The spirit of insubordination was even more rife amongst the National Guard, as the following incident will show. Prince Charles ordered the National Guard of Bucharest to assemble at the parade-ground of Cotroceni on July 2, 1866. The President of the Ministry reported to the Prince the day before that the National Guard would refuse to muster as ordered, as a rumour had gained currency that they were to be disarmed on account of their party tendencies. They intended, therefore, to parade before the Chamber, and invoke the protection of the Deputies against such a step. The Prince, however, refused to change his order, and insisted upon its execution. On arriving at Cotroceni the following day, he found that only a couple of hundred men had assembled there. An aide-de-camp was at once despatched to Bucharest to enforce the order, whilst Prince Charles set himself at the head of those present and marched with bands playing into the capital. Companies then appeared from all sides, until some three thousand men were collected on the Theatre Square. The Guard then marched past and cheered their Sovereign again and again, though their behaviour had given him every reason to consider them an element of danger rather than of safety to the State.
The projected army reforms were hampered at every turn by the want of money; on one occasion the Prince was even obliged to advance money out of his private purse for the purchase of two batteries of rifled guns from Krupp's factory.
The strength of the army, which the Sublime Porte had limited to 30,000 men, was to be organised into a standing force of 20,000 with a reserve of 10,000 men; whilst a Militia of 30,000 and a Landsturm of 50,000 were to be instituted. Every Roumanian who was fit for service was liable to serve from the ages of twenty to forty in one or the other category. Though the total number of men available thus amounted to over 100,000, the great bulk remained untrained, and of very little value for service in the field. The frequent reviews and inspections which Prince Charles initiated proved that the troops lacked cohesion, and their officers the ability to lead their men in accordance with the principles of modern warfare.
The first attempt at practical and systematic manœuvres for the Roumanian troops took place near Cotroceni on October 14 and 15, 1867, when the garrison of Bucharest, consisting of five battalions, three batteries of four guns each, and one regiment of cavalry, practised the three phases of an engagement. The operations were directed by the Prince in person, who also bivouacked with his troops after a march of about twenty-two miles. The march back to Bucharest the following day gave an opportunity for skirmishing and manœuvring. Before entering the town Prince Charles assembled the superior officers, and pointed out the great want of training displayed, and how much remained to be done before the army could be fit to take the field; he did not, however, forget to mention that the officers had hitherto had but little opportunity to practise themselves in leading their men, and none at all in handling a force of the three arms at manœuvres.
On the occasion of these first manœuvres a number of officers received special promotion, but considerable excitement was caused by this step, as two of them were not on the best of terms with the Ministry. The Minister of War also complained that his opinion was not asked before the promotions took place. Prince Charles, however, exercised the right of promotion intentionally in order to make good several cases of injustice which had arisen from party feeling. The effect of this independent action on the army was excellent, as it was clearly seen that from henceforth the army would not be affected by the influence of the political party of the day.
The rifle selected by Prince Charles for the rearmament of his infantry was the celebrated needle-gun of Prussia, 5000 of which were to be delivered in March 1868, to be followed by another 15,000 during the course of the year. The ready aid offered by King William to Prince Charles was promptly recognised by the Roumanians: "The Prussians have sent us their best, whilst the French send us what they have cast off."
Even in the matter of uniform the Prince insisted rather on utility than show. The heavy gold lace of the officers was abolished; the infantry received blue tunics (the artillery brown tunics), grey trousers, and greatcoats; the cavalry were clothed as Hussars instead of as Lancers.
The degrading corporal punishment of the bastinado was abolished by a letter from Prince Charles to the Minister of War, dated May 21, 1868, and published in the official Moniteur. Prince Charles retorted to the increasing interference of the foreign Powers in Roumanian affairs with a redoubled zeal for the improvement of his army, and hoped to raise the feeling of military honour among his troops by abolishing so barbarous a punishment.
Another organisation for the army was passed by the Chamber on June 13, 1868, according to which the following five classes were to be created for the defence of the country:
(1) The Standing Army and its Reserve.