Infantry.
The Infantry of the Active Army comprises 102 regiments, each of 4 Field and 1 Ersatz battalions; the latter is in peace-time represented by a cadre only. The 4th Field battalions, so-called “Mobile” battalions, have mostly a stronger peace-establishment than the others, and are used to garrison Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the Sanjak of Novi-Bazar; i.e. they are completely separated from their regiments.
Officer of Infantry
(Marching Order).
The Rifles comprise the Tyrolese Rifle Regiment of 10 Active and 2 Ersatz battalions, and 32 independent battalions of Rifles, each of 4 Field and 1 Ersatz companies.
The Infantry has (since 1868) laid aside its historical white uniform, and is now clothed in dark blue tunics or loose jackets, and light blue trousers, the latter in the Hungarian regiments being ornamented with embroidery and fitting like tights. The Hungarian regiments wear lace-boots, the remainder Wellingtons. The usual head-dress is the fatigue-cap, and, on great occasions, the shako. The Rifles are dressed in blue-grey.
After 1866 the Austrian Infantry was armed with an excellent breech-loader, the Werndl rifle. Since the German Infantry have attained a certain moral superiority by being armed with a magazine-rifle, the authorities have introduced a magazine-rifle for the Infantry and Rifles.
So quickly has the work of manufacturing and issuing them proceeded, that by the autumn of this year (1890) it is expected that they will all be thus armed, and will have overtaken the German Infantry. The new Austrian magazine-rifle, called after its inventor, Colonel Männlicher, is of ·315-inch bore, and can fire 30 to 40 shots in the minute.
Austria possesses an excellent Rifle Regiment in the Tyrolese, the so-called Emperor Rifles, mentioned above, which is composed of men accustomed from their youth up to the use of the rifle. They are recruited in the Tyrol and Vorarlberg.