Capital Defence Force
| Capital Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| 中尉軍, trjung-′judh-kwjer | |
 Flag of the Capital Defence Force | |
| Active | 557 – Present |
| Country | Themiclesia |
| Branch | Army (post-1931) |
| Type | mixed |
| Role | territorial defence |
| Size | 3,500 (5th c.) 2,844 (801) 14,000 (1390) 8,870 (2019) |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Nickname(s) | Capitalites |
| Motto(s) | none |
| Engagements |
|
| Commanders | |
| Marshal of the Demesne (ceremonial) | A. B. |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | 52 |
The Capital Defence Force (中尉軍, trjung-′judh-kwjer) is a statutory part of the modern army, historically a standing land force that defended the capital city of Kien-k'ang and the region surrounding it, the Inner Region. While structurally similar to the militia forces that were raised in all prefectures, the CDF was always in combat formation and placed in various defensive positions around the Inner Region. In modern use, the CDF is no longer an operationally-independent part of the Army, though the designation is still used for troops stationed within the region.
History
The very first Demesne Marshal (中尉) was appointed in the 1st century CE, but he managed a militia force like other prefectural marshals. Professional soldiers first appeared in the 5th-century conflict, due to the coup d'état in which the Sungh replaced the Tsjinh. It is unclear how large this professional force was, but it existed in parallel with the militia system. On the one hand, since the Inner Region was much more populous than the prefectures, it seems the Demesne Marshal may have commanded the largest of militias; on the other hand, the paucity of historical records mentioning the CDF, especially as a professional army, suggests that it only played a minor role. In 470, the position of Demesne Marshal was split into two, the Left Demesne Marshal (左中尉) and Right Demesne Marshal (右中尉); the former commanded two regiments of professional soldiers, while the latter administered the Inner Region's militia. The system was inherited by the Rjang state, which renamed the Right Demesne Marshal to the State Marshal (邦尉) and reverted the Left Demesne Marshal to Demesne Marshal.
The Meng monarchy, having arrived in 542, both strengthened state forces at the expense of aristocrats' armed retainers and undid some of the centralizing reforms of the Rjang, which were perceived as extreme in some quarters. In 571, an edict was issued to "reinforce the capital city", quadrupling muster quotas in the Inner Region. This edict was soon rescinded due to finance and public discontent. During the Mrangh dynasty, the CDF was first described as a standing force, having several garrisons around the capital city; this is corroborated by the issuing of salaries to soldiers in coinage rather than grains. The CDF sometimes possessed an expeditionary character—they were recorded as having participated in battles in Maverica and areas then not under Themiclesian control. Surprisingly, the militias of nearby prefectures were not mustered, and the CDF would have marched hundreds of miles to the battlefield. On the other hand, there were also cases where militias were called up when the CDF was not occupied.
In the Battle of Clarkestown, the CDF along with the militias of several other prefectures were annihilated by a coalition of Hemithean natives. It was soon rebuilt starting in 904, when the country's finances permitted it. In the 14th century, the CDF bore the brunt of the siege of Kien-k'ang by Yi-Menghean forces. The 6,000-strong force secured the city for a year and seven months, before the government capitulated and negotiated terms of peace with the invading general. One of the reasons why prefectural militias did not appear to aid the defence was that the Yi cavalry surrounded the city so rapidly, messages for reinforcements were yet unsent as the siege began. Lacking instructions, prefectural marshals did not mobilize their forces.
The CDF were heavily reformed following the protracted yet ruinous defeat in Maverica in 1796. Outdated branches, such as chariots, were not carried over during the reforms, in which the CDF was often the epicentre of the introduction of new regulations and tactics. While the CDF often received new equipment ahead of other units, this is not to be understood as favourtism; most Army workshops were located in the IAR, and in testing it was more convenient to equip the CDF due to proximity. During this era, the distinction between the CDF and prefectural militias progressively blurred, as the latter gradually professionalized, and both adopted a more modern reserves system. The CDF as an operationally-independent organization disappeared in 1935, when the last of its units were deployed to halt the Menghean incursion in the Pan-Septentrion War.
Modern era
With the sudden loss of both Solevent and Norfeld, Maverica,
Structure
Specializations
The CDF, at inception, was divided into six specializations according to specialization:
- Infantry (步, bagh)
- Cavalry (騎, gjai)
- Chariotry (車, kl′ja)
- Crossbowmen (弩, na′)
- Archers (射, mljagh)
Three more were added, after the arrival of the Menghean monarchy in 542:
- Signals (都)
- Light Cavalry (輕騎)
- Engineers (寺工)
At the introduction of firearms in the 16th century, it seems various units adopted it at different times, though no new branch was added, specific to its use. By the 18th century, it is known that the Crossbowmen branch had been completely reliant on firearms for some time, though some of its tactics show influence from previous centuries. The Longbowmen branch usually fought in concert with Cavalry, and it seems likely that they were firearm-equipped during this era as well. The Infantry branch also used firearms, though they were known to retain melée weapons as sidearms into the 19th century. The Chariot branch specialized into horse-drawn artillery well before the modern period, but the chariots themselves waned as a close-combat branch fairly early. They survived as far as the 1800s due to their prestige and function as guards for senior officers.
Mixed formations
The above-mentioned specializations possessed independent leadership, and thus it is possible to speak of the cavalry, etc. as a unit. However, it is also known the CDF had floating officers who normally did not lead any single branch. These are later streamlined into the "Left Capital Brigade" and "Right Capital Brigade", both of which apparently possessed a mixture of units in the branches above. Historically, it is not unusual for only a single specialization to be deployed, or for several branches, under their respective leadership. Yet mixed formations were also built from portions of all or some of these branches. The precise cause for choosing one system over the other is unclear.
Civilian functions
The CDF historically acted as a back-up to the militias under the direction of country magistrates, who were charged with stopping bandits and pursuing fugitives. For this purpose, detachments could be deployed legally without prior permission from the Council of Correspondence, but normally its assent was sought anyway. Until recently, the Inner Region's borders were strictly secured by the CDF against the import of firearms and other weapons; historically, this was meant to prevent the formation of armed mobs that may threaten the security of the region. In other regions, households were permitted to keep certain weapons for defence against wild animals and hunting parties.
Relationship with other formations
With the Royal Guards
In the concentric model of the defence of the monarch, the CDF was seen as the outermost layer. The Royal Guards (衛士) were formed by militiamen drawn by lot from the prefectures, resulting in a non-regional force that was deemed politically reliable. While the Royal Guards were stationed within the palace walls and outside the halls, the CDF guarded the Citadel, the city, and the Inner Region beyond it. The Royal Guards were at one point the focal point of the monarch's security, but in consequence of diminishing militia attendance since the mid-19th century, the CDF became progressively important to royal security, especially since the reign of Emperor Tjang.
The Admiralty co-operated with the CDF in the 19th century to train its marines. In 1850, Parliament legislated that only graudates of the Army Academy were eligible to receive new commissions, giving rise to the renowned alumni connection between the two forces. The Marines imitated CDF uniforms and badges, attesting to its prestige not only in the rigour of its officers' education but also the social background whence they arose. This amicability somewhat chinked in 1909, when the Admiralty found favour with the new Liberal government as primary defence against Camian aggression, for which it planned a wholesale reform for the Marines. Through the alumni network, CDF officers encouraged the Marines to protest their regimental independence, provoking the Supreme Court in 1915 to uphold the 1850 commissioning law for the Marines. While the ruling could not ultimately prevent the Admiralty from extricating the Marines from the alumni network, especially after experiences from the Pan-Septentrion War, it was deemed a Conservative victory in military policy. The CDF's role in the affair was held in the Admiralty's institutional memory for decades hence even after it effectively disappeared as an institution after 1940.
Current CDF units
- 402nd Armoured Brigade Wind-Riders
Noted engagements
In media
Culture
Uniforms
The CDF's uniforms varied between branch and unit. Most units donned frock coats in charcoal grey for official activities, while cavalrymen instead wore tailcoats of the same colour. The lapels were usually contrasting velvet in summer and fur in winter. Each CDF regiment appointed its waistcoat to have a distinct colour and pattern. Some officers and men added an under-waistcoat according to the fashion of the day, which personalized their uniforms and expressed taste and sophistication. In each case, a white shirt was worn against the body, with its collars closed by a cravat. The style of the cravat was not regulated, but informal rules stipulated that cavalrymen should tuck the ends of the garment into the collars, which allowed the waistcoat to be buttoned-up to the neck, providing more warmth while riding. Other members of the CDF followed contemporary fashion in tying their cravats, most often in a bow, and left their waistcoats' upper buttons open, to accommodate said bow.
While frock coats could be colourful in the first half of the 19th century, they trended towards black or other dark colours in the second. The fashion affected most units, the CDF more so, given its visibility in the capital city. With respect to its prestige amongst regiments, its adoption of a dark frock coat in 1857 began the trend in military circles. While off-white shirts were tolerable in earlier times, a pure-white shirt became mandatory in the CDF in its attempt to emulate the upper-class ability to launder frequently. The cream trousers were changed to grey, chequered trousers, and leather dress shoes were replaced by the blue army shoe, an experimental footwear that provided superior protection with antiseptic treatment. The under-waistcoat gradually disappeared from portraiture and photography in the 1850s, though surviving uniforms suggest it simply was worn behind the waistcoat, without peeping out as was the former fashion.