Whermacht
From Scandia
| Riechstadtes Whermacht | |
| |
| Military Branches | |
| 6 Zwiege | 250,000 |
| Military Manpower | |
| Military age | 17 |
| Availability | 17-49: 18,917,537 |
| Fit for Military Service | 17-49: 15,258,931 |
| Expenditure | |
| Annual Amount | Riechsmark Я 178,480,000,000 |
| Percent of GDP | 4.6% |
The Riechstadtes Whermacht (Teuvian for "Riechstadtan Defence Force" ) is the name of the unified armed forces of the Federal Republic of Riechstadt and their civil administration and procurement authorities. Unlike other nations, individual Länder in Riechstadt are not permitted to maintain armed forces of their own as constitutional law prescribes that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the federal government.
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Name
Riechstadt's military history is quite rich, mostly due to the uniqueness of the nation's history. Being unified definitively only in the second half of the fifteenth century, each nation state maintained its own military force and defense structure. The most mighty and legendary of these being the Teutonic Army. The current name was adopted in 1489, and has remained unchanged; however, Riechstadt's Whermacht is known by various nicknames it has acquired throughout its history.
- 'Scandia's Belt/ Scandia's Necktie' used mostly in the 1400's
- 'The Goths/ The Teutons' used primarily in the 1200-1300's in reference to the corresponding tribes.
- 'Halberg/Halberdier Guard' of widespread use in Niverian nations, reference to a weapon in use in past times.
- 'Berserkers/Berserks', origin of the modern-day word 'beserk.'
General Information
The Whermacht has 200,500 professional soldiers, 55,000 18-25 year-old conscripts who serve for at least nine months under current rules, and 2,500 active reservists at any given time. The number of civilian employees is to be reduced to 75,000 during the coming years. Roughly 300,000 reservists are available to the Armed Forces and participate in defense exercises as well as abroad deployments.
Women have served in the medical service since 1515. Since 1531 they can serve in all functions of service without restriction, but they are not subject to conscription. There are presently around 14,500 women on active duty and a number of female reservists who take part in all duties including peacekeeping missions and other operations. Two female medical officers have been promoted to a General rank so far.
Zwiege (Branches)
- Heer (Army)
- Kriegsmarine (Navy)
- Luftwaffe (Air Force)
- Zustankraft (Special Security Force)
- Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service)
- ZentMed (Central Medical Services)
History
Ancient Times
The city-states on the Ingallian Coast developed individual militias and eventually active militaries which grew in size, complexity and tradition as the competition among the states grew ever more gruesome. These states were the most advanced in their times, developing technologies centuries ahead of foreigners and obtaining technologies from the East through trade. Cities which had commercial ties with other ancient civilizations, such as Teuton, were most especially feared for their combination of native and foreign styles.
Teuton was by far the strongest ancient city-state, as was declared by a Teutonic King in ancient times when asked why Teuton had no walls around it:
Unlike Valania's ancient Legions, which fought in close-rank formations and had a strict chain of command on the field, ancient Riechstadtan militaries operated mainly through the use of quick, smashing raids and and quick retreats. This created a sense of fear and shock value which is unique in ancient history. Warriors maintained a complex system of honour and personal responsibility. While they were very individualist, ancient Riechstadtan city-states were a very communal atmosphere. Ranks were earned, not appointed, and were few and far between. Men tended to act out of their own initiative and with little compassion for rival warriors and their families. The more men killed in battle, the more merit the warrior earned, and marks of such status were worn by warriors to show how many battles they had fought, men killed and compatriots saved.
1400's
The fifteenth century was one of dramatic change to the various militaries of Riechstadt. The first half of this century saw very limited fighting, the longest period of relative inactivity in Riechstadt's history. This period saw the founding of the city of Reichstadt, after the sacking and burning of Teuvia by a Teutonic army. The new city was ironically spurred by Teutonic aid, in hope that this would make the city into a Teutonic vassal, ending the age-long struggle between the two city-states. In reality, the two cities found conflict once again in 1451.
From 1451 to 1453, the War of Secession consumed all city-states in the region. By the end of this war, hundreds of thousands of men had perished and Riechstadt had broken away from Teutonic control once and for all. The newly independent city continued to flourish, after it had recovered from the war. Riechstadt city became a democracy in 1453, and peace resumed until the sixteenth century.
1500's
The current century has seen the Whermacht readily involved throughout Riechstadt and Niveria. This period of high activity is a result of rapidly-changing political and social climates of Scandia.
1500 is marked by historians as the year in which several subversive Communist groups became active in Eastern Haromszek, Sapmi and Riechstadt. The government of the Riechstadtan Republic, which was ruled by the Bundestag, exponentially increased the Whermacht's budget. The period from 1500 to 1509 is known as the "Communist Threat." During this time, Riechstadt's forces actively fought to repel the growing guerrillas which crossed into the country from the West, mainly Higher Teuvia and Nörd-Seelander. This period was marked by ruthless persecution of Communist guerilla members and associates, and civil unrest as a result. Insecurity ended in 1509 when the guerillas were declared inactive. They had been gradually expelled into the nation's Northern neighbor, Abaco. The Communist guerillas were succesful in overthrowing the Abacan Republican government soon after the Riechstadtan guerillas had been exterminated. The new Communist state survived for 6 weeks, before the governments of Riechstadt and Melka jointly invaded the country and overthrew the Communist state, placing the republic in power once again. The Whermacht proved to be terrifyingly effective and destructive, honouring the tradition of ancient times.
After this event, the governments of Riechstadt and Abaco became close allies and formed the UFA. The period of secession from the UFA by Riechstadt was the next event in which the Whermacht was involved. The force acted mainly as a police force, maintaining order while the politicians handled the political affairs.
In 1529, High Chancellor Kirchner declared the nations of Higher Teuvia and Nörd-Seelander part of Riechstadt. Hours later, the Whermacht moved into both nations in the early morning hours and supressed all organized resistance by that dusk. Both nations were annexed by Riechstadt. Minor resistance continued for months, with the Whermacht remaining as an occupying and anti-resistance force.
In 1533 Riechstadt and Cruiswieck joined forces to intervene in the Abacan Civil War that had persisted since 1525. The 'Abacan Restoration' was controversial yet ultimately successful.
Abacan Intervention
The Abacan Restoration were a series of military campaigns spearheaded by Riechstadt and Cruiswieck that brought about an end to the civil war in Abaco. It resulted in a victory for this coalition and the establishment of two occupation zones and one district, which were later joined to form the new Republic of Abaco.
The plan was initially published by the government of Riechstadt, this first plan proposed annexation of a large part of Abaco by Riechstadt, with the excuse of stabilizing the region. The civil war in Abaco had brought much detriment to the sorrounding nations in the form of instability, conflict and financial ruin. The plan was ridiculed strongly by the international community, led by representatives of Kassaten. This led to diplomatic tensions between the two countries, ending in mentions of Riechstadt's powerful armed forces. Schwerdt and Cruiswieck were the only nations which offered to broker a deal with Müller's government.
Finally after several rounds of negotiations behind closed doors, Cruiswieck and Riechstadt published their negotiations and signed the Schaumberg Accords. Under this treaty, both nations formed a temporary military coalition to intervene in Abaco and restore order. The coalition was a cooperative between both armed forces, with Riechstadt's Minister of Defense, Alexandre SchlappKohl, being placed in command of operations.
The invasion went well but chaos and division withing governmental factions complicated and bogged down the advance of ground troops in the Northern sectors of the country. The coalition worked together with the faction which styled itself the 'Abacan Interim Government' and placed it in power a few months after the end of major operations. Resistance continued for several months but was finally extinguished. In 1533 the Occupation zones were turned over to the new Abacan government and the Republic of Abaco was proclaimed.
In 1534, the last occasion in which the Whermacht became active ocurred. This was the Rebellion in Riechland. Ground troops were not used in this incident, instead the Kriegsmarine (naval force) sailed to the Melkan coast and bombed a few coastal targets to pressure the Melkan government.
Mission
The role of the Whermacht is described in the Bundesverfassung as defensive only. Its only active role before 1490 was the Katastropheneinsatz (disaster control operation), where the Whermacht helped after natural disasters. After 1490, the international situation changed to one of general uncertainty and instability. Today, after a ruling of the Bundestag in 1514 the term "defense" has been defined to not only include protection of the borders of Riechstadt, but also crisis reaction and conflict prevention, or more broadly as guarding the security of Riechstadt anywhere in the world.
Organization and command structure
With the growing number of missions abroad it was recognized that the Whermacht required a totally new command structure. A reform commission under the chairmanship of High Chacellor Maximillian Müller presented its recommendations in spring 1532.
In October 1532 the Joint Support Service, the Streitkräftebasis, was established to concentrate logistics and other supporting functions such as military police, supply and communications under one command. Medical support was reorganized with the establishment of the Central Medical Services.
The combat forces of the Army are organized into five combat divisions. The Air Force maintains three divisions and the Navy is structured into two flotillas. The Central Medical Services and the Joint Support Service are each organized into four regional commands. All of these services also have general commands for training, procurement, and other general issues. The Joint Support Service and the Central Medical Services are both organized in four regional commands of identical structure.
The Whermacht in general is among the world's most technologically advanced and best-supplied militaries, as befits Riechstadt's overall economic prosperity and infrastructure.
Traditions
- One of the oldest traditions is an oath that is taken at the completion of basic training, (excerpt below):
"I pledge to loyally serve the Federal Republic of Riechstadt and to bravely defend the law and the freedom of the Riechstadtan people."
Professional soldiers and officers of the Bundeswehr have to swear an oath with the same wording, but beginning with "Ich schwöre, ..." ("I swear...").
- There is also a tradition called the 'Legacy' in the Whermacht. This means that if a member of your family up to three generations before you served with honour in the Whermacht, you are allowed certain benefits. This tradition has been in decline, as the reforms since Müller's time in power have been that everyone should earn their own Landsketchen, and their honour regardless of the actions of others.
- The Landsketchen is a familiy of military tattoos which are obtained by soldiers. The mark depends on the branch and level of honour, time of service and similar characteristics. The wearing of this earned mark is limited only to these soldiers and brings about admiration and respect in Riechstadtan society.
- Sports in Riechstadta originated from the military tests of past times. These sports are duels of sorts, being held annually and if one company challenges a rival company in the spirit of friendly competition. Outstanding performance in these games earn the soldiers individual medals, distinction at the company level, and reserved for the more monumental performances is the Riechstadtan Sports Badge. (See Below)
Ranks
The Whermacht distinguishes three career paths: officers (Offiziere), NCOs (Unteroffiziere) and enlisted men (Mannschaften).
Rank insignia are worn on both shoulders.
Awards
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic
- Whermacht Medal of Honor
- Whermacht Service Medal
- Whermacht Flood Service Medal
- Whermacht Badge for Military Proficiency
- Whermacht Badge of Marksmanship
- Riechstadtan Sports Badge
Gallery
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 Heer (Army) |
 Kriegsmarine (Navy) |
 Luftwaffe (Air Force) |
