Themiclesian Marine Corps (according to November Magazine)

Themiclesian Marine Corps
房冗人, bjang-njung-njing
Emblem of the Themiclesian Marine Corps
Founded	17 February 1318 (1318-02-17)
Country	Themiclesia
Type	Naval infantry
Size	7672 active 4233 reserve
Part of	Ministry of Defence
Nickname(s)	Metropolitans Die-hard Liberals
Motto(s)	disputed (see below)
Colors	lime
March	The Liberal Party Forevermore
Mascot(s)	penguin
Engagements	See list Battle of Clarkestown (892) Battle of Portcullia (1323) Battle of Tups (1352) First Maverican War (1767–1768) Second Maverican War (1791–1796) Raid on Rad (1791) Battle of Liang-la (1867) Pan-Septentrion War (1926–1949)

The Themiclesian Marine Corps (房冗人, bjang-njung'-njing) is the naval infantry branch of the Themiclesian Navy (艦航, krams-gang).

Name and translation

Many Themiclesian institutions acquired their Tyrannian names when they were confronted with their counterparts, and the Themiclesian Marines are one such example. The Tyrannian Royal Marines, who fought them in 1791 during the Raid on Rad, gave them their present name. Before then, Hallians and Sylvans regularly called them the Exercitus Thimiensis, "Themiclesian Army". The term Exercitus Thimiensis was even used occasionally by Themiclesian diplomats. In modern times, this is deprecated due to possible 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 pjang-njung-njing to translate "marine corps" in general; rather, the term stur-prjang (水兵, "maritime army") is used. This is because, domestically, stur-prjang refers to the lake-based naval infantry that was part of the militia, which predates the institutional Navy by several centuries. stur-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" was first recognized in an edict dating to 503, forbidding passengers (anyone who was not a crew member) from defecting to enemies of the ship in case it was attacked. A similar edict in 508 required passengers to fight with the crew, should the captain of the ship order it. Another edict in 532 penalized any passenger who sought "to protect himself or his goods by means of a private peace with criminals, pirates, or enemy crews". Interestingly, the edict of 532 mentions that there were previous laws regulating the behaviour of passengers, though these regulations have been lost. 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 concedes that the role of passengers in these situations is "murky at best, due to a dearth of primary accounts".

The organizational ancestor of the Themiclesian Marines appeared in history together with the Themiclesian Navy in the early 800s. The state-operated fleet was organized to fight Hallian warriors, who raided the Columbian coast, to protect merchant ships, and to suppress piracy along the Halu'an, Columbian, and Meridian coasts. As the ships' crews were mostly impressed from oceanic fleets, the merchants and non-sailing individuals in them were organized as a sort of supplementary militia apart from the crew, which at this time were expected to engage the enemy, as customary to the domestic naval militia. While the militia was initially meant to augment the crew in battle, they were soon expected to do most of the fighting to protect the crew and keep the ship manoeuvrable. In the Battle of Clarkestown of 898 and in view of the merchant militia's background, the general leading the expedition ordered them to scout, which promptly compromised the whereabouts of the force and occasioned its extermination. Specifics of this battle are difficult to study, since only a few ships escaped the carnage that destroyed the entire force sent. Due to mounting pressure from foreign navies, the Bureau of Passengers in 1318 established permanent units in the merchant naval militia in Portcullia, officially cited as the founding date of the Marine Corps.

Wax Tablet Case

Main article: Wax Table Case (1370)

Modern period

The shift from the merchant militia of the 11th to 16th centuries to a professionalized institution around 1570 is considered to have brought the Marines into its modern age in practical terms. While there are great differences, historians have noted some parallels to the colonial armies that had been professional for two or three centuries. The entry of Sylva into the race for colonies in Meridia has prompted Themiclesia again to expand its fleet, which bifurcated into the North Sea Fleet (for the Halu'an Sea) and the South Sea Fleet (for the Meridian Ocean). The Admiralty devised an formula for calculating how many marines were required. Advocates of the formula stated that, since ships and marines both have fixed costs, expenditure on either can be mathematically optimized. Beneath the optimum, the likelihood of capture increases dramatically, while above the optimum, additional deployment carried diminishing returns. At the time, the cost of building each ship was quoted in rjew, technically a unit of timber, but which including the labour needed, on average, to make it a structural part of the vessel. If the vessel was lost, the loss was quantified as its current value, and each ship would become unsuited for battle in a given number of years after launch. Thus, the amount of marines needed was a function of the value of the fleet. In the late 1500s, one marine was required for each 80 rjew (c. 2.21 tons). Opponents of the formula asserted that it does not factor in any information about the enemies they are projected to face and, for that reason, must be inaccurate. Nevertheless, the court adopted the formula, and the size of the Marine Corps seems to have followed it very closely for the next two centuries, and its influence persisted despite abolition in 1799.

The adoption of the formula apparently had a radical effect on the way the force was organized. In the late 1500s, the induction to the Marines outpaced the number of applicants, who were guaranteed a trading license, which permitted them later to buy and sell goods overseas, for service. This, in effect, created an imperfect trading monopoly by former members of the naval service. However, the Secretary of State for Finance asserted to court in 1585 that commercial revenues would increase if the licensing system was abolished forthwith, and the court followed. Though proven correct, it also removed the only incentive to join the naval service as a marine, since salaries offered were uncompetitive. Only two years later, the number of enlistments dropped to zero (during the 1588 fiscal year); the government opened enlistment to the public in response. To prevent men from leaving, the government extended terms of service from 6 to 12, then to 18 years by the 1600s. The quickly-developing nature of naval warfare in the 1500s also demanded the government prioritize cannon foundries and shipbuilding, both expensive, rather than increasing salaries. Indeed, following the formula established, there was a trend to decrease salaries for both sailors and marines; however, sailors were considered skilled labourers under statute, so their salaries were ab initio three times that of an unskilled labourer.

Maverican War

Main article: Maverican Wars

Raid on Rad

Main article: Raid on Rad

Infamous island commissions

Between 1805 and 1867, when the Themiclesian military imitated the Tyrannian one and offered commissions for bidding, the isle of Liang was still under Themiclesian control. The island was strategically valuable, as it gave the navy a second home port, so that it could not be easily encircled within the Halu'an Sea. Learning from the fiasco of 1791, the Admiralty held the isle in high regard, sending as many as six regiments of marines to guard it from incursion. In the 18th century, when the Marines headquarters were located on the opposite coast, the government usually allowed the Admiralty to commission officers as a matter of convenience. But as the entire naval establishment had been moved home in the late 1700s, the power to commission Marines officers reverted to the Secretary of State for Administration. Like all other regiments, commissions in these six regiments were for sale. In 1817, the second son of the Lord of K′lang-lan (prime minister 1814 – 1822) became a captain in the 3rd Regiment, and almost as soon as he was commissioned, the Camians mobilized its militia to test Themiclesians' resolve on defending the island. The captain proved physically unfit and was unable to run with his company from one fortification to another, dying to Camian fire. Though the regiment successfully fended off the incursion, his body was mutilated by Camian militiamen. The news of the prime minister's son's ignominious death scandalized the aristocracy.

In the 1820s, the sale of commissions became a more public affair. Military offices were deemed good for accumulating seniority within the bureaucracy that aristocratic men aspired to; when a civil appointment could not be secured, military offices became substitutes. The Army Academy had been set up to take advantage of this excess of bureaucrats as reserve and militia officers. However, not all commissions were made equal. Some regiments, such as the Hên-lang Guards, were deemed a first-rate regiment for their proximity and trust to the government ministers and physical location in the capital city, which made social and political activity possible. Other regiments were ranked into roughly five tiers of desirability, in context of advancing a bureaucratic career. Inland militia units were usually considered second- and third-rate units, as they were comparatively safe, with actual military action unlikely. Comparatively remote and exposed units were fourth- and fifth-rates. The six regiments on Liang, especially after the death of K′lang-lan's son, formed a sub-fifth-rate, due to their proven danger. As the Camians became more aggressive in raids and provocative with rhetoric, the commissions became so undesirable that nobody bought them.

In 1845, the Marines' commissions were placed on half-price and advertised to public servants newly relieved of office, peers, and members of parliament as "commissions on a beautiful island", but instead of generating any positive interest, the phrase "island commission" became a synecdoche for unpleasant missions. In 1849, Admiral Kun (ret. 1851) made a visit to the Commissions Chamber, where commissions available were written out on a massive chalkboard for aristocrats to consider. At the end of the commissioning season, every commission had sold and was wiped off the board, except the six island commissions still in the corner. He took a photo of the board, which was used in the late 1800s to illustrate the ills of sales of commisisons, but Kun originally used it to accuse Conservatives to be cowards. However, the harder the Ministry of Administration pushed for their sale, the worse the reputation of the commissions became. In 1850, novelist Hap Ger wrote of a character receiving an island commission as a present from a mortal enemy, which was interpreted as a sign to "drop dead". While the joke had previously been the preserve of the upper classes, who had the right to purchase commissions such as these, it seems by 1850 the unsold commissions were publicly understood in that light. The Liberal government opened the purchase of "unsold commissions" after the commissioning season to non-aristocratic gentlemen in 1854, ending the drought of officers in the Marine Corps. As the middle class tended to hold strongly Liberal views, the force was dominated by Liberals for, arguably, the next century.

Battle of Liang-la

Main article: Battle of Liang-la

Mediatization

Mediatization (小臣化, pjei-n′rjaw-djen-hngw′rar) was an ongoing re-organization process in the Themiclesian military that occurred from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. An immediate military body was one which had no superior military officer holding power over it, directly responsible to the court (the government and parliament). For example, the Phonic Archers (聲射, l′jeng-mljagh) Company has an portfolio laid out by primary legislation and annually presents its budget before parliament, and it is deemed an immediate force, even though in 1870 its strength was less than 200 men; however, the CDF's 2nd Regiment of Foot was mediate, as its commander was ordinarily under the authority of the Marshal of the Capital. Conversely, the CDF would be deemed an immediate force in its own right, as it laid out its own budgetary plans etc. The Themiclesian military in the mid-19th century counted around 200 – 300 immediate forces, most no larger than company-size; however, many of them possessed long histories and were either highly specialized and localized or composed of ethnic minority groups pledged serve the Themiclesian crown, some with fixed conditions (such as not deploying abroad) or varying degrees of autonomy. This meant that integration of the forces would cause legal and morale problems, and, in the Army particularly, it was associated with party politics. Conservatives generally opposed mediatization, while Liberals believed that integration would eliminate waste and greatly boost the operational effectiveness of the military.

In terms of integration, the Colonial Army was the most advanced land force for most of the early modern period, as its constant military activity consistently demanded centralized control of resources and strategization. After the Colonial Army was corporeally abolished in 1810, the Navy led reforms in the 19th century. Individual regiments of marines were never immediate, as they were effectively bound to the fleet they served, but as a whole the regiments enjoyed independent administration. Initially, this was done through the Secretary of Passenger (冗人丞) under the Director of Passengers (冗人令), who was responsible for commandeering ships and forming militias in support of naval operations; the Secretary of Passenger was renamed Captain-General in 1480. He was invariably a senior civil official until 1650, after which civil servants were irregularly appointed. The quasi-civil nature of the position allowed the Marines to maintain independent finances and propose primary legislation. This would continue until 1881, when the final civilian captain-general, Trjuk Krjên-magh died in office. Trjuk insisted on his right to present spending bills to parliament, without consulting the Admiralty, to circumvent the Master-General of the Ordnance, with whom he had quarrelled; after Trjuk died, the Admiralty introduced legislation to a Liberal parliament, forbidding the Ministry of Administration to make appoints to the Navy and captains-general to make speeches to parliament and present money bills. The Passenger Exchequer (冗人內) was merged into the Naval Exchequer (航內) for this purpose.

Prairie War

As public opinion was unfavourable to the Prairie War, the government passed the the Special Conscription Act, 1935 to conscript organized men in other departments. The 1st and 2nd Regiments were sent to the Army's front this way, along with the Royal Engineers (consctruction teams in service to the monarchy), local policemen, fire brigades, and a litany of others. In view of a conjectural naval invasion to the west coast, the Marines were ordered to recruit in 1937, which progressed at a snail's pace as most able-bodied men were conscripted or on notice for it. Dayashinese immigrants feared regional discrimination, which was known to be rife in some Army units, so the Dayashinese Parliamentary Lobby encouraged them to join the Marines instead, where they would form an overwhelming majority; this has been called the "group-buy mentality" by some historians, where minorities could band up and negotiate a less hostile environment. In 1940, Dayashinese men accounted for over 90% of the entire enlistment and 75% of the force. A strong push for linguistic uniformity occurred, but Shinasthana as lingua franca was replaced by Dayashinese, creating the unusual situation where the operation language was that of the enemy state.

PSW and D/ISOG infiltration

Starting when Dayashina declared war on Themiclesia, the IDA's Imperial Special Operations Group sought to infiltrate the Marines. The core object, as declassified D/ISOG papers show, was to cast doubt on the allegiances of the 100,000 or so Dayashinese-Themiclesians and terrorize the Themiclesian public behind the front, since some of the marines were used as rear-line troops. The Cabinet Office had, in 1937, heavily propagandized the immigrants enlistment as proof of a "defensive resolve that transcends ethnicity and language, affecting all that is human"; the Army further elaborated on this, in early 1939, with fliers dropped in Dayashinese camps to discredit their government's assertion of the war as a struggle between races. The infiltration concentrated on the Dayashinese-majority 4th and 5th Regiments.

To engender terror, Dayashinese operatives, mostly feigning as surrendering IDA soldiers, pretended to naturalize to Themiclesia; welcoming any opportunity to discredit Dayashinese unity, they were accepted heartily. They would then apply to join the Navy, which preferentially placed Dayashinese recruits (identified by their names) into the Marines. Infiltration in the 4th Regiment was particularly prolific, since it was assigned to guarding the temporary capital city at Blim-tsi, which was a coastal city with some naval armaments. Infiltrators then took advantage of the Marines armouries, which contained only light weaponry, to attack civic amenities and attempt assassination on the Emperor. Ultimately, attempts on the Emperor's life narrowly failed in two instances, and attacks on infrastructure were limited in their impact, since the Army's supply lines were diffuse. However, they did succeed in vexing the residents of Blim-tsi that a statute was passed to ban marines from the city.

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 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, more infamous than naval impressment, 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 in the coming years, which corroborated notion that marines were professionals, in the financial sense. This concept was then foreign to metropolitan Themiclesia, since until 1847 more than half of Themiclesian males were in militias; only after the Liberal policy to reduce regional militias in 1847 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 (which was often a single-sided, double-spaced edition), to be "a bit of a thin act".

Non-regionalism

As with the merchant militia prior to 1600, the Themiclesian Marines are a non-regional force, like most of the Navy and parts of the Air Force. Recruits since professionalization in 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 original branch seal, adopted in 1843, featured a dark blue field charged with a globe with orange longitudinal and latitudinal lines and red equator and prime meridian, an outer ring with ruler markings, ovals in verdegris, silver, and gold, and the asterisms of the Great Dipper and the Boat. The globe represented navigation. The outer ring and ovals depict a traditional Themiclesian 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 Latinate translation added from sinister to dexter across the top, 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 philosophy of minimalism, efficiency, personal liberties, and non-interference. Prior to the PSW, when military officers openly wore their political affiliations, most Marines officers were, indeed, members of the Liberal Party; however, an exit-poll conducted as far back as 1988 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 of different political inclinations were soon pressured to resign, leaving it a "most Liberal and sound force", as Liberal prime minister Kaw described it in 1856.

Progressivism

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 truly 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 for different branches to become more specialized and sub-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, before the Exchequer of Appeal, the courts ruled in 1951 that the prohibition of females from taking combat roles was unlawful. While the Army Staff Board was thrown into chaos by the judgment, 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. However, the Air Force announced 20 days later that they would abolish all regulations on the grounds of sex, forcing the Marines to do the same. While the TAF did not mention names, the phrase "respect the right of women to serve to their fullest potential" was characterized as paternalistic and hollow; this was one of the few moments when Themiclesian forces have 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. However, the rule did not, until 1958, extend to civilians or members of other services. In the first half of the 20th century, it was generally seen as "progressive" in some Themiclesian academic circles to discourage homosexuality and "traditional" to be agnostic about it; this is largely under Casaterran influence, which included a considerable body of (now discredited) academic work that sought to prove that homosexuality caused divers problems, particularly in the armed forces. By 1950, much of the previous work stigmatizing homosexuality in the armed forces was being examined by both conservative and "new progressive" scholars, who found them unsatisfactory or outright false. 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 under the Passenger Offences Act. But in 1959, that law was amended to decriminalize homosexual contact.

Unit names

Current units

• 3rd → 203rd Regiment—Star Chasers (追星), 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).
• 5th → 205th Regiment—Sharpshooters (循射, ljul-mljagh). But "sharpshooter" is homophonous with "missed by a long shot" (夷射, lir-mljagh) in some dialects.

Former units

• 1st Regiment—Wobbly Light (搖光), conscripted to the East Expedition Force in 1935.
• 2nd Regiment—Circular Rainbow (繞虹), as above.

Nickname

The only known nickname that was applied to the Marines as a whole is lok (毓), usually translated as "metropolitans" by Tyrannian authors. This term arose in the 18th century when Themiclesia lost control over most of her colonial forces and used marines as a substitute for land warfare virtually everywhere except metropolitan Themiclesia. This caused their number to skyrocket from around 7 regiments in 1650 to 18 regiments in 1720. The colonial forces that remained loyal to Themiclesia were acutely aware of their identity distinct from metropolitan Themiclesia but at the same time maintained some sort of cultural affinity with the latter. The word lok, which appears in phrases like lok-tsa′ (毓祖, "near ancestor") and lok-prjii′ (毓妣, "near ancestress") means a recent progenitor (great-grandfather or nearer). In an ancestor-venerating culture such as Themiclesia, this should be unrequited praise, but historical records indicate that it was perceived as an insult. Some analyses provide that the word was used ironically, in the sense of an ancestor abandoned by his offsprings, such as Camia and other colonies in Meridia. A. A. Ascott argues that ancestral spirits were in need of worship and care, which would be negative attributes in soldiers. Ascott's view is supported by the fact that some Camians viewed Themiclesians as weak or effeminate. B. B. Banes asserts that it would be inexplicable for the Maverican Colonial Army to insult one of their most important allies this way.

Uniforms

Themiclesian Marines' uniforms: 1st left petty officer (1800), 2nd enlisted men (1800), 3rd officers and men (1850), 4th officers and men (1941)

During the melée era, the Ministry of Appropriations distributed chestplates and helmets for naval infantry use. In the tradition of militias, infantrymen were responsible for their own tunics, trousers, caps, and shoes; there was thus not likely to be any sort of uniform garment, except issued armour pieces. After the introduction of firearms, the situation likely persisted, Themiclesians manners of dress contrasting with those of Casaterrans or Meridian and Columbian natives. Murals from excavated tumuli reveal that Themiclesian Marines wore virtually every colour under their armours, attesting to the lack of uniforms up to around 1700.

Around 1710, magistrates of coastal prefectures reqiured all marines to wear some sort of distinctive garment, whenever they needed to claim the privilege of boat money. In 1724, an order was promulgated ordering that administrative (higher-ranking) officers are to wear crimson, and petty officers ones green; enlisted men were to refrain from wearing either colour, suggesting that the uniform garment was not uniform in colour. Virtually all militiamen in this era chose to wear a round-necked tunic that came to knee level and baggy trousers that could be fastened at the knees or ankles or stuffed into boots. As Themiclesians regarded the interior of ships as living space, shoes were removed once on deck. A long belt wound around the wearer's waist twice, with many metal fittings from which pouches could be suspended; these were used to keep money, shots, knives, and other personal articles; the end of the belt was knotted at the wearer's back. A sword was suspended from the loose section of the belt. Another belt over the shoulder was worn in battle for additional storage space, called the "Engineer Belt" after their original wearers. If entitled to wear one, the sash was worn betwixt the two loops of the belt, from which was suspended the ribbon, which in turn held the seal of office.

The War Ministry issued to the Royal Guards a Casaterran-style uniform in 1821. Taking their positive reception as a sign, the Navy Ministry commissioned Tyrannian tailors to design uniforms for the naval establishment, in 1830. They borrowed heavily from Hadaway fashions of the day. The Marines' uniforms reflected tastes in mens' clothing, emphasizing slim waists and broad shoulders. It included a tailed jacket, waistcoat, shirt with stiff, tall collars, trousers, and a cravat. The coat was tight and not meant to be closed, but eventually most came to wear it this way. There is some evidence that a shako was issued with this uniform, but it was soon replaced with a cloth cap. It lacked a rigid frame to give a drooping, mellow appearance. The hat was probably introduced as many Themiclesian men chose to cut off their long hair, while it could be hid in the shako. Footwear was black dress boots. The uniform received acclaim and served as a reference for the militias of several prefectures. Each enlisting was required to pay for his uniform out of pocket. The Admiralty dimissed criticism noting that marines were professional soldiers on payroll. This persisted until 1941, when a much less ornate uniform was introduced at state expense.

Oath

Due to the disruptions resulting from merger with the Loyalist Colonial Army in 1780, the marines 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 in 1784 for former members of the Orangists (a derogatory name for the Camian Loyalists), was made mandatory for all members of the force in 1785, under a consideration of fairness.

ＯＯＯ誓不惟橘黨人，不為厲，不說人以不法，若有違震死，孫子不藩。

[I, A.B.] swear [I am] not an Orangist, [that] I shall not be a disagreeable [person], [and] I shall not advocate to others illegal [things]. If there is deviation [then I shall] be struck dead [by lightning], [and my] posterity will not thrive.

In 1957, it was briefly considered in Parliament to abolish this oath, since the Camian Loyalists were no longer an active militia or political force demanding military action against Camia, but an early prorogation killed the proposal. Then, in 1968, the Human Rights Council found the oath in violation of the freedom of conscience, due process of the law, and nulla poena sine lege; two years later, the oath was rewritten to be politically neutral.

ＯＯＯ誓不惟黨人，不為厲，不說人以不法，若有違，論如法／免官暨論如法／廢。

[I, A.B.] swear [I am] not in any fraternity of preceding dedication, [that] I shall not be a disagreeable [person], [and] I shall not advocate to others illegal [things]. If there is deviation [then I shall] be punished according to statute / [NCO] dismissed and punished according to statute / [officers] cashiered.

Motto

Themiclesian public bodies do not usually have mottos; however, individuals can. The Marines' motto is not an officially sanctioned one, though it was independently attested in history at least twice to be merchant sons never fear or merchant sons always well-spirited. Hallian and Sylvan sources record that the phrase was shouted as part of pre-battle rally, making it perhaps more a warcry than a motto in sensu stricto. An exhaustive search into the Marines' archives for this phrase returned only one result, written in 1434, describing the reason why seafaring merchants should be required to submit their "younger sons" for naval service:

賈於外，百難不懼，為持家計，茲以振其心乎久長。農子輾於內，粟乃蘖，賈子征於外，物乃通，利家之孝也。家齊，國乃興。國興，天下平。

To trade overseas, not fearing a hundred challenges, is to support the family, and for that cause their hearts are always well-spirited. When a farmer's son wets seeds at home, so that it may sprout, and a merchant's son adventures beyond, so that merchandise may freely pass, it is piety to the family's interest. Only when the family is united, the state will prosper; when the state prospers, the world will be in tranquility.

See also

• Themiclesia
• Deep Mission Troops
• Dayashina