The infantry consists of 12 regiments of the guard, 16 grenadier regiments, and 181 army infantry regiments, each regiment having 4 battalions of 4 companies. In addition there are 4 rifle battalions of the guard, 24 rifle regiments, 8 Finland rifle battalions, 8 Caucasian rifle battalions, 8 Trans-Caspian rifle battalions, 4 Turkestan rifle battalions, and 12 East Siberian rifle regiments. For frontier service in Asia there are 15 Turkestan, 5 West Siberian, and 11 East Siberian battalions. The Cossack infantry consists of 16 Kuban and 4 Trans-Baikal battalions. The reserve infantry (intended to expand in war) has, in Europe, 1 guard reserve regiment, 15 reserve regiments of 2 battalions, and 50 reserve cadre battalions of 5 companies. In the Caucasus are 4 reserve regiments (Russian), 4 native reserve regiments of 2 battalions, and 10 reserve cadre battalions. In Siberia there are also 10 reserve cadre battalions, and in Turkestan 5 line cadre battalions. The fortress infantry has 1 regiment of 5 battalions, 17 of 2 battalions, and 13 single battalions. There is also local infantry in 141 small detachments in remote places. Depôt infantry is formed on mobilisation-one battalion for each infantry regiment of the active army, and smaller bodies for the rifle brigades and Cossack battalions. The imperial militia infantry is to consist of 640 battalions in brigades of 8 battalions, and divisions of 2 brigades, so that there will be 40 divisions; in addition, there will be 18 fortress militia infantry battalions in the Warsaw district; making 658 battalions in all.

The cavalry consists of 4 regiments of guard cuirassiers of 4 squadrons; 6 regiments of light cavalry of the guard, of 6 squadrons; 54 regiments of dragoons of the line, of 6 squadrons; 1 regiment of Finland cavalry, 1 of Littoral, 1 of Crimean Tartar, and 1 of Daghestan cavalry, each of 6 squadrons; 1 division of Osset, and 1 of Turkestan cavalry, each of 2 squadrons. The Cossack cavalry consists of 44 regiments (in war, 130) of 6 squadrons; (in war, 18) of 4 squadrons; and 21 (in war, 53) independent squadrons. Depôt cavalry sections are maintained corresponding to the 64 cavalry regiments of the guard and line, ready to be grouped into cadres and brigades. The imperial militia cavalry will consist of 80 squadrons, grouped in 20 regiments.

The artillery consists of: Field artillery, 3 guard brigades; 4 grenadier brigades; 45 line brigades, attached to infantry divisions; 1 Turkestan brigade; 2 East Siberian brigades; 1 Finland regiment of 4 batteries; 5 divisions of 3 batteries attached to 5 line rifle brigades; 1 Trans-Baikal division of 2 batteries; 1 West Siberian division of 2 batteries; 3 TransCaspian batteries; 1 division of 2 light and 1 mountain batteries attached to Caucasian rifle brigade; 1 division of 2 batteries attached to guard rifle brigade; and 1 East Siberian division of 3 batteries. The regular horse artillery, 1 guard horse artillery brigade of 5 batteries; 23 line horse batteries; 1 horse mountain division of 2 batteries; 1 Turkestan horse mountain battery. The Cossack horse artillery has 20 batteries (in war, 38). The howitzer artillery consists of 7 regiments of, in all, 24 batteries of 6 howitzers each; and 2 batteries belonging to the Siberian artillery. The first and second reserve field ammunition columns (expanding in war), consist, in peace, of 52 parks for the 52 divisions of the active army; 8 parks for the 5 divisions of the guard, the Finland and the Caucasian rifle brigades; 2 East Siberian parks; 7 howitzer parks; and 1 cadre for transport column for troops in Trans-Caspia. The third ammunition reserve column consists of 91 local parks. The reserve field artillery consists of 7 reserve brigades, 3 of 6 batteries, 3 of 5, and 1 of 7; and 1 reserve cadre battery. On mobilisation these 41 batteries expand into 164. The field communication columns consist of 8 parks, which expand in war into 18 reserve artillery park brigades,

attached 18 reserve divisions; 12 parks attached to 12 reserve divisions in European Russia; and 2 reserve mountain parks, attached to 2 reserve divisions in the Caucasus. Depôt artillery has permanent peace cadres of 3 depôt brigades, each of 3 batteries (expanding into 12 batteries); 3 depôt batteries expanding into 12); 1 guard battery, and 1 Caucasian battery (expanding respectively into 3 guard batteries, and 4 Caucasian); and 1 horse artillery depôt battery. Imperial militia field artillery will consist of 80 batteries combined into 40 regiments, each of 2 batteries, attached to the 40 divisions of the militia infantry. The foot artillery consists of 56 fortress battalions; 4 siege battalions; 10 fortress artillery companies; 2 fortress detachments in Asia; and 5 sortie batteries. The imperial militia foot artillery will consist of 10 battalions in war.

The engineers consist of 25 sapper battalions; 4 Turkestan and Siberian battalions; 8 pontoon battalions, and 7 of field park engineers. There are 7 battalions of railway troops; 2 engineer siege parks; and an instructional balloon park. Reserve engineers consist of 2 reserve sapper battalions. The fortress engineers are 23 fortress sapper companies and 4 half companies; 15 submarine mining companies; 6 fortress balloon detachments; 7 fortress telegraph detachments; and 10 engineering artificer detachments. The depôt engineers form on mobilisation 4 depôt sapper battalions and a depôt technical battalion. The imperial militia engineers will consist, on mobilisation, of 20 militia sapper companies in 5 battalions.

The frontier guard, stationed on the frontier, are in 31 brigades and 2 detachments, in all about 35,000 men. In addition to these components of the Russian army there are field gendarmerie (6 cadres kept up in peace), field post service, Caucasian native militia, the Palace grenadier company, corps of military topographers, veterinary service, sanitary divisions (attached to the infantry divisions), train (6 battalions), reserve horse depôts, &c.

The infantry and rifles are armed with the new small-bore rifle (3 lines), with a magazine of five cartridges; the dragoons have a similar rifle taking the same cartridges. The active field and mountain artillery have steel breechloaders of four patterns: heavy, with an extreme range of 4,150 yards; light, range 4,480 yards; light (pattern of 1892), range 4,480 yards; and mountain, range 4,700 yards. The wedge gun of the regular horse artillery takes the same ammunition as that of the light batteries. The howitzers, used for shell and shrapnel, have a maximum range of 3,600 yards.

The following table shows, approximately, the peace and war strength of various units in the different arms :

The lowest estimate which can be made of the peace strength of the Russian army puts the number of officers at 36,000, and of the rank and file at 860,000 men; the total number being 896,000. In war the total strength is approximately 63,000 officers and 3, 440,000 men; total, 3,500,000.

III. NAVY

The Russian Navy is subject to special conditions such as do not affect the navies of other Powers. Owing to the geographical situation of the Empire, and the widely separated seas which wash its coasts, Russia is obliged to maintain four distinct fleets or flotillas, each with its own organization. Of these the most important in regard to Western relations is the Baltic Fleet. It is a powerful force, to which additions are being made of battleships, cruisers of various classes and torpedo-craft, now completing and building in Russia and abroad. The chief base of the Baltic Fleet is Cronstadt, which is heavily fortified, as are Dünamünde, Wiborg, Sweaborg, and other Baltic ports. The Gulf of Finland is usually blocked by ice from November to April, whereby the operations of the fleet are impeded, but a new ice-free port at Libau, in Courland has now been made ready for the fleet. It is further in contemplation to establish a naval port on the Arctic coast of Russian Lapland, which is free from ice throughout the year, and thus to open up the possibility of creating a naval force with free access to the Atlantic Ocean. Considerable progress has lately been made in the construction of ice-breaking vessels.

The Black Sea Fleet, which has no access to the Mediterranean except by the exercise of force, has been largely augmented. To the first battleships of this fleet the powerful armour-clads Georgi Pobiedonosetz (George the Victorious'), Dvenadzat Apostoloff (Twelve Apostles'), and Tri Sviatitelia (Three Saints') have been added, and the Rotislav (a sister of the Sissoi Veliky) has been launched. Other vessels are in hand. In this sea, Sebastopol, now a naval port, and headquarters of the fleet, has been strongly fortified; Nicolaieff, Kinburn, and Ochakoff have received important defensive works; Kertch and Yenikale have been made very strong, and Azov, Poti, and Batoum have been strengthened. Great additions have lately been made to the Russian squadron in the Pacific and China seas, where Vladivostok and Port Arthur are the bases. There is a flotilla also in the Caspian Sea, which ensures the communications of the Trans-Caspian railway between Baku and Usun Ada, and would have its purpose in operations against Persia.

rs.

The Russian naval estimates show a continuous increase. The total expenditure upon the navy in 1893 was 49,892,893 roubles, being an increase of 2,010,660 roubles upon the outlay of 1892, which again showed a considerable advance upon that of 1891. There was a further increase to 52,492,803 rs. in 1894, to 55,100,000 rs. in 1895, to 57,966,600 (6,440,6667.) in 1896 to 59,902,166 rs. (6,239,8097.) in 1897, and to 68,055,417 rs. (7,089,1067.) in 1898. In 1898 a special grant of 9,000,000l. was allotted to new constructions to be spread over a period of seven years. Russia has now excellent shipbuilding yards, but her swiftest torpedo boats have been built at Elbing. The new Admiralty yard and the Baltic works are both State establishments. There is also a large Imperial ship-building yard at Nicolaieff. Private establishments which build for the State are those of the Franco-Russian and Black Sea Companies, and the Neva, Putiloff, and Ishora yards.

The chief of the Russian Navy is the General Admiral, Commander-inChief. There are 15 admirals, 316 superior officers, 1,326 junior officers, 376 engineers, 521 medical and civil officers, and 95 admiralty officers. Up to a recent period the men of the Russian Navy were divided into 12 'equipages, but the progressive increase in numbers rendered these units

Description

unwieldy, and there are now 18 'equipages' in the Baltic, a half equipage at Revel, and a company at Sveaborg, an equipage of the Imperial Guard at St. Petersburg, 8 equipages in the Black Sea, one at Baku, and one at Vladivostock, each including the complements of one battleship and of a number of smaller vessels. The total number provided for in 1898 was 2,627 officers and 29,850 men.

The following is a statement of the strength of the Russian Fleet, including ships building and provided for, but excluding training ships, transports, and non-effective vessels specially indicating those in the Black Sea.

1 Russia has also more than 100 torpedo boats less than 86 feet in length.

The Caspian flotilla, which is not included in the above statement, consist of a few small gunboats and steamships, but on the part of Persia has practically nothing opposed to it.

The tables which follow of the Russian armour-clad fleet and first-class cruisers are arranged in chronological order. In the first table the coast defence vessels (named in italics) follow the battleships. The numbers after the names of the last named indicate the classes to which they have been assigned in the foregoing statement of strength. The ships marked by an asterisk (*) are in the Black Sea. A considerable force is now maintained on the Pacific border, and several of the ships in hand will be despatched to that station. Abbreviations: b., broadside; c.b., central battery; t., turret ; bar., barbette; cir., circular; a. g., armoured gunboat; Q.F., quick-firing.