Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Armour Plates" to "Arundel, Earls of"

government of India, led to important changes. The East India Company's white troops were amalgamated with the Queen's army, and the whole reorganized (see _Indian Army_ below). The fact that such difficulties as those of 1854 and 1857, not to speak of the disorders of 1848, had been surmounted by the weak army which remained over from the reductions of forty years, coupled with the instantaneous and effective rejoinder to the threats of the French colonels in 1859--the creation of the Volunteer Force--certainly lulled the nation and its representatives into a false sense of security. Thus the two obvious lessons of the German successes of 1866 and 1870--the power of a national army for offensive invasion, and the rapidity with which such an army when thoroughly organized could be moved--created the greatest sensation in England. The year 1870 is, therefore, of prime importance in the history of the regular forces of the crown. The strength of the home forces at different times between 1815 and 1870 is given as follows (Biddulph, _Lord Cardwell at the War Office_):-- +------+-----------------+--------------+-------------+ | | Regulars. | Auxiliaries. | Field Guns. | +------+-----------------+--------------+-------------+ | 1820 | 64,426 | 60,740 | 22 | | 1830 | 50,876 | 34,614 | 30 | | 1840 | 53,379 | 20,791 | 30 | | 1850 | 68,538 | 29,868 | 70 | | 1860 | 100,701 | 229,301 | 180 | | 1870 | 89,051 | 281,692 | 180 | | | (later 109,000) | | | +------+-----------------+--------------+-------------+