Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1874 — The Armies of Europe. [ARTICLE]

The Armies of Europe.

A German paper publishes a statement concerning the increase that has taken place in the armies of Europe, since 1859. The forces of Austria have, it says, increased by 222,580, and amount at present to 856,980 men; Russia has augmented her armies, which now number 1,519,810 men, by 295,660.: Italy counts. 287,550 more soldiers than in 1859, and her present aggregate military strength is 705,200 men; the German Empire can summon to the field 1,201,160 men, an increase of 464,360 since the abolition of the old Federal Constitution. The French army, 977,660 strong, is greater by 337,100 than that maintained by Louis Napoleon, and under the new organization is steadily increasing. Great Britain, including volunteers, has added 233,020 to the total of her land forces, which now include 478,820 men. The Swedish army of 204,510 has been augmented by 159,610; the Belgian army of 93,590 by 13,340; and the Dutch array of 64,320 by 5,770 men. Denmark alone lias diminished her war power, her present army of 48,700 being less by 8,850 men than in 1859. These figures bring outthe startling conclusions that the additions to these armies during the last fifteen years amount to no less than 1,889,890 men, and that the number of soldiers of all descriptions at present at the disposal of the different governments of Europe shows a grand total of 6,110,690. Iu the Austrian army to every 1,000 combatant foot soldiers there are 103 cavalry and four field guns; in the European army of Russia, 178 eavalry and four guns: in the army of Asia, 910 horsemen and three guns; in the Italian army, fiftyseven cavalry and three guns; in the German, 117 cavalry and three guns; in the French. 119 and five guns; in the English, 188 and four guns.