By no means the least of the Prince's tasks was the reorganisation and training of the Roumanian army, which at the time of his accession was in the most deplorable condition. Moulded on the pattern of the French army of 1859, and trained by a French mission militaire, it reproduced many of the defects of the army, which failed so utterly in 1870, and yet missed those qualities which saved the Imperial army of France from dishonour in the field. The young Prince was fully aware of the potent influence for good that a well-disciplined army exerts upon the welfare of a nation, and determined from the first to employ the highest moral and material resources of his country to establish an army which, if not formidable in numbers, should at least be worthy of respect in point of quality. His nine years' service in the Prussian artillery and cavalry had given him a thorough knowledge of the minutiÆ of military routine and discipline, whilst his active service on the staff of the Crown Prince in 1864, and his familiar intercourse with the leaders of the Prussian army had helped to train him in the art of command. Prince Charles realised that a weak State like Roumania, surrounded by its powerful neighbours, Russia, Austria, and Turkey, must place its army, on a thoroughly satisfactory footing, unless it were content to play the unsatisfactory part of being forced to side, possibly against its will, with whatever State was first to mobilise its forces, whilst its very weakness might be the cause of a war. The safety and welfare of Roumania, he was firmly convinced, rested on a sound military constitution, by means of which its independence would some day be achieved on the field of battle. No pains, therefore, and no exertions were too great to devote to the training of his troops, who soon learnt to look up to him as their example in all that a soldier should be. His absolute impartiality and justice, his care for their well-being, and his knowledge of every detail of warfare, made him as popular with his officers as with his men.

From the outset Prince Charles endeavoured to mould the spirit of his officers on that to which he had been accustomed in Prussia. Shortly after his accession, he received a round robin from the officers of the army, desiring that those officers who had taken part in the Revolution of February 23, 1866, should be dismissed from the army. Prince Charles received the deputation in the Palace and addressed them as follows:

"I have accepted your address, first, because I respect the feeling which has dictated this step; and secondly, that I might have an occasion of informing you of my views upon military honour and the duties of a soldier.

"An address is apt to assume the appearance of moral pressure, such as no soldier can be permitted to exercise over the supreme head of the army.

"The soldier's oath demands absolute obedience. Neither the acts of the head of the army, nor the motives which lead to them, admit of criticism; politics must have no influence on the soldier, whose sole duty it is to defend with his last breath his Sovereign and his country against every enemy.

"I am fully convinced that you share my views, and recognise that your action is from every military standpoint inadmissible. It is on that account that I desire you to trust to my military judgment, and to leave to me to act in all that concerns the army according to my own conviction and sense of duty.

"At the same time, I repeat, I appreciate the honourable feeling on which this address is based; but I also again urge that I demand at all times devotion and unreserved obedience from each one of you.

"I have been and am still a soldier by inclination; and it is for that reason, as well as on account of the importance to the country of a well-disciplined army, that one of my most cherished aims will be to secure for it the position to which it has every right to aspire. I shall endeavour to become well acquainted with the army and its leaders, that I may be able to decide according to merit and justice, by utterly rejecting all party or personal interest.

"Reckon confidently on this promise, and remember that I have come to create a future, and not to rely upon the precedents of a past which I ignore, and of which I would even prefer to remain ignorant."

The spirit of insubordination was even more rife amongst the National Guard, as the following incident will show. Prince Charles ordered the National Guard of Bucharest to assemble at the parade-ground of Cotroceni on July 2, 1866. The President of the Ministry reported to the Prince the day before that the National Guard would refuse to muster as ordered, as a rumour had gained currency that they were to be disarmed on account of their party tendencies. They intended, therefore, to parade before the Chamber, and invoke the protection of the Deputies against such a step. The Prince, however, refused to change his order, and insisted upon its execution. On arriving at Cotroceni the following day, he found that only a couple of hundred men had assembled there. An aide-de-camp was at once despatched to Bucharest to enforce the order, whilst Prince Charles set himself at the head of those present and marched with bands playing into the capital. Companies then appeared from all sides, until some three thousand men were collected on the Theatre Square. The Guard then marched past and cheered their Sovereign again and again, though their behaviour had given him every reason to consider them an element of danger rather than of safety to the State.

The projected army reforms were hampered at every turn by the want of money; on one occasion the Prince was even obliged to advance money out of his private purse for the purchase of two batteries of rifled guns from Krupp's factory.

The strength of the army, which the Sublime Porte had limited to 30,000 men, was to be organised into a standing force of 20,000 with a reserve of 10,000 men; whilst a Militia of 30,000 and a Landsturm of 50,000 were to be instituted. Every Roumanian who was fit for service was liable to serve from the ages of twenty to forty in one or the other category. Though the total number of men available thus amounted to over 100,000, the great bulk remained untrained, and of very little value for service in the field. The frequent reviews and inspections which Prince Charles initiated proved that the troops lacked cohesion, and their officers the ability to lead their men in accordance with the principles of modern warfare.

The first attempt at practical and systematic manoeuvres for the Roumanian troops took place near Cotroceni on October 14 and 15, 1867, when the garrison of Bucharest, consisting of five battalions, three batteries of four guns each, and one regiment of cavalry, practised the three phases of an engagement. The operations were directed by the Prince in person, who also bivouacked with his troops after a march of about twenty-two miles. The march back to Bucharest the following day gave an opportunity for skirmishing and manoeuvring. Before entering the town Prince Charles assembled the superior officers, and pointed out the great want of training displayed, and how much remained to be done before the army could be fit to take the field; he did not, however, forget to mention that the officers had hitherto had but little opportunity to practise themselves in leading their men, and none at all in handling a force of the three arms at manoeuvres.

On the occasion of these first manoeuvres a number of officers received special promotion, but considerable excitement was caused by this step, as two of them were not on the best of terms with the Ministry. The Minister of War also complained that his opinion was not asked before the promotions took place. Prince Charles, however, exercised the right of promotion intentionally in order to make good several cases of injustice which had arisen from party feeling. The effect of this independent action on the army was excellent, as it was clearly seen that from henceforth the army would not be affected by the influence of the political party of the day.

The rifle selected by Prince Charles for the rearmament of his infantry was the celebrated needle-gun of Prussia, 5000 of which were to be delivered in March 1868, to be followed by another 15,000 during the course of the year. The ready aid offered by King William to Prince Charles was promptly recognised by the Roumanians: "The Prussians have sent us their best, whilst the French send us what they have cast off."

Even in the matter of uniform the Prince insisted rather on utility than show. The heavy gold lace of the officers was abolished; the infantry received blue tunics (the artillery brown tunics), grey trousers, and greatcoats; the cavalry were clothed as Hussars instead of as Lancers.

The degrading corporal punishment of the bastinado was abolished by a letter from Prince Charles to the Minister of War, dated May 21, 1868, and published in the official Moniteur. Prince Charles retorted to the increasing interference of the foreign Powers in Roumanian affairs with a redoubled zeal for the improvement of his army, and hoped to raise the feeling of military honour among his troops by abolishing so barbarous a punishment.

Another organisation for the army was passed by the Chamber on June 13, 1868, according to which the following five classes were to be created for the defence of the country:

(1) The Standing Army and its Reserve.

(2) The Active Militia (Dorobanz and Frontier Battalions).

(3) The Sedentary Militia.

(4) The Citizen Guard, and

(5) The Landsturm.

Service in the first category was to consist of three years with the colours and four in the reserve; only a third of the second category was to serve with the colours whilst the remainder were allowed furloughs; the third class only were called upon during a war; the fourth was of no military importance, as it was formed from the census classes, and permitted to elect its own officers; while the fifth comprised the whole male population from the age of seventeen to fifty not included in the former categories. This important increase in the armed strength of the nation was achieved at the trifling cost of £192,000, the total vote for the army amounting to £320,000.

The 8th Infantry Regiment was raised on August 18, 1868, when the existing Line Regiments received their 3rd battalions, and no less than thirty-three Militia battalions were also to be organised. One hundred and fifty non-commissioned officers were promoted to fill the vacancies caused by this increase to the army.

A tradition had arisen in Roumania that the Minister of War was ex-officio Commander-in-Chief of the army, and this led to the political fluctuations and struggles being transplanted to the army itself. Prince Charles, therefore, appointed a civilian, Bratianu, Minister of War, to show that the Command in Chief was vested in the person of the Sovereign, thereby enabling the army to devote itself to its work of preparation for war without becoming involved in the politics of the day.

Lieut.-Colonel von Krenski, of the Prussian army, arrived on October 8, 1868, to assist the Prince in his work of reorganisation; this step caused the greatest excitement in French official circles, where the absurd rumour gained ground that 6000 Prussian soldiers had found their way into Roumania in disguise! The French mission militaire, under Colonel Lamy, was thereupon withdrawn, and a formal crusade against Colonel Krenski, the "representative of this foreign policy," was set in motion. On his return to Berlin the gallant Colonel was greeted with the pointed remark from his General that his mission to Bucharest had caused more correspondence than all the North German forces put together!

Prince Charles determined to establish a standing camp of instruction for his troops, and finally settled on Furceni, in Moldavia, on the left bank of the Seret, where plenty of wood for huts was available. The regiments moved into camp in succession, commencing in April 1869. In a letter to his father the Prince alludes to his camp life as follows: "I am fairly well satisfied with my stay in camp. The troops are capitally housed in the barracks they have built themselves. The situation is fairly healthy, as proved by the number of sick—200 out of 12,000 men; whilst at Bucharest the proportion is 230 to 3000. Those troops whose barracks are not completed remain under canvas. On my arrival I found seven Line Regiments, four Rifle and two Engineer battalions, the 2nd Artillery Regiment, one squadron of gendarmes, and two of Dorobanz Cavalry, in addition to the Train, Sanitary, and Supply Departments. I inspected a regiment every day, and lunched with the officers of the various corps.... Both officers and men like the camp, and the prevailing spirit is excellent. I promise myself favourable results from camp life, especially with regard to discipline and esprit de corps."... On his return from Livadia the Prince attended the manoeuvres before closing the camp, and noticed a very marked progress, especially on the occasion of the passage of the river Seret being forced.

The following year, 1870, Prince Charles demanded an even higher standard of efficiency at his inspections, as the troops had had ample time to become acquainted with their new drill and regulations. Though the spirit of the regulars and militia left little to be desired, the National Guard repeatedly proved their worthlessness and want of reliability, especially during the excitement of elections at Plojeschti, where the local National Guard had to be disbanded.

Some slight changes in organisation took place in April 1871, when the term of service with the colours was increased to four years. The Dorobanz and Frontier units were now formed into a Territorial Army, the infantry of which was now termed "Dorobanzi," and the cavalry "Calaraschi," the cavalry of the Line being named "Roschiori." The Fire Brigades, hitherto organised in companies and battalions, now formed part of the Territorial Army, and were trained as gunners.

Prince Charles made the acquaintance of Colonel Charles Gordon, who was then a member of the European Commission, on April 20, 1872. The conversation turned chiefly on military matters, particularly the great strategical value of Galatz, which Gordon declared could easily be made into a strong fortress, as its position between the Danube, the Prut, and the Seret would only render necessary works against the approaches from the north. Colonel Gordon created a most favourable impression upon the Prince, who showed the greatest interest in his many war services in the Crimea and in China.

A Roumanian military decoration for long and loyal service for officers was founded in June 1872, in silver for eighteen, and in gold for twenty-five years' service. The oval medal was to be worn with a blue ribbon, bordered with yellow. A similar medal in silver, to which a pension of 300 francs was added, was struck for the benefit of non-commissioned officers who had served as such with credit for twelve years.

Late in September 1872, 11,000 men were assembled in a bivouac at Baneassa, north of Bucharest, to take part in manoeuvres near Tirgoveschte. A series of engagements was practised over a deeply intersected and wooded country, and gave the artillery in particular an opportunity of distinguishing itself. At the close of the exercises Prince Charles presented the first medals for good conduct to a number of deserving non-commissioned officers.

In reply to the Prince's inquiry as to the best method of spending the 8,000,000 francs voted by the Chamber for either barracks or fortifications, Count von Moltke replied, in the spring of 1874, that he could not understand the Roumanian desire for a large standing army, as a peace strength of 10,000 men, to be increased to 25,000 men in war, would be ample, as their only task was to maintain order at home. Roumania was in the happy situation of not requiring an army at all, and could employ the vast sums which military establishments required elsewhere in furthering the progress of the country. "How happy should we be, if we were not forced to keep up so large an army, and could employ the hundreds of millions for other purposes!" He declared, on the other hand, that a Landwehr system would be of excellent service in educating and disciplining the nation.

A longer report from the General Staff advocated the contrary view: "In the event of a war with Turkey it would appear most suitable for the Roumanian army to concentrate at Bucharest or near the Danube, to oppose invasion at that point, and to stop or delay the hostile advance.

"Turkey will make use of the Varna-Rustchuk railway to effect the concentration of her forces, and will attempt to cross the Danube near Rustchuk, making Bucharest her first objective.... If the Roumanian army is assembled at the commencement of the war in a fortified camp near the Carpathians instead of near the Danube, it might easily happen that the enemy would seize the opportunity of raiding the exposed capital....

"It would be better to avoid delusion and the expenditure of large sums on projects from which the country can expect neither safety nor utility. The army is the support of the State, and in Roumania, where so many possibilities have to be considered, the training and care of the army is of paramount importance."

The manoeuvres of 1874 were attended by Russian, Austrian, Prussian, Servian, Dutch, and English officers. The First Division was to force the passage of the Buseu River and occupy the town of Buseu, which the Second Division was to defend. The leading of the troops on the first day, however, was not very satisfactory, and Prince Charles was forced to speak very plainly at the critique. But the operations of the following days gave great satisfaction, and Colonel Asis Bey remarked to Colonel Morris: "This is serious. I had not expected so much!" At the conclusion of the manoeuvres Prince Charles presented thirty-two colours and standards to various regiments, and afterwards reviewed the troops. Colonel Morris, in replying to a toast given at a gala-dinner the same evening, remarked: "All that I have seen of this young army has filled me with astonishment, and I shall report to my Government how Roumania has progressed." Prince Charles wrote his father the following account of the incident: "I thanked him for his praises, and said that, coming from the mouth of an Englishman, they possessed especial value, as his countrymen were in absolute ignorance of the state of our affairs.... The Turk remarked to the Englishman that it would be best to give Roumania her independence, and to conclude a treaty of alliance with it. Most significant!"

The threatening situation in Eastern Europe in October 1876 led to a partial concentration of the Roumanian army in anticipation of the mobilisation order, which it was felt could not be long delayed. Four Divisions were made up to their war strength to take part in manoeuvres, and at the same time to be ready to meet any eventuality. A report from the Minister of War showed that only 25,000 Peabody rifles with insufficient ammunition were available. Prince Charles wisely insisted that the First and Second Division should be armed with this rifle, and the Third and Fourth should receive the now practically obsolete needle-gun. The greatest activity prevailed in the War Office, and eight new Dorobanz Regiments of two battalions each were raised at once.

The unceasing care with which Prince Charles had watched the training of his army in peace was to bear its fruit in the great war which now ensued. The Roumanian troops proved that, though they lacked the glorious traditions of the older armies, they were fully their equals in discipline, courage, and endurance; and they more than justified the confidence which their Prince placed in them.