Russian Army Improvements
New Rules and Regulations Adopted, Many of them German
Berlin Dispatch to the London Times
9 September 1881
In the last six months many improvements have been made in the Russian Army, which are as follows: The regulations for the mode of fighting for infantry have been drawn up to meet the exigencies of modern warfare in so far as greater efforts will be made to perfect each individual foot soldier in skirmishing drill, and more time will be bestowed on sharpshooting practice. In all these changes the rules and regulations of the German infantry have been followed by the Russian military authorities, for it has been determined that squares are no longer to be formed by infantry to resist cavalry attacks. New regulations for cavalry drill, which are to supersede those which have been in vogue since 1869, have also been published, fixing once and for all that there shall no longer exist any difference between the different branches of this arm.
The rules adopted in Germany for the employment of independent cavalry divisions have also been closely imitated in these new regulations, which contain, among others, the provision that horse soldiers are also to be well drilled in skirmishing and sharpshooting practice, in order to be able to make extensive reconnoitering raids without the support of infantry. New regulations have also been published for the employment of field artillery in connection with other troops, whereby it is hoped that the mistakes made by the Russian commanders in the last Turco-Russian war will be avoided. Finally, very important rules have been elaborated for the training of recruits, by which it is believed a more uniform perfection will be attained in the Russian Army. As the Russian Army has been so rapidly augmented during the last few years, it has been found necessary to make some attempts to supply the want of good non-commissioned officers. This is all the more necessary, as but a very few of the non-commissioned officers are willing to stay with their regiments after their term of service. The Russian War Office has, indeed, tried to amend this state of affairs by fixing the term of service at five instead of four years; this measure has, however, had the pernicious effect of reducing the number of recruits available for each year from 235,000 to 195,000 men.
The rules adopted in Germany for the employment of independent cavalry divisions have also been closely imitated in these new regulations, which contain, among others, the provision that horse soldiers are also to be well drilled in skirmishing and sharpshooting practice, in order to be able to make extensive reconnoitering raids without the support of infantry. New regulations have also been published for the employment of field artillery in connection with other troops, whereby it is hoped that the mistakes made by the Russian commanders in the last Turco-Russian war will be avoided. Finally, very important rules have been elaborated for the training of recruits, by which it is believed a more uniform perfection will be attained in the Russian Army. As the Russian Army has been so rapidly augmented during the last few years, it has been found necessary to make some attempts to supply the want of good non-commissioned officers. This is all the more necessary, as but a very few of the non-commissioned officers are willing to stay with their regiments after their term of service. The Russian War Office has, indeed, tried to amend this state of affairs by fixing the term of service at five instead of four years; this measure has, however, had the pernicious effect of reducing the number of recruits available for each year from 235,000 to 195,000 men.