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Sweden, which once, in the time of the Thirty Years’ War, represented the first Military Power in Europe, keeps up now only a small Army, just large enough for the needs of the country. The military system of Sweden is a peculiar one, and entirely different from that of other States.

The whole land is divided into a great many small “Rote” or Divisions, each of which has to supply one able-bodied man of the right age for the Army. This man serves for as long as his physical powers last. He receives a small property, consisting of house, farm, and ploughland, and definite pay as long as he is actually with the Colours.

Men for the Cavalry are provided in a very similar manner with their horses by the larger landowners or “Rusthalters,” in return for their exemption from certain taxes.

These troops are called “Indelta” men.

The second portion of the Swedish Army consists of the “VÄrfvade,” the men of which body enlist voluntarily for from two to six years’ service, and may re-engage for further service.

The VÄrfvade men can be trained much more thoroughly than those of the Indelta, for the former are continually with their Corps, whilst the latter are, during the greater part of the year, on furlough, looking after their farms.

The third portion is the “BewÄring,” which consists of all men between their twenty-first and twenty-sixth years of age. In case of war they would have to reinforce the other two portions.

The Swedish Army consists of—

Infantry—

2	Regiments of the Body-Guard,
2	Regiments of the Body-Grenadiers,
17	Regiments of the Infantry,
2	Battalions of Body-Grenadiers, and
4	Rifle battalions.

Each regiment consists of 2 battalions in peace-and 3 in war-time: this would give 48 and 69 battalions respectively.

Cavalry—

1	Regiment of Life-Guards of 4 squadrons,
4	Regiments of Hussars with altogether 26 squadrons,
2	Regiments of Dragoons with altogether 15 squadrons,
1	Corps of Light Horse of 2 squadrons.
Total, 47 squadrons.

Artillery—3 Regiments of Field Artillery, of 5 divisions of 2 batteries each, the regiment consisting of 10 (2 “Driving,” 6 Horse-Artillery, and 2 “Foot”) batteries, besides the Reserve Artillery of 3 Foot and 6 Driving-batteries. Each battery has about 6 guns, which gives a total number of 234 field-guns.

Engineers—1 Pontoon battalion, including a Field-Telegraph Company, and 1 battalion of Sappers.

Train—1 battalion of 2 companies.

The Swedish Infantry drill is somewhat out of date. The quiet and leisurely way in which a battalion drills is something astonishing. The skirmishers have to keep exactly in line and are directed by a sergeant in the centre with uplifted rifle. Every time a man in the firing-line snaps his rifle, he shouts out “Piff-paff!” The introduction of a new magazine-rifle will, therefore, probably cause some fatigue to the throats of the Swedish Infantry.

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NORWAY.

Although Norway is united under the same Crown with Sweden, still her military system differs entirely from that of the latter.

Every able-bodied man of twenty-two years old is sent to the so-called “Land-armament,” to serve five years in the Line, four in the “Landwehr” and four in the “Landsturm.” The conscripts remain but very few weeks with the Colours. The main portion of the Army consists of men voluntarily enlisted, who are bound to stay for six years.

The Rifle Corps, of five companies, of which one forms a Guard-Company, consisting entirely of voluntarily-enlisted men, constitutes the only Corps under arms in time of peace; of the remaining troops there are only cadres in existence. In the event of war, the Line Infantry would consist of 5 brigades of 4 battalions each—total, 20 battalions. The Cavalry of 1 brigade of 3 Corps of Light Dragoons—total, 11 squadrons; the Artillery of 5 battalions = 11 batteries with 66 guns; the Engineers of a small division. Grand total, about 18,000 men.

The rifle of the Swedish and Norwegian Infantry is the Remington, which, however, will shortly be replaced by a magazine-rifle invented by Colonel Jarman of their Army.

The Cavalry carries the Remington carbine in addition to the sabre. The Artillery is being re-armed with new guns, made partly in the Krupp works at Essen, and partly in the Swedish cast-steel works.

It is strange to find here, in the north of Europe, a head-dress similar to that south of the Alps. The Norwegian Rifleman wears an almost identical hat with the Italian Bersagliere.

The idea of having their Army organised for a foreign campaign does not appear to have been entertained by the Norwegian-Swedish government. The men, however, are tough fighters and good campaigners, sturdy and enduring, abstemious and unassuming, and there is every reason to believe that the Scandinavian Army would be in any case fully equal to its true and destined use—i.e., the defence of the country.

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