dirigible aircraft travelling outside the boundaries of an aircraft station without a licence for themselves and their pilots from the Office of the Reich for Air and Motor Craft may be declared con- fiscated by the Reich. (E. H.)
THE POST-WAR ARMY
In the chaos which followed the signing of the Armistice of Nov. ii 1918, the 228 divisions which then constituted the Ger- man army as known during the World War (see ARMY) either demobilized themselves or placed their services at the disposal of the more popular officers. In this way, the German Govern- ment was able to raise troops to oppose the Poles and to put down the Spartacist rising in Jan. 1919. The forces raised at first con- sisted of the following two categories: (i.) In the E., volunteer formations were raised for " Grenzschutz Ost " (frontier guard E.) in addition to the retention with the colours of the 4 youngest classes, (ii.) In the interior, the 1918 class and men of old army units who had no civil employment were combined into so-called Sicherheitstruppen formed from the old army units. In addition certain volunteer units of pronounced republican tendency were raised in Berlin.
The forces named under (ii.) proved so untrustworthy that the Government had to fall back on volunteer formations, which were raised during Jan. and Feb. 1919 by the personal exertions of well- known officers of the old army. These volunteer formations, differ- ing largely in military value, organization, methods of pay and recruiting, could only be regarded as a stop-gap, and in March the Reichswehrminister Noske obtained the consent of the National Assembly to the formation of a provisional Reichswehr, with linked Volkswehr units to be raised from the existing volunteer formations in the interior. The scheme for this new provisional army was promulgated in army orders of April 4, and was put into execution throughout the interior of Germany during April and May. The original scheme provided for 6 brigades on the higher and 12 on the lower establishment, giving a total of 177,000 men of the Reichswehr and linked Volkswehr in the interior; the main body of this force was organized from the volunteer formations stationed around Berlin under Gen. von Luttwitz and formed the Luttwitz Group.
The Sicherheitstruppen in the interior were disbanded or absorbed into the Reichswehr, and the remaining men of the younger classes were demobilized. Pay and organization of the various volunteer units and formations were regularized ; gradually the scattered volun- teer units and formations were transformed into Reichswehr bri- gades, and the former system of independent recruiting by units or commanders was transferred to the territorial army-corps districts.
The troops of Grenzschutz Ost, who were commanded by Hinden- burg, were at first not affected by this new reorganization, but from mid-May 1919 the volunteer formations in Grenzschutz Ost were gradually absorbed into the Reichswehr. All men of the younger classes retained compulsorily in Grenzschutz Ost were discharged by July 31 1919. By Sept. 1919 the German Reichswehr consisted of 43 mixed Reichswehr brigades. In addition, there were still some volunteer formations in the eastern provinces. The total strength was then about 320,000 men. After the ratification of the Peace Treaty on Jan. 10 1920, the period allowed for the reduction of the Reichswehr to 200,000 men was 3 months. Up to the time of the Spa Conference (June 21 1920), however, the German army still con- siderably exceeded this figure. By the terms of the agreement at Spa, Germany was obliged to reduce the Reichswehr to 150,000 men by Oct. I 1920 and to 100,000 men by Jan. I 1921.
Although the German forces were reduced to the figures laid down in the Peace Treaty, with a few minor exceptions, by Jan. I 1921, it was not until March 23 1921 that the law known as " Wehr- gesetz " was promulgated by the Federal President, abolishing universal military service in Germany and definitely fixing the estab- lishment of the new German army. By the terms of the new German Military Law the defence force (Wehrmacht) of the German Re- public is the Reichswehr. It consists of the Reichsheer and the Reichsmarine, which are composed of, and recruited from, volunteer soldiers and non-combatant military Beamten (officials).
The army (Reichsheer) consists of 100,000 men, including 4,000 officers and military officials of officer's rank. In addition to these there are 300 medical and 200 veterinary officers. The Federal President is the commander-in-chief of the Reichsheer. The ad- ministration of the Reichsheer is exercised by the parliamentary Reichswehrminister, assisted by the Reichswehr Ministry. The total number of officers employed in the Reichswehr Ministry in accord- ance with the Treaty of Versailles must not exceed 300. Under the Reichswehrminister the executive military command is exercised by a general, who is chief of the army command (Chef der Heeresleitung) , a title for which there is no British equivalent, 1 and the military ad- ministration is carried out by the chief of the army command,
1 The term " general staff," under the conditions of the Peace Treaty, is abolished. Practically, the chief of the army command exercises the functions of the former chief of the general staff.
corresponding practically to the quartermaster-general of the British army system. The quartermaster-general ranks as Under- secretary of State. The executive military command is carried out through two Gruppen Kommandos (Command Staffs) who are directly responsible to the chief of the army command. The ad- ministrative services of the divisions, however, are under the control of the Q.M.G. Each State of the German Federation may choose a Landeskommandant from amongst the commanders available in the State. The Landeskommandant is then confirmed in his position by the Federal President and is directly under the Reichswehrminister. The principal mission of the Landeskommandant is liaison between the Federal States and the Reichswehr Ministry. The German Reich is subdivided into 7 divisional districts. Each divisional district comprises 2 or more of the former army-corps districts. Each in- fantry division is commanded by a general officer, assisted by the commander of the infantry (Inf. Filhrer) and, by the commander of the artillery (Art. Fiihrer) and their staffs.
The composition of each infantry division is as follows: head- quarters; infantry H.Q. and 3 regiments of infantry; artillery H.Q. and one regiment of artillery; and, as divisional troops, one squadron of cavalry, one battalion of pioneers, one signal detachment (2 companies), one mechanical transport detachment (3 companies), one horse-transport detachment (4 companies), and one medical.
There are 3 infantry regiments in each division. Infantry regi- ments are numbered from I to 21, and are each composed of 3 bat- talions, one trench-mortar company, one depot battalion. The bat- talion has 3 infantry companies and one machine-gun company.
There is one artillery regiment in each division. Artillery regi- ments are numbered from I to 7, and consist each of 3 groups (of 3 batteries each). The pioneer battalion is composed of 2 pioneer companies, one pontoon detachment and one searchlight section.
Each cavalry division is commanded by a general officer, assisted by a divisional staff; the composition of the cavalry division is 6 cavalry regiments and one horse-artillery group (3 batteries). The cavalry regiment consists of 4 squadrons and one depot squad- ron. Cavalry regiments are numbered I to 18.
The divisional troops in each branch are numbered from I to 7 according to the division to which they belong.
Armaments and Equipment. According to the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and subsequent decisions by the Commission of Control in Berlin, the following scale of arms was authorized for the Reichsheer: Rifles (1898 pattern), 156,080; carbines, 18,000; short pistols, 50,000; machine-guns (light), 1,418; machine-guns (heavy), 828; field guns, 7-7-cm., 204; light field howitzers, lo-5-cm., 84. An arsenal reserve of 4 % on the above figures was allowed by the Peace Treaty.
Military Schools. According to the Treaty of Versailles the Reichsheer is allowed to maintain one military school per arm. These schools were in 1921 located as follows : Infantry, Munich; Cavalry, Hanover; Artillery, Jilterbog; Pioneers, Munich; Farriers, Hanover. Physical training and sports receive special attention and encourage- ment in the Reichsheer.
The uniform of the Reichsheer is the standard field-grey uniform. The tunic is universal ; breeches are worn by the infantry with ankle boots and puttees, and by mounted troops with knee boots. The head-dress is, for field service, a steel helmet or a grey field-service cap with cloth cockade and soft peak; otherwise a stiff service cap with cockade of the Reich surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, above which is placed a cockade of the state to which the unit be- longs. (The helmet and shako of the imperial army have been abol- ished.) The colour of the piping on the collar of the tunic and on the cap and the colour of the piping and of the numerals on the shoulder strap denote the arm to which the individual belongs: infantry, white; cavalry, yellow; artillery, red; pioneers, black; signal troops, brown; trains, light blue. The former badges of rank of the imperial army, worn on the shoulder straps, have been restored to the officers of the Reichsheer, but the latter are now of dull and silver lace for junior officers, of intertwined gold and silver for field officers, and of gold lace for general officers. (X.)
THE NAVY
The German navy law of 1900 proposed that the navy should consist of: (i) the battle fleet, composed of 2 fleet flagships, 4 squadrons of 8 battleships each, 5 armoured cruisers, 24 light cruisers; (2) ships for foreign waters, comprising 3 armoured cruisers, 10 light cruisers; (3) and, as reserve ships, 4 battle- ships, 3 armoured cruisers, 4 light cruisers. Torpedo-boats and vessels for special purposes were to be added to the establishment year by year as necessity should arise. The Reichstag passed the law, except for the omission of the ships for foreign waters. During the succeeding years, in compliance with this Drogramme, new ships were constructed, obsolete types replaced, dockyards, harbours and coast defences built, the Kiel canal widened and deepened, the personnel increased, the organization of the higher commands extended, etc. The Navy Law was afterwards sup- plemented as regards particular points, to meet the requirements
