With the Italian wars of the early i 6th century came the devel opment of the regular army (see ARMY). Discipline, the feeling of comradeship and soldierly honour were the qualities which marked out the Spanish army as the model for others to follow, and for more than a century the Spanish army maintained its prestige as the first in Europe. The oldest regiments of the pres ent Spanish army claiming descent from the tercios date from 1535. An officer whose regiment was reduced commonly took a pike in some other corps (e.g., Tilly), the senor soldado was counted as a gentleman, and his wife and family received state allowances. Nor was this army open only to Spaniards. Walloons, Italians, Burgundians and other nationalities ruled over by the Habsburgs all contributed their quotas. But the career of the old army came to an end at Rocroi (1643), and after this the forces began more and more to conform to the French model.
There were never less than three Irish regiments in the army. In 18°8 the Irlanda, Ultonia (=Ulster) and Hibernia regiments had come to consist largely of native soldiers. At that time the total forces numbered 137,000 men, but the part played by the Spanish standing army in the Peninsular War was certainly insig nificant relatively to these figures. But the result of this war and the continued civil wars of the f 9th century was the destruction of the old army, and the present army of Spain still bears traces of the confusion out of which it arose. In 1870, when conscription was introduced, and in 1872, universal service was proposed in its place. (X.) Recruitment and Service.—Recruiting is on a national basis and military service, to which liability is universal, must be per formed in person, with certain postponements for family, residen tial or educational reasons. Reduction of the period of service with the colours to nine months is permitted for those who can afford to pay for the privilege. The compulsory system is supple mented by volunteering between the ages of 18 and 2 1, the age at which compulsion is applied. Military service is for 18 years.
Recruits spend two years with the colours. Of about 47,800 re cruits in 1927, about 38,700 were posted to the combatant arms, including 83o to the air force.
The organization in the peninsula is in 16 mixed divisions, and the Balearic and Canary Islands each have an infantry brigade with garrison troops of the other arms in addition. The largest cavalry
formation is the brigade, of which there are five in the mixed divisions, which vary in their composition.
Auxiliary forces include civil guards, carabiniers, etc., in the towns of the Morocco Protectorate. The military air force in Morocco contains workshops, 3 groups of reconnaissance flights at Tetuan, Melilla and Larache, and a hydroplane base with two sea-plane flights at Melilla.
The training centres for officers include a staff college, central musketry school, riding school, army medical academy and schools for infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers and administrative (sup ply and transport) officers. There is also a central physical train ing school. Non-commissioned officers of 3 years service are given special facilities for obtaining commissions through the military academies. Points for special notice are the embodiment of heavy tank units in the artillery, in Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla areas), the light tank units with the infantry (Larache and Melilla areas) and the employment of motor transport in Africa, specially in the engineer, transport and medical services, and for wireless telegraphy. Reliance is placed upon fortifications, mostly of old type, for defence of the principal harbours and naval bases.