BELGIUM.
Belgium also is not one of the warlike States. She has, however, often served as a theatre of war for other nations, and her neutrality has not been always duly respected. She must therefore possess an Army, if only to watch her frontiers, and to prevent her total dependence on the will of other Powers. Her Army is, however, not numerous, and is considerably behindhand both in organisation and training.
Officer of Grenadiers. (Belgium.)
Terms of Service.
Conscripts are chosen by ballot at the yearly so-called “Appels,” but this is easily evaded by either paying a substitute, or by paying an exemption of £64, in consideration of which the Government provides a substitute of its own finding.
Organisation.
The Belgian Army is formed as follows:
The Infantry numbers 4 Divisions, or 9 Brigades of 2 or 3 regiments each, i.e.:
| 1 | Regiment of Carbineers. |
| 1 | Regiment of Grenadiers. |
| 3 | Regiments of Rifles. |
| 14 | Regiments of Infantry of the Line. |
The Carbineer Regiment consists of 4 Active and 2 Depôt battalions; the remainder of 3 Active and 1 Depôt battalions, the latter being only skeleton battalions. This makes altogether 58 Active and 20 Depôt battalions.
The Cavalry numbers 2 Divisions of 2 brigades of 2 regiments each, i.e.:—
| 2 | Regiments of Light Dragoons. |
| 2 | Regiments of Guides (similar to Hussars), and |
| 4 | Regiments of Lancers, |
each regiment numbering 4 Active and 1 Depôt squadrons—Grand total, 8 regiments, forming 32 Active and 8 Depôt squadrons.
Officer of Carbineers. (Belgium.)
Artillery—4 Regiments Field Artillery, consisting of 30 Field, 4 Horse and 6 Reserve batteries. The Reserve batteries are skeleton ones and have no guns. The remainder have 6 guns each—total, 34 batteries with 204 guns, besides 3 regiments of Siege Artillery, each of 16 Siege, 1 Reserve, and 1 Depôt batteries.
Engineers—1 Regiment of 3 battalions, and 5 companies for special work, i.e., pontooning, railway, telegraph, pyrotechnic and general trades.
Train—1 Battalion of 6 companies.
Strength of Army.
The whole peace-strength numbers about 45,000 men, with 204 guns. Both Dutch and Belgian Infantry are armed with single breech-loaders, the Beaumont and Albini rifles respectively, and there seems no present intention of introducing magazine-rifles.
The Belgian Army is clothed chiefly according to the French model; the tall bearskins of the Grenadiers and Guides are peculiar and striking.
Both Holland and Belgium will have to follow the example of other nations in adopting strict universal conscription. It will be only when this is accomplished that their Armies will represent the armed strength of the nation and satisfy the demands made on a National Army.
Belgium.
