Consolidated Army: Difference between revisions

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! Combat Branches!!colspan="2"| Native name!! Insignia !! Colour !! Function !! Founded
! Combat Branches!!colspan="2"| Native name!! Insignia !! Colour !! Function !! Founded
|-
|-
| Palace Guards || 中 || ''trjung''|| Wall and gate|| Reddish-light-grey|| Palace guards (infantry) || inherited
| Palace Guards || 中 || ''trjung''|| Wall and gate|| Reddish-grey|| Palace guards (infantry) || inherited
|-
|-
| Infantry || 外 || ''ngwais''|| Sword and spear || Reddish-light-grey|| Infantry and certain types of special forces || inherited
| Infantry || 外 || ''ngwais''|| Sword and spear || Reddish-grey|| Infantry and certain types of special forces || inherited
|-
|-
| Cavalry || 騎 || ''grjar''|| Horse|| Silver || Mostly confined to aides-de-camp and batmen|| inherited
| Cavalry || 騎 || ''grjar''|| Horse|| Silver || Mostly confined to aides-de-camp and batmen|| inherited
Line 103: Line 103:
| Aerial Artillery|| 射 || ''shljas''|| Rockets|| Pearl || || 1935
| Aerial Artillery|| 射 || ''shljas''|| Rockets|| Pearl || || 1935
|-
|-
| Field Engineers|| 工 || ''kong''|| Mallets, cogs|| Muddy green|| Analogous to "combat engineers" in some forces|| 1889
| Field Engineers|| 工 || ''kong''|| Mallets, cogs|| Muddy green|| || 1889
|-
|-
| Armoured || 車 || ''k'lja''|| Chariot|| Grey|| Tanks || inherited
| Armoured || 車 || ''k'lja''|| Chariot|| Grey|| Tanks || inherited
|-
|-
| Aviation || 空 || ''k'ong''|| Jets || Air support for Army units|| Sky blue || 1920
| Aviation || 空 || ''k'ong''|| Jets || Air support|| Sky blue || 1926
|-
|-
| Digital || 數 || ''gwjeps''|| Vacuum tubes || Black with neon blue piping|| Hackers, virus design|| 1969
| Digital || 數 || ''gwjeps''|| Vacuum tubes || Black, neon blue|| Hackers, virus design|| 1969
|-
|-
! Support Branches!!colspan="2"| Shinasthana!! Insignia !! Colour !! Function !! Founded
! Support Branches!!colspan="2"| Shinasthana!! Insignia !! Colour !! Function !! Founded
|-
|-
| Quartermaster|| 營 ||  ''gwrjing'''|| Books|| Black|| Keeping supplies and organizing services in combat units|| inherited
| Quartermaster|| 營 ||  ''gwrjing'''|| Books|| Black|| Keeping supplies|| inherited
|-
|-
| Medical || 醫 || '' 'je''|| Almonds|| White|| Treating the sick and wounded|| inherited
| Medical || 醫 || '' 'je''|| Almonds|| White|| Treating the sick and wounded|| inherited
|-
|-
| Veterinary|| 獸醫 || ''sljuh-'je''|| White with green stripe|| Fruits|| Treating animals|| inherited
| Veterinary|| 獸醫 || ''sljuh-'je''|| White, green || Fruits|| Treating animals|| inherited
|-
|-
| Engineers|| 匠 || ''kjangs''|| Cogs|| Gold|| Construction of military infrastructure and design of certain things|| inherited
| Engineers|| 匠 || ''kjangs''|| Cogs|| Gold|| Military infrastructure and development|| inherited
|-
|-
| Pharmaceutical|| 藥 || ''ngljawk'' || Herbs|| White with grey stripes|| Management and administration of medicine|| 1872
| Pharmaceutical|| 藥 || ''ngljawk'' || Herbs|| White, grey|| Procurement of medicine|| 1872
|-
|-
| Convalescence|| 護 ||  ''ghuah''|| Beds|| White with blue stripes|| Care for recovering individuals|| 1890
| Convalescence|| 護 ||  ''ghuah''|| Beds|| White, blue || Care for recovering individuals|| 1890
|-
|-
| Civil Affairs|| 書 ||  ''st'ja''|| Pen|| Knife and pen|| Public and external relations|| inherited
| Civil Affairs|| 書 ||  ''st'ja''|| Pen|| Knife and pen|| Public and external relations|| inherited
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| Field Transport|| 輸 ||  ''slo''|| Wheels|| Red|| Road transport|| 1920
| Field Transport|| 輸 ||  ''slo''|| Wheels|| Red|| Road transport|| 1920
|-
|-
| Railways|| 鐵路 ||  ''t'it-glah''|| Railway tracks|| Maroon|| Rail transport and maintenance of railway infrasturcture|| 1928
| Railways|| 鐵路 ||  ''t'it-glah''|| Railway tracks|| Maroon|| Rail transport and railway infrasturcture|| 1928
|-
|-
| Military Police|| 直史 ||  ''drjik-srje’''|| Dove|| Green with grey stripe|| Maintenance of order and investigations || 1899
| Military Police|| 直史 ||  ''drjik-srje’''|| Dove|| Green, grey|| Maintenance of order and investigations || 1899
|-
|-
| Judicature || 推 ||  ''hljui''|| Balance|| Green with blue stripe|| Adjudication|| 1901
| Judicature || 推 ||  ''hljui''|| Balance|| Green, blue || Adjudication|| 1901
|-
|-
| Training || 教 ||  ''kraws''|| Swords|| Blue with silver stripes|| Training recruits and civil defence|| 1972
| Training || 教 ||  ''kraws''|| Swords|| Blue, silver|| Training and civil defence|| 1972
|-
|-
| Ordnance|| 彈 ||  ''dans''|| Hexagon|| Violet|| Management of ordnance|| 1857
| Ordnance|| 彈 ||  ''dans''|| Hexagon|| Violet|| Ordnance || 1857
|-
|-
| Logistics|| 後 ||  ''ghoh'''|| Tree|| Dark grey with blue piping|| Logistics || 1910
| Logistics|| 後 ||  ''ghoh'''|| Tree|| Dark grey, blue || Logistics || 1910
|-
|-
| Intelligence|| 間 ||  ''krian''|| Eye|| Black || Intelligence-gathering|| 1930
| Intelligence|| 間 ||  ''krian''|| Eye|| Black || Intelligence-gathering|| 1930
|-
|-
| Royal Signals<ref>Signals is the only branch of the Army which has the title "Royal" in its name; this is because Signals personnel are stationed within the palace, where the Cabinet sits, to communicate decisions to relevant recipients, and also because they provide music before the royal presence during minor events and fanfares to various processions.</ref> || 中都 || ''hla''|| Elephant|| Red-yellow-blue-white-black|| Music, communications || inherited
| Royal Signals<ref>Signals is the only branch of the Army which has the title "Royal" in its name; this is because Signals personnel are stationed within the palace, where the Cabinet sits, to communicate decisions to relevant recipients, and also because they provide music before the royal presence during minor events and fanfares to various processions.</ref> || 中都 || ''hla''|| Elephant|| Rainbow || Music, communications || inherited
|}
|}



Revision as of 23:50, 26 March 2019

Themiclesian Army
震旦軍
Ensign of Chinese Customs (Beiyang Government).svg
Army flag
ROC Legislative Yuan Seal.svg
Foundedtime immemorial
Current form1823
HeadquartersAdmiralty Building
№323 Driang-'an Rd., Kien-k'ang, TJ-N 100284
Leadership
Secretary of State for Defence王懷垂
Under-Secretary of State for the Army張謙之
Chief of Army Staff雷長煥
Personnel
Military age20
Conscriptionnot in effect
Reaching military
age annually
(2017 est.)
Active personnel151,000
Reserve personnel102,300
Deployed personnel5,200
Expenditure
BudgetOSD$19.5 billion
Percent of GDP1.17%
Related articles
HistoryHistory of the Themiclesian Army

The Themiclesian Army is a military service that composes the Armed Forces of Themiclesia mainly responsible for land defence and related matters. It comprises 26 branches, of which seven are combat-oriented, and 19 are in support of them and other military services. The Themiclesian Army currently employs over 250,000 career officers and men, of whom just over 150,000 are in active service; the remainder belong to the Army Reserve. Statutory conscription is not currently in force, though it may be activated by government order. The Army's civilian staff structure have been transfered organizationally to the Ministry of Defence proper since the reforms in 1963–70.

The Army is subordinate to the Under-Secretary of State for the Army, who in turn is responsible to the Secretary of State for Defence. The ranking professional officer is the Chief of Army Staff, who advises the Under-Secretary of State and performs routine functions under delegated powers and protocols devised by his superior. The Army is currently most focused on its commitments towards the Grand Alliance, which as of 2017 mainly involves peacekeeping in Yugoslovenski and, in conjunction with other states, various minor conflicts; hence, forces are organized in brigades (circa 4,300 combat personnel), though they also retain divisional identity in case conscription is imposed.

The Themiclesian Army has explicitly permitted female service as early as 1913, though they remain a minority. There are no roles (other than certain medical ones) that categorically exclude females, though women have yet to appear in a handful of positions. Themiclesian soldiers are amongst the more well-paid in Septentrion, leading to a mildly competitive recriutment scene, where both intellectual and physical aptitude are tested. Currently, military age is 20 years; it is a criminal offence in Themiclesia to lure or compel a person under that age to join any military service.

History

Unreformed Army

Formation of the modern Army

While the Army traces its roots to the very founding of Themiclesia in the 200s, its modern structure only evolved in the 1700s and 1800s. In the latter half of the 18th century, the Army had suffered multiple defeats at the hands of less organized adversaries, yet at the same time consumed as much as five-sixths of the government budget. The reforms that led to the modern Army sought to eliminate waste and adopt Casaterran paradigms. The officer corps and especially the officer academy were, after 1863, at the forefront of the reforms, having been trained in an extremely liberal (for military institutions) academic environment where officer candidates were encouraged to discuss various Casaterran thoeries and create appropriate ones for Themiclesia. Many early officers believed their primary duty was to prevent the Army from being as wasteful and disorderly as before.

19th century

The idealist paradigm would persist through the rest of the 19th Century, which for Themiclesia was quite peaceful. Under the guiding principle of "avoid war and spend as little as possible" and with fewer than 10,000 soldiers in combat positions, the Army had ample time to experiment with new concepts and perfect older ones. In 1900, Columbian troops found the Themiclesian Army "small but efficient and utilitarian". At the same time, the Marine Corps of the Organized States, imported to Themiclesia per the terms of the 1897 treaty, found the Army a credible threat and requested the government to reduce their numbers. The government responded by placing a quarter of the active forces in reserve and by removing units stationed close to the garrisons of the OS Marines. The Army between 1900 and 1920, under government instruction, took the OS Marines into account in strategizing the defensive situation of the country; this multi-faceted, objective, pragmatist approach has been popularly characterized as part of the modern practice of the Army.

Some of the reforms undertaken in the 19th century were with uncertain steps, only to be quickly reverted. In an attempt to establish a rank system that would be acceptable to the civil establishment and contain the efficiencies of the Casaterran system, the Army was divided in 1839 into seven administrative corps, the Infantry-Artillery Corps, the Cavalry Corps, the Chariots Corps, the Medical Corps, the Corps of Imperial Guards, the Corps of Civil Officers, and the Quartermaster Corps. Each possessed an individual rank structure, remuneration scheme, and imposed separate pre-requisites for promotions. In 1840, the Ministry of the Civil Service, responsible for the appointment and remuneration of all military officers as well, objected to the new scheme, calling it "duplicative and confusing"; the MCS pointed out, if a person was in the Infantry-Artillery Corps and commanded a battalion in the regular infantry, he would receive a different compensation from another who commanded a battalion in the Guards, even if the duties of both are the same. Furthermore, there was considerable confusion about whether the new rank system constituted "office" or were merely "titles"; the MCS held the opinion that only offices should be remunerated, while titles cannot. Additionally, since senior military officers ex officio held civil offices, the addition of more "offices" would render impossible the proper appraisal of civil servants, which happened regularly in late winter.

In response to the problems noted, the Ministry of War cleverly combined several new ranks into a single rank in the civil service, which circumvented the objection that a single person could not simultaneously receive compensation from two offices. Then, more senior ranks in the Army were accorded a special allowance that stacked upon their income as civil servant; however, since the rules also required allowances to depend only on office rather than titles, this meant different ranks in the various corps of a similar description could not be compensated differently. To get around that problem, the Ministry of War began to petition the Court to establish more offices at different ranks; military officers would be appointed to a third office to adjust for the relative difficulty or risks in their offices. Since only one office could be salaried at a single time, the "third office" only applied as far as allowances went. In 1847, a "fourth office" system was created to reward those who have remained in the Army for a lengthy time; again, this office carried no salaries, but only allowances. Hence, between 1847 and 1927, all commissioned officers were appointed to four offices simultaneously, one as their commissions required, one (nomially) as civil servant, one for specialization allowances, and one for length-of-service awards. According to L. Topp of the Organized States, the "objections of the Ministry of the Civil Service created a gross maze that ironically guaranteed the Army some independence."

Early 20th century

OS policy on the Themiclesian Army reversed course in 1920. Rather than promising defensive aid in the event of an emergency in exchange for cuts to the Army, the OS proposed to the government to "restore the Army's activities". Precise reasons for the change still unclear, historians have suggested that stationing thousands of Marines in an expansive foreign country must have been a great fiscal burden; since the peace of the 19th century reached into the 20th, the OS public, increasingly isolationist, may have found it undesirable to support this expenditure. The OS Marines were recalled in batches between 1927 and 1930; the Army was miffed by this withdrawal, since they would have to take on more staff without a guaranteed budget increase. Nevertheless, the Army's repulsion of invading Dzhungestani forces in 1926 convinced the OS that Themiclesia was capable of defending itself independently.

Prairie War

The Prairie War is the first major conflict that involved the Army after the 1791–96 war in Maverica. In 1926, Dzhungestani cavalry crossed into Themiclesia to raid the copper mines that lay just across the border; after a few months of copper extraction, the Army was ordered to repel the Dzhungestani cavalry. Two brigades were formed for this purpose and placed under an ad hoc command. The plan After several diplomatic agreements have been violated successively by the Dzhungestani state between 1926 and 1927, the government had the Army draw up and execute a plan to take the Dzhungestani capital city, in hope of forcing open negotiations to fix the Themiclesian-Dzhungestani border to prevent future incursions. The Army leadership informally regarded this as an opportunity to test the efficacy of the new tanks that were procured from the Organized States only a few years before, though this was not presented as such to the government, since the War Secretary recently said in parliament that the Army will "not fight a war to use a weapon". To lead this expedition, the Eastern Fringe HQ was established in Feb. 1927, later taking command of the 12th, 15th, and 21st Infantry Brigades, the 3rd and 7th Cavalry Wings, and the newly-formed 101st Motor Chariot Wing (later renamed to Armoured Brigade in 1930).

Dzhungestan's defence forces failed to repel the Themiclesian invasion, despite much effort and some appeals to other states. Dzhungestan's capital city, Dörözamyn, fell only two months after the border was crossed in Dec. 1928. However, far from encircling the Dzhungestani government, as Themiclesia hoped, the Army broke into the capital city to find the administration fled, with only the Khan's under-aged nephew deputizing for the throne. Presenting the nephew with the draft treaty, the nephew declined to ratify it, claiming that he did not have the support of the country's magnates, and his signature would be useless. The Themiclesian government was entirely flustered over this, and management of the desired treaty was returned to the Foreign Office in May 1928. Slightly later, the Prime Minister retired, provoking a cabinet reshuffle that pushed the foreign secretary into the premiership. The new PM then ordered the Army to pay, out of its own pocket, for some infrastructure improvements in Dörözamyn, hoping, on the one hand, to persuade the absent Khan that Themiclesia had no ambitions in the wealth or land of his state, but only a treaty signed and witnessed by a third power; on the other hand, if the Khan were to persist in flight, the improvements would lend political credit to the nephew, who could be expected to be amicable towards Themiclesia. The Army was highly unhappy to pay for these infrastructure projects, but near the close of 1928 the War Secretary was sounded out as the next Foreign Secretary, garnering his enthusiasm to follow the PM's scheme. The move from the War Ministry to the Foreign Office was, at the time, a considerable promotion, since the Foreign Secretary was only second to the Prime Minister in terms of seniority in the Council of Correspondence.

When the nephew felt he gathered sufficient clout, partly due to the friendship of the Themiclesian forces still in Dörözamyn, he offered the general leading the expedition, Lt. Gen. Ho, the Order of the Prairies. Ho telegrammed the War Office and the Foreign Office to ask for instructions, and the Foreign Secretary replied that he should "reverently decline" the dignity on the pretext of "having done nothing to earn it but brought much inconvenience to the country's people". In Mar. 1929, Lt. Gen. Ho appeared before the Dzhungestani court in full court dress, prostrated twice to the throne, and declined the dignity as instructed. Scholars have interpreted this refusal as an act primarily aimed at the absent Khan that there was no attempt to overthrow his dynasty by Themiclesian involvement in his country's politics. Nevertheless, the Khan eventually appeared in Menghe and militated with his advisors to lobby for Menghean help in expelling the Themiclesians, whom he believed were usurping his country's government and secretly controlling his nephew. However, sources also point to the Khan's perinnial suspicion that his nephew desired the throne for himself, during the prolonged absence. Particularly, in the general's petition declining the Order, he addressed himself as "a lowly subject of a foreign monarch" and the nephew as "Your Majesty the Great Khan", a choice of words that may have alarmed the hiding Khan.

1960s

1970s

since 1980

Structure

Branches

Combat Branches Native name Insignia Colour Function Founded
Palace Guards trjung Wall and gate Reddish-grey Palace guards (infantry) inherited
Infantry ngwais Sword and spear Reddish-grey Infantry and certain types of special forces inherited
Cavalry grjar Horse Silver Mostly confined to aides-de-camp and batmen inherited
Field Artillery p'ruh Cannon Light maroon inherited
Aerial Artillery shljas Rockets Pearl 1935
Field Engineers kong Mallets, cogs Muddy green 1889
Armoured k'lja Chariot Grey Tanks inherited
Aviation k'ong Jets Air support Sky blue 1926
Digital gwjeps Vacuum tubes Black, neon blue Hackers, virus design 1969
Support Branches Shinasthana Insignia Colour Function Founded
Quartermaster gwrjing' Books Black Keeping supplies inherited
Medical 'je Almonds White Treating the sick and wounded inherited
Veterinary 獸醫 sljuh-'je White, green Fruits Treating animals inherited
Engineers kjangs Cogs Gold Military infrastructure and development inherited
Pharmaceutical ngljawk Herbs White, grey Procurement of medicine 1872
Convalescence ghuah Beds White, blue Care for recovering individuals 1890
Civil Affairs st'ja Pen Knife and pen Public and external relations inherited
Field Transport slo Wheels Red Road transport 1920
Railways 鐵路 t'it-glah Railway tracks Maroon Rail transport and railway infrasturcture 1928
Military Police 直史 drjik-srje’ Dove Green, grey Maintenance of order and investigations 1899
Judicature hljui Balance Green, blue Adjudication 1901
Training kraws Swords Blue, silver Training and civil defence 1972
Ordnance dans Hexagon Violet Ordnance 1857
Logistics ghoh' Tree Dark grey, blue Logistics 1910
Intelligence krian Eye Black Intelligence-gathering 1930
Royal Signals[1] 中都 hla Elephant Rainbow Music, communications inherited

Other facilities

  • Army Academy, where Army officers are trained.
  • Army Officer Training School, where non-commissioned officers are trained.
  • Army Preparatory Centre, where volunteers are introduced to the Army and receive rudimentary training.
  • General Army Hospital, the Army's hospital; has a number of branches.
  • Army Museum Management Board, manages the Army's numerous museums and has custody over valuable Army artifacts.
  • Army Veteran Guidance and Support Board, assists veterans to re-integrate into normal society and help prevent and cure, on a less intense level, PTSD.
  • Ombudsman's Office, manages public complaints.

Formations

The Themiclesian Army, at its inception in modern form, designated regiments as the basic administrative and operational unit. Brigades comprised two regiments, while a regiment contained four battalions, each of four companies. This structure remained largely static until the outbreak of the Pan-Septentrion War. Increased staffing prompted the Army leadership to introduce divisions composed of two brigades and additional artillery and aerial units in 1935. These divisions were temporary in nature, though their use would persist for more than two decades. Larger units, such as the corps and field army, existed for shorter intervals in pursuance of ad hoc objects but disappeared no later than 1948. As conventional war abated, the regimental system resurfaced, and brigades again assumed the place of the largest peacetime formation, and brigades retain this place in at least a titular aspect today.

Over 90% of the Army was demobilized between 1947 and 1949, leaving 16 brigades consisting of mostly volunteers; these were compressed into 14 in 1952. Prior to the war, each infantry brigade had 32 companies of riflemen; due to casualties, the average brigade by 1940 had shrunken to around 24 companies; rather than consolidating the formations, the Army elected to follow the international trend of the triangular division by skipping one brigade and place 48 companies in three regiments under one division, which, after their dissolution, left the newly-restored brigades with fewer than two pre-PSW regiments under it. At this stage, the regiment evolved towards an administrative unit, while the brigade became more operation-oriented. Into the 1960s, most brigades had three battalions rather than two regiments. Though the communist takeover in Maverica and Menghe alarmed Army leadership, which was then pursuing further economies in personnel, the government took the view that only the Air Force could defend the country against the hypothetical threats; hence, in the 60s, the Army did not increase in size by any significant amount.

The détente between the first and second worlds, consummating in the 70s, allowed the Army to streamline itself further. In 1970, the Army possessed sixteen brigades; in 1979, there were but eleven remaining, and they survive into the present day.

  • 101st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (T'ing-tju, available to GA), Firsts
  • 109th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Kraw-tju), Wraiths
  • 401st Armoured Brigade (Tuan-ning, on duty with GA), Lightning Bolts
  • 402nd Armoured Brigade, Wind Riders
  • 405th Armoured Brigade
  • 542nd Mixed Brigade (Krong-ning, with both Infantry and Palace Guards units), Guardians of the Peace
  • 651st Airborne Infantry Brigade (Kwang-'an, on duty with GA), News from Above
  • 652nd Airborne Infantry Brigade, High-fliers
  • 701st Mountain Infantry Brigade, Unflinching Conquerors
  • 704th Mixed Infantry Brigade
  • 710th Mixed Infantry Brigade (on duty with GA)

Though the number of brigades have decreased, the total number of troops have not decreased by the same margin. Realizing that in manpower it could not compete with potentially inimical states in its periphery, the Army invested heavily in more specialized units, such as independent rocket missiles, mountain infantry, special, aviation, potamic, digital, and rapid-response forces. These are "non-divisional" troops in the sense that they do not belong to any single brigade and probably cannot achieve larger objectives alone, though co-operation between them and their "divisional" comrades is expected and anticipated by internal policies. The pursuit of a "well-rounded force" is the explicit dogma in the Army currently, one which takes into account environments and resources that foreign policy has made available and makes the most effective use out of them and domestic resources.  

Organization

Ranks

Uniforms

The Themiclesian Army currently issues the following sets of uniforms:

  • № 12 Service Dress, worn at office and when out of garrison.
  • № 9 Field Dress, worn during training.
  • № 15 Barracks Uniform, worn when off duty.
  • № 8 Pyjamas, worn in bed.

A variety of other uniforms are also available, though purchase is only mandatory for officers:

  • № 1 Full Dress, worn when attending foreign heads of state, equivalent in formality to the civilian Court Dress in Casaterra.
  • № 2 Day Dress, worn at formal occasions during daytime, equivalent to the civilian frock coat.
  • № 3 Mess Dress, worn at formal occasions at night, equivalent to the civilian white tie.
  • № 4 Duty Uniform, used interchangeably with № 12.
  • № 6 Sports Uniform, cloth cap, cardigan, shirt, and trousers, meant for certain sports like golf.
  • № 11 Temperate Day Dress, worn in lieu of № 2 in summer.
  • Various court dresses, only required for very senior officers.

Policies

Time and date

The official language of the armed forces, as a whole, is Shinasthana, but there are common exceptions to this rule. In the Army, after several costly and fatal misunderstandings ensued between Themiclesian and Columbian units during the PSW over telling time, it was made mandatory in 1942 to specify time in the 24-hour clock. This guideline governs all punctual time (in the sense of specific times of day) but not durative time; under it, what would have been specified as "Hour C, 4 Ticks" became "0400". In spoken form, this was read as "four-o'clock, zero minutes" during the 40s through the 50s. Furthermore, there was some confusion in the early stages over how general this principle was, and in some cases, the public opposed this change as it made delivery times less transparent. In 1951, it was further decided that the rule to use "numeral time" extends only to internal documents and verbal communication.

Date was somewhat less of an issue, since both the Themiclesian and the Gregorian Calendars have been used in parallel for some years prior to the PSW. This is particularly true in the Army, which interacted with the Columbian Marine Corps frequently between 1920 and 1929; letters between them specified dates in the Gregorian Calendar, though their drafts still bore the same dates in the Themiclesian one. Into the PSW, Army leadership decided that dates should be specified in both calendars for maximal clarity, and equally that conflicts with existing events (especially ones recurring based on the Themiclesian Calendar) would be more apparent. Hence, Jan. 1st, 1943 would have been recorded as that and as "17th Year, 11th Month, 56" (永康十七年十一月己未). Other differences between Themiclesia and the OS (and other Allies) in specifying dates abated to the credit of Under Secretary of State for the Army, who vehemently objected to any dissention from the ranks to halt the use of the Gregorian Calendar.

Language

As Themiclesia began intensive contact with the Organized States in the late 1800s, it quickly became necessary for officers of a comparatively junior grade to communicate with counterparties speaking Tyrannian, the official language of the Organized States. This was not a serious problem, as the Officer Corps were taught by a selection of lecturers who spoke different languages; most officers there graduating knew at least one or two Casaterran language, if only because otherwise he would not have been able to understand the lecture material. But many officers commissioned in 1936 (under conscription) were unable to communicate in any foreign language, severely hampering their ability to engage alongside Casaterran and Columbian allies. In redress, the Army created a new (now defunct) branch dedicated to translation; members of this branch enjoyed privileges from menial tasks, in return for translating Tyrannian and Rajian information for the unit commander. In principle, any unit larger than a company had one such functionary, and divisions and corps typically had multiple.

By the middle of the century, and in combination with mandatory Tyrannian courses in primary and secondary education, a considerable portion of the Army was conversant in Tyrannian. Given its international currency and ubiquity in literature pertinent to equipment and theory, Tyrannian terminology littered the Army's documents to such an extent that translating them was found uneconomical. In 1952, it was decided that Tyrannian proper names and technical terms would thence appear in the original language, since some officers complained that translated terms made less sense or were more ambiguous than the original, which is most likely found on the physical item anyway. In 1957, the Army further proposed that all communication should be in Tyrannian.

Salute

As inherited from the unreformed Army before the 19th century, Themiclesian soldiers did not render any salute to officers or enlisted men. The justification whereof was that salutes constituted a superarogatory requirement on those who have committed with their lives to defend the country.

夫求人之死不索尊,竭人之力不責禮,故古者甲冑之士不拜。

Pja kju njin tje shjij' pje srak tsun, gwjat njin tje rjek pje tsriak hli', ka's ka' tja krap drjuh tje djeh pje priais.

One does not demand obeiscance from another whom one has required to die, or impose ceremonies on another whose strength one is to exploit; therefore, in ancient times men in armour do not bow.

This remained the situation even after the Casaterran-staffed officer academy formed. In 1842, the 2nd Regiment of Foot, then commanded by Colonel Rik Miaw, became the first formation to adopt a Casaterran-style salute, modelled after the Tyrannian Army. Miaw himself studied in the Kingdom of Tyran and later mediated the tenures of several Tyrannian lecturers at the officer academy. The 14th Regiment of Foot, which was heavily under Sieuxerrian influence, also adopted the salute in 1851. However, the use of salutes largely fell to the individual commander, and many regarded it as unnecessary or foreign. Throughout the 19th century, salutes were offered inconsistently; however, it should be noted that records indicate that a shallow bow from the neck was still usual, if only social etiquette demanded it towards a superior.

At the end of the Macmillan Mission in 1930, the OS advised the Themiclesian Army, which was consolidated into a single command structure only several years before, to adopt the salute. For various reasons, its implementation was delayed several times, and ultimately the outbreak of the Pan-Septentrion War prevented many units from becoming accustomed to it. The dispersal of the pre-war officer corps to lead new formations further diluted any desire to see its immmediate implementation. Rajian and Tyrannian units fighting in Themiclesia observed the inconsistency in saluting and nicknamed Themiclesias' the "non-saluting army". During the war itself, conscripts were trained with such haste that the Ministry of War ordered any "non-combat instruction" to be delayed in favour of combat training. After the war, the Army endured two extensive war crime trials between 1947–49 and again in 50–51, resulting in yet further delays to necessary changes. Finally, in Dec. 1951, the Ministry of War ordered non-saluting regiments to adopt the Casaterran salute. At this point, 22 regiments emulated the Tyrannian Army salute, 10 regiments the Sieuxerrian Army salute, and 18 regiments the OS Army salute; newer regiments adopted the OS Army salute. Hence, in the modern day, different units practice slightly differing salutes.

Gender equality

Historians have noted that, as far as surviving laws and regulations indicate, nothing explicitly prohibits females from serving in the Army; however, custom has generally been of the same effect in limiting female participation. Most importantly, females from military households were required to take care of agricultural work and tend after children when their husbands were called away, in the unreformed Army (to 1801); some argue that, since these roles were crucial for the maintenance of a functional force, these women can be regarded as being part of the Army, and indeed their were regularly in contact with the military authorities. Others argue that, since the military households were under the portfolio of a minister other than the one responsible for combat branches, they should not be regarded this way. Still others believe this dispute is pointless because the Army was not a monolithic statutory organization until 1931.

After the Army reforms began, females have been employed in producing supplies and medicine, but they were not accorded military rank or part of combat formation. In 1918, females were accorded rank in the Convalescence Service, the Medical Corps, the Corps of Communications, and the Paymaster-General's Corps. Female commissioned officers were first appointed in 1934. During the PSW, one unit was formed out of women serving in clerical positions and saw combat in the defence of Drjang-'an in 1939–40, but the name of their unit, "Brigade of Righteous Women", suggests that their enlistment was extraordinary and impermanent. In 1950, the Supreme Court, with 16 justices in banco, issued a per curiam opinion, stating that there was no legal objection to women serving in the Army. The Army's chief attorney argued that such a decision may cause "untimely disturbances" within the ranks and asked for leave to appeal the decision; the Supreme Court refused leave, making the ruling absolute. The Army further appealed to the Chancery to arrest the Supreme Court's decision, on the grounds of "equity towards the security of the nation for the temporary delay in inclusion of females in the Army for the development and provision of more adequate preparatory measures". This case was found without merit in 1952.

Currently, the 1950 decision is upheld by the legal system and requires the Army to permit qualified women to "have the opportunity and choice, as much as the one of the other sex", to serve in any position. This decision does not require the Army to establish units of mixed gender, and, while mixed-gendered units do exist, the Army has regarded them as somewhat experimental and not ideal for implementation across the entire service, citing fiscal burdens of providing adequate, gender-specific facilities, such as separate lavatories and baths. For highly elite units, for which candidates of any one sex are not numerous enough to form a functional group, exceptions exist; this is the case in the 16th Special Operations Unit, Digital Corps, where nine women and eight men work together.

Sexual orientation equality

Historically, the unreformed Army did not have prejudices against any sexual orientation, since this reduced the number of soldiers fit for service.

Equipment

Rifles and Machine Guns

Name Origin Type Cartridge Photo Notes
C24-25 Template:Country data Eisenmaat Rifle tba HK416.jpg
C24-30 Template:Country data Eisenmaat Rifle tba HK 417 (7029721321).jpg
C25-30 Template:Country data Organized States Rifle tba File:Scar H Standard.jpg

Sidearms

Name Origin Type Cartridge Photo Notes
Sig Sauer P227 Template:Country data Organized States Semi-automatic pistol .45 ACP Sig Sauer P227.jpg

Rockets, Grenades, Mines, and Missiles

Name Origin Type Number Photo Notes
M-79 OSA Template:Country data Soviet Yugoslovenski
Template:Country data Yugoslovenski
Shoulder mounted anti-tank weapon 1,154 M79-OSA.jpg

Armored Vehicles

Name Origin Type Variant Number Photo Notes
M-84 Template:Country data Soviet Yugoslovenski
Template:Country data Yugoslovenski
Main Battle Tank M-84BN
M-84AS
M-84D
M-84M
5
40
15
2
M-84 VS.jpg

Unarmored Vehicles

Name Origin Type Variant Number Photo Notes
Range Rover Defender  New Tyran Offroad SUV

Artillery

Name Origin Type Variant Number Photo Notes
NORA B-52 Template:Country data Yugoslovenski Self Propelled Gun

Aircraft

Name Origin Type Variant Number Photo Notes
Pegaz 011 Template:Country data Yugoslovenski Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 2 UAV Pegaz.jpg

Culture

The Themiclesian Army enjoys worldwide renown for its meticulousness in not only operation but as "a form of orthodoxy"[2], which the service is keen to maintain. Precursors to the current condition may have originated as far back as the reforms in the early 19th century. Prior thereto, soldiers had a social status lower than "decent" commoners, conditioned by historical factors and social stigma. Soldiers were conscripted form a pool of hereditary "military households" prohibited to seek other profession or migrate. When that was lifted in 1801, a small group of soldiers remained in service and were protective of their newfound status as "decent" individuals. A culture of "sensitivity and due care" towards the expectations of wider society, avoiding previous errors, developed around this nucleus, lasting to this day and becoming the norm.

A second source of influence on the Army is the new officer corps, which graduated from the newly-established Army Academy. These officers typically had learned backgrounds and possess the qualifications as high-ranking civil servants, a far more prestigious career choice at the time. At the time, the atmosphere of the Army Academy did not differ by much from contemporary universities; cadets, like university students, listened to lectures, published articles, and were assessed by each other. Though ostensibly part of the government's plan to lend prestige to the military by including men of reputation, the Army between 1830–1900 possessed the same cultural such as that of the civil service. In combination with the care and attention with which the enlisted men upheld themselves, the Army developed a very prim, conscientious image. The quirks of the Army has often led to inter-service rivalries or comparisons that have fed many a entertainment.

Challenges

Notes

  1. Signals is the only branch of the Army which has the title "Royal" in its name; this is because Signals personnel are stationed within the palace, where the Cabinet sits, to communicate decisions to relevant recipients, and also because they provide music before the royal presence during minor events and fanfares to various processions.
  2. Barrister, 1990

See also