Empire



The Empire (帝国), or alternatively The Fatherland, Reich (ライヒ ), is a powerful nation residing in the alternate Earth. The main character, Tanya Degurechaff, was sent to here following her first encounter with Being X. It is characterized by a strong military and rationalist attitude towards warfare. The Empire's capital and largest metropolis is Berlun.

International Relations

 * Francois Republic (フランソワ共和国) - They recognized each other as the main threat. Their long-smoldering border disputes and territorial issues between the two have erupted into localized wars on multiple occasions in the past.


 * Ildoa Kingdom (イルドア王国) - Despite the Republic's exhortations for joining to the Allies, it formed an alliance with Empire, maintaining its neutrality in the beginning of this war and focusing its attention on expanding its colonial influence in Africa and the Aegean Sea.
 * Rus' Union / Russy Federation (anime) (ルーシー連邦) - The new government signed a nonaggression pact and other treaties with Empire, and kept its neutrality in the beginning of this war. However in year 1926, they declared war on the Empire upon the General Secretary's order.

Territories
Since the founding of the Empire, the Great Reich had obtained its historical lands but was also hounded by territorial conflicts, so there was never any lack of sparks for the next war. Its territories border mostly follows the borders of the modern Europe nations in our world. Based of that, its territories contain Germany, Denmark, Scania of Sweden, all of low countries, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Czech, Slovakia, Poland, and Kaliningrad of Russia. Here listed the disputed territories of the Empire. In the anime, the Empire has larger territory compared to the novel one.
 * Imperial Norden (to Legadonia Entente Alliance) - It refers to Denmark and Scania of Sweden.
 * Lowland Industry Area (to Francois Republic) - It refers to low countries.
 * Unredeemed Ildoa (to Kingdom of Ildoa) - It refers to Slovenia.
 * Imperial Dacia (to Grand Duchy of Dacia) - It refers to Hungary.
 * Imperial Ostland (to Rus Federation) - It refers to the part of Poland at the east of the Vistula and Kaliningrad of Russia.

Background
For historical reasons, the Empire is located right in the middle of the continent, and has territorial disputes to most neighboring countries, which formed a containment net against the Empire, so the Empire had to think of its neighboring countries as potential enemies. To defend its vast territory, its troop numbers were always a tricky topic. To prevent the inferior numbers on all fronts, the Imperial General Staff decided to adopt a national defense plan that could ensure the overwhelming advantages in one front to destroy the invading forces one by one, while avoiding the lethal depletion of others.

Interior Lines Strategy
As known as Plan 315. It was a delicate defense policy which committed troops superior in quality and quantity topically, and transferred the advantages to another front rapidly, finally defeated all enemies by winning several decisive battles. Based of it, regional army group was dictated to obstruct the enemy's advance and for the Great Army reinforcements to surround and annihilate the forces that have penetrated too deeply into imperial territory. Since the Great Army was the main forces of the Empire, the plan 315 focused on maximizing the speed of domestic theater maneuvering, making the Great Army the rapid reaction troops of the Imperial Army theoretically.

Army
The Empire was known for its superior armaments. It has the most outstanding and advanced army in the alternate world. The majority of their manpower was focused in land, air and not sea. Now, both air and land are prioritized due to the spread of mages. Thus, the Empire's army is the most powerful of its other counterparts in other nations. Based on the plan 315, which formed the interior lines strategy, within a week of mobilization orders, the Empire was capable to mobilize 10 division from Central and the whole Great Army, which consisted of 20 regular divisions and 60 divisions of reservist forces. In 1926, the Imperial Eastern Army Group has about 60 divisions.

Navy
They have a large amount of submarines than long-ranged and heavy barreled battleships. Submarines can move under the sea and cannot be seen by the destroyers. They have limited manpower because of less priority in navy so they are not powerful than Allied Kingdom in sea. Their Imperial High Seas Fleet has more naval ships while the Imperial North Sea Fleet has newer ones, whose flagship is SMS Helgoland.

Airforce
They have minimum air power and resistance but advanced long-ranged fighter planes. All of their pilots are elite and highly-trained personnel. Therefore, they put a lot of effort to maintain the air superiority in the sky.

Research and Development
In 1924, with the guidance of Dr. Schugel, Empire finally created an unlimited orb such as Type 97 Elinium Orb that help their mages to move freely to 8,000 feet above sea level. The researchers are dedicated and motivated to create and improve their technology.

Land/Air
In land, Empire's researchers and engineers developed long-ranged bombers, long-ranged artillery and also heavy and light tanks. Surpassing the technology of the other countries, they improved the guns and equipment of their troops. In 1923, there were some of armored units took part in Norden Incident. In 1924, some of dive bombers joined the retraining mission of V601. In 1925, several tanks and mechanized infantry took part in Operation Revolving Door.

Sea
The Empire's researchers focuses to develop submarines and not merely to heavy and long battleship. It is because it is sneaky and light for their navy. Another reason, they have less manpower to consume and use it. Most battleships are from WWI.

Failed Attempts To Stop The War
1st moment: Reject Ludwig, who was the Chief of General Staff at that time, to mobilize the continental army against Legedonia. The Empire could just defeated the invading army, and threatened their government by political means. However, its massive assault finally destroyed the fragile balance, and lead to a series of war against itself, which were called “The World War” afterwards.

2nd moment: Accept UK's call for ceasefire before the defeat of the Republic. UK asked the Empire for “restitutio in integrum”, and was rejected by the Imperial General Staff.

3rd moment: Allow Tanya to take out General de Lugo so the Free Republic can't form and prevent the UK from entering the war. That would have ended in a clear Empire's victory but the General Staff prevents her.

4th moment: Don't allow Tanya to strike at Moscou and go with the original plan 315. Let the Union forces inside the Empire's territory and defeat them each time they invade. Eventually they will sue for peace. Tanya prevents this path to be taken.

5th moment: Accept Ildoa's ceasefire deal before the defeat of Union army. The General Staff rejected this offer.

5th moment: Accept Ildoa's ceasefire deal after the defeat of Union army. The Imperial cabinet rejected this offer.

Trivia

 * In the manga, the Empire's soldiers resemble the German Wehrmacht from World War Two, and in the anime, Imperial soldiers resemble the German Kaiserliches Heer from World War One.
 * In name, territorial boundaries, culture, and geopolitical situation, the Empire heavily presents itself as a parallel to Imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary during the First World War.
 * The Fatherland, the Empire's second most prominent title, among it's own citizenry and military especially, was also a common epithet for Germany spoken among German nationalists during the World Wars.
 * On the maps that show up in the background of the anime, the country's name shows up as "Vaterland" in a highly stylized font.
 * It is interesting that even the tank technologies had taking place in this era, a massive trench warfare still occurred in Rhine.
 * In the novel, the flagship of Imperial North Sea Fleet is SMS Helgoland. In the anime and the manga, it seems to be a Bayern-class battleship.

Reference
Империя