The British Isles were divided into seventy county districts or military areas: each area was allotted an infantry regiment comprising two regular or line battalions and militia battalions – later to be termed ‘territorial’ battalions. The idea was that one regular battalion remained at home and recruited reinforcements both for itself and the other regular battalion, which would meanwhile be serving overseas. The militia battalions were made up of part-time soldiers, and their purpose was to give support to the regular units in case of war breaking out. With the Cardwell Reforms of 1881 came the linking of senior and junior regiments as 1st and 2nd battalions – a move which again caused considerable resentment: for example, the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders could not tolerate being known as other than the 93rd Highlanders, or by the nickname gained at Balaclava, ‘The Thin Red Line’. Viscount Cardwell, Secretary for War under Gladstone, also introduced many other great reforms or the Army in dress, Colours, short-service and eservist systems, and the abolition of the purchase of commissions.
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