Military of the Second Altian Republic

The armed forces of the Second Altian Republic are divided into two major branches: The Ground Forces of the Altian Republic and the National Naval Service. Together or seperately, the stated purpose of the Altian Republic's armed forces are: "To defend the Republic, its people and its liberties from menace within and without and to impartially uphold the constitution of the Second Altian Republic." These stated responsibilities would be tested upon the birth of Second Republic, with the fledgeling Second Altian Republic immediately at war with its great predecessor, the First, Patrician Republic. The performance and great hardships endured by the Republic's service members as well as individual feats of bravery and technical innovation would all stand as testament to the pre-eminent position of the Second Altian Republic's armed forces upon the conclusion of the war.

Ground Forces of the Altian Republic
The ground forces of the Second Altian Republic are made up primarily of the Altian Army. The army of the second republic is nominally composed of two main divisions: The regular army, which consists of active duty 'lifers,' and the reserve army, which encompasses national guard units and local militia organized for regional defense. The scale of the Wars of May and mobilization of vast manpower reserves has blurred this division such that most units, whether officially regular or reserve, are lumped into actively mobilized units known simply as "The National Army."

There exist several paths of entry into the Army of the Second Altian Republic. The most common is time spent in "National Service," or the mandatory year-long training proscribed during the time period of the Wars of May. After the brief implementation of this basic training, most Altian citizens are accordingly discharged and put in the reserve component of the Altian army. The second method of entry is a contract of enlistment, wherein citizens volunteer to give a commitment of 10 years in the army, with 7 of these years being in an active component. Promotion to non-commissioned officer rank and qualification to the specialized schools of the Altian military is generally (with honorable exception) prioritized to military personnel who undergo this route. A commission into the Altian Army is achieved via Officer Candidate School or the Altian National Academy of Military Sciences.

The Altian National Academy of Military Sciences is among the most famed places of higher military education in the world. Located in the heart of the Altian Republic, the coursework is notoriously rigorous, with stiff competition between cadets in pursuit of highly competitive stations, such as a Guards Regiment or a slot with the Republican Guards. Only Altia's best and brightest are admitted, with many of the school's graduates proceeding to senior officer ranks within the Altian military. It is notable that both General Ferdinand Rafale, of the Patricians, and Andrew Xavier, of the Altian Republic, would both be graduates of the prestigious academy, as well as Leopold I of Ulsino. Meanwhile, Officer Candidate School is open exclusively to holders of a university degree, or via prior military service with the nomination of at least a field grade officer. The massive deficit in capable officers at the outbreak of war would see highly accelerated courses and training of company grade officers and an according boom in the scope of Officer Candidate School.

The army of the Second Altian Republic possesses a mixed lineage tracing to the Royal Altian Army as well as the the Patrician military forces that expelled the House of Liege from power. Curiously, this has led to ancestral regiments with ties to Patrician formations being pitted against their 'siblings' still in the Patrician army! The battle of Etonfeld, for example, would pit the Republic's 7th Modena Fusiliers against troops actually marshalled by the Duke of Modena! Moreover, in spite of its royalist heritage, the Guard Grenadiers (the venerable Sandhurst Guards) still maintain an exalted position within the ranks of the Army of the Second Republic.



Part of this mixed military heritage would be a result of the conclusion of the First Republican Revolution (also known as the Patrician Revolution.) While not comfortable with fully disbanding the remnants of the Royal Army, the Patricians victors would reestablish the Altian Army in a watered-down form. The once formidable Royal Army, whose forces would once be the backbone of Altia's military capacity, would be relegated to a minor role.

The united armies of the Patrician families would instead dominate the new Altian Military high command. Unsurprisingly, this would lead to major resentment on the part of the reconstituted Altian Army, whose role would essentially be outsourced to private military forces. This would be further complicated by the Altian military's relations with the preternaturally irritating hyper-liberalism of the capital. The fears of the Noble families of another great centralized monarchy using a national army to impose its will was eclipsed only by fears that any one of the great patrician factions would overcome the others. Thus, the reconstituted Altian Military would be charged with the military district containing the capital and the surrounding areas.

There can be little surprise, then, that when Patrician troops were dispatched against the capital with the violence of 351, that the Republican would stand down, then mutiny. While many senior officers would desert, hollowing vital sections of the Revolutionary army's early strength, enough, especially in the technical branches such as engineers and artillery, would remain to shape the Revolutionary Army into a capable force - the ultimate victors of the Wars of May.

Conventional Elements
Of the troops utilized during the Wars of May, perhaps the most visible would be the conventional soldiers of the respective armies. The Wars of May would see remarkable technological and doctrinal developments between the participants' armies. Conscription, logistics and the procurement of arms and materiel would all be enhanced by the expanded industry of the era and improved techniques in manufacturing and distribution.

Mass-conscription, for example, would bolster the manpower and size of nearly all armies involved. The increase in registration of information of citizens of the Republic even before the outbreak of conflict would facilitate this. That said, while conscription is not mandated during peacetime, every Altian male citizen is expected to serve at least one year of preliminary military training before being discharged into the reserves. This period of time is generally referred to as "National Service" and the years after the war would slowly see its rejection in favor of a purely volunteer army. The exchange of territory during the Wars of May would complicate the recruitment and deployment of soldiers. Conscription amongst populations with a degree of loyalty to their former patrician sovereigns would be made purely voluntray, whilst these same troops would rarely if ever actually be deployed against their home regions.

At its heart, Altian military doctrine maintains that the Altian armed forces are an offensive army. Sustained by the principle that the initiative in war goes to the offensive army, and that ultimate gains are made in the same way, there can be little surprise that building up the strength of the Altian Army would be a principle task of the provisional government upon independence from the Patrician Republic. Unsurprisingly, and like nearly every other major army operating at the time, the heart of the Altian Army would be its conventional formations of line-infantry. The massive manpower requirements of the war would see the creation of hudreds of new units as well as the sustainment or reorganization of previously existent formations.

That said, the quality of soldier within the Altian groundforces may be viewed across a large spectrum. As far as infantry go, the most basically trained troops are found in militia and National Guard Units. These would be the large bulk of the troops mobilized in the opening days of the war, when the 'Regular Altian Army' underwent serious reforms as well as action in the immediately urgent areas surrounding the capital.



On the higher end of the scale, the Second Republican Army fields numerous elite units. The Regiments of the Republican Guard, the Ulsinian Grenadiers (initially gifted by Leopold I of Ulsino) and other proud formations make up some of the best infantry in the world.

The Sandhurst Guards, nicknamed "The Brave" are amongst the most well renowned. The units claim to fame would stem from its service under the monarchy against the Kingdom of Hohenstauffe. One of the oldest units in the Altian Military, the Sandhurst Guards would serve with distinction in service to the monarchy. Ordered to stand down rather than fight the Patrician armies, the Sandhurst Guards would have the distinct honor of never having fled the field of battle nor been decisively defeated. Like many formations of the Second Republic, the Sandhurst Guards have the prestige endowed by their history in service to the royals whilst concurrently being considered the elite guardians of a new and liberal republic. Second in the line of precedence following the Life Guard Cuirassiers of the Republican Guard, the Sandhurst Guards are the spiritual embodiment of the Republic under arms. The battle of Etonfeld would see its troops withstand a total of seven cavalry charges by the Emperor Ferdinand Rafale's cavalry!

Meanwhile, the Second Republic's Cavalry Corp, with a massive reorganization resulting from the flight of much of its command structure, would be the terror of the battlefields of the Wars of May. Both the Altian sides during the Wars of May would possess impressive cavalry forces stemming from a longstanding tradition of prestige within the army. And while the 'Heavies,' the venerable cuirassiers and carabiniers of the Cavalry corps are the most hard-hitting and well-known of elite Republican cavalry, new improvements in carbine technology has begun to tilt cavalry doctrine towards the use of highly mobile cavalry forces whose ability to fight both on horse and dismounted provide a major advantage in mobility and maneuver.



Finally, the Republican army's strongest suit has proven to be in technical fields. The intellectual and industrial capital of the Altian Republic have provided the technical branches with a vast pool of talented individuals. Moreover, the relatively new nature of these branches has eliminated the traditional pedigree and flourishes, and made them dramatically merit-based. Thus, even early on, the Second Republic's artillery would be a decisive factor in winning battles while the Altian Republic's Corps of Engineers would be the envy of the world's armies.

Tirailleurs d'Aure (Aure Rangers)
The advances in technology over the prior century radically changed various aspects of warfare. Key among these would be the utilization of light infantry to harass enemy lines, conduct reconnaissance and perform specialized tasks. The Tirailleurs d'Aure (The Aure Rangers) would be forms as a result of the progress made in military technology and doctrine. Assembled hastily as an experimental formation during the earliest days of the war, the Tirailleurs would have a mixed performance in early action against the Patrician forces. While early engagements would see high rates of casualties, the ferocity and audacity of the unit would quickly earn it a celebrated reputation. Performance during the middle and later phases of the war would prove the Tirailleurs' efficacy in battle as well as affirm the doctrinal changes that saw the unit's formation.



The Tirailleurs accordingly are given some of the toughest training available. The establishment of the Calvi Institute of Irregular Warfare in Aure (hence the name) would provide some of the best military training in the world for the Tirailleurs members. Moreover, entry into the unit is exeedingly difficult, let alone the evaluation and training needed to be accepted. Pre-requisites to entry include nomination by an officer, necessary security screening and clearances and comprehenisve personality and aptitude tests. That done, potential recruits are open to the arduous 90-day course testing their mettle and ability to conduct irregular warfare. That said, it should go as little surprise that most soldiers are recruited from Guard regiments and other already elite formations. Completion of the course is a prerequisite for many other specialized branches of warfare beyond strictly the Tirailleurs. That said, the Calvi Institute's Entry schooling has come to be a badge of honor amongst its graduates composing the Altian Republic's special forces, and it continues to graduate top-grade soldiers.

The later years of the war would see a philosophical shift in the use of the Calvi Institute of Irregular Warfare and the renowned Tirailleurs. The effectiveness of these mobile, self-sufficient and innovative light infantry would be extended to the other forces comprising the conventional arm of the Altian Army. Officer training and qualification through the institute would be extended to other units. Graduates of the school would accordingly be channeled into the other branches to desseminate the tools and techniques mastered through the course. Still, as essentially the special forces of the Republic, the Tirailleurs maintain a role as a premier unit for the Second Altian Republic.



Special Service of the Interior (La Gendarmerie)
The Special Service of the Interior, originally attached to the Altian Ground Forces, would eventually become the military wing of the Second Republic's Intelligence Agencies. Composed of the Republic's brightest young men and women, the SSI has attained a fearsome and sometimes feared reputation amongst The Second Republic's enemies and allies' alike. In fact, such is the nature of the SSI's work that it is not officially recognized within the Ministry of Defense. Still, proof of the existence (and efficacy) of the Special Service of the Interior may be seen throughout Altia's conflicts, via diplomatic missions, espionage and the odd assassination. Given the secretive and urgent nature of their operations, the SSI is without a doubt a first among elites and one of the most potent forces at the Republic's disposal.



The history of the SSI is, like many of the institutions of the Second Republic, the child of the revolution and times that preceded it. The conclusion of the First Patrician Revolution would see the complete dismantlement of the Royal Secret Police. That said, the SSI has no Royal precursor, instead having roots in the Gendarmerie of the First (Patrician) Republic. With the outbreak of hostilities in 351 and morbid fear of counterrevolutionary conspiracies, the Provisional Government would quickly attempt to reestablish a centralized intellegence agency. The Gendarmerie's role as a police force attached to the Altian military hierarchy would almost immediately make it an easy structure upon which to build the Second Republic's Intelligence wing. This promotion of the Gendarmerie to a role of national scope would see its massive reorganization. In addition to the domestic threat of counterrevolution, the SSI's purview would be expanded to the offensive, external operations of the Wars of May. While the SSI would initially be attached to the ground forces of the Altian Republic, it would instead be transformed into a civilian detachment of the Ministry of Defense. Still, the ancestral ties of the SSI and the Ground Forces remain visibly strong, and many agents and members have served within the ranks of either the Ground Forces or the Altian Naval Service. Moreover, in honor of the agency's lineage, SSI agents are endowed the title of 'Gendarme' upon completion of training.

Entry into the SSI is reputed to be the most rigorous and difficult of processes of entry in the Second Republic's services. Qualification for training is perhaps the hardest point of the process, with potential recruits evaluated and tested over the course of a year and a half before authorized to begin SSI training. While the exact criteria of SSI agents remains unknown, intellectual aptitude, mental stability, judgment, charisma and physical ability are all taken into account in the evaluation of a candidate. Thus, SSI candidacy is in itself an admirable distinction, and the Gendarmerie's military culture is accordingly very different than most other subdivisions of Altia's armed forces. That said, unique among the branches of the Altian Republic's respective services, SSI candidacy is open to women, foreign nationals with proper clearances and screening, and, in extreme cases, children (although this is exceedingly rare.) Once authorized to begin training, trainees undergo classes conducted at the Calvi Institute of Irregular Warfare. If they make it past this stage, they are accordingly broken up into their IOS (Intelligence Occupation Specialty) sub-branches, wherein specialized training is given to individual recruits. The length of IOS training varies between sub-branches, but most last about two years before recruits are considered "Gendarmes" - true SSI agents liable for deployment.

Naval Service of the Altian Republic
While the Altian land forces would prove themselves a dominating force on the battlefield, the ultimate Republican victory would not have been possible without the Naval Assets available to the second Republic. Already one of the world's leading naval powers prior to the outbreak of war, massive investments in sailing technology and naval capabilities would enable the second Republic to quickly and effectively maintain naval superiority throughout much of the Wars of May. This would especially prove true during the later phases of the war, wherein unprecedented maneuver capabilties provided by inter-service coordination would allow the rapid deployment of Republican Ground forces around the continent.

The term 'Naval Service' thus encompasses the Republican Navy, comprising of elements in surface warfare, the Republican Corps of Marines (an ancillary branch of the Navy) and finally the Republican Fleet Auxiliary, a civilian administrated branch of the Naval Service.

Republican Navy
The Republican Navy is a maritime body that possesses an illustrious heritage founded in the wars against such great powers as the Kingdom of Hohenstauffe and the Confederation of the Alveres. That said, Altia's early maritime history, in particular ties to the capital city have made the heritage of Altia's naval forces strongly connected to its capital. Practical political considerations of the First Altian Republic would further enhance this. With the establishment of a confederated Patrician miltary command following the expulsion of the royals, the need for a single, unified Navy would be clear. Given the difficulty of privately raised maritime forces and complications in coordination, it would be decided that the Patricians would maintain the skeleton of the old Royal Navy whilst centering around the capital.

Indeed, much of the industrial capacity lying in the southern region of the Republic, much of the manufacturing process of the Altian fleet's battleships, cruisers and other ships takes place in the south. That said, there may be little surprise that the Second Republican Revolution saw mass mutinies among Altia's naval forces, particularly its junior officers. The early defection of Vice Admiral William Fulton in July 351 would solidify the allegiance of the formerly Patrician Navy to the new Republic. The Republican Navy would undergo dramatic expansion with the outbreak of war, with 368 vessels under arms in 352 to 973 ships by the end of hostilities.

The heart of the Altian Navy (and indeed, other navies of the time) would be its big guns - the so-called "Ships of the Line." Still, while the Altian Navy has retained many of the wooden ships of the past century, bounds in modernization had already begun to render many of these obselescent by the Wars of May. While the advent of steam technology in the decades preceding the Wars of May had already been used in maritime technology, its combination with iron-shelled ships would forever change Naval Warfare. Meanwhile, rotating cannon batteries and experimentation in the orientation of naval guns on a given ship would further enhance naval firepower. Of the new ships developed of the technological advances of the Wars of May, the RNS Audacious would be among the largest of the new ships, with an armament of 106 guns and able to move on its own power.

The ability of the Altian Navy would be tested off the Gulf of Bayonne, wherein the Altian Navy would spend the better part of two days battling a combined Imperial-Hohenstauffe fleet. The victory of the outnumbered republican fleet would largely be attributed to technological superiority, although the RNS Audacious would find an able opponent in Hohenstauffe's HSS Triumphierend, another iron hulled vessel, sinking the 114-gun steam ship with a shot to its powder stores.

Republican Corps of Marines
The Republican Corps of Marines is the elite close-combat arm of the Altian Naval Service. Composed of 4 divisions of soldiers, the Corps of Marines originated as the singular "Maritime Regiment of Foot," raised by the Earl of Hardwick and originally attached to the Altian Royal Army. The utility of such a force with the Altian Naval Service would be such that, with the formal establishment (and modern organization) of the Naval Service in 237, the "Maritime Regiments of Foot" would be "gifted" to the Altian Navy by the army. Since then, the Republican Corps of Marines have followed a tradition running largely parallel to that of the Navy. Expertly trained in ship-boarding and naval-borne operations, the Republican Corps of Marines has famously difficult training requirements and is a well known elite of the Altian military.

While attached to the Altian Navy and still utilized in the function of an armed compliment for ship-to-ship fighting, the utility of the Republican Corps of Marines in land battles has been proven on several occasions. The early phases of the war would see Republican Maritime infantry fighting alongside their compatriots with the ground forces, whilst the late war would see the Republican Corps of Marines acting as a sort of vanguard to amphibious operations.

Republican Fleet Auxiliary
The Republican Fleet Auxiliary is the civilian-manned logistical and support arm of the Altian National Naval Service. Its primary role is the supply of military forces with fuel, ammunition and other necessary supplies during campaigns. While attached to the Naval Service, personnel within the ranks of the Republican Fleet Auxiliary are attached to the Ministry of defense, however, are permitted to wear and display Naval Rank and insignia. Most ships under the control of the Republican Fleet Auxiliary are augmented by personnel 'on loan' or previously in service to the Republican Navy or Corps of Marines. While initially founded to transport the coal needed to power the new generation of steam-driven ships, the Republican Fleet Auxiliary has come into its own as a facilitator of the Second Republic's impressive reach in the years during and after the Wars of May.