The Turkish military forces would be of great importance if they joined the coalition of Central European Powers or its opponents.

The regular peace establishment of the Turkish army amounts to 275,000 men.  In the year 1910 there were three divisions of it: 

I. The Active Army (Nizam): 

Infantry              133,000
Cavalry                26,000
Artillery              43,000
Pioneers                4,500
Special troops          7,500
Train formations        3,000
Mechanics               3,000

A total, that is, of 220,000 men.

2.  The Redif (militia) cadres, composed of infantry, 25,000 men.  Within this limit, according to the Redif law, men are enlisted in turns for short trainings.

3.  Officers in the Nizam and Redif troops, military employes, officials, and others, more than 30,000.

The entire war strength of the Turkish army amounts to 700,000 men.  We need only to take into consideration the troops from Europe, Anatolia, Armenia, and Syria.  All these troops even are not available in a European theatre of war.  On the other hand, the “Mustafiz” may be regarded as an “extraordinary reinforcement”; this is usually raised for local protection or the maintenance of quiet and order in the interior.  To raise 30,000 or 40,000 men of this militia in Europe is the simplest process.  From the high military qualities of the Turkish soldiers, the Turkish army must be regarded as a very important actor.  Turkey thus is a very valuable ally to whichever party she joins.

The smaller Balkan States are also able to put considerable armies into the field.

Montenegro can put 40,000 to 45,000 men into the field, with 104 cannons and 44 machine guns, besides 11 weak reserve battalions for frontier and home duties.

Servia is supposed to have an army 28,000 strong on a peace footing; this figure is seldom reached, and sinks in winter to 10,000 men.  The war establishment consists of 250,000 men, comprising about 165,000 rifles, 5,500 sabres, 432 field and mountain guns (108 batteries of 4 guns); besides this there are 6 heavy batteries of 4 to 6 cannons and 228 machine guns available.  Lastly come the reserve formations (third line), so that in all some 305,000 men can be raised, exclusive of the militia, an uncertain quantity.

The Bulgarian army has a peace establishment of 59,820 men.  It is not known how they are distributed among the various branches of the service.  On a war footing an army of 330,000 is raised, including infantry at a strength of 230,000 rifles, with 884 cannons, 232 machine guns, and 6,500 sabres.  The entire army, inclusive of the reserves and national militia, which latter is only available for home service and comprises men from forty-one to forty-six years of age, is said to be 400,000 strong.

Rumania, which occupies a peculiar position politically, forms a power in herself.  There is in Rumania, besides the troops who according to their time of service are permanently with the colours, a militia cavalry called “Calarashi” (intelligent young yeomen on good horses of their own), whose units serve intermittently for short periods.