Assessing the Romanian Army: A Review of the Ottoman Military Attaché’s Report in Bucharest (1891)
Assessing the Romanian Army: A Review of the Ottoman Military Attaché’s Report in Bucharest (1891)

Summary/Abstract: The 19th century witnessed a rapid surge in technological advancements, particularly in the fields of communication and transportation. These innovations revolutionized the temporal and spatial dimensions of military operations by enabling the swift acquisition and dissemination of previously restricted technical and tactical information. As a response to this change, one of the predominant methods for gathering intelligence on the armed forces of foreign nations was the appointment of military attachés. This study aims to examine an important military attaché report, specifically focused on the Romanian army in 1891. The report was prepared by Hafız Şevket Bey, the Ottoman attaché in Bucharest. This comprehensive report offers detailed information on the organization of the Romanian army, with particular emphasis on the reforms implemented in 1891. This article aims to reveal the administrative and military organization of the Kingdom of Romania by focusing on the recruitment procedures, armament, and the composition and roles of various army units, including infantry, cavalry, artillery, combat service support, and the navy within the contextual framework provided by Hafız Şevket Bey.

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