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The next on the list is France, our nearest continental neighbour, who for a long time was the foremost of European Military Powers. In the disastrous war of 1870 she lost this position entirely, and has ever since then been making the most strenuous exertions to regain something of her old strength by thorough revision and reorganisation of her Army.

The laws of 1872 and 1873 were passed with a view to this object, and by them Universal Conscription was introduced, as in Germany. On economical grounds, all able-bodied conscripts were divided into two classes, the first of which serves five years with the Colours, and the second only one year.

After his five years’ active service (or one year, as the case may be) the soldier goes for four (or eight) years to the Active Reserve. Thereafter he enters the Territorial Army for five years, and the Territorial Army Reserve for a subsequent six years, making twenty years in all. The Active Army and its Reserve form the Army of the 1st Line, and the Territorial Army and its Reserve the Army of the 2nd Line.

The institution of one-year Volunteers covers a much larger area than in the German Army. The main point looked to in a would-be one-year Volunteer is whether he can pay his 1,500 francs; the scientific and educational certificates required from such candidates in Germany are quite a secondary consideration in France.

France was not content with following the German model when she re-constituted her Army, but endeavoured to organise a system whereby an enormous number of trained soldiers should be turned out in the shortest possible time—something like the “levÉe en masse” which took place at the time of the French Revolution in 1793. This has been the aim of successive war ministers since 1871. It seems to have been brought to a conclusive issue by the law of the 15th July, 1889, which for severity and harshness appears to surpass any military sacrifices and duties ever demanded of any people.

The main points of this law are as follows:—

1. Extension of liability to service from twenty to twenty-five years.

2. Change from five years’ to three years’ service with the Colours.

3. Abolition of all exemptions from service; even the only sons of widows, the eldest sons of orphans, and those whose brothers are already serving, must serve one year, and may be sent away at its conclusion; if, however, they have not given satisfaction in the ranks, they may be kept on for another two years. Candidates for the higher professions and theological students will have to serve for one year, the latter to serve as bearers during active service.

4. One-year Volunteers to be drawn exclusively from students of science, and from a few moderately high schools.

5. Payment of a military tax by all, and an extra one by those who are unfit for service, and by any who are conscribed for less than three years.

A final point is given to this law by stating that no one is to accept a governmental or departmental office without having previously served for five years in either Army or Navy, and during two of these years to have served in the capacity of either officer or non-commissioned officer.

The war-strength of France was, before the passing of this law, and according to French sources:—

Army of the 1st Line		2,051,458 men.
Army of the 2nd Line		2,057,196 men.
		————
Total		4,108,654 men.

It is almost impossible to calculate, from the new law, what her strength will be exactly, but it appears to be nearly equal to that of the three Powers together who form the Triple Alliance!

Whether this law has been promulgated in view of an approaching war, or whether it will be carried out in all its Spartan severity throughout the present peace—and long may it last!—is a question only to be determined by the future. In either case the spirit of self-sacrifice which has prompted the French to lay the heavy burden on themselves is much to be admired. The mainspring of this spirit appears, however, to be more the frantic effort to get back the country’s former military prestige than pure patriotism.

The peace-strength of France is no criterion by which to measure the forces that she could put in the field in case of war.

The Infantry consists of—

162 Line Regiments, each of 3 battalions—486 battalions.

4 Zouave Regiments, each of 4 battalions—16 battalions.

4 Algerian Rifle Regiments (Turcos) 4 battalions—16 battalions.

2 Regiments of the Foreign Legion, 4 battalions—8 battalions.

30 Battalions of Rifles (Chasseurs)—30 battalions.

5 Battalions of African Light Infantry (ZÉphyrs)—5 battalions.

Grand total, 561 battalions.

The magazine rifle of the French Infantry, introduced in 1887, and called after its inventor, Colonel Lebel, director of the Normal School of Musketry at Chalons, is certainly equal to both the German and Austrian magazine rifles in shooting and general value. As regards the powder for its cartridges, the composition of which[19] remains a secret up till now, the inventor has claimed that its use will revolutionise Infantry tactics. According to French accounts, the powder is both noiseless and smokeless. If this were the case, no doubt it would produce changes in the mode of fighting, and surprises would be greatly facilitated thereby. Last year, however, experiments were made at the German Artillery School and at the Manoeuvres with an almost identical powder, the results of which proved that the advantages of the French powder were greatly exaggerated. The report of the rifle is distinctly heard, and is little, if at all, less loud than that of the old powder. The smoke, it is true, is very much less, but is still quite visible on a still day, its colour being a transparent dull blue. The new powder, therefore, certainly possesses advantages, but these will be of little account when all armies—as seems very probable in the near future—come to use the same powder.

The Lebel rifle is apparently being superseded by a new rifle, that invented by Captain Pralon, and it is said that the Rifle battalions will shortly be armed with it. The uniform of the French Infantry is the same as it has been for the last forty years, the main features in field-order being the long blue-grey great-coat, red kÉpi and loose red trousers. The full dress is shako and double-breasted dark-blue tunic. The Rifle battalions wear blue-grey trousers.

The foreign troops, chiefly African, form a remarkable feature in the French Army; they consist of Zouaves, Turcos, Foreign Legion, and Spahis, and take the field with the French troops against any Power, civilised or otherwise.

The Zouaves were originally an Arab tribe, whom the French conquered and forced to pay tribute. Their dress is picturesque, consisting of an open blue jacket, red sash, loose red knickerbockers, and white gaiters, their head-gear being a red fez with or without a white turban. At the present time, there are but few Africans amongst them, the greater portion being Frenchmen, pure and simple.

The Turcos are natives of Algeria and Tunis, induced to enlist by a bounty of £16. Their dress is similar to that of the Zouaves, excepting that their knickerbockers are blue, or white, instead of red.

Both Zouaves and Turcos have many attributes of good Light Infantry. The former are renowned for their energy and activity in the attack, and the latter for their stalking and crawling powers. As long as there is a prospect of victory, these troops are full of Élan and courage, but a defeat takes much of their spirit out of them.

Another peculiar body of troops are the five battalions of ZÉphyrs Light African Infantry. They consist of very bad characters who are sent to the Corps as a punishment for their crimes. They garrison different districts in Algeria, as a rule the most unpleasant ones, and though formerly never employed in Europe, will now be allowed to do so in future wars.

The Foreign Legion, numbering 5,000 men, consists of foreigners voluntarily enlisted for five years. They do not have a happy time of it.

The Cavalry, with the latest additions to it, is composed of 79 regiments of 5 squadrons each (including a depÔt-squadron), and 4 regiments of Spahis of 6 squadrons each—total, 419 squadrons. They consist of—

12	Regiments	of	Cuirassiers,
28	”	”	Dragoons,
21	”	”	Chasseurs À Cheval,
12	”	”	Hussars,
6	”	”	Chasseurs d’Afrique,
4	”	”	Spahis.

Total, 83 regiments.

The whole of the Cavalry is armed with the cut-and-thrust sword. Lances there are none. The Cuirassiers carry a revolver, the other regiments a carbine. The cuirass is still worn in Cuirassier regiments.

The French horse is not by a long way as lasting or as fit for service as the German (i.e., Lithuanian and Hanoverian) horse. Nor is the French Cavalry soldier a good groom. The Chasseurs d’Afrique and the Spahis, mounted on Arabian stallions, form exceptions to this rule. The Spahis are for the most part natives of Africa, officered by Frenchmen. Their whole appearance produces a novel impression, dressed as they are in their Oriental attire of blue jacket and baggy breeches, long red-leather riding-boots, with the white burnous slung over their shoulders, and mounted on their sinewy little horses, which they guide at will with a mere turn of the wrist. It is a strange sight to see these children of the desert at their games, tearing along with wild war-shrieks and waving their long guns frantically over their heads, each man and horse straining every muscle to be first in the race.

The Field Artillery consists of 19 brigades (one to each Army Corps), each of 2 regiments. One of these regiments has 12, the other 11 batteries, including between them 3 batteries of Horse Artillery, so that each Army Corps has 23 batteries. Each battery has 6 guns, fully-horsed even in peace-time. Besides these, some mountain batteries are going to be formed, but only in case of need.

The Artillery is armed with an excellent (3·53-in.) gun, on the De Bange system. It was entirely re-armed with these after the 1870–71 campaign, and at an enormous cost.

The Garrison Artillery, 16 battalions of 6 batteries each, is also armed with first-rate new guns.

Of Engineers there are 4 regiments, each of 5 battalions. An independent Railway Regiment has lately been formed.

The Corps of Gendarmerie, numbering as many as 25,000 men, is more or less connected with the Army, for though in peace-time it is employed on police-duty, in war-time it would be formed into as many Field Divisions of military police as would be required for keeping order in rear of the Army. The Garde-RÉpublicaine of Paris (Cavalry and Infantry), is a branch of the Gendarmerie, and not of the Army, and the Regiment of Sapeurs-Pompiers, though militarily organised, is in reality only the Fire Brigade.

The Train consists of 19 squadrons of 5 companies each.

Besides the above troops, there are military corps organised for Postal and Telegraph service in the field; also a Balloon Corps, a Carrier-pigeon Corps, a Cyclist Corps, and a Dog-training Corps.

There are numerous schools in France intended either for military education or further military instruction. Chief amongst them is the Military School of St. Cyr, into which 400 candidates are admitted every year as cadets, after a competitive examination. The course lasts for two years, and the cadets are then sent as 2nd lieutenants to the Infantry and Cavalry. The Polytechnic School in Paris sends 250 cadets annually under like conditions to the Artillery and Engineers. In the time of Napoleon I., a great many of the officers, including some of his most famous marshals, rose from the ranks; and even now a very large proportion of them come from the same source.

The whole of France is divided for administrative and organising purposes into 18 Regions, in each of which an Army Corps is quartered. The 19th Corps is in Algeria.

Each Army Corps comprises 2 Infantry Divisions, each of 2 brigades of 2 regiments each, besides a battalion of Rifles, a brigade of Cavalry (2 regiments), and a brigade of Artillery.

On reviewing the size and organisation of the French Army, we cannot help being struck by the fact that, besides being exceedingly numerous, it is well organised, well armed, and endowed with a proper warlike spirit. Although not “the best in the world,” as every Frenchman will tell you, the French soldier is possessed of many excellent and soldier-like qualities. One cannot form one’s judgment by the extremely slack and unsmart appearance of the men, both as regards physique and uniform. The “Piou-piou,” as the Infantry soldier is called by his fellow-countrymen, who lounges about with his kÉpi well on the back of his head and his hands deep in his baggy trouser-pockets, does certainly not present a soldier-like appearance, but all the same he is an active and handy man on service, and on the field of battle advances pluckily through a murderous fire, with little thought of danger or alarm.

If we now come to the question why, with an Army which has given such numerous proofs in many campaigns of its valour and excellence, France has not kept up her prestige, the answer is to be found, not in the morale of the Army, but in that of France herself, a country in which the spirit of order and subjection, and that stern devotion to duty which is the foundation of all discipline, have never taken root. Ambition and desire of conquest form the motive-power of many great and glorious deeds, and are certainly not wanting in the French character. Higher than these, however, stands the feeling of duty which keeps a man at his post through all hardships and perils, without a thought for his own gain or loss, simply because he has learned to subject his will to a higher one. On this foundation can be raised a discipline which permits of no loosening of the bonds of training and order even in times of disaster, and which keeps up the spirit of the Army and faith in its final success even under the heaviest blows of misfortune. This feeling cannot be learnt in a three years’, nor five years’, nor even twenty-five years’ service, if it is not ingrained and actually born in the national character and national system of education. Without these main features even universal conscription itself will not be successful, and the recent Draconian law in France, although it may bring forth vast masses of armed men, will not produce that feeling of combined action and willingness to follow their leaders to the death which is so characteristic of nations in whom the military spirit is thoroughly implanted.

France is well-armed for attack as well as defence; for attack, by means of the great armed masses which she can throw into the enemy country at the first declaration of war, in conjunction with the troops she has had stationed on her frontier during peace-time; and for defence by means of a defensive system on a vast scale, the outer line of which consists of frontier-fortresses and stop-gap forts from the Swiss to the Belgian frontier, from Belfort, over the Vosges ridge to Epinal, now a strong fortress, Toul and Verdun, on the right bank of the Meuse. Behind this first line of defence a second one has been built, consisting of entrenched camps between forty and fifty miles apart, and reaching from Langres to Rheims. There are, in fact, but few roads into France which are not covered by the fire of some fortress or other. The central point of the whole of this vast defensive system is the huge fortress of Paris, which, with her circle of protecting forts surrounding her on a fifteen-mile radius, is more like a fortified province than a fortress.

The secret of victory, however, does not lie in vast armaments like these. “It is the spirit which forms the body” and brings into subjection the material powers for its own objects. War is not only a combat of material forces; it is in a higher sense a combat of cultured forces. Let us, therefore, remember that the best preparation for trial by combat does not lie in continual striving to over-reach another in material and brute force, but in the striving after a more complete development of warlike skill.

ADDENDUM TO FRANCE.

Pp. 46, 47. Now that the new law has come into force, July 1890, the terms of service have been entirely changed. As the law now stands, seven-tenths of the annual contingent of recruits have to serve for 3 years, and three-tenths for 1 year. After his colour-service, a man joins the Active Reserve for 7 (or 9) years, then the Territorial Army for 6 years, and after that the Territorial Reserve for 9 years more—total 25 years.

312,000 youths reach the military age (20) every year. Of these only 174,000 are required for colour-service. The effect of the new law will be that by 1915 A.D. there will be no fewer than 3,500,000 of Frenchmen properly trained as soldiers and ready to take the field, and 60,000 trained men per annum will have been added to the army!

N.B.—The war-strength of over 4,000,000 given on page 47 includes all men, old and young, who have ever received any military training, and is therefore hardly a just estimate of the French fighting-strength. The latest trustworthy estimates put it at 2,790,000 men.

P. 49. The Cavalry is now, or will be very shortly, composed of 92 regiments of 5 squadrons, and 4 regiments of Spahis of 6 squadrons each—total, 484 squadrons.

They consist of

14	Regiments	of	Cuirassiers,
34	”	”	Dragoons,
22	”	”	Chasseurs À Cheval,
14	”	”	Hussars,
8	”	”	Chasseurs d’Afrique,
4	”	”	Spahis.

Total, 96 regiments.

P. 49. 12 Mountain Batteries are being formed. There are, in addition to the numbers given, 12 batteries in Corsica, Algeria, and Tunis.

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