Mittelrijkian Royal Army

The Mittelrijkian Royal Army is the land force of the Kingdom of Mittelrijk's military. Although originally having humble and unpromising beginnings, over the centuries the Mittelrijkian Royal Army eventually came to be known as one of, if not the, strongest and best performing militaries in Burithien.

ORGANISATION
The Mittelrijkian Royal Army, like any army, organises troops in units of different sizes. The basic infantry unit of the Mittelrijkian Royal Army, the platoon, is believed to have its origins in the war-bands of rural villages, as was the case in the militaries of many other nations. During the Conoilithian-Virgandian War, the Mittelrijkians adopted much of the Imperial Conoilithian Army's organisational structure as well. The different unit formations are listed below (from lowest to largest in size:)

Infantry Units:
Section: 10 men. The smallest formal unit in the Mittelrijkian Royal Army.

Platoon: 40 men. Called 'war-band' prior to the 2855 military reforms.

Company: 3 platoons. In the olden days, a company made up the force that a ruling noble might expect to have under their command.

Battalion: 4 companies. Battalions were usually formed from the residents of the same township.

Regiment: 6 battalions. In the olden days, regiments were formed from the residents of the same earldom.

Division: 3 regiments. This unit did not exist officially prior to the 2855 military reforms.

Recruitment and Training:
The Kingdom of Mittelrijk practised universal conscription for all males between the ages of 20 to 35. New conscripts were taken twice a year, and underwent a gruelling 3 months of basic training. Mandatory military service lasted for 1 and a half years, after which conscripts would be given a small pension. Conscripts could choose to re-enlist into the standing army, and all conscripts were effectively kept in reserve.

HISTORY AND ORIGINS
The Mittelrijkian Royal Army had its humble origins in the local militias of the ruling nobles of the Mittelrijkian Confederation, which were formed around a core of trained knights and men-at-arms, with the rest of the militia made up by peasant levies and assorted volunteers. It was only some 222 years after the Kingdom of Mittelrijk's unification in 2124 that the Royal Army was founded, during the Conoilithian-Virgandian War, as the King of Mittelrijk's official force of select knights and troops from the fiefdoms other than his own guards; in the early stages of the war, however, most of Mittelrijk's army was still made up of local militias.

After the decisive Battle of Viédorf, however, many of the local militias of Mittelrijk earned their veterancy, and in the aftermath of the Battle of Weisstrom, a mass promotion and oath-swearing ceremony swelled the ranks of the Royal Army; increasingly, more of Mittelrijk's fighting men were now part of the king's Royal Army. By the time of the Siege of Virga, which the Mittelrijkians participated in, the Mittelrijkian Royal Army had amassed over 35,000 men. It was around this time too that the Mittelrijkian Royal Army adopted green as the standard colour of their uniform.

Following the Conoilithian-Virgandian War, much of the Royal Army's troops retired, and while the Conoilithian Empire expanded its legions to the north, the Mittelrijkian army maintained a total force of around only 17,000 men for the next few centuries, men-at-arms and repurposed city guard units both included. During the Southern Crusade (2553-2555), the Mittelrijkian Royal Army saw its numbers swell again to 40,000 men, serving alongside the Imperial Conoilithian Army during its wars in the south of Eithlith. It was the Mittelrijkian forces which first saw combat against the 'witch-king' Selas and his armies when they invaded from Virgandia, and managed to hold the line long enough for their northern allies to arrive despite being vastly outnumbered, further reinforcing the Mittelrijkian army's reputation of being a comparatively small but potent force.

The Mittelrijkian army would push southwards as the war turned against Selas' favour, although the Conoilithians saw most of the major battles.

UNIFORM, EQUIPMENT AND WEAPONS
The uniform and equipment of the Mittelrijkian Royal Army as of the beginning of the Conoilithian-Mittelrijkian War are as follows:

UNIFORM:

 * Hunter green tunic


 * Hunter green greatcoatMittelrijkian Infantry Gun.jpg
 * Brimless field cap
 * Dark green 'spiked' helmet (only for guards units and cavalry)
 * White gaiters
 * Dark brown leather boots
 * Khaki satchel

All Royal Army units have red coloured collar tabs - regiment number and branch are denoted on the soldier's cap badge - with the exception of a handful of 'special' units; for example, Royal Guards have the entire collar of their tunic coloured red, while hussars have black collar tabs.

INFANTRY EQUIPMENT AND WEAPONS:

 * Karlerburg M.95 bolt-action rifle
 * Bayonet
 * Steel 'folding' shovel
 * Karlerburg M.10 heavy machine-gun

ARTILLERY:

 * M.10 50mm infantry gun


 * M.90 75mm infantry gun


 * M.90 75mm howitzer
 * M.05 152mm siege howitzer
 * M.10 240mm siege howitzer

In the later stages of the war, the Mittelrijkians would also develop light machine guns and armoured vehicles.

TACTICS AND DOCTRINE
NB: This describes Mittelrijkian Royal Army doctrine and tactics during the Conoilithian-Mittelrijkian War.

Overall Mittelrijkian strategic doctrine focuses on the destruction of the enemy capability to fight effectively in general, whether that be the destruction of forces, the capture of important supply lines and depots, or causing confusion and panic.

PUBLIC REPUTATION
The Mittelrijkian Royal Army is generally very popular in the Kingdom of Mittelrijk, with an excellent combat record following the 2850 Military Coup and plenty of public representation. Due to universal conscription for all fit males, it was necessary for the Mittelrijkian military to maintain a good image in the public eye. Children in the Mittelrijkian public education system would come to revere the Royal Army from a young age, being taught exciting stories about military victories and successes, and also being encouraged to support the military through fundraisers. The Royal Army always occupied a prominent role in the media, with frequent reports about the latest military developments finding their way into the news even during peace time, and military marches were very popular during the turn of the 30th century. The Mittelrijkian Royal Army even enjoyed its own magazine in the years leading up to the Conoilithian-Mittelrijkian War.