World War I
The Balance of Power
On the eve of war the German army, drawing on a reserve of 4.3 million trained men, who were organised in 25 army corps compromising 87 infantry and 11 cavalry divisions. There front-line army was supported by 32 highly capable reserve divisions.
The German cavalry, diluted with light infantry to increase firepower, proved a disappointment in the opening phases of the war, as did the field artillery, with its standard equipment of the obsolescent 3" gun. The great strength of German artillery lay in its heavy guns for use in the field, particularly the 5.9" howitzer. The polyglot army of Germany's Australian-Hungarian ally, with its 49 infantry divisions and 11 of cavalry, was more of a liability than an asset. Over 50% of its troops were Slavs, Czechs and Italians; men whose natural sympathies lay with Austria's enemies rather than the dual monarchy. This was a main factor behind some of the most spectacular Austrian collapses of the war.
The German cavalry, diluted with light infantry to increase firepower, proved a disappointment in the opening phases of the war, as did the field artillery, with its standard equipment of the obsolescent 3" gun. The great strength of German artillery lay in its heavy guns for use in the field, particularly the 5.9" howitzer. The polyglot army of Germany's Australian-Hungarian ally, with its 49 infantry divisions and 11 of cavalry, was more of a liability than an asset. Over 50% of its troops were Slavs, Czechs and Italians; men whose natural sympathies lay with Austria's enemies rather than the dual monarchy. This was a main factor behind some of the most spectacular Austrian collapses of the war.
When mobilised, the Russians would field 114 infantry and 36 cavalry divisions, known as the legendary 'steamroller'. Although much had been done to revive it following the humiliating defeat by Japan in 1905, the Russian army remained poorly equipped, with reserves of ammunition and rifles in short supply, desperately short of competent officers at the lower levels and riddled with corruption at the top of their hierachy.
The French army had made a remarkable recovery from the utter ruin of 1871 to field 75 infantry and 10 cavalry from divisions infused with the doctrine of all-out attack developed after the disaster of the Franco-Prussion war. Symbolic of this spirit was the infantries retention of conspicuous red trousers and heavy, dark blue coats. They were not replaced by the 'horizon blue' uniforms until 1915.
The British, from their small regular army supplied 6 infantry divisions and 1 and a half of cavalry for the Expenditionary Force to France. Compared with its European counterparts, the BEF was lavishly motorized, its 75'000 men supported by 1'485 motor vehicles of all kinds. The cavalry had useful mounted infantry training. The artillery lack of heavy guns was balanced by the excellent 18-pounder field gun. However, the army contained few officers with any notable experience of commanding large formations of men.