Kolodorian People's Defense Forces

Kolodorian People's Defense Forces
Founded	2 October 1954
Service branches	Kolodorian Ground Forces Kolodorian Air Force Kolodorian Navy
Headquarters	Salhar
Personnel
Conscription	Partial
Active personnel	650,000 (2019)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Letnia Polvokia
Related articles
History	Vinyan War Vyzhvan-Kolodorian War Cherniyan War 2019 Invasion of Vyzhva

The Kolodorian People's Defense Forces is the military of Kolodoria. Founded in 1954, the KPDF consists of a Ground Force, Air Force, and Navy. The Commander-in-Chief of the KPDF is the President of the Council of Ministers, the de facto head of state within Kolodoria.

History

In accordance with Directive No. 7, the Kolodorian People's Defense Forces was officially established on 2 October 1954 with General Secretary Aleksis Kraulis as it's commander-in-chief, and Marshal Darius Gukauskas as the head of the Chief of the General Staff. Many of of the KPDF's personnel were composed of former soldiers of the Royal Confederate Army. Although many members of the Kolodorian Communist Party wanted to completely purge the armed forces of any officers of the former RCA, Kraulis, himself a veteran of the Northern War, did not agree. Although a number of senior officers were forcibly removed or refused the opportunity to serve in the KPDF, a large portion of the RCA's General Staff were retained, serving as a core nexus of leadership for the KPDF in it's early years.

Although originally planned to be a territorial defense force not to exceed a quarter of a million men, by 1960 Kraulis's nationalist ambitions had ballooned the KPDF to over 500,000 personnel and 25 divisions. In 1961 the JPA carried out the invasion of Andor, starting the Vinyan War. During this time the KPDF was heavily supplied by Polvokia and Letnia, receiving thousands of tons of military hardware, equipment, and supplies. Kolodoria's success (after a three year long conflict) convinced Kraulis of the viability of Kolodoria as an independent power, leading him to challenge Letnia in a border conflict in 1973. The inconclusive conflict effectively severed Kolodorian-Letnian ties, forcing the KPDF to rely heavily on domestic manufacturing to meet it's needs. Jedorian arms industry proved a mixed bag, providing tens of thousands of armored vehicles and millions of tons of ammunition, but lagging behind in aviation and advanced technology.

In 1985 Jedorian embarked on another territorial conquest during the Vyzhvan-Kolodorian War, which saw modest gains. A decade later the KPDF would invade Cherniya, sparking the Cherniyan War and once again pitting the Socialist Republic against Letnia. The four year long bloodbath ended with a Jedorian defeat and the death of Kraulis, throwing Kolodoria into political chaos. After a series of economic reforms allowed Kolodorian growth in GDP and government revenue to reach the KPDF, vastly needed modernization efforts began in early 2010. They KPDF were a major force in the 2019 Invasion of Vyzhva.