Army Reforms of 1910
Army Reforms of 1910
Army Corps were introduced,with three divisions per corps compared with the European standard of two divisions.Implemented in January 1911.
Divisions-Turkey was the first country to adopt the Triangular division of three regiments.Previous a Square division of two brigades,four regiments in total was in existence..Divisions went from 16 battalions down to 9 battalions.Division numbers with this reorganisation(and reduction in battalions per division) increased from 21 square divisions in 1908 to 42 triangular divisions in 1911.Only the 42nd Infantry Division in Libya retained four regiments by late 1911.
Armies were reduced from seven to four-the 1st Army Constantinople,the 2nd Army in the Balkans(with operational control over Syria,Palestine),the 3rd Army Caucasus,the 4th Army Mesopotamia.
Redif(Reserve) Corps were formed as well.In time of war,regular cavalry,artillery would be allocated to them.The previous first and second Redif were combined into one single class Redif system.Redif divisions continued to remain not numbered but named after the locale they were formed from.
The Hamidiye Tribal Cavalry(64 regiments) was dissolved,reformed into Aisiret Light Cavalry under direct Army control.
Divisions-Turkey was the first country to adopt the Triangular division of three regiments.Previous a Square division of two brigades,four regiments in total was in existence..Divisions went from 16 battalions down to 9 battalions.Division numbers with this reorganisation(and reduction in battalions per division) increased from 21 square divisions in 1908 to 42 triangular divisions in 1911.Only the 42nd Infantry Division in Libya retained four regiments by late 1911.
Armies were reduced from seven to four-the 1st Army Constantinople,the 2nd Army in the Balkans(with operational control over Syria,Palestine),the 3rd Army Caucasus,the 4th Army Mesopotamia.
Redif(Reserve) Corps were formed as well.In time of war,regular cavalry,artillery would be allocated to them.The previous first and second Redif were combined into one single class Redif system.Redif divisions continued to remain not numbered but named after the locale they were formed from.
The Hamidiye Tribal Cavalry(64 regiments) was dissolved,reformed into Aisiret Light Cavalry under direct Army control.
The reduction of field armies from to four was actually accepting the reality. Because field armies of the Arab provinces were very weak in comparison to other such as 3rd Army of Macedonia. 5th, 6th and 7th armies were more administrative posts than the military ones in which commanding generals were usually the governor of the province at the same time.
Independent divisions or corps were created to fill the vacuum after the reduction and their commanding generals this time became the governors!
Independent divisions or corps were created to fill the vacuum after the reduction and their commanding generals this time became the governors!
In December 1913 Izzet Pasha introduced post Balkan War reforms.The Redif(Reserve) formations were eliminated.In April 1914 the Rifle battalions and regiments were dissolved by Enver Pasha.
Rifle units discussed here:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=118851
Rifle units discussed here:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=118851
Artillery Divisions phased out:
Erickson,Defeat in Detail,page 52Prior to 1910 all field artillery was concentrated in massive artillery divisions containing up to twelve artillery battalions.These artillery divisions were directly under the control of the army commander,who would employ them either en masse or parceled out to his subordinate divisions,according to the tactical situation.