In Russia military service is universal and begins at the age of 20, continuing for twenty-three years.  There are three divisions of the Russian army—­the European, Caucasian and Asiatic armies.  Military service of the Russian consists of three years in the first line, fourteen years in the reserve (during which time he has to undergo two periods of training of six weeks each) and five years in the territorial reserve.  The Cossacks, however, hold their land by military tenure and are liable to serve at any time in the army.  They provide their own horses and accouterments.  The total strength of the Russian army is about 5,500,000 men; the field force of the European army consists of 1,000,000 soldiers with about the same number in the second line.  There were besides at the beginning of the war over 5,000,000 men unorganized but available for duty.

ARMY REORGANIZED RECENTLY

Since the disastrous war with Japan the Russian army has been reorganized and it has profited largely by the harsh experience of the Manchurian campaign.

The physique of the Russian infantryman is second to none in Europe.  The Russian “moujik” (peasant) is from childhood accustomed to cover long distances on foot, so that marches of from 30 to 40 miles are covered without fatigue by even the youngest recruits.  They wear long boots, which are made of excellent soft leather, so that sore feet were quite the exception even in Manchuria, where very long marches were undergone by many of the units.

Each regiment of infantry contains four battalions commanded by a major or lieutenant-colonel.  The battalion consists of four companies of men, commanded by a captain, so that each regiment on a war footing numbers upwards of 2,000 men.

The Russian cavalry is divided into two main categories.  There are the heavy regiments of the Guard, which consist mainly of Lancer regiments, and there are also numberless Cossack or irregular cavalry regiments, which are recruited chiefly from the districts of the River Don and the highlands of the Caucasus.

The horses of the Russian horse and field artillery are distinctly poor and very inferior to those of the cavalry.  The artillery is therefore somewhat slow in coming into action.  But the horses, while weedy-looking, are very hardy and pull the guns up steep gradients.  The Russian gunners prefer to take up “indirect” rather than “direct” positions.  Batteries are also rather slow in changing positions and in moving up in support of their infantry units.

THE RUSSIAN COSSACKS

What the Uhlans are to the German army, the Cossacks of the Don and the Caucasus are to the Russians—­scouts, advance guards and “covering” cavalry.  They are good all-round fighters, capable of long-continued effort and tireless in the saddle; they are also trained to fight in dismounted action.