Note 1 — PART III. MILITARY SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS IN AUSTRIA.

The following account is translated from “Die Kaiserlich-Königlichen Militär-Bildungs-Anstalten, mit besonderer Rücksicht auf die Vorschriften für den Eintritt in dieselben, Zusammengestellt aus den allerhöchst sanctionirten Reglements der Militär-Bildungs-Anstalten. Wien, 1854.” (The Imperial Military Institutions for Education, with special reference to the conditions required for admission, compiled from the regulations sanctioned by His Majesty. Vienna, 1854)

2 Techniche (technical) is the original word. Compare its use in another matter; there are in the Artillery two services, the ordinary Campaigning Artillery and the Technical Artillery.

3 Frequentanten, who frequent, attend, or visit the school.

4 Stiftlinge, foundationers, and Zahlende, paying pupils, the first, divided into, (1.) Militär-Ararial foundationers, who are, as a rule, sons of Soldiers and Officers, and are maintained at the expense of the Military Treasury, the Arar, or Ærarium; (2.) Provincial foundationers, who are maintained by the interest of lands or money granted in favor of young men belonging to some particular province, Bohemia, Gallicia, the Tyrol, Upper or Lower Austria, either by the Central Government (the State,) or by the Estates or Parliament (Stände) of the province; (3.) Private foundationers, under which name are included not only those maintained by moneys left by private individuals, but those also whose payments come from grants made by municipal and local corporations.

5 The Ober-Militär Commando, or Commandership-in-chief, the Fourth Section of which has the charge of Military Education. Commando is the German word corresponding to Commander, as Ministry does to Minister, and may signify one or more persons, a single Officer, or a Board of Commissioners.

6 Making a total of 1,620, to which may be added about 80, reserved for Frequentanten from the School Companies.

7 The interest, that is, will be allowed to accumulate, until a sufficient sum is provided to pay for the maintenance of a pupil.

8 Such as exist in most large towns.

9 There are four Armies; the First in the west, with its head-quarters at Vienna; the Second in Italy, with its head-quarters at Verona; and two others in the eastern provinces. Each of these is divided into a certain number of Army Corps. The particulars may be seen in Schematismus or Military Calendar, and briefly in the Almanach de Gotha.

10 In those parts of the Empire, namely, in the so-called Military Frontiers, the old Turkish border, where the government is simply military.

11 The Governor or Lord Lieutenant (the Statthalter) is the ordinary representative of the Emperor in the various provinces composing the Empire. In his hands resides the usual administration of the government. The provinces have also their ancient Estates or Parliaments, Standing Committees of which might, under certain circumstances, sit at times when the Estates were not assembled.

12 Small allowances, e.g. of 8l. for three years, are very generally made to the widows of officers, and occasionally to officers themselves, to assist them in securing a decent education for their children.

13 Thus, it will be seen, all candidates appointed to the Military places in the schools are examined three times over by a medical officer. Where the State does not pay, in the case of provincial or private foundations, or of paying pupils, the same amount of precaution is not thought necessary.

14 The difficulties of traveling appear to be considered in Austria too great to allow of any examination (competitive or otherwise) before the candidates provisionally admitted actually arrive at the school to which they are appointed; if ill qualified, they are dismissed with the Chance of a second trial.

15 Will be assentirt, will take the oath. They are considered old enough for this at sixteen.

16 Even clothes and shoes being made by soldiers; a considerable number of soldiers were found thus employed, for example, at the Artillery Academy at Olmütz, under the superintendence of a master workman, bearing a non-commissioned grade, that of a prima-planist, for whom, see a Note further on.

17 Militär Rechnungs Branche.

18 Monturs Commission, charged with the duty of providing arms, clothing, &c., for the army. There are several establishments in various parts of the Empire. One of the largest is at Stockerau, near Vienna.

19 Into a Siechen-haus, a hospital for incurable cases; or an Invaliden-haus, for Invalídes.

20 A pupil who was removed from the Academy at Wiener Neustadt might, for example, enter the army as a simple Cadet, under the patronage of the Colonel of a regiment, and might, but for this rule, receive rapid promotion, and become the senior in rank of his comrades of the same year at the School. In like manner, a pupil removed from a Cadet Institution and transferred into a School Company, might, upon leaving that, under certain circumstances, outstrip his late comrades at the Cadet Institution.

21 That is, all the pupils are of military or quasi-military birth, and the expense is borne by the State. Both these and the Upper Military Houses are to be reduced, it is said, to ten.

22 The whole body (Mannschaft) of soldiers bearing arms (Feuergewehrstand.)

23 Marriage of the first degree is that entered into with full permission. In this the wives live in the barracks, receive a certain amount of rations, their children are recognized, and in case of the father’s death are admitted into the Orphan Schools. Soldiers are, however, occasionally allowed to marry, on condition of surrendering every claim to the above-mentioned privileges. This constitutes marriage of the second degree.

24 The Trabanten-Leibgarde and the Hofburgwache are Court troops. For the Monturs Commission, see a previous Note.

25 Soldiers enlist for eight years, and after this to the end of the tenth year are on the Reserve.

26 That is, belonging to the Hospitals or Hotels des Invalides, the Invaliden-häuser, of which there are several.

27 Prima-planists, a name derived from prima plana, the first leaf of the list, is given to soldiers employed in various special duties, especially perhaps those not of a strictly military kind. The master tailors, master shoemakers, master farriers, are all prima-planisten. The surgeon’s assistant ranks as such. The grade is superior to that of sergeant, but those who hold it are excluded from promotion to a commission.

28 This is a frequent phrase (mit dem Degen dienende) for active service.

29 Feldwebel, Sergeant; qua Feldwebel, Honorary Sergeant, with the title and distinction in the uniform, but without the pay.

30 Stock-fechten, or staff-fencing; a sort of military single-stick, the staff used resembling a musket and bayonet in one piece, all of wood.

31 Truppen-Officiere.

32 For service on the Lower Danube, the Po, and the Italian Lakes and Lagoons.

33 Both for service in the Fleet and in the Coast Defenses.

34 Technische, Technical or Artificer Companies.

35 Zöglinge and Frequentanten.

36 The Mannschaft-stand is a term used to mean the whole body of Private Soldiers and Non-commissioned Officers.

37 The Non-commissioned Officers in the Austrian service rank as follows:—

In the Infantry, Corporal, and Sergeant (Feldwebel:)

In the Cavalry, Corporal, and Wachtmeister:

In the Artillery, Corporal, and Feuerwerker:

But there are distinctions in addition. A private soldier who is exempted from certain duties, e.g. from standing sentry, bears the name of Gefreite, or Exempt, in the Infantry and in the Engineers; the corresponding rank to which in the Artillery is an Upper Cannoneer (Ober-Canonier,) and in the Pioneers, an Upper Pioneer (Ober-Pionier.) These are in no case Non-commissioned Officers, though in the way to become so. There are also Vice-Corporals (Lance Corporals,) with the badge but without the pay of Sergeants, and qua Feldwebels or Honorary Sergeants, with the badge but without the pay of Sergeants.

38 The Austrian foot or shoe (schuh) of 12 inches (zoll) is a little longer than the English: 80 Austrian make 83 English.

39 Manipulation. See the account of the visits to the School Companies.

40 This includes pontooning.

41 Cadets in a regiment, i.e. candidates for a commission, like those appointed on the nomination of the colonels.

42 Because of the large number of Bohemians in the Artillery.

43 Pontooning being included in the duties of the Pioneers.

44 The Marine Infantry do not serve like our Marines on board ship, but only on the coast. The Marine Artillery and the Engineering pupils (Maschinen-lehrlinge) serve on board.

45 For the Outfit Department (Monturs Commission,) see a previous Note. The business of the Remounting Department or Remounting Establishments (Remontirungs Anstalten) is to supply the cavalry with horses. There are several of these great establishments for buying and breeding horses; the largest of all is in Gallicia.

46 Auditoriat.—There is an Auditor or Military Judge in each regiment. He has passed through his course as a law student, and declared for this branch. In every province there is a central department. These law officials rise through all the grades from Lieutenant up to General.

47 One of the marks of superior rank is the amount granted for allowances, for which there is a carefully graduated scale.

48 In the School Companies there are two different sets of Scholars, those who have come from the Houses of Education or from private schools, and those who attend after two years’ service in the Army. These are frequentanten in the School Companies, but all alike, who come from the School Companies, are frequentanten in the Academies.

49 It appears, however, that a transfer of pupils, for example, from the Engineers’ Academy to Wiener Neustadt, in consequence of incapacity for Mathematics, is allowed at a later standing. After passing a year at Znaim, a young man may enter the second year’s course at Neustadt.

50 The wishes of the parents are, of course, consulted in the case of paying pupils, but it is said that their consent is very generally given.

51 The Law of Nations as it exists de facto without consideration of its principles.

52 This is at present, in point of fact, omitted for want of time.

53 The Artillery is recruited very largely from Bohemia and Moravia. A knowledge of the Bohemian language (which is pretty nearly the same as Moravian) is therefore essential for an Officer in the command of Artillerymen.

54 Literally, “as Frigate-Ensign, or Second Lieutenant of the second class,” the former being in rank the same as the latter. The order of rank is,—

Captain of a Man-of-War equal to a Colonel in the Army.

“ of a Frigate “ Lieutenant Colonel ditto.

“ of a Corvette “ Major ditto.

Lieutenant of a Man-of-War “ First Captain ditto.

“ of a Frigate “ Second Captain ditto.

Ensign in a Man-of-War “ First Lieutenant ditto.

Ensign in a Frigate “ Second Lieutenant ditto.

In the Corps of Naval Architecture the ordinary military titles are used.

55 The Higher Adjutantur or the Aide-de-Camp Department.

56 See Ante, p 412-441.

57 It may be desirable to give some specimens, taken from the official account of the school, of the questions put at the examinations for admission,

I. Viva voce.

1. Mathematics:—

Give an explanation of geometrical series, and a proof of the general formula.

How is the circumference and area of a circle determined? How are the trigonometrical functions of the different quadrants of the circle indicated?

2. Geography:—

What is meant by the backbone of Europe? What states does it pass through?

The source of the Elbe; its principal feeders?

3. History:—

Describe generally the wars of Charles V.

The political consequences of the Battle of Leipzig.

4. Arms and Munitions:—

What is the material of sword blades? how are they made and proved?

How are gun carriages made for field and siege guns?

What kinds of hollow shot are used in the Austrian artillery, and on what do their effects depend?

5. Field and Permanent Fortification:—

How is a trench made?

How is a parapet built?

What does a front of fortification consist of? what is the disposition of the several lines? what parts protect the principal rampart? what is the form of the flanks? and how is the main ditch made?

What is meant by detached works? where are they placed?

What are the best arrangements for the successful defense of a fortress?

6. Pioneer Service:—

How are two beams of the same dimensions fastened together in the same direction?

How are suspension bridges put up?

7. Rules for Drill and Exercise:—

(a.) Infantry.

Wheeling during a march.

Forming of close battalion column.

(b.) Cavalry.

Marching in files and fours.

Forming line from the flank to the front and rear.

(c.) Artillery.

Intervals and distances in a battery.

II. Paper Work.

In Mathematics:—

1. Prove that in every triangle the square of the one side is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides, less twice the product of these two, multiplied by the cosine of the angle they inclose.

2. If the hypothenuse is 33, and one angle 25° 48’ 12”, find the other angle and the perpendicular, &c.

58 The following shows the nature of the Report presented by the examiners upon an Officer examined for admission. It is called the Prüfungs-Act, and is sent into the Supreme War Department, that is, to the Fourth Section.

Form No. I. gives the name, age, rank, and length of service of the Candidate (Lieut. R. H.)

Form No. II.:—a. Oral Examination.

1. Mathematics, Very good.

2. Geography, Very good.

3. History, Very good, knowledge thorough, statements logical.

4. Arms and Munitions, Excellent; acquainted with the very details.

5. Field and Permanent Fortification, Both satisfactory.

6. Pioneer Service, Very good.

7. Drill and Exercise Rules—

Infantry, Very good.

Cavalry, Not thorough.

Artillery, Good.

8. Manœuvring, Excellent.

9. French, Translates without difficulty from French into German, and German into French. Not much practice in speaking.

10. National languages, Speaks good Bohemian.

b. Paper Work—

1. Mathematics, &c. &c.

c. Accomplishments—

Writing.

Military Drawing.

Remarks.—Lieutenant R. H. is a pupil of the Neustadt Academy, of much natural talent, and quick apprehension. His way of expressing himself is quick and logical, and shows a clear head. He has a fair military bearing, and prepossessing appearance. He gives every hope of proving a useful Officer of the Staff, and deserves admission into the War School.

Form No. III. gives the questions actually put, as in the note on the preceding page.

(Signed) . . . . . .