Nizam-ı Cedid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Nizam-ı Cedid (Ottoman Turkish language: New Order) was a series of reforms carried out by the Ottoman Empire sultan Selim III during the late eighteenth century in a drive to catch up militarily and politically with the Western Powers. The term later came to refer to the new regular army established under the reform program.
[edit] Conditions
Between 1829, to 1855 new army is constantly being improved under the sight of military advisors. The troops of the Nizam-ı Cedid corps were equipped with European-style uniforms and educated in European military strategy. The Sultan made sure that the campaign of 1829 against the Russians to be fought over again now, the result would be very different.
During 1895 a visitor defines the service as popular, and the troops were well paid. He says, The rations consist of meat, bread, rice, and vegetables in abundance every day. The military hospitals might serve as a pattern of cleanliness to the first armies of the world, and the medical officers were perfectly efficient, some of them having studied at European universities, others having become proficients in their art at the new medical college of Istanbul, and a few being foreigners. The health of the troops is consequently excellent; so much so, that on one occasion when 50 men out of 3450 were in hospital. One man in every seventy is no unusual occurrence in the hospitals of the British army. The Turkish clothing was excellent; it was strong and warm.
In their evolutions the Turkish soldiers are rapid, especially the cavalry and artillery, whose horses are excellent; but there may perhaps be some room for improvement in their steadiness. It has been remarked of late at Bucharest, where the Turkish and Russian armies of occupations have their headquarters, and are consequently often reviewed, that the latter were infinitely slower than the former, and that their light infantry drill was far inferior to that of the Turks, hut when moving in line or open column, time Russians, stiff as planks and dreading the lash, kept their distances and dressing somewhat better than the Turks. It may be added in illustration of the respective solicitude of the two armies for the health of the men, that, after one of these field days, three hundred Russians went to the hospital in consequence of exposure to time, sun, and one hundred and sixty of them died, while there has not been a single instance of the kind amongst the Turkish troops.
[edit] Footnote
- ↑ Section based on the article by THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE 1855.
