"How big were the 'other' European armies in the 1890s?" Topic

Alas, my Googliness has let me down, so I hope the keen minds of TMP can help me.

I have figures for the size of the French, German, Russian and British armies in the 1890s, but can anyone help with the size of some of the 'lesser' powers?

Italy, Belgium, Portugal etc?

I'd be very grateful for numbers / references for these.

All the best,

Would you believe I have a book from 1891 about the armies of Europe that has all the info you want? It inspired me to paint up Portuguese, Swiss, Danes etc for an 1891 campaign years ago. Photos of them on parade here:
link

I don't have access to my book right now but maybe in the next week or two I'll be able to post the info you need (if other knowledgeable TMPers don't beat me to it).

Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
link
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk

Correlates of war national military capabilities dataset has absolute manpower numbers for mst states in 1816-2008 period

Chris – that would be great

KTravlos – I will search for that

All the best

Here, just be aware that there are difference between peace-time and mobilized strengths.

link

With Respect
KTravlos

Italy was one of the 6 greats military powers, the 4 very bigs (Russia France Germany Austria) plus Italy and Turkey and Great Britain reaching the group but thanks to the Indian Army

after them Spain as 8th military power, ~130 000men

Rumania 51 436
Belgium 51 127
Netherlands ~40 000 (+34 134 East Indies)
Sweden 39 671 & Norway 12 000
Denmark 42 950
Bulgaria 35 660
Portugal 34 971 (+~10 000 Overseas)
Greece 28 224
Serbia 21 000

Swiss 127 973

Luxembourg 175men Coy of Volunteers, 137 Coy of Gendarmes
Montenegro no permanent army, only 100men as guards and gendarmes
Monaco 75 Guards and 44 Carabiniers (Gendarmes)
Andorra no army
San Marino (militia 988men)

of course for 1891 peacetime armies, their wartime strenghts are theoric…

my post doesn't seem to appear…3rd attempt:

Italy was one of the 6 greats military powers, the 4 very bigs military powers (Russia France Germany Austria) plus Italy and Turkey and Great Britain reaching the group but thanks to the Indian Army

after them Spain as 8th military power, ~130 000men

Rumania 51 436
Belgium 51 127
Netherlands ~40 000 (+34 134 East Indies)
Sweden 39 671 & Norway 12 000
Denmark 42 950
Bulgaria 35 660
Portugal 34 971 (+~10 000 Overseas)
Greece 28 224
Serbia 21 000

Switzerland 127 973

Luxembourg 175men Coy of Volunteers, 137 Coy of Gendarmes
Montenegro no permanent army, only 100men as guards and gendarmes
Monaco 75 Guards and 44 Carabiniers (Gendarmes)
Andorra no army
San Marino (militia 988men)

of course for 1891 peacetime armies, their wartime strenghts are theoric…

I don't think the British or any of the other powers (Very big or not) considered the British armed forces as an "also ran" on the power chart. When you add the Royal Navy and the Command of the sea, they were the greatest military power. Despite Bismarck's comments about arresting them if they came ashore on the German coast.

Lilian

Thanks very much indeed.

OK, as promised I am about to start posting info about lesser European armies in the 1890s. My source is rather pleasingly an ex-War Office Library copy of:

"The Armies of Europe Illustrated"
Translated and revised by Count Gleichen, Grenadier Guards,
From the German of Fedor von Koeppen.
Illustrated by Richard Knoetel.
London: William Clowes & Sons, Ltd
1890

I'm going to do a separate thread and post for each country as it may take a while to get through them all.

Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
link
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk