ARMIES OP THE WORLD. The con dition of the great powers following the World War wrought an entirely differ ent status in the composition and forma tion of their armies. While there was a strong effort to incorporate in the cov enant of the League of Nations provi sions providing for practical disarma ment, it was found impossible to bring about this result, and the victorious na tions were left practically free to raise and equip armies, although the general principle was enunciated that the League had some sort of control which would prevent the creation of armies beyond the size required for national protec tion.
The composition and organization of the army of the United States is de scribed under the title MILITARY ORGANI ZATION OF THE UNITED STATES. Follow ing the close of hostilities the army of Great Britain was demobilized until it reached about 1,200,000 men, which in cluded about 200,000 volunteer regulars. These were distributed in Germany, India, and in the various British pos sessions. Following the ratification of peace, the army of the Rhine was re duced from ten to two divisions. The total reductions were about 600,000. The regular army of Great Britain was then composed of about 250,000 men. It was stated by British war officials that the size of the army would remain practi cally the same as before the beginning of the World War.
By the terms of the Treaty of Peace, the strength of the German army was established at a maximum of 100,000 men. Disturbances in Germany, how ever, in 1919 and 1920 called for a much larger military establishment. This was made up of various reserve forces, some of which were used as police in the vari ous cities. It was estimated on Jan.
1, 1920, that the German armed forces amounted to nearly 1,000,000 men, corn 1S—Vol. 1—Cyc posed of 400,000 regulars, 12,000 troops of the navy, 50,000 armed constabulary, from 150,000 to 200,000 temporary volun teers, and from 300,000 to 400,000 civic guards. See GERMANY.
While universal service was still main tained in France following the World War, its burdens were considerably lifted. It was proposed to reduce the army to a strength of 350,000 men, of whom 200, 000 were men doing compulsory service, 50,000 long-service men, 50,000 colonial troops, and 50,000 commissioned and non-commissioned officers. Conditions in Germany and in other parts of Europe made it impossible to carry out this plan in 1920, so that a much larger force was maintained during that year than was provided for by these plans.
From the conditions in Russia prevail ing in 1919 and 1920 it was impossible to arrive at any satisfactory estimate as to the size or composition of its armies. In Austria the army had practically ceased to exist. In the other countries of Europe the unsettled conditions made it necessary to maintain comparatively large armies. This was especially true in Poland, where active hostilities were carried on with Russia, and, in Italy, where disturbances threatened on ac count of the difficulties in settling the boundaries.
The composition and strength of the armies in the other important countries of the world will be found in the articles on those countries.