PART VII.
NORWAY, SWEDEN AND DENMARK.
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MILITARY SYSTEM AND EDUCATION IN SWEDEN.
I. MILITARY SYSTEM.
The Swedish army is composed, according to official data in Martin’s Year Book, of five distinct classes of troops, viz.:
1. The _Indelta_, or national militia, paid and kept, not by the Government, but by the landowners, and, to some extent, from the income of State domains expressly reserved for this purpose. Every soldier of the _Indelta_ has, besides a small annual pay, his _torp_, or cottage, with a piece of ground attached, which remains his own during the whole period of service, often extending over forty years, or even longer. In time of peace, the troops of the _Indelta_ are not called up for more than a month’s annual practice, and for the rest of the year are free from military duty. In time of war, an extraordinary _Indelta_ has to be raised by landowners, who, on this account, enjoy certain privileges, including non-contribution to the cost of the peace establishment. When the soldier dies, his widow turns over the holding to his successor, whom the owner of the land is bound to provide within three months. In the location of the officers, regard is had to the situation of the men who compose the company, regiment, and larger divisions.
2. The _Beväring_, or conscription troops, drawn by annual levy, from the male population between the age of 20 and 25 years. The law of conscription, which admits the right of purchasing substitutes, was introduced into Sweden in 1812. About 19,000 men are drafted annually, one-tenth of which number, on the average, find substitutes for themselves, at a cost of from 10_l._ to 25_l._
3. The _Värfvade_, or enlisted troops, to which belong the royal life-guards, the hussars, the engineers, and the artillery. The men may engage for either three, or six, or twelve years; but the greater number are for six years, peculiar inducements being held out for this term.
4. The volunteers, first organized in the year 1861, by the spontaneous desire of the population of the kingdom. In time of peace the volunteers are individually free, and bound by no other but their own rules and regulations: but in time of war they may be compelled to place themselves under the command of the military authorities.
5. The militia of Gothland, consisting of twenty-one companies of infantry, organized in a similar manner to the _Indelta_, yet quite independent of the latter. They are not compelled by law to serve beyond the confines of the Isle of Gothland, and have a separate command from the other troops.
The armed forces of Sweden, not counting the Volunteers, consist altogether of--
_Indelta_, 33,405 rank and file. _Beväring_, 95,295 “ “ _Värfvade_, 7,692 “ “ Militia of Gothland, 7,921 “ “ ------- Total, 144,313
In the organization of the army, as here enumerated, 85,000 men belong to the infantry of the line; 6,000 to the cavalry; 5,000 to the artillery, and the rest to the irregular militia. The number of volunteers was returned at 40,848 in 1869, but about one-third of these formed part also of the _Indelta_. In the parliamentary session of 1862, and again in the sessions of 1865 and 1869, the Government brought bills before the Diet for a reorganization of the whole of the army, on the basis of extending the conscription, reforming the _Indelta_, and doing away, to a great extent, with the _Värfvade_. But neither of these propositions was adopted by the representatives of the people, whose habits are not easily set aside.
_Navy._
The Navy of Sweden was reorganized in 1866-67, being divided into two distinct parts; the first to serve as an ordinary fleet of war for aggressive as well as defensive purposes, and the second stationary, and solely devoted to coast defense. It consisted in 1869 of--
6 Iron-clads, of 638 horse-power, and 10 guns. 21 Unarmored steamers, of 2,810 horse-power and 127 “ 16 Sailing vessels, with 376 “ 158 Gunboats and floating batteries, 551 “ ----- Total, 201 vessels, of 3,458 horse-power 1,064 guns.
The iron-clads are built after the American model; one a turret ship, called the “John Ericsson,” is partly covered with steel armor. There were 6,453 sailors and marines in active service, and 28,000 men were on furlough or attached to the fleet of reserve and coast defense.
The expenditure for the army in 1869 was 9,528,600 _riks dalers_, and for the navy 3,963,800. The indebtedness of the state is about $41,000,000, mostly contracted in aid of a system of railways.
MILITARY SYSTEM AND EDUCATION IN NORWAY.
I. MILITARY SYSTEM.
The armed forces of Norway, as organized by law in 1866, consisted in 1869 of the following:
1. The regular army, with reserve, raised partly by conscription and partly by enlistment, which must never exceed 12,000 men in time of peace, and can not be increased above 18,000 men without the special consent of the Storthing. The average number in time of peace for ten years past, is about 6,000. The term of service is seven years, but the men are on duty only 42 days in the first year, and this past, they are sent home on furloughs, with an obligation to meet for annual practice of 24 days during the following six years.
2. The Militia or _Landvaern_, which consists of all able-bodied male citizens 18 years of age, who for three years must, at stated periods, be trained in the use of arms and field exercises, and at the end of this time, be enrolled in
3. The final Levy, or _Landstorm_, where he is liable to be called out in time of war, until he is 45 years of age.
The normal strength of the armed forces of Norway in 1869 was returned at 47,714 on a peace footing, and 112,225 on a war footing, and required an appropriation of 1,215,500 _specie dalers_, making the cost of the Norwegian soldier (on the average of 6,000 men under arms), $155 per annum.
The King has permission to keep a guard of Norwegian volunteers, and to transfer, for the purposes of common military exercises, 3,000 men annually to Sweden; otherwise a soldier of Norway can not set foot in Sweden; or one of Sweden, in Norway.
The naval force consists of 20 vessels, of 2,280 horse-power, and 168 guns, manned by 2,248 sailors, who are volunteers out of 60,000 men in the maritime conscription, which includes all seafaring men of the seaports, between the ages of 22 and 35.
Three of the vessels are iron-clad monitors.
In order to utilize the vessels of the navy they are attached to the postal service, and are employed in carrying the mails and passengers, under a special minister, charged with the mail service. The navy and post service cost in 1869, 1,172,815 _speciedalers_.
MILITARY SYSTEM AND EDUCATION IN DENMARK.
I. MILITARY SYSTEM.
The armed forces of Denmark as organized in 1870, consists of--
1. The Regular or active army, and--2. The army of Reserve.
By the law of 1867, every male citizen who has completed the age of 21, is liable to service for eight years in the former, and to be enrolled ready for special call for eight years more in the latter.
The Kingdom is divided into five territorial brigades, and each brigade in four territorial battalions, in such way that no town except the capital, will belong to more than one battalion. Each territorial brigade furnishes the contingent of a brigade of infantry and one regiment of cavalry. The artillery contingent is furnished, one half by the two first territorial brigades, and the second half by the three other divisions. The forces therefrom comprise 20 battalions of infantry of the line, with 10 depot battalions and 10 of reserve; 5 regiments of cavalry, each with 2 squadrons active, and 2 depots; and 2 regiments of artillery, in 12 battalions. The total strength of the army, exclusive of the reserve, is 36,782 rank and file, with 1,068 officers, on the peace footing, and 47,725 men, and 1,328 officers on the war footing. About one half of the enrolled regular army are usually on furlough. The drilling is divided into two periods; the first lasts six months for the infantry; five months for the field artillery and the engineers; nine months and two weeks for the cavalry; and four months for the siege artillery and the technic corps. Each corps must drill each year during thirty to forty days.
The navy comprises the following vessels, all steamers:
Six _iron-clads_, with an aggregate of 2,455 horse-power, and with 65 guns--two of which are turreted, armed each with two of Armstrong rifled cannon; 12 _unarmored vessels_ of 1,820 horse-power, and with 192 guns; 7 gun-boats of 480 horse-power and 38 guns; 6 paddle-steamers, of 1,060 horse-power and 38 guns. The navy in 1869 was manned by 901 men, and officered by 15 commanders, 34 captains, and 67 lieutenants.
The budget for 1869 provided 3,783,978 _rigsdalers_ for the army, and 1,676,681 for the navy.
[Erratum for Part VII: