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TACTICS OF THE THREE ARMS.* 
BY 
CAPT. T. J. KOCH, K.A. 
There is so much in this volume that will commend itself to the 
respect of all who delight in exact reasoning, that I think it will be 
welcomed by the great majority of those of my brother officers into 
whose hands it may happen to fall. 
There often appears a disposition to treat the science of Tactics as 
one for which, as exact hard and fast rules are impossible, it is best 
not to attempt exact reasoning at all. With this view M. Mazel is at 
direct variance. He attacks each branch of his subject ah initio; 
and—where mathematics offer their aid towards the solution of any 
problem—he does not scruple to invoke their assistance. 
In the following brief notice it is impossible to do more than point 
out the principal features of a book which only requires to be read to 
be appreciated. 
M. Mazel is unable to resist the temptation of wandering at the 
commencement into a totally useless dissertation on Tactics in the 
abstract. In the course of a few pages he contrives to complicate the 
simple question, “ What are Tactics ? ” by an endless number of 
definitions and subdivisions, which are many of them weak, and all of 
them irritating. In like manner, the question of how far a discussion 
involving Tactics may go, without infringing on discipline, is one 
which would possibly be interesting to the Editor of the XIXtJi Century , 
but scarcely to our readers, who will no doubt be glad when at 
Chapter II., the real subject of the book is at length reached. 
The salient feature of the book is that the modern order of battle 
must be a far more extended one than is laid down in the French 
regulations on the subject. 
I make no apology for taking the three arms in the same order of 
precedence as does M. Mazel, viz., Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry. If 
our readers are inclined to object to the place assigned to their own 
branch, I must refer them to our author for an explanation. 
Starting then with the Infantry, as being the arm upon which 
depends the extent of front occupied by an army, M. Mazel adopts 
an entirely original method of treatment in dealing with the subject. 
His object is to so dispose of his men, that at the critical period of 
an Infantry engagement—whether attack or defence—every rifle shall 
be in use, and every man shall have room to use his rifle freely. 
The first point then to determine, is how many rifles will there be 
* La Tactique cles trois Armes, par G, Mazel. 
