Military schools and courses of instruction in the science and art of war, / in France, Prussia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Sardinia, England, and the United States. Drawn from recent official reports and documents. Revised Edition

by Unknown

The supernumeraries comprise 40 officers attached for a year, 20 for duty with the staff generally, the remainder for surveying; 34 surveyors who are only employed during about five months in each year, and 41 draughtsmen.

The pay of the permanent staff amounts to 206,150 thalers, or 30,922l. 10s., the material expenses being 62,250 thalers, or 9,339l. 10s. Of this latter sum about two-thirds is required for office and surveying expenses; 17,000 thalers, or 2,550l., are allowed for the annual journeys of instruction undertaken by the staff, and 3,000 thalers, or 450l., for allowances to officers traveling for scientific or professional purposes.

The actual sum disbursed for office and surveying purposes is 47,450 thalers, or 7,417l. 10s., of which 7,000 thalers, or 1,050l., are recovered by the sale of maps and works published by the staff, 2,000 thalers, or 300l., being derived from the profits of the bi-weekly military paper, “Militair Wochen Blatt.”

Besides the duties already mentioned, the staff at head-quarters undertakes:

1. The training of officers for staff purposes. To this end young officers who have passed the prescribed three years at the Military Academy, “Kriegs Akademie,” are attached for a year to the different sections, where they are required to draw up reports on strategical and tactical questions, critical reports on the military events of past eras, descriptions of the ground embraced in military operations, and of the military organization of foreign countries. These essays, when of special value, are laid before the chief of the staff.

2. The preparation of printed reports on foreign armies, which are distributed to the staff officers employed elsewhere.

3. The contribution of papers on professional subjects to the “Militair Wochen Blatt,” or military paper.

This publication, which appears twice a week, was formerly edited in the office of the staff, but has lately been in the hands of a responsible editor, a colonel on half-pay, who stands, however, in intimate connection with the office. The contribution required from the staff is twenty sheets of printed matter annually from the various departments, a much larger amount being furnished, from which the chief selects what he considers suitable for publication.

4. Military tours of instruction, for which a sum of 2,550l. is annually granted.