Constituted on the principle of Universal Conscription, the land forces of Italy are formed, similarly to those of the German Empire, into a Standing Army, a Landwehr (Milizia mobile), and a Landsturm (Milizia territoriale).
Terms of Service.
The liability to serve commences with the twentieth year, and continues till the thirty-ninth. It consists of eight years in the Standing Army (three with the Colours and five in the Reserve); four years in the Landwehr, and seven years in the Landsturm. Those who have been exempted from service by ballot are sent straight to the Landsturm for nineteen years.
When the young men attain the age rendering them liable to serve, those physically unfit are “cast,” and some are put back who are ill or excused for domestic reasons. The remainder of the men draw lots and are placed according to their lottery number in the 1st or 2nd class, those excused being placed in the 3rd class. The 1st class conscripts are distributed throughout the Standing Army. The 2nd class go through three months’ training, to form an Ersatz (or reinforcing) Reserve, and the 3rd class men are called out every four years for a few days at a time for instruction in the use and manipulation of their arms.
The Standing Army consists accordingly of eight yearly batches of the 1st class and eight of the 2nd class; the Landwehr of four yearly batches of men who have served their time in the Standing Army, and four batches of the 2nd class; and the Landsturm comprises seven batches of the 1st, seven of the 2nd, and nineteen of the 3rd class.
Infantry.
The Infantry of the Standing Army consists of 96 regiments (including 2 Grenadier regiments), each of 3 battalions and 1 Ersatz company. Besides these, there are the special Corps d’Élite, the Bersaglieri (“marksmen”—from bersaglia = a target), and the Alpini (Alpine Rifles).
Bersagliere of the African Contingent.