Themiclesian Marine Corps (according to November Magazine)

Themiclesian Marine Corps
房冗人, bjang-njung-njing
Emblem of the Themiclesian Marines
Founded	1318
Current form	1880
Service branches	Naval infantry Naval aviation (helicopters)
Headquarters	№103, Gwrjang-′ar St., Tonning
Leadership
Defence Secretary	Geoffrey m-Lrjem Tsodh
Captain-general	Margaret Sui
Personnel
Military age	18 – 45
Conscription	not in effect
Active personnel	7,354
Reserve personnel	5,220
Deployed personnel	482
Expenditure
Budget	$2,319,000,000 (FY2018)
Percent of GDP	0.08%
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Hallia
Related articles
Ranks	Naval Ranks

The Themiclesian Marine Corps (房冗人, bjang-njung′-njing) is the naval infantry branch of the Themiclesian Navy (艦航, kramh-gang) and performs a range of tangent and peripheral duties.

Name and translation

Themiclesian Marines acquired their Tyrannian names confronted with Tyrannian Royal Marines, who fought them in 1791 during the Raid on Rad and gave them their present name. Hallians and Sylvans prior to this regularly called them the Exercitus Thimiensis, "Themiclesian Army". The term Exercitus Thimiensis was even used by Themiclesian diplomats. In modern times, this is deprecated due to confusion with the similarly-named Themiclesian Army, which would have been called just "Army" in the early modern period. "Themiclesian Marine Corps" is the sanctioned translation of the Shinasthana bjang-njung-njing (舫冗人) since around 1810.

Themiclesians do not use bjang-njung-njing to translate "marine corps" in general; rather, the term st′jur-prjang (水兵, "maritime army") is used. This is because, domestically, st′jur-prjang refers to the lake-based naval infantry that was part of the militia, which predates the institutional Navy by several centuries. st′jur-prjang being the more inutitive term, it is preferred in translating foreign terms.

bjang (房) is a proper name for a cabin located in the stern of a ship and constrats with stjit (室), a cabin in the bow of a ship. Both pjang and stjit are compared to parts of terrestrial buildings. There is currently disagreement about the proper reading of bjang: the 3rd Regiment, formed in 1524 and the oldest extant unit, reads it as bjang, while the 4th and 5th Regiments, both dating to the Pan-Septentrion War, read it as pjang’ instead. Philologically, bjang is likely the correct reading, since it is homophonous with the root word bjang (房, lit. "rear chamber"), and also pjang’ means jib. Various theories have been forwarded to explain their confusion by individuals who "have good reason to distinguish them".

The word njung-njing (冗人) means "passenger". Currently, this term is still used to identify passengers on both ships and aircraft, but not passengers on road vehicles. The source of this name is uncontroversially linked to the archaic custom that all passengers on ships sailing beyond the coastline are required to bear arms for its defence, under the captain's direction.

History

Early centuries

Main article: Themiclesian Navy § History

The original distinction between sailors and "passengers" is first attested in an royal edict dating to 503, forbidding passengers (anyone not a crew member) from defecting to enemies in case the ship was attacked. Maritime historian C. Larter belives these laws evidence the "increased militarization of the Rjang merchant navy, seeking to utilize every person onboard." However, he also recognizes that the role of passengers in these situations is "murky at best".

The oceanic navy was organized in 810 as a merchant then military fleet to fend off Hallians attacking Themiclesian outposts in Columbia and to control over the prized Maracaibean trade, which brought much gold to Themiclesia. In ensuing naval conflicts, enemy fleets, replenished locally, carried more troops. In comparison, Themiclesia carried ten months' provision to cover the four-month voyage to and from Meridia. If Themiclesia wished to match enemy deployments, ships would be set aside for grain storage; such ships would be weakly defended and useless in combat. Thus, many Themiclesia vessels were less crewed than their opponents. Good manoeuvring compensated to some extent, but the court searched for a permanent solution. A second problem arose that if experienced sailors died or were captured, the craft could be paralysed; carrying substitute crew created the same problem with provisions. As a result, the 503 statute was extended to the military navy, ordering the fleet's physicians, scribes, craftsmen, and priests to fight with the crew; however, such specialized officers were valuable to the fleet, and their engagement was considered a desperate measure.

In the Themiclesian fleet, crew member both manned the vessel and boarded enemy ships, a combination of duties that provisions constraints reinforced; however, it was then observed that enemy fleets were frequently augmented by soldiers that were not part of the ships' crew. Themiclesians called them passengers, like their own non-crew officers. After the capture of Portcullia, Themiclesians or their allies were found there in predictable numbers. After 945, that every Themiclesian there or elsewhere in Meridia was liable to be pressed and procure their own provisions, as long as the fleet compensated them with money, which could be transported much more easily than bulky grain. From that point, the fleet expecting battle would sail to Meridia with a small crew, press men into service for battle, and release them as soon as it was finished. Since these individuals were not sailors and served largely the same role as soldiers on enemy fleets, they were called passengers.

The very first passengers were distributed on ships that had particularly few sailors or were taught some navigational skills, keeping ships mobile for when crew members were aboard enemy ships or lost; however, around 1080, crew and passenger were both used for combat. The balance shifted further that, by 1200, pressed men were responsible for most boarding combat. However, passenger service was exceptionally unpopular with Themiclesians abroad engaging in commerce. Those who could afford it hired substitutes when the press was imposed. As the number of passengers increased on each vessel, they also became prone to mutinies. During the 12th and 13th centuries, this issue was never resolved, and mutinies hampered several important naval opereations. In 1279, 2,300 passengers turned their arms against their crew, complaining that they were expected to fight two consecutive battles. The admirals agreed to grant a per diem compensation to quell their discontent. By 1300, naval ships had grown in size that expansions to complement was feasible. In 1318, the fleet hire passengers that would sail permanently, reducing the demand for impressment. Professional and pressed passengers were used side-by-side for at least a century thereafter.

In 1818, the Themiclesian Marine Corps declared 1318 to be its founding year and held a festival in Tonning to celebrate their 500th anniversary; the scholarly community has concluded that the motivation behind this declaration is to give themselves tradition in a time when Themiclesia's navy was drastically cut in size. It is argued that 945, the year passengers first saw combat, or 1434, when passengers were assigned to a permanent headquarters apart from the Admiralty, would be more meaningful as founding years, but 1318 is remains officially endorsed.

Wax Tablet Case

Main article: Wax Table Case (1370)

Formula

The entry of Sylva into the race for colonies in Meridia has prompted Themiclesia to expand its fleet. In 1518, the Admiralty devised an formula for calculating how many marines were required on each ship. Advocates of the formula stated that, since ships and marines were both fixed costs, expenditure on either can be mathematically optimized. Beneath the optimum, the likelihood of capture increases dramatically, while above the optimum, deployment carried diminishing returns. This was compared to the current value of the ship they defended. Opponents of the formula asserted that it does not factor in the enemies and thus must be inaccurate. Nevertheless, the court adopted the formula, and the size of the Marine Corps seems to have followed it closely for the next two centuries.

Maverican War

Main article: Maverican Wars

Mutiny at Trjung-gwal

Four regiments of the Columbian Colonial Army were re-assigned to the authority of the Captain-general in 1731. Due to the history of conflicts with the Colonial Army, the fleet docked at Trjung-gwal (中恆; now in Camia) turned away the four regiments in Jan. 1732, believing them to have other loyalties. The fleet combined this with other grievances and refused to set sail unless addressed. While this took place at peace, the court was gravely troubled. To resolve the fleet's concern over the new regiments, they were required to take an oath before the crew of the ship on which they served, swearing to defend them as much as themselves. A ceremony was invented to boost the crews' confidence in the new regiments, through their visible and audible declaration of allegiance towards the fleet. The captain replied that the crew will give equitable treatment towards marines, having the same rations and living in the same quarters. This is remarkable as it shows significant Casaterran influence, since Themiclesians rarely swore oaths before this time.

Mutiny at Smljin-ts′jêng

On August 2, 1740, the 11th Regiment of Marines mutinied at Smljin-ts′jêng (神清; now in Camia). Some men of the regiment had been caned for a minor offence of which they stood accused with a number of sailors. The sailors received their captain's protection, which commuted caning into amercement, but the same was not available for marines. The men barricaded themselves at a small, defensible position in the port at Smljin-ts′jêng, presenting their grievances on a naval ensign, demanding equal treatment. However, the fleet set sail on the night of the 5th, leaving the 11th in their barricade, without addressing their grievances. The court disbanded the 11th Regiment on Nov. 22, 1740. While the grievance was not addressed, the Passenger Offences Act was amended in 1741, effectively granting their petition, as long as their captain did not insist on corporeal punishment.

Raid on Rad

Main article: Raid on Rad

Infamous island commissions

Main article: Sale of commisisons in the Themiclesian military

Salary reform

In 1820, the Lord of Rjar-lang was Navy Secretary and worked to eliminate corruption, which he reasoned was due to excessive reliance on officers, who inflated troops numbers and assessed fictitious fines to take salary money. Introducing the Casaterran use of primary documents to enhance control, he secured a law on the argument that if every salary payment was checked against the recipient's own calculations, willingness to fight would be increased. However, the permanent secretary to the Admiralty reported that marines were not examined for literacy and numeracy at enlistment. The policy was reversed after four years, when it became obvious that salaries went unapid because claims were not filed.

Battle of Rafts

Main article: Battle of Rafts (1840s)

Battle of Liang-la

Main article: Battle of Liang-la

Mediatization

Main article: Mediatization of the forces (Themiclesia)

Trjuk's leadership

Main article: Trjuk Krjên-magh

Textbook crisis

In 1887, the text Child's Tear (芻子淚, tsrjo-tsje′-rjebh), a long, tragic poem about a child starving in the streets of misgovernment, was included in the list of recommended texts for primary curricula. The poet's brother was seized by the marines, aged 16, and has not been heard of since. The poet recounts puerile hopes that he may return one day with candies (of which Meridia was famous and dates the poem to the late 1500s) and some wealth but gradually consigns himself to believe his brother's corpse is now in some part of the ocean. The poet contrasts what happened to the physical body of his brother (eaten by fishes) to his personhood (lost to the treasury). Critics read that the poet believed his brother's life was exactly like expendable tax money.

Records show that the Marines sent official letters in the hundreds, asking for the poem's retraction. These letters contained a variety of arguments against the poem, from an excess of blood for young children, to the detrimental effects it has on the reputation of naval service.   The inbox log (內書簿) at the Marines HQ show that only a fraction of letters generated replies. Journalist E. R. Kaw said that "the entire state is portrayed negatively, but you are the only ones who have complained to me." A Mr. Hrap replied that the poem makes a truthful account of known problems in Themiclesia during that time period and should stay in the textbook. A small number expressed sympathy with the Marines, saying that if the "poem causes a manifest odium to voluntary naval service, it should be recorded and submitted to the government," since "the very real tragedies past must not return to haunt us anew."

Merger

Between 1910 and 1916, several leaders of the Marine Corps advocated for merger with the Capital Defence Force, one of three professional armies at that time. Surviving documents indicate that Marines leaders believed that more advanced tactics and better equipment could be introduced to naval use this way, though some historians express qualified doubt about these stipulations. At any rate, the Admiralty was highly opposed to this plan, stating to Parliament that the "Capital Defence Force has no naval experience of any kind" when the matter was tabled. First Admiral Dek was particularly suspicious of such plans, in an era when around half of Marines officers were educated in the Army Academy. In Commons committee, he testified that nothing of value, or even economy, would be gained from merger, resulting in the bill's retraction. Merger with the South Army, which had expeditionary function, was evidently not discussed, in view of its persistent animosity with the Marines after the Great Firefight. In 1916, the Naval Academy Act established a seminar for Marines officers; however, at least until 1949 a degree from the Army Academy was considered at least as good, due to its immense prestige as the second-best university in Themiclesia.

Prairie War

The government passed the Special Conscription Act, 1935 to conscript organized men before the general public in response to mounting pressure from Menghean volunteers in Dzhungestan. The 1st and 2nd Regiments of Marines were sent to the front this way with a litany of others units not initially involved there. Anticipating a naval invasion from Camia, the Marines were ordered to recruit starting in 1937, progressing at a snail's pace as most able-bodied men were already conscripted or on notice for conscription. Dayashinese immigrants, feared regional discrimination, which was known to be rife in some units, responded to the the lobby encouraging them to join the Marines instead, where they would form a majority in the new regiments; some have called this phenomenon a "group-buy mentality", where minorities could band up and create or enforce a friendly environment. In 1940, Dayashinese men accounted for over 80% of the entire enlistment and 65% of the force.

PSW and D/ISOG infiltration

Main articles: Yamabe Oshimaro and Anabe Matakoshi

Current roles

The Themiclesian Marines currently have four distinct roles, as defined by the Admiralty's White Paper on Naval Defence, 2003.

1. Protection of the Themiclesian fleet and naval installations from land-based and personnel threats;
2. Conversion of foreign naval and land assets in support of naval operations;
3. Defence of areas not assigned to the Army's military districts and Themiclesia's "small islands" in the Halu'an Sea; and
4. Certain diplomatic and ceremonial duties.

The fourth item is particularly diverse, and a considerable portion of the force is concerned with it. By historic custom, security personnel around most Themiclesian missions abroad are staffed by marines. Most missions travel with the Navy to their posting, so it was convenient for the Navy's soldiers to protect them. There seems otherwise to be no cause for this preference. There are exceptions to corroborate this: the missions to Dzhungestan and Maverica traditionally are guarded by the Capital Defence Force, since they reach their postings via land, not sea. One exceptional within the rule is Anglia and Lerchernt, where guards (in the embassy only) are staffed by gentlemen-at-arms. While at the beginning of the 20th century marines were actually selected for this duty, since the PSW the Foreign Office has trained its own agents instead, but they still wear the Marines' colours to circumvent legal issues. Historical records show that marines in foreign service were perpetually under martial law, meaning that the head of the mission, if a plenipotentiary, may execute them for any crime whatever until the abolition of capial punishment in 1853; thus, most marines feared foreign service.

Equipment

Gunpowder era

When gunpowder spread, boarding enemy ships became progressively less frequent. Themiclesian marines therefore receded in number and started to spend more time on land, manning naval fortifications and protecting the fleet in dock. In naval combat, where the gunpowder prepondered, they were one of the earlier adherents to hand-held firearms, only a century after ships were fitted with cannons. The argument was that the short range and inaccuracy of early firearms did not matter as much when the enemy had little cover and room to maneouvre on ships' decks.

The advent of firearms rendered most forms of armour, except the heaviest of plate, ineffective; however, that more engagements were shifting onto land allowed them to develop the medical apparatus that was only possible with territorial fortifications. Weaponry in this era generally followed Themiclesia's ability to supply them with modern firearms, though sidearms such as sabres were still retained. While essays were written arguing for an artillery department, the naval strategem did not include the Marines as a permanently land-based force.

In various campaigns in Njik-nem (now the north of Maverica), the Marines discovered that coating shoes in rubber increased their grip. Soaking these soles in rubber, common in Maverica, produced a much more resilient and comfortable sole; by the 1760s, most had their shoes regularly soled with rubber whenever available, and rubber was a commodity available on ships, since they were useful for stopping minor leaks. This fashion spread into other walks of Themiclesian society. The Army's shoe shop adopted the same technique with existing leather shoes in the 1800s, and this design survives into the modern age as the blue army shoe. When the Marines further learned to use old canvas to shell their shoes, wax was used to provide a water-resistent outer coat, offering protection against saline environments; this technique also found its way across the entire spectrum of military personnel soon.

Currently

Cloud-streak Class (虔雲艇) landing platform dock

• The Cloud-streak Class (虔雲艇, n-grjal-gwjen-m-lêng′) landing platform dock was introduced in 2000.

Culture

Professionalism

Chang and Beecky (1984) asserts that some of the activities of the Themiclesian Marines in the 19th century were remarkably similar to trade guilds of the day. Craftsmen continued to migrate to major cities, particularly close to coast, after the restarting of trade with neighbouring states in 1796. Urban-dwelling craftsmen built on the medieval institution of trade guilds and, many enriched through enterprise, began to develop professional pride. It was not only founded on excellence in one's skill, but also the resulting economic security.

Recruitment by abduction was terminated in 1798 after Parliament reduced the size of naval infantry component from 12 regiments to 6, one-third of its peak at 18 regiments. Reduced strength and a recovering economy allowed the government to double naval pay, which corroborated notion that marines were professionals, in the financial sense. This concept was then foreign to Themiclesia, since until 1847 more than half of Themiclesian males were in militias; only after the Liberal policy to reduce regional militias did the notion of soldiers as professionals gain credence. Chang and Beecky considers the measures the Marines have taken to assert professional pride, such as publishing their own weekly newspaper, to be "a bit of a thin act".

Non-regionalism

The Themiclesian Marines are a non-regional force, like most of the Navy and Air Force. Recruits since the 1500s were placed into its units without regard for origin, though it is assumed that most recruits are from the coastal areas, where recruitment took place. The Navy has recruited foreign sailors, or even impressed them from formerly hostile fleets, to replenish its own crew, especially after engagements with large casualties. The same applies to the Marines, though in their case the subject of impressment would be normal civilians, rather than sailors. The Home Militia, on the other hand, strictly maintained regional segregation, replenishing a unit raised from one place with only those raised from the same place. Under interregional and occasionally foreign influence, the Navy's language evolved from a pidgin of various Shinasthana dialects into a creole including native terms and Sylvan, Tyrannian, and Hallian. Since the recruitment of Dayashinese-Themiclesians in 1938, Dayashinese has also been added to the mixture, though the lexifier still appears to be Shinasthana, with foreign being primarily jargon. According to the ethnic Dayashinese recruits, they joined the Marines partly in fear of regional discrimination, which was known to be strong in some militia units that composed of the Themiclesian Army.

Emblem

The seal, adopted in 1843, consisted of a globe with orange longitudinal and latitudinal lines and red equator and prime meridian over a dark-blue field with the asterisms of the Great Dipper and the Boat. Three concentric rings, at various positions of obliquity, of gold, silver, and bronze, encircled the globe, representing the orbits of the sun and moon. The field was encircled by a thick verdigris border with increments.

The rings represent a traditional navigational instrument, whose functions were comparable to a sextant. The asterisms were key pointers for celestial navigation, the Great Dipper pointing to the north in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Boat to the south in the Southern. In 1872, the outer ring was added, with the Sylvanate translation added from sinister to dexter, like the Tyrannian text today, reading Legio Navitarum Thimiensis ("Themiclesian Sailor Legion"). Tyrannian was substituted in 1880. Notably, the Shinasthana text was only added in 1979; this is typical for Themiclesian unit sigils, which were adopted expressly for the purpose of identification by foreigners.

Liberalism

Stereotypically, Themiclesian marines are Liberals, espousing their values of minimalism, efficiency, and personal liberties. Prior to the PSW, when military officers openly wore their political affiliations, most Marines officers were members of the Liberal Party; however, an exit-poll conducted as far back as 1978 suggests that the actual voting preferences of enlisted men did not differ significantly from any other part of the military, most supporting the Conservative Party. The cause whereof, upon interview, is the Conservative plank on employee insurance, benefits, healthcare, infant daycare, and other social policies from which lower-income individuals, such as soldiers and sailors, would benefit.

The historic reason why Marines officers tended to be Liberals is, on the other hand, well-studied. Around 1830, the urban middle class began to explore careers in military service (under commissioned rank), which previously had been limited to the aristocracy. Due to the negative reputation of the Marines, the aristocratic interest was weak, leaving it open to middle class candidates, who could not compete with aristocrats for more popular and well-regarded regiments. As the middle class were predominantly Liberals, so did they carry their affiliations into the institution; due to Liberal suspicion of Conservative officers, those were soon pressured to resign, leaving a "most Liberal and sound force", as Liberal prime minister the Lord of Gar-lang described it in 1856.

Progressivism

Main article: Sexual orientation and gender identity in the Themiclesian military

The Admiralty has gone to great lengths to portray the Marines as a progressive force. This is the direct result of several decades of international deployments along with allied forces, which has encouraged the force to be experimental and flexible. During the post-war era, the government wished to retain an international military presence or capability, for the fulfilment of "debts of honour" to the states which assisted Themiclesia, but was unwilling to spend accordingly. The defence establishment sought to give them the character of motorized and naval infantry at the same time. Being too under-manned to specialize into different branches, this required the adoption of special vehicles and other equipment. To the extent this goes against the general trend of the Themiclesian armed forces to become more specialized over time, it was deemed progressive. While the Army leadership of the 1950s believed many of their reforms were "nothing short of suicidal", only some of them were credited to increasing casualties, and these were duly corrected by an attentive Admiralty.

In the landmark case of Hik v. the Secretary of State for War, the court ruled in 1951 that the prohibition of females from taking combat roles was unlawful in the Consolidated Army. While the Consolidated Staff Board was unsure how to react to such a momentous decision in an orderly manner, the Marines announced on Dec. 18, 1951 that they intend to respect the right of women to serve to their fullest potential. At the time, Marines divided battalions into first through third lines, corresponding to the width of the front they were expected to hold; first-lines, which had the widest frontage and thus the least depth, were initially not open to females. The Air Force announced 20 days later that they would abolish all regulations on the grounds of sex. While the TAF did not name, the phrase "respect the right of women to serve to their fullest potential" was criticized as paternalistic and hollow. This was one of the few moments when Themiclesian forces have seriously fallen out with each other in the 20th century.

Until 1959, Themiclesian Marines prohibited homosexual contact between service members on penalty of imprisonment and expulsion. The rule did not, until 1958, extend to civilians or members of other services. In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as progressive in some academic circles to discourage homosexuality and traditional to be agnostic; this arose under Casaterran influence, which boasted a considerable body of (now discredited) academic work asserting that homosexuality caused problems in the armed forces. By 1950, much of the previous work stigmatizing homosexuality in the armed forces was found unsatisfactory. Previously, homosexual contact between marines and other servicepersons was not punished, as they were "civilians" under the Passenger Offences Act. In 1958, the Common Penal Code unified the definition of the word "civilian", which briefly made homosexuality with other service members illegal. But in 1959, that law was amended to decriminalize homosexual contact.

Unit names

Current units

A solar glory, after which the 1st Regiment was named in 1399

In the unit renumbering scheme of 1971, Marines have started numbering at 201, since the Themiclesian Army are not using 2XX as unit numbers. This makes it less likely for unit numbers to be confused, which was a serious problem in the Pan-Septentrion War, in which each prefecture started numbering at 1. This meant there were as many "1st Regiments" as there were prefectures.

• 3rd → 203rd Regiment—Star Chasers (追星, tjul-stsêng), acquired by voice vote in 1918, in reference to the ancient traditions of celestial navigation that the Marines performed.
• 4th → 204th Regiment—Glory Seekers (榮益, gwrjing′-′ik).
• 5th → 205th Regiment—Sharpshooters (循射, sghjul-m-ljagh). But "sharpshooter" is homophonous with "missed by a long shot" (夷射, lir-m-ljagh) in many dialects, including the one most marines speak.

Former units

A circumscribed halo—the phenomenon after which the 2nd Regiment was named in 1548

This list is incomplete. For centuries, Themiclesian military units were named after auspicious natural phenomena or clouds, which were regarded as the portend of coming greatness and good fortune. Blem Mar, a 16th-century Themiclesian diarist, says that the navy's regiments all have "complimentary names" to bolster their confidence in the uncertainty and peril of oceanic travel, just as crews name their vessels. Becuase a great fire burnt down sections the Citadel of Kien-k'ang in 1792 and again in 1841, most of the disbanded regiments' names have been lost. While government authorities have used numbering to distinguish regiments from each other, debate continues whether numbers have been re-assigned at some point in history and if a regiment was in fact two regiments having used the same number at different times.

• 1st Regiment—Spectre (絢光, hwin-kwang), conscripted to the East Expedition Force in 1935.
• 2nd Regiment—Circumscribed Halo (繞虹, n-ngjawh-gong), as above.
• 6th Regiment—disbanded 1842.
• 7th Regiment—disbanded 1810.
• 8th Regiment—active 1512 – 1600, fate unclear, possibly lost in Meridia or amalgamated into another regiment.
• 9th Regiment—Aurora (極彩, grjek-ts′e′), disbanded 1810.
• 10th Regiment—disbanded 1860.
• 11th Regiment—disbanded 1740, due to mutiny.
• 12th Regiment—burnt to the waterline in 1791 in Raid on Rad.
• 13th Regiment—sank in 1762 off the coast of Camia.
• 14th Regiment—lost in Camia c. 1750.
• 15th Regiment—captured and massacred by the Tussle Nation of inland Columbia, c. 1710.
• 16th Regiment—disbanded 1810.
• 17th Regiment—lost in Meridia.
• 18th Regiment—burnt to the waterline in 1791 in Raid on Rad.
• 19th Regiment—disbanded 1868.
• 20th Regiment—disbanded 1869.

Nickname

The only known nickname that was applied to the Marines as a whole is lok (毓), usually translated as "metropolitans".

Uniforms

See also: Uniforms of Themiclesian armed forces

Themiclesian Marines' dress uniforms

The Navy Ministry commissioned uniforms for the naval establishment in 1809. It included a blue woolen jacket, waistcoat, cravat, shirt, trousers, and shoes. Collars were worn standing up, secured by the cravat, often a bow. Since uniforms were procured individually, considerable variation existed in colour and cut; as long as garments fell within the vague wording of the regulations, it was deemed acceptable. The new uniforms were initially shared between sailors and marines; however, different dressing habits, conditioned by their respective habits, soon took hold. Sailors frequently forewent the waistcoat and jacket, to avoid spoiling these garments while working, and captains augmented uniforms at their own expense. While sailors' uniforms seemed to follow the international trend towards spread collar and loose cravat, marines' uniforms followed civilian fashions instead.

The main dress uniform was updated in 1837 for a rounder look and was unchanged until 1880. A frock coat was introduced in 1837 for daytime drilling and informal meals. It was knee-lengthed and combined with a teal waistcoat and matching cravat. Tailoring uniforms being costly, many new recruits bought coats from dischargees, provided matching figures. Since the cut of both uniforms followed civilian fashion, a mixture of fashion eras is sometimes seen on photographs. In one case, a single set of uniform (dating to 1848) was sold four times and still in use in 1863. High-ranking officers were often seen out-of-uniform for a variety of reasons. The under-waistcoat fell out of use after 1860, but the waistcoat's lapels were cut from a different fabric since 1862, restoring the lost contrast.

By 1900, the stand-up collars and silk cravat appeared antiquated, but replacing them would stretch beyond what regulations permitted. In the civilian world, the frock coat gave way to the morning coat, and the lounge suit gained acceptance as informal wear. The Themiclesian Air Force adopted a no-lapel uniform in the style of the Tyrannian Royal Army, prompting a number of regiments to imitate it. In 1901, the Admiralty announced new uniforms for the fleet, but the Marine Corps did not follow suit as was customary. In 1923, a lounge suit was adopted for day use, following the TAF, in addition to a drab uniform for field work. The waistcoat was eliminated for both. Collars were worn folded down, making way for a four-in-hand necktie. The frock coat was promoted to full-dress status, both day and night; the tail coat was withdrawn from uniform regulations, though for many years marines were still expected to furnish their own "tails" attending formal civilian functions at night or appearing at court.

Oath

See also: Oathtaking in Themiclesia

Due to disruptions arising from the Columbian Colonial Army's augmentations in 1732, new marines regiments were required by law to take an oath before the ship on which they served, before they were allowed to board the ship. The oath, originally established for former members of the Colonial Army, was made mandatory for all members of the force in 1780, under a consideration of fairness.

I, A.B., swear, in naval war, I shall observe all laws of passenger aboard and defend your bodies as my own body and this ship as my home. In the event I do not do as I say, let me be abandoned.

To this, the captain or his mate would reply that he would treat marines as well as his crew, making no "unlawful distinctions".

In naval tradition, this bound marines to his crew; if they were found violating their oaths, they may be throw into the sea with impunity. The legal interpretation of this oath has been controversial. For example, it was disputed if a discharged marine continued to have a bond towards his ship, if he encountered it somewhere else; jurists in the 18th century seemed to agree that such a bond existed beyond discharge, while into the 19th this was deemed unreasonable. As the Themiclesian court generally allowed the naval establishment to distill its own traditions regarding such affairs, the legal effects of the oath were left unregulated until the Passenger Offences Act was amended in 1849, punishing marines who fail to defend any crew member in the Consolidated Fleet or to behave "in an unruly, objectionable, or provocative manner" on any ship therein.

In 1830, a new oath was added for individuals of aristocratic origin, who may not swear on life or limb, as they may only be judged by the emperor or their social peers.

I, A.B., peer [or gentlemen, as the case may be] declare upon my honour that I shall do right to each man under my charge, and I shall love, protect, and do every thing ought to others, as the law and accepted customs of this fleet require. This is my word of honour.

Scandals

Pervert (2019)

Main article: Pervert incident (2019)

In the 2019 deployment to Idacua along with the Royal Signals Corps, Themiclesian marines have captured an undisclosed amount of drug cartel members and paramilitaries they retained. A prominent paramilitary, based out of Kyrias and active in the Idacuan drug conflict, is Freedom Warriors, noted for their anarcho-capitalist beliefs. On Nov. 20, the Freedom Warriors tweeted that at least one of members were taken prisoner by the Themiclesian Marines, warning the latter that any abuse to the rights of prisoners would be reported. Captain-general Geoffrey Gwjang (王霾, gwjang mre) reportedly took insult and ordered an official tweet to call the Freedom Warriors "perverts". Reception has been overwhelmingly negative, with many satires appearing on the same platform. Many used the word "pervert" to put off those voicing legitimate complaints or concerns, e.g. the landlord of a leaky house calling a complaining tenant "pervert". By the end of November, "pervert" has become an Internet meme. Captain-general Kaw has been dismissed on Dec. 28, 2019, replaced with Colonel Margaret Sui. She says that the conduct of the Themiclesian Marines in Idacua "can stand up to the entire world's scrutiny" but apologizes for the "profoundly inappropriate tweet".

Headquarters

In 1429, the Admiralty petitioned the court to establish an administrative office for "passengers" near what is today Tiung-kyaeng, Camia. It may have handled pay, rations, supplies, and recruitment, but how its duties were divided from the Department of Passengers in Kien-k'ang is unclear. On the one hand, it may have handled these functions relative to all passengers in the statutory sense, which included fleet doctors, accountants, priests, and non-sailing complement, when they were present on the west coast of the Halu'an. On the other hand, "passengers" had come to refer to marines specficially in naval parlance. The office's superintendent was called nubh-tja (內者), directly translated as "Receiver". In the following year, the court ordered the Receiver to appoint all Marines officers under the rank of 400 bushels, for units that were away from the Demesne Land. For units that were in Themiclesia or higher-ranking officers, appointments were still via the Civil Service Ministry.

While the Marines headquarters was established around 1430, it did not acquire operational authority until later. The Admiralty's role in this development and the spread of marines units amongst them are unclear. Some scholars speculate the Receiver was an experienced commander who innocently happened to be at hand, so he was appointed ad hoc as commander for a campaign on land, while others think the court intentionally arranged for marines to have leadership in Columbia on land. A third view is that the Receiver controlled supply lines, so marines were entrusted to his leadership for an inland battle that required conveyance of victuals and arms over them. Since the Receiver could appoint marines as officers without central assent, they started to populate the headquarters; however, the head of the office remained a civil position until 1701. That year, the outgoing head placed a marine in charge and, returning to Themiclesia, insisted on his continuation in office despite not being properly qualified. The court allowed it because there was an ongoing war, thinking it unwise to change leadership when a new head would have no time to be acclimately to the office.

From 1701, appointments fluctuated from between civil servants and marines, depending on the Navy Secretary's preference. For civil servants, this appointment is undesirable, since it is far from the locus of power. Personal safety then became a grave concern as Camia sought to expand south in the 18th century. The reluctance of aristocrats to take Marines commissions is largely responsible for opening them to marines. For this reason the Receiver is translated as a military officer into Casaterran languages, such as captain-general in Tyrannian; however, the last Captain-general of Marines who was himself not a marine was only appointed in 1870.

List of leaders

• Lord Tsjêng-gar (清河君, tsjêng-gar-kljul): Apr. 22 – May 3, 1348, later Prime Minister of Themiclesia.
• Pjang Ngjam (方巖): Jun. 23, 1745 – Nov. 12, 1749, pianist.
• Trjuk Krjên-magh, Lord M′reng (顭君筑簡莫): Nov. 30, 1870 – Feb. 15, 1880, mathematician.
• Dr. Geoffrey Gwjang L'jei (王晞): May 4, 2016 – Jan. 31, 2020.
• Dr. Margaret Skul: since Jan. 31

See also

• Themiclesia
• Deep Mission Troops
• Dayashina