 enrolled militia. Term of service 2 years. Maine-626,915,-10 companies, with an aggregate of 937; State furnishes arms, equipments, and uniforms. *The Militia System was broken up by the Volunteer System introduced by the United States and encouraged by State Legislation, and now (1872) even formal returns as to enrollment are not complied with by a majority of the States. . |