Roch Thayer

Roch Thayer
Roch Thayer in 2030, overseeing the annual Gesapsgel Military Parade
Director of the Direction Unie des Affaires Militaires
Incumbent
Assumed office 2014
Deputy	N/A
Preceded by	Marceau Marchand
Personal details
Born	(1954-02-10)February 10, 1954 (age 80, as of early 2034) Gesapsgel, Arcadie
Political party	N/A
Alma mater	Gesapsgel College of Governance (graduation circa 1972)
Military service
Allegiance	République Autonome d’Arcadie
Branch/service	Arcadie People's Ground Defense Force
Years of service	46 (starting in 1988)
Rank	Général de Corps d'Armée
Unit	7 Corps d'Armée

Roch Valérian Thayer (born the 10th of Feburary, 1954) is an Arcadie politician and military officer who has served as the Director of the Direction Unie des Affaires Militaires (United Directorate of Military Affairs) since 2014. Rising to the rank of an Army Corps General, he would be chosen as the replacement for Marceau Marchand after his retirement, becoming the grey eminence behind several governments, including most overtly the ongoing Villeneuve Government. His period of control of the Unie des Affaires has been noted for an increase in hostile rhetoric towards Meridon and Anagonia, and a corresponding increase in attempts at mutual collaboration with Jin Yi and Kaskaida. The recent exercises taking place between Arcadie and Kaskaida have been directly traced to his efforts.

Thayer voluntarily joined the newly formed Arcadie People's Ground Defense Force shortly after the end of his college schooling, following his failure to gain a direct role in the recently formed foreign ministry. He would play a large role in the post-Vaillant reforms of such, and was rapidly put into positions of power due to his connections amongst the higher powers of the reformed military. He would be competent in his role as a corps commander, and in the internal politicking necessary to retain such a role. Following the retirement of Marceau Marchand, he would be appointed as the new Director of the Unie des Affaires, gaining firm control over many aspects of foreign and domestic policy in the process.

He would prove instrumental in the survival of the state in the wake of the Syndical Incident - organizing the execution of the supporters of Maxamillien Chaput and the exile of the man in question abroad.

Early Life

Thayer was born to a staunch Nesterist family in Gesapsgel, the son of an officer and a former nun with two siblings. He was active in several student's unions in his early life, protesting the state-backed crackdowns against unions and other civilian structures by the collapsing Republic d'Arcadie. He would be noted, even as a child, to be dour and prone to backstabbing or acts directed towards self-benefit. He completed three years of volunteerism instead of agreeing to be conscripted, citing religious and political values.

His father encouraged debate and political discussion amongst his family, and as such Thayer developed some level of rhetorical skill despite his lack of classical or political education. He would also become interested in poetry to an extent, although none of his works were deemed particularly impressive, and he would keep such as a minor hobby in his life instead of pursuing the field further.

College

Thayer would enter the Gesapsgel College of Governance shortly before the establishment of the Autonome, being involved in several student protests hosted on the campus and being a staunch supporter of the nascent state. He would be involved in the organizing of several union movements in the region around him. Graduating two years before the Red Winter, he would be involved in street fighting during the conflicts in the city itself, and would lose his right hand's pinkie during such.

He would publish several theses during his time in college, on topics such as foreign and domestic policy, international relations, and the need for the presence of Nesterist figures in the Autonomist movement. The latter would get him in some trouble with other figures of organization, but he would publicly avow these statements in a play to gain more political power.

Career

Attempt at joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Thayer would attempt to join the MFA shortly after his graduation from college, submitting himself to the post-revolutionary entrance exam for the service - and being rejected soundly due to his inability to pass a hypothetical test on how to engage in activity against Seuria. Cited reasons were "a poor understanding of modern issues in the region", a "profoundly myopic view" of the effects of a conflict on Arcadie's resources in the long term, and a "lack of effort put into determining the process of reconstruction following a war, or the process of how to integrate captured regions". This rejection was profoundly shocking to Thayer, who has continued to insist it was due to purposeful lying back the test takers to insult his modern activities.

Following his rejection, he would move to join the military.

Director of the Unie des Affaires

Janvier Government

Thayer would be severely opposed to the Janvier government - and agitated severely for its dissolution following the appointment of Janvier after the death of Thibault. When this was refused, he would rapidly begin to conspire against Janvier, organizing a "Military vote of no-confidence" which would be enacted following Janvier's attempt at organizing a summit for establishing closer relations between Meridon and Arcadie through nuclear disarmament. Janvier would be arrested by soldiers, and executed without trial on charges of fraud and betrayal of the nation.

Thayer would be directly involved in the appointing of the militant Beaufort, owing to the close relations the two had as a result of Beaufort being a former subordinate of Thayer.