Vithinjan Armed Forces

The Acirian Armed Forces (Acirian: Forze Armate Aciriano), formally known as the Imperial Armed Forces of Aciria are the military forces of the Grand Empire of Aciria. It's made up of the Imperial Army, Imperial Navy, Imperial Air Force and the Imperial Administrative Police, functioning as an autonomous branch of the Imperial Army. The Grand Emperor of Aciria functions as the figurehead, but the armed forces are formally lead by the Head of Imperial Defense, who is appointed by and answers to only the Grand Emperor. The latest official statement from the Imperial Throne claims the Imperial Armed Forces consists of a million personnel.

Formed from its predecessor, the Free Republican Army, the Imperial Armed Forces were formally founded in 1785. Initially the armed forces only consisted of the Imperial Army made up of capable officers from the Free Republican Army and volunteers, the Imperial Navy was created 5 months later to combat piracy in the region. In 1920 the Imperial Armed Forces of Aciria adopted the title "Acirian Armed Forces" as an acceptable alternative title to use in informal situations.

As per the 1895 Conscription Act, every able-bodied man over the age of 18 is expected to serve in one of the branches of the Acirian Armed Forces. While originally controversial, military service has become a unique rite of passage and provides a platform for lower social classes to rise through exemplary service. The armed forces also have a notable effect on the economy of Aciria due to the philosophy of self-sufficiency, attempting to manufacture all equipment used by the armed forces in Aciria.

History


Prior to the declaration of the Free Republic of Aciria, Aciria was under the rule of Imperium of Caphiria and the Caphirian legions stationed there. The Caphirian legions and their supply caches located in Aciria had a notable effect on the formation of the Free Republican Army, as the equipment recovered from the caches and the Acirians with military background from the legion provided a strong backbone to build the army on. Most of those with military background in the Legions ended up as officers in the Free Republican Army, whether or not they were officers in the legion. This decision was largely responsible for the incompetence and insubordinance widely spread in the FRA, which was only partially mended over the years by training domestic officers at military academies, which later spawned figures such as Giovanni I, the First Emperor of Aciria.

The formation of the People's Senate and the Free Republic of Aciria sparked a period of civil unrest, which was eventually put down by the well-equipped veterans of the Caphirian legions. The veterans were complimented by a plethora of volunteers and militias, which made the Free Republican Army look like a formidable opponent on paper. In reality, the FRA would have been likely unable to stop a foreign invasion as the incompetent officers of the FRA struggled to put down even civil unrest in the country. The state of the Free Republican Army varied drastically during its existence, with periods of competence and incompetence switching regularly, with the level of civil unrest in the nation correlating with it.

The Imperial Armed Forces of Aciria were formally founded on 7 July 1783 after the Marshal of Aciria, Giovanni Montefeltro arrested the First Speaker, executed him and was declared Emperor of Aciria, Giovanni I by the Senate. Giovanni I had an extensive military history, granting him first-hand experience with the incompetence of the officers present in the army. He sought to fix this by firing the incompetent officers, executing the corrupt officers and founding the Grand Army of the Empire, the first branch of the Imperial Armed Forces. Giovanni I invited foreign advisors, personally appointed the most capable officers into leading positions and expanded arms trade with foreign powers to create a modern and professional army.

The unrest and financial ruin the change of government caused the rise of piracy in the coastal regions of Aciria, which required a modern navy to take care of. The modernization of the army and mismanaged funds of the Free Republic meant that the coffers of the nation were empty, but Giovanni I formally created the Imperial Navy from seizing merchant ships and outfitting them with imported cannons, once again importing foreign advisors to help train the first generation of domestic naval officers.

The third oldest branch of the armed forces, the Imperial Administrative Police, were formed on 6 March 1795 in order to ensure the stability of both the nation and the armed forces. The rampant corruption of the Free Republic and its army had been a key factor in its decline and incompetence, Giovanni I formed the PAI to discover troublemakers in the population and take them out before any real unrest was able to be formed. The PAI also employed soldiers in all ranks of the armed forces to ensure the absence of corruption in all levels of its function.

The Armed Forces had their first real test of strength during the Montanaro Rebellion of 1803, with its next major conflict being over a century later in the Second Great War, which lead the army in particular to push through major reforms based on both the successes and failures during the conflict.

Ranks
All branches of the Imperial Armed Forces share the same ranks, reason for this being that each branch was formed independently following the examples of the already existing branches.

Service branches
The Armed Forces of Aciria has four services branches, the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, the Imperial Air Force and the autonomous branch Imperial Administrative Police. Ensuring the smooth cooperation of the branches is overseen by the Head of Imperial Defense, appointed by the Grand Emperor. The individual branches are lead by the Major General, Grand Admiral and Grand Marshal respectively; the Imperial Administrative Police was lead by a Director until the merger with the title of Head of Imperial Defense in 2011. The Marshal of Aciria assists the Head of Imperial Defense with organizing plans and communication between the branches among other things.


 * The Imperial Army is the oldest and is largest branch of the Armed Forces of Aciria, boasting approximately 750,000 men. The Imperial Army also includes Special Forces units like the Imperial Guard and the Ausiliario. The army is expected to defend the sovereignty of the Empire or further its interests abroad, with a bulk of its troops stationed on the regions bordering Caphiria and Pelaxia. Since 2016, the Imperial Army has experienced rapid expansion of their tech-intensive elements, including but not limited to army aviation and electronic warfare units, while outdated communications technology is in the process of being phased out for more recent, integrated information networks.


 * The Imperial Navy was formed five months after the Imperial Army in 1785. Its current strength is approximately 200 000 men. During peacetime the Imperial Navy defends the territorial waters of Aciria from piracy by actively searching out for them or accompanying valuable cargo ships, while during war the Imperial Navy is responsible for deterring naval invasions of the mainland and securing the supply lines coming from abroad. The Imperial Navy also operates the Imperial Marines, formed during the Second Great War to allow the navy to assist in operations on land.


 * The Imperial Air Force is the latest branch of the Imperial Armed Forces, formed only in the 1920s. It boasts approximately 100 000 men, with all but one of their airbases located on mainland Aciria, with the exception of the Imperial Airbase on Urlazio. Other than airmen, the Imperial Air Force also consists of the Nidificanti (lit. Nesters) who are responsible for airbase defense, and the Aquila, who are made up of airborne special forces units.


 * The Imperial Administrative Police are largely responsible for both espionage and counter-espionage, often collaborating with other branches of the military.