Departments Infantry Department The Infantry Department, which occupied a significant position in the central military organization, was divided into four branches in the 1890
Askerî Salname and into a correspondence office (
tahrirat kalemi) and four branches in the
1908 Devlet Salnamesi (State Yearbook). The administration of the department was chaired by a
Müşir and consisted of two
Birindji ferik and one
Ferik. Within the offices and branches of the Infantry Department, the staff included: • Two
Brigadier General (
Mirliva) • Two
Colonel (
Miralay) • Two
Lieutenant Colonel (
Kaymakam) • Two
Major (
Binbaşı) • One
Regimental Quartermaster (
Alay Emini) The department's aides-de-camp (
yaver) included officers at the ranks of one
Senior Captain (
Kol Aghassi), four
Captains (
Yüzbaşı), and three
Lieutenants (
Mülazım). In addition to the military ranks, civil servants served in the department with the following administrative grades: one
Ulâ, eight
Ulâ-i Sani, three
Mütemayiz, and five
Sâniye. The Infantry Department was responsible for all administrative procedures regarding the infantry, which formed the backbone of the
Ottoman Army. The department maintained the identification registers (
künye) of all infantry regiments, as well as the fire brigade and industrial regiments in
Dersaadet (Istanbul), including both officers and private soldiers. Its duties included managing the promotion and assignment processes of commanders (
ümerâ) and officers, maintaining their service registers (
sicil), preparing reports (
mazbata) for the awarding of officers or civil servants within the department for imperial submission, and executing these procedures upon the Sultan's decree. Furthermore, the department was tasked with examining the reports (
layiha) submitted by inspectors concerning the infantry branch and preparing subsequent evaluations. It was also responsible for the admission of applicants to the
Ottoman Military Academy and overseeing efforts to improve the training of existing students. Other responsibilities included reviewing books written on the infantry branch, recording submitted proposals, and examining reports regarding reforms in the uniforms, weaponry, and equipment of the infantry. The department prepared reform programs based on approved changes and implemented the decisions made by infantry commissions. Additionally, it monitored the application of existing laws during the recruitment process and oversaw the distribution of soldiers collected through the lottery system (
kura) into their respective classes. The department also managed the identification registers of commanders, officers, and soldiers of the
Redif (Reserve) and
Müstahfız (Home Guard) forces, conducting inspections and directing the necessary procedures for their mobilisation.
Cavalry Department The cavalry department, a key administrative body, was controlled by the General Staff, similar to the infantry department. The 1889
askerî salname shows that the department started with two branches, each managed by a ferik and a civilian. By 1908, the administrative framework had expanded to include a cavalry commission and two branches, staffed by two feriks and a high-ranking civil servant (
ula-i sani). A significant part of this department was the "
Çiftlikat-ı Hümayun", which managed various state-operated agricultural holdings. These included the Çifteler, Hamra, Sultan, Çukurova, and Veziriye farms. The Ottomans used these farms to meet the livestock needs of their cavalry. The department's personnel strength comprised a diverse mix of military and civilian ranks; specifically, its commissions and branches were staffed by one ferik, two
miralays, one
kaymakam, three
majors, two
kolağası, and a
captain, alongside several civil servants holding the ranks of
evvel-i sâniye,
sâniye, and
mütemayiz. The department's main administrative duty involved managing the detailed identification records, called '''künye',
for all personnel in the cavalry and remount units, from high-ranking officers (ümerâ'') to enlisted soldiers. Furthermore, the department was tasked with the oversight of trainees and personnel at the cavalry training institutions and the cavalry branch of the
Ottoman Military Academy. Its executive duties extended to the preparation of official reports regarding promotions, retirement plans, and military decorations for both civilian and uniformed members of the branch. These recommendations were forwarded to the
Serasker for assessment, and subsequent to the Sultan's issuance of imperial decrees, the department oversaw the ultimate implementation and documentation of these administrative measures. Furthermore, the department's purview encompassed logistics and procurement operations. It administered the operational accounts and animal breeding research of state-owned farms, thereby guaranteeing the availability of superior livestock for military applications. In the context of animal procurement, the department bore responsibility for upholding the integrity of the tendering process, thereby mitigating the potential for corruption. Additionally, it oversaw the supply of harnesses and related equipment for all military classes. In preparation for war or mobilisation, the department maintained detailed census records of privately owned animals to facilitate local requisitioning when necessary. The department's regulatory authority also included the vetting of training manuals and legal frameworks for both the regular (
Nizamiye) cavalry and the
Hamidiye light cavalry regiments. While the strategic importance of cavalry diminished during the late 19th century, the organisational structure persisted through the transition into the early 20th century. By the empire's final years, the cavalry force was reorganised into three primary divisions (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Cavalry Divisions), which largely replaced the earlier
Hamidiye formations after their 1910 dissolution. These modernised units were restructured into seven brigades and three independent regiments, primarily consisting of personnel recruited from Kurdish and rural Ottoman populations.
Artillery Department Following the administrative shifts necessitated by the
War of 1877–78, the Artillery Department underwent a significant reorganisation to centralise the management of the regular artillery corps. The department's executive leadership typically consisted of a
brigadier general serving as the director, supported by an administrative staff of two additional brigadier generals, a
major general, and a senior clerk. Structurally, the department was divided into two primary branches and a specialised clerical office. By 1908, the department's staffing reflected a hybrid military-civilian framework; its military personnel included a major general and a
lieutenant colonel, while the civilian bureaucracy was composed of eight officials across various ranks, including
mütemayiz (distinguished) and several second and third-class officials. The department was primarily responsible for the comprehensive personnel management of the artillery branch. This included maintaining identification registers (
künye) for all personnel, ranging from regimental commanders and commissioned officers to enlisted soldiers. Beyond record-keeping, the department oversaw legal and professional rights, such as promotions, reassignments, retirements, and the issuance of decorations for both uniformed and civilian staff. Furthermore, it maintained the administrative files for students and faculty at artillery training schools, as well as the specialised records for master gunsmiths (
tüfekçi ustaları) assigned to artillery regiments and battalions. Operational and logistical oversight also constituted a core mandate of the department. It was tasked with reviewing inspection reports and formulating strategic proposals based on these findings. During both peacetime and mobilisation, the department monitored the inventory of weaponry, ammunition, and technical equipment, collaborating closely with commissions affiliated with the Artillery Inspectorate. It managed the requisition ledgers for production needs and coordinated the distribution of ordnance to active field armies. Additionally, the department held the authority to inspect military stockpiles directly or appoint expert officers to conduct technical audits. Throughout these operations, the Artillery Department functioned under the direct jurisdictional authority of the
Chief of the General Staff.
Non-combatant branches Engineering Ottoman engineers had both offensive and defensive functions. They removed physical obstacles created by the enemy, repaired damaged bridges and facilities, and built bridges and other infrastructure to enable infantry operations. Engineers were also expected to create obstacles during retreats and to demolish infrastructure that could be used by the enemy. Each corps had an engineering battalion and each division had an engineering company.
Communication The communication branch was established in 1882. Its designation was 'telegraph battalion' and its main function was to operate telegraphs. In 1910, the telephone was added to its functions. In 1911, wireless stations were added to the unit. A direct line between
İzmir and Derne was established for the first time in 1911, during the
Italo-Turkish War. Beginning in 1912 with the Balkan Wars, every corp level unit had a 'telegraph battalion.'
Medical The medical branch does not have a precise date of origin. During 1908, the second constitutional period, its structure included doctors, surgeons, veterinarians, pharmacists, dentists, chemists, wound-dressers and nurses. They were organized by the Health Department of the
Ministry of War.
Military bands Since the early days of the Ottoman Army, each regiment has had its own band. In 1908, during the second constitutional period, there were 35 military bands in the capital. Each army had two bands. The “Imperial Band” (mızıka-i humayun) consisted of 90 musicians.
Hamidiye light cavalry The Hamidiye was the first trained and organized Kurdish force within the Ottoman army, created by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1892. It was modeled after the
Caucasian Cossack Regiments (i.e. the
Persian Cossack Brigade) and tasked to patrol the Russo-Ottoman frontier. Despite its military appearance, organization and potential, the Hamidiye was in no way a cross-tribal force. Cavalrymen quickly found out that they could only be tried through a military court-martial, and were immune to civil administration. Realizing their immunity, they turned their forces into what some historians describe as "legalized robber brigades" as they stole grain, harvested fields, drove off herds, and openly stole from shopkeepers. In 1908, after the overthrow of the Sultan, the Hamidiye Cavalry was disbanded as an organized force but, as they were “tribal forces” before official recognition, they stayed as “tribal forces” after dismemberment. The Hamidiye Cavalry is described as a military disappointment and a failure because of its contribution to tribal feuds. However, recent research by Hidayet Kara suggests that the Hamidiye units were not independent groups but were integrated into the regular army structure, remaining under the control of high-ranking officers and the general staff to ensure regional security and integrate tribal forces into the state mechanism. The decision to disband was made after the 1908 revolution and all of the units returned to their tribes by August 17, 1910. Militarily,
Ottoman General Staff stated conventional-style military discipline had always been a problem with these units. They were replaced by the reserve cavalry formations.
Paramilitary units The
Ottoman Gendarmerie was a unit which was sent on police duties among civilian populations. The Gendarmerie was a paramilitary unit because it was not included as part of the state's formal armed forces. It was established in 1903 and organized under infantry gendarmerie and the cavalry gendarmerie. The units were small, with the regiment being the largest. They were distributed across the administrative units under Valis. Their number changed with security needs. Historically, there was a Gendarmerie performing the same functions before 1903. Since the term Gendarmerie was found only in the Assignment Decrees published in the years following the
Edict of Gülhane of 1839, it is assumed that the Gendarmerie organization was founded after that year, but the exact date of 'unit foundation' is not that date. There is also a manual,
Asâkir-i Zaptiye Nizâmnâmesi, which was adopted on June 14, 1869, and is accepted as the foundation of the organization. After the
1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War, Ottoman grand vizier
Mehmed Said Pasha decided to establish a modern law enforcement organization, so a military mission was formed for the task. After the
Young Turk Revolution in 1908, the Gendarmerie achieved great successes, particularly in
Rumelia. In 1909, the Gendarmerie was affiliated with the Ministry of War and its name was changed to the Gendarmerie General Command (). During World War One, especially after the
Battle of Sarikamish, Gendarmerie units changed hands from Vali'es (a civilian authority) to the War Ministry (a military authority) to be a combatant branch. This change effectively made them combat units. == Organization ==