University of the Military Academy

Army Academy

九兵國學 glju'-prjang-kwek-gruk
Motto	NOVEM VIA PACEM FACET
Motto in English	nine ways to create peace
Type	Military academy
Affiliation	Themiclesia
Budget	OSD$54,330,200 (2015)
Chancellor	Prof. Drjang Sjen-'an, Lt. Gen.
Vice-Chancellor	Prof. Liei Liak, Lt. Gen.
Academic staff	1981
Administrative staff	1278
Students	1572
Undergraduates	1238
Postgraduates	842
Doctoral students	455
Location	Kien-k'ang , Themiclesia

The Army Academy (九兵國學, glju'-prjang-kwek-gruk) is the primary officer school of the Themiclesian Army, whose entire officer corps is also part of the Academy's academic staff.

Background and history

Commissions before 1800

Descriptive literature on formal, systematic military education in Themiclesia, before the 1800s, is lacking, leading to most to assume that Themiclesia had few, if any, dedicated military schools prior to the establishment of the Army Academy in 1823, possibly under Casaterran influence. Biographical works on notable officers are usually quiet on military education, though phrases like “well-read from a young age in military treatises” are almost an inevitability. However, military officers were tested for their aptitude prior to commission. As the civil examinations became established, military subjects were also offered, first seen in 882; candidates were judged on their responses to analytical questions posed to them under the six military classics. Sometimes references to later battles are also given, with a specific set of information provided in case the candidate is not familiar with the battle in question; then, he will respond by analyzing the information provided, according to doctrines set forth in the classics.

昔在長康四年，戎犯我朔州，戎兼兵馬而無車，有秣而無草，朝廷命將前後二軍。已至，戎破城而不守。若參軍，其議可否。In the fourth year of Drjang-k'ang, the barbarians attack our positions in Sngrak-tju. They possess infantry and cavalry but no chariots; they have dried grass but not fresh grass. The Court has appointed a general leading the two armies, Forward and Rear. When they arrive, the barbarians have taken the city but were not defend it. If you were a staff officer, this test requires you to discuss possible reactions.

Excavated Papers in Tumuli Exposed by Floods, III, p. 251. (1951)

Yet whatever the efficacy of this system, qualifiers only gained access to what is comparable to modern company- and field-grade positions; civil servants, appointed ad hoc on the eve of battle, filled higher positions well into the 1700s, considered justified through their skill in administration. The push towards establishing a military academy did not encounter opposition from any generals, since they, renounced their generalships upon return; hence, there were no generals in peacetime. In fact, many senior figures in the civil service spoke out in favour of appointing permanent generals, many having been forced to take up a command when rivals put their names forward to remove them from office.

Forest of Strategy

In imitation of the Forest of Letters, the highest literary institution in the country, the Forest of Strategy (韜林) came into existence around 1713; however, the entrance qualifications were the same as the literary institute: they must have passed the examinations before the Court in civil subjects and scored highly to enter. As there were never more than a few dozen who pass the qualify annually, sometimes the Forest of Strategy failed completely to admit. The same period of study applied in both institutions, nine years to graduation and appointment. With few enthusiastic entrants, the Forest of Strategy was closed by decree in 1760.

Objectives at establishment

Traditionally, soldiers were one of four "marginalized" (賤) social groups in Themiclesia, the others being prostitutes, performers, prison guards, and policemen. The legal stigma, acquired from enlistment, was hereditary for three generations after oneself. A "vile" person, though not outright abused, is prevented from seeking public office, except within his profession. Service in the Army was a form of punishment for criminals, and they could substitute their sentences for a length of service. Themiclesia's standing army therefore found little respect, and many children born into a soldier's family had no choice but to become a soldier, forming a "soldier class" of individuals tainted by ill-repute. Due to poor pay and little self-respect, a large number of soldiers resorted to burglary for a living, despite severe penalties stipulated; the phrase "soldier-bandit" (兵匪) became a general appellation for the force. By 1790, the Army was suffering from so many desertions, mutinies, and shortages that it essentially disintegrated in Maverica during the campaign to suppress the Ostlandian rebellion. In combination with social and economic problems that plagued Themiclesia in the late 1700s, the government abolished soliders as a social station and sought to build a new force virtually from scratch.

The Academy was established in 1813 to give the same high-level education to military officers at the same rigour as it was for civilian officers, in an attempt to lend the Army the same presitge (at least in the leadership) that the civil service possessed. Military officers ranking above colonel were still to be part of the high bureaucracy but as premanent offices, rather than temporary assignmnets. New enlisted men were not afforded education under the reforms that created the Academy, but a far more comprehensive training scheme introduced them to practical matters that would concern their ability to engage and their Army careers; the government hoped that by radically reforming the force, more civilians would voluntarily join the Army, with the knowledge that the leadership consists of individuals as highly qualified as senior civil servants. At the very least, it was to reduce the pressure to conscript criminals, a measure heavily stigmatized following Themiclesia's recent defeat in Maverica.

The Academy's particular structure and manner of instruction can be construed as a mixture of simultaneous demands that the government had in mind at establishment, most importantly, the provision of an officer corps capable of rivalling that of Casaterran nations. However, the government feared the wholesale replication of a Casaterray academy, advocated by some prominent commentators, would create a permanent dependancy on that nation. The importation of lecturers from any particular power was also thought to cast doubt on the allegiance of cadets that the lecturer taught, in the event that war should ensue with the lecturer's home state. Moreover, social resistance to such a drastic change in the education system in general would be unbearably large for the nascent Liberal government. A compromise was agreed upon, maintaining some features of traditional academies. To maintain holisticity in its academic staff, retired military officers were hired from many Casaterran states; the first to be represented were the Tyrannian Empire, the Sieuxerrian Empire, the Holy Ostlandic Empire, and the Letnevian Empire. A general endownment by the government allowed the Academy to retain lecturers through lucrative annuities.

19th century to the PSW

Barfield Hall, named in Barfield's honour

The government extended its confidence and respect towards normal schools to the Army Academy, recognizing in it the traditional academic prerogatives, including appointment of the school’s own staff, power of its own budget, over its own police force, and, most importantly, over its own curriculum. To ensure an adequate supply of experience on the field, it was made mandatory for commissioned officers to offer lectures in the academy from time to time; this imitates the Forest of Letters, the opportunity of teaching in which was highly regarded by many civil servants. Little remains today of this primordial Academy, except in teaching methods, the composition of the academic roster, and its permanent relationship with the officer corps. Per its requirements, no-one under 25 or without previous academic experience/training was likely to enrol; teaching style was therefore different from most contemporary military academies but similar to the Forest of Letters.

There are general subjects and lectures offered but no curricular coursework in the normal sense. All work was done through research and debate; this was the standard in Themiclesia in well-regarded academies. Fields of study included domestic military theory (the six military classics), foreign military theory, domestic history, foreign history, law, mathematics, music, and the natural sciences. Each became an independent department as the Academy took up more staff of all nationalities. Other than military officers, professors in other areas were also invited to lecture. By the later part of the 19th century, all major Casaterran schools were represented in the Academy, leading to many celebrated debates, eagerly recorded by students. In 1901, the ex-Ostlandian general Bankstein and Tyrannian general E. B. Nobb, had an argument with each other, lasting 49 hours without rest; it only ended when Nobb and Bankstein attempted to expel each other by their swords. Students took turns to record their arguments, which found their way into many dissertations for the next decades.

In 1857, renowned Tyrannian general Harold Smith Barfield was retained by the Academy for life, upon an annual salary of £10,000, an unexpectedly large amount; when the Chancellor was invited by the government to explain this choice, he instead asked for a new endownment, saying, "Wise prime ministers, your predecessors, have put it at the founding of our school, this is a scheme that will fruit only after a hundred years; in the meantime, we must contend ourselves with watering and fertilizing invisible roots, because only with a good foundation will a large tree be self-sustained, through thick and thin and thunder and storm, without the care of gardener, for a thousand years."

At the end of the 19th century, the Army Academy achieved regional recongition as an enviable place of study. Dayashina annually sent cadets to study there, a practice that would continue until 1937 when hostilities between Themiclesia and Dayashina rendered it untenable.

Admissions

Admission to the Army Academy is by written application; enrolment targets are set each year by the Academy, according to the projections provided by the Army Department, Ministry of Defence. Most years, the Academy admits around 100~200 candidates, closely matching the annual retirement rate of the officer corps. The applicant must possess an undergraduate degree in the Liberal Arts from a recognized university or equivalent foreign institution; qualifications in other fields is always an asset. The Academy strongly recommends having a graduate degree in history, as this would make intensive study of military history, which is mandatory in the Academy, much more familiar. Aside from this, the Academy also considers a first-level Civil Service Qualification to be a charactistic of all competitive applicants, as this guarantees a minimum understanding of Themiclesian laws, traditions, culture, and administrative practices; higher qualifications are not required or expected at this point. There is no upper age limit to admission, though any applicant over the age of 35 will be considered unusual.

Upon presentation of such qualifications, the applicant must submit a short written statement of intent to be enrolled at the Academy; at this point, the candidate may also annexe any written material which he thinks may recommend him above other applicants, since admission is usually competitive. Admission decisions are made by the Academy's admissions department, which takes a hollistic view of the candidate's academic ability, personal character, and commitment. As Themiclesia considers junior cadets a form of child soldiery, such experience is not generally possible; if the candidate has this experience in a foreign country, they are politely reminded that it will be ignored to ensure fairness to domestic applicants. There is no "application form" as such, as the ability to write a good letter and present oneself in a favourable light is, in and of itself, a skill judged by the admissions department.

Application decisions are rendered two to three months ahead of the commencement of the upcoming academic year. Those accepted will receive a letter to notify them of the fact; while those rejected will be invited to apply again for the following year.

Tuitions and grants

Tuitions at the Academy is relatively modest, at around OSD$10,000 per annum, for the doctorate program. The Academy provides residence and food for free. The Academy maintains a large number of grants available to students who demonstrate excellence at any point in their academic careers.

See also

• Themiclesia
• Dayashina
• Menghe
• Organized States