Chapter 203: Military Integration and Expansion
At the beginning of October, after a little over a month of sailing, Arthur successfully returned to the Federation capital of Sydney and resumed his busy political duties.
During Arthur's four-month absence, the majority of the political matters were handled by the Cabinet. However, there were still some important issues that required Arthur's review, as telegrams were not always entirely secure.
Fortunately, Australia's domestic situation was very stable at the moment, and most political matters were minor issues related to national development, which the Cabinet could easily manage.
This allowed Arthur to feel somewhat relieved, as the Cabinet members were all appointed by him and had no power to go against his orders.
After dealing with all political affairs, the elite German soldiers promised by Kaiser Wilhelm II finally arrived in Australia. These German soldiers would reside in Australia for a period of time, assisting in better training and expansion of the Australian military.
Yes, that's right. The Australian military was about to undergo another round of expansion.
In fact, this was inevitable. The current size of Australia's military was still too small. Even with the inclusion of New Zealand's 3,000 soldiers, the total number of troops only reached 28,000.
Such a military force was insufficient even within the Federation, let alone for overseas warfare.
After discussions between Arthur and the Ministry of Defense, the Australian and New Zealand Federal Ministries of Defense officially issued an announcement to the regions, declaring that the Federation would begin expanding its military. The number of recruits for this expansion was set at 35,000, and after completion, the total number of the Federation's military would reach 63,000.
Of course, the primary focus of this expansion was to increase the number of conventional divisions.
Two conventional divisions would be added, namely the 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the Federal Army.
These two divisions would follow the same organization as the previous 1st Division, consisting of three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, and one cavalry battalion per division, with each division totaling 16,000 men.
Thanks to the previous expansion of the 1st Division, which had recruited an additional 1,000 soldiers as veterans and reserve officers, there were now enough veterans and officers available for this military expansion.
After the expansion, Australia's regular forces would consist of three divisions totaling 48,000 soldiers, plus an additional 12,000 from the Guards division after one more regiment was added, along with over 3,000 troops stationed in the New Guinea colony (one regiment), bringing the total number to approximately 63,000.
To address the officer shortage caused by the expansion, Arthur had already initiated soldier training within the Australian military and had even set up small-scale officer schools to select and train potential officers from the pool of soldiers.
The announcement of the draft caused a huge stir throughout Australia and New Zealand, with recruitment centers across the country attracting large numbers of citizens eager to enlist.
Of course, although Australia's total population was only around 6 million, the requirements for this recruitment were still quite strict.
First, the recruits had to be legal citizens who had lived in Australia or New Zealand for at least five years.
Secondly, they must not have been involved in any criminal activities, and after passing a simple loyalty and patriotism test, they could officially sign up for the draft.
Of course, signing up did not guarantee selection. In addition to a background check, the new recruits had to undergo physical and ideological tests, ensuring both combat readiness and loyalty.
Australia's population had reached 4.91 million, making it one of the primary regions for this draft.
New Zealand's population, however, was only 1.1 million, and its draft quota was set at only 5,000 soldiers.
The New Guinea colony, with a population of over 40,000 residents, had no recruitment quota due to the unreliability of the indigenous population's loyalty.
From the moment the recruitment announcement was made, the recruitment centers across Australia were packed for over a month.
This recruitment was widely welcomed by the Federation's residents. After all, even ordinary soldiers in Australia's military enjoyed benefits that were rare in the country.
Australia's current per capita income had reached 35 Australian dollars, equivalent to just over 17 British pounds.
The average annual income of an Australian soldier was around 38 Australian dollars, not to mention the soldiers in the Guards division, whose annual income exceeded 45 Australian dollars.
This did not include holiday benefits and allowances, and if these were factored in, a regular soldier's annual income could exceed 40 Australian dollars.
This was one of the main reasons why Australia's repeated drafts had been welcomed by all.
Apart from Arthur's high reputation and popularity in Australia and New Zealand, the excellent treatment given to Australian soldiers was also an important factor in why people were eager to enlist.
Of course, in addition to the soldiers' daily welfare, the compensation for deceased and injured soldiers, as well as the pensions for their families, were also issues that Arthur and the Ministry of Defense paid great attention to.
The families of deceased soldiers generally received a one-time compensation equal to 50 times the per capita annual income of the region in which the soldier served. The government would also help fund the education of the soldier's children until they reached adulthood or graduated from high school.
Although this did not grant the children direct university admission rights, a high school diploma in those days was considered excellent.
Furthermore, during the annual university admissions, the children and families of deceased soldiers would often receive special treatment. Under equal conditions, they would be given priority consideration.
This meant that as long as one served as a soldier in the country, not only would they be well provided for during their service, but even if they were killed in action, their families would be compensated.
Such a comprehensive pension system was rare even in Europe, where the number of casualties from repeated wars was enormous. Even victorious countries could not afford such severe losses.
Let alone during the First and Second World Wars, when European countries experienced death tolls reaching the millions. If pension systems were fully implemented, it would bankrupt the country, which is why comprehensive pension systems were only properly established worldwide after World War II.
Australia's relatively complete pension system gave many soldiers peace of mind.
Of course, Australia's lack of a direct war threat was also a major factor. Apart from the occasional injuries during training, Australian soldiers currently faced no real dangers.
(End of Chapter)
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