Warfare Questionnaire

Does the country have an armed force? What types? What size?

Laeden has three Armed Forces: the Army (which is about 55k men strong), the Navy, (around 21k men and 55 vessels) and the Air Force (16k men and some 100 aircrafts). Additionally the Gendarmerie, a nation wide police force, can be assigned to military duty in times of crisis and war. It's over 120k men strong.

How do the armed forces compare with others in the region or world?

Laeden has a good Navy and a very strong naval tradition. It's Air Force adequately fulfills its role. The Army lags behind, because Laeden is an insular nation, but it's not below standard. Overall Laeden has a smaller and less equipped military than most other nations in its region, but its Armed Forces are capable of doing their job well.

Who declares war?

The Consul of Laeden, the nation's chief of state.

Who has the power to declare conditions of peace?

The Consul too.

How are treaties negotiated?

The Consul has this power, which is delegated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who can further delegate it to diplomatic authorities. In any case, the treaty must be later ratified by the Senate.

What happens to prisoners taken in battle?

They're taken to the rear, offered food and medical services, and kept in custody until the end of the hostilities.

What weapons are favoured by the various armed forces?

Aircrafts by the Air Force, ships by the Navy, tanks, artillery and rifles by the Army.

What form of warfare does this society use?

Laedenian doctrine emphasizes the importance of defensive warfare, and the nation is poorly equipped to conduct expeditionary ops.

How do battles in the airs or waters or underworlds differ from surface warfare?

This question is either too smart or too dumb. Anyway, since Laeden is an island, and not a very large one, it cannot adopt a defense in depth strategy. Meaning that there is little space for fancy maneuvering in case of an enemy invasion, unlike the large scale maneuvers conducted during the early stages of WWII in Europe. Because of that, most Laedenian military theorists adopt a more Clausewitz-ish approach to warfare, arguing that the enemy must be defeated in large and decisive battles. That being said, air and naval battles differ in the sense that they're the first line of defense of Laeden, the Navy and Air Force are tasked with eliminating any enemy invasion, preferrably in a single encounter. Meanwhile the Ground Forces are required to close in any enemy that manages to set foot in Laeden and push them back into the sea. The Army is obsessed with the quick and efficient convergence of all its land power into a single point, while the Air Force and, most notably, the Navy are tasked with defending large chunks of space, meaning that they often lack the ability to quickly close in into an enemy force.

Who are the Elite warriors? What distinguishes them?

Laeden has many specialized forces. Among them, it's worth mentioning: the Marines, an amphibious expeditionary force and the one that gets the most training in offensive warfare in the entire Laedenian Armed Forces; the Army's Parachutists, or Paras, another force geared towards offensive ops, who distinguish themselves for their unit ethos and their focus on physical and martial prowess, while having a healthy competition with the Marines; the Chasseurs, light infantry units that are specialized in specific kinds of warfare (urban, mountain, jungle, etc); the Commandos, elite infantry units tasked with high risk / high reward ops, and the Special Assault Team, Laeden's special forces.

How does someone get command of troops?

One must be an officer, having concluded an officer training course in one of the nation's military academies.

Where do the loyalties of military units lie?

To the nation and the government.

Are there professional soldiers? Do they make up the bulk of the military?

Laeden has abolished conscription, meaning that all of its soldiers are professionals.

What is campaign or camp life like?

Since Laeden would most likely be involved in defensive warfare, campaign life wouldn't be hard because troops would be fighting inside their home territory.

What ethical or moral codes do warriors adhere to?

I don't think there's such a thing as an unified code. Elite troops might have their own creeds. The SAT, Laeden's special forces, are commonly known as the ''Oathsworn'', because of the Oath they take when they finish training.

How are battle injuries treated?

The military in Laeden have their on medical corps (and, as a matter of fact, their own healthcare plan), and so the men are very well treated if hurt.

How long do wars typically last?

Laeden hasn't been involved in a war in centuries.

Has this society ever attacked another? What was the nature of that war? What would make this society go to war?

Laeden is a peaceful nation with no expansionist ambitions.

Has there ever been a civil war or a revolution?

Yes, Laeden suffered from a deadly civil war in the first half of the 20th century.

What do soldiers do when there's no war?

Train, train, train!

Are there any current tensions / wars / embargoes etc with any other nations?

No, Laeden upholds its commitment to world peace.

Who are the country’s enemies? Whos winning the war?

N/A

What defences are available to cities?

Some cities host anti-air defenses systems.