Velorenkan Military

A tripartite system of mass, provincial, and Arekh components; the All-Velorenkan Popular Militia, the Provincial Guards, and Arekh Defense Forces, respectively, comprise the Arekh Military Establishment of Velorenkya. The 1928 Protection and Preserveration of the Reborn Arekh Act passed by the All-Velorenkan Supreme Congress established the current system at the behest of the ruling revivalist coalition. The law established the modern system of conscription with the Popular Militia, centralized pre-existing provincial, community, and syndicate ran militias into the Provincial Guards, and created a professional standing armed service in the form of the Arekh Defense Forces.

The All-Velorenkan Popular Militia is a mass conscription formation that is compulsory for all able bodied Velorenkan citizens, regardless of race or gender to enroll into upon their completion of secondary education or 19th birthday for a duration of nine months. During peace time the role of the Popular Militia is to train competent riflemen and instill within them civic values and service to the Motherland. Conscripts are subject to ten-week basic military training before transfer to a work brigade. Work brigades serve the dual purpose of enforcing military readiness as well as working with local, provincial, and Arekh authorities to improve national infrastructure and conserve natural resources. During wartime the Popular Militia is intended to act in support and reinforce the other armed services. Both the Arekh Defense Forces and Provincial Guards recruit their professional volunteer soldiers from among graduates of the Popular Militia.

The Provincial Guards is managed by the provincial governments and acts as a reservist force of citizen soldiers when not federalized by the Arekh government. Following the revolution, the provincial militia replaced pre-existing state police and militia services. The majority of the Provincial Guards are part time soldiers subject to month drills and yearly maneuvers, but a cadre of full-time soldiers exist as specialists in military readiness, law enforcement, or leadership roles. During peace time the Provincial Guards respond to disaster relief and civil emergencies, while in times of war they are responsible for the security of the provinces and operate alongside the active-duty military.

The Arekh Defense Forces is the professional volunteer force of Velorenkya. It is chiefly composed of the Grand Army of Velorenkya and the Arekh Navy, with the Air Defense Forces of the Homeland, the Arekh Strategic Weapons Forces, and the Arekh Stellar Forces being independent services branches. The intelligence gathering arm of the military, the Main Strategic Services Directorate and the Frontier Guards of the Arekh Main Security Commission also fall under the organization of the Arekh Military Establishment.

National Defense Committee and the Zhaska
The National Commissariat of War (NCoW) is an executive office within the cabinet charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the Arekh concerned directly with national security and the military. Nominal administration of the military establishment is exercised by a civilian advisory board, the National Defense Committee—which includes the chief commissioner of the Main Commission for Security] (CommSec), director of the Office of Strategic Services, directors of nationalized war industries, in addition to representatives and senators from the Supreme Congress with invested expertise in national defense. The Commissar of the War Commissariat is the principle assistant to the [[Triumvirate on all matters relating to the defense of the nation.

Operational authority of the War Commissariat is invested with the, the senior uniformed general staff of the armed forces. The chairman of the Zhaska is the highest ranking and most senior officer within the Velorenkan military and operational commander-in-chief of the All-Velorenkan Peoples Defense Forces, Provincial Militia, and the Popular Territorial Guards. The Chairman's authority of the military is second only to the Triumvirate and All-Union Congress.

A popular misnomer in the Velorenkan public and military itself is colloquially referring to both the Zhaska High Command and National Defense Committee collectively as the Zhaska.



Structure
The National Defense Act of 1920 established the military system in its present form. Disparate imperial army regiments and revolutionary volunteer militias loyal to the provisional government where synthesized into a new military representing the goals of the revolution. The result was a tripartite system of All-Union, constituent republic, and mass militarized organizations—the Union Defense Forces, National Militia, and Scarlet Guards. These forces are further supplemented by border troops administered by the Department of Justice and internal troops under the Commission of Security and Order.

The military would have been rebuilt from the ground up with the ideology of the 1919 revolution imprinted into the fiber of a traditionally conservative and bourgeoisie orientated organization. Three values in particular would be paramount in the transformation of the Florencian military; an armed populace, universal conscription, and military democracy.

Imperial tyranny had sought to disarm an entire population so as to gain complete autocratic control, an armed nation thus has the right and responsibility to be a bulwark against reactionary oppression, both foreign and domestic. The right to bear arms in the Florencian Union is considered sacrosanct. Reservist militiamen are permitted to safely store appropriate ammunition and service weapons in their private homes, subject to a military audit of course.

The notion of an armed nation goes hand in hand with the universal conscription practiced by the UFR. Every able bodied citizen that has turned 19 or graduated high school is expected to perform a year of service in the Standing Scarlet Guards. The constituent republic organized National Militia, the professional Union Defense Forces, federal managed reserves, and law enforcement agencies recruit volunteers who have graduated from the standing guards. Should a graduate not pursue a vocation in national security, they would be rolled in the Unorganized Scarlet Guards and be free to pursue their life as a civilian, subject to yearly refresher courses or training exercises. Should a citizen be a conscious objector or be unfit for national service would perform alternate, charity, or auxiliary work for a full year.

The ideology of democracy was a leading factor for the revolution and like how such values revolutionized Florencian civil society, so did democracy transform the military. The UFS is unique in it's commitment to military democracy: soldiers's councils, elections of NCO's, and a less rigid code of military discipline characterize this democratic process.

Revolutionary era
Revolting sailors, defecting imperial army regiments, mobilized worker's militias.

Later experimenting with tanks and airborne forces in the 30's.

Huge Scarlet Guards, minor national militia and small army

Patriotic War
Big ass army, kinda tiny navy, too man strategic bombers.

Though it's demobilized Florencia keeps way too many troops on payroll still.

1968 reorganization and 1970's reforms
Creation of the Strategic Weapons Command and Air Defense Forces of the Republics, re-subordination of the Army Air Forces. Shrinking the army in order to create a more lighter, mobile force with a concentration on regional conflicts.

1990's reforms
Expanding the navy, marine corps, and airborne in order to achieve continental supremacy in the event of war. Drastically shrinking the nuclear forces. Getting rid of more national militia divisions as well as scaling back the scope of the Scarlet Guards

Modern era
Continued modernization and further expansion of the navy alongside further contraction of the scarlet guards to expand Florencia's global outreach and expeditionary capabilities. Plus stealth fighters are a thing now

Branches
The Arekh Defense Forces is the professional standing military of the Reborn Velorenkan Arekh and consists of two branches and four independent armed services: the Grand Army of Veloren, Velorenkan Peoples Navy, Arekh Strategic Weapons Forces, the Air Defense Forces of the Homeland, the All-Velorenkan Marine Corps, and the Arekh Stellar Forces. A byproduct of revolutionary values and federalism places the structure of the active professional armed forces separate of the massed reservist levy force in the form of the Territorial Guards. However given the sole focus of the Popular Territorial Guards as a ground training contingent, both the Arekh Air Defense Forces and Peoples Navy organize reservist command formations with a pool of former airmen and sailors.

The order of precedence and importance of the branches and independent armed services is; Arekh Strategic Weapons Forces, Peoples Army, Air Defense Forces, Peoples Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Arekh Stellar Forces. In theory however all six armed services receive equal representation within the Zhaska High Command. Order of precedence within the Zhaska doesn't convey major weakness or deficiencies within lower ranked services, rather establishes the strategic importance and lethality.

Each armed service can be further broken up into it's own constituent armed services. For the case of the Navy this is the submarine force, surface ships, naval aviation, special purpose troops, and coastal troops. The Air Defense Forces feature fighter aviation, artillery anti-air, and radio-technical troops. The Peoples Army is unique in that it has four equal components which are then separated into their own constituent armed services.

At the head of each and branch or armed service is a Commander-in-Chief. The power of these commanders differs between branches. Three of them, the heads of the Peoples Army, Peoples Navy, and the Marine Corps, perform nothing more than administrative functions. Whereas the commanders of Strategic Weapons, the Air Defense Forces, and Stellar Forces are responsible for both the administration and operation of their services. This discrepancy between the standings of the commander-in-chiefs is due to the fact the Army, Navy, and Marines are expected to cooperate and function closely together. Velorenkan military doctrine demands the close cooperation between these three services in the spirit of combined arms. This theory is exemplified by the unified strategic directions, which combine operational forces from all three of those branches subordinate to the Zhaska. Likewise the more specialized services of air defense, strategic weapons, and space warfare act largely independent and report to the Zhaska.

The Provincial Militia
The National Militia are decedent from the multitude of regional, ethnic, and linguistically distinct units that arose in support of the the workers' and peasents' councils. The Imperial Army had primarily been primarily an Elyrian affair in regards to both race and language. The same could be said of the centralized government, which only provided further reason for the many different minorities to rise up and pledge allegiance to the provisional government. Zhenians, Lyudites, and various native tribesmen mustered into militias to aid the nascent Union Army in defending the revolution.



The National Defense Act of 1920 was the first coherent reorganization of the Florencian Republics' military and officially constituted these territorial based citizen-soldier units under the authority of the National Militia. The National Militia is the professional armed forces of each constituent republic. Though they are organized, equipped, and trained to the standards of the Union Defense Forces, control is exercised by the respective executives of the republics. For the purpose of national security the Chancellor can nationalize National Militia units, thus transferring them to the authority of the Stavka. The transfer of militia units from republic to All-Union control is eased given the fact the regional strategic directions already include these units into their order of battle.

Oftentimes National Militiamen have been mobilized by their republican governments in support of humanitarian operations. Often times this is disaster relief response to cities afflicted by tsunamis, earthquakes, or twisters. In addition during times of civil unrest and the president or council chairman of a republic finds local and federal policing to be inadequate, the national militia can be deployed to restore order. Typically this would involve them working hand in hand with the local Commission for Security and Order osnaz detachments.

The National Militia of each republic is representative of their titular national homeland, just as the Union Defense Forces are a representation of the greater Motherland. Most every major unit of the National Militia has a unique set of traditions and esprit du corps demonstrative of the republic they serve. National Militia troops receive the same set of initial training that Union Army soldiers receive and units are generally organized identical to that of the Union Army. For that reason the National Militia mirrors the active duty army with three components: Army National Militia, Air National Militia, and the Service and Supply of the National Militia. These components perform the same set of administrative functions as the Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Army Rear Forces.

The majority of militiamen within the National Militia are part-time soldiers, subject to drills one weekend a month and annual training two weeks a year. Often times this annual training can be extended into much longer and intensive exercises at any of the Defense Forces' major training grounds. Between the Army and Service and Supply of the National Militia there are 343,000 militiamen. The Air National Militia provides a further 50,000 air-militiamen and over 700 aircraft. This bringing the total of the National Militia of the Florencian Republics to 393,000 militiamen.

The Scarlet Guards
The Scarlet Guards were formed as an integral part of the Florencian Total National Defense doctrine. During times of peace the Scarlet Guards act as training force where draftees fulfill their obligation of national service. Conscription in Florencia has existed since the Imperial period. The system of conscription used by the Empire was typically inefficient and prone to abuse, not to mention countless draftees were forced into lengthy contracts. With the victory of the forces of revolution following 1919, the new military of the Florencian Republics was to be built up to reflect the new change in governance and society.

A fully professional armed forces was sought by the All-Union Congress, however conscription was deemed by the government to still be deemed a necessary force to ensure the security and safety of the revolutionary regime. The decision for this was two-fold. Following the successes of the Revolution, the new Florencian Republics were still in ruin. The economy was shattered, cities lay in rubble, crops were wilted. Millions of Florencians were unemployed. Separatist elements and forces were gathering support in the fringe areas of the Union. The newly created Union Army could not aid in the rebuilding of the nation and combat counter-revolutionary dangers at the same time.

The Scarlet Guards were thus created by the Executive Council with the expressed consent of the congress. This new armed organization draws it's lineage from the radicalized Workers' and Peasents' Scarlet Brigades formed under the Social Republican League during the revolution. It is an entirely separate entity from the Union Defense Forces, but still subordinate to the Department of War and thus the Stavka. The Scarlet Guards are organized into two different components; the Standing Scarlet Guards and Unorganized Scarlet Guards.

Standing Scarlet Guards


The Standing Scarlet Guards are organized into regional training brigades where able bodied Florencians of both genders fulfill their service commitment to the state. Draftees in the Scarlet Guard are thus seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen years of age and fresh out of secondary school or slightly older and just now in service to the state after receiving a waver for higher education. Recruits into the guard realize a contract of either six, nine, or twelve months to the state. Service length varies considering the amount of technical training needed in what job a draftee pursues.

During their term of service a recruit undergoes basic combat training, basic individual job training, partakes in training exercises, and can be embedded with the Union Army for technical job experience. A draftee is expected to become a competent riflemen by the completion of their training and understand the basics of their occupational specialty.



The secondary peacetime role of the guard is to act as a work corps and community outreach program. After completing their basic training portion, a Scarlet Guardsmen can expect to find themselves in the outdoors for weeks at a time during a field training exercise, and then return to civilization to partake in road construction or working within an elderly town home. The conservation and development of Florencia's natural resources along with social work in educational, agricultural, and community programs is paramount to the mission of the guards. In addition Scarlet Guard training brigades are expected to and prepared to aid the federal and constituent republican governments in disaster relief response. This sort of work would typically be coordinated with a republic's National Militia component. Every year over 400,000 draftees pass through the Standing Scarlet Guards before returning to civilian life as a reservist, or pursuing a professional career in the military or policing.

Unorganized Scarlet Guards
Between 3 and 7 million Florencians between the ages of 17 and 45 could theoretically be called up to fight under Scarlet Guard command. Those recruits who have finished their training and service and choose not to pursue a vocation in the professional defense forces are enrolled in the inactive Unorganized Scarlet Guards. For all intents they are now civilians, though they are subject to yearly training call ups or exercises. One a reservist reaches the age of 35 they are no longer required to partake in annual training. The Unorganized Scarlet Guards exist to provide the framework for the mass mobilization of the country in the event of war. Doctrine would require new Union Army divisions to be mustered and these reservists would form the mass of new soldiers, or provide reinforcement to pre-existing army formations.

Office of Strategic Services to the Zhaska
The Office of Strategic Services (Zaese Veldesizisir Kathoni), commonly referred to and abbreviated as the ZVK, is an independent uniformed intelligence gathering and covert espionage apparatus subordinated to the Zhaksa High Command. Despite being apart of the military establishment the service essentially acts as the virtual foreign intelligence service for the whole of the Union government since the disbanding of the FIS during the Decade of Indignity. As the most notable and preeminent foreign intelligence service that operates under the purview of the Zhaska, the ZVK commits itself to the twofold responsibility of military intelligence and providing intelligence to the executive council of the Florencian Republics.

The ZVK in it's original inception was the sixth department of the COMPOR during the Revolutionary Period, where it's primary focus was military intelligence gathering. When the duties of the COMPOR were split between the Justice Department and the nascent State Commission for Security (CommSec), the sixth department of the COMPOR was subordinated to the Zhaska High Command as the Military Intelligence Service. Following the events of the First World War the Military Intelligence Service would begin to operate foreign intelligence gathering in a limited capacity and simultaneously alongside the FIS. As the Florencian Republics readied itself for the Second World War and the duties of Military Intelligence were expanded, it was elevated by an executive order to become an official uniformed arm of the military establishment as the Office of Strategic Services.

During the Second World War the size and scope of the ZVK greatly increased with the outbreak of hostilities with the Zhenian Bloc. The ZVK would provide crucial intelligence gathering for the Republican Navy by making contact with Kapukan and Kilalurakan resistance forces. The liberation of both these nations was vacillated by the covert insertion of ZVK operatives alongside ad hoc special purpose units that would later form the basis of the modern zahknys across all Defense Force branches. ZVK operatives would work alongside paramarines or army special purpose troops in tandem with local resistance in harassing Zhenian forces through various acts of espionage that included the destruction of rail lines, cutting of communications, bombing of supply depots, and other targets of oppturnity. Another major aspect of these operations included the arming and training of local resistance which would later form the basis of the post-liberation professional troops in both Kapuka and Kilalurak. Similar, albeit more limited actions were also undertaken in Yinguo. Though because of strained supply lines, the size of Yinguo and the populace's imperial sympathies, ZVK agents were unable to replicate the success that was had earlier. With the focus of the ZVK focused on the Hanmaric Front in support of coalition forces against the Zhenian Bloc brought about the unofficial, yet de-facto division of responsibilities with the FIS. ZVK resources and operatives would almost be unilaterally deployed or centered on Tarsis, while the FIS would focus on Azora and Veharia. This division of responsibility would continue to last until the dissolution of the FIS, aside from a fierce inter-service rivalry regarding operations and intelligence gathering in Diharia. This was especially contentious when the Florencian Republics sought to support the social republican faction during the Adwan Civil War. Training and military aid to the Besakis was initially hampered, with both the Zhaska High Command and the independent FIS vying to take lead. An intervention by the Chancellor would cede the majority of operations, operatives, and aid to be under FIS leadership. The collapse of the Besaki social republican faction and the failure of Florencia's support for them during the Civil War would then only further discredit the FIS and contribute to the agency's downfall during the decade of troubles.

With the ascension of Hæzam Sadee' to the executive office, himself a former army man, would see the Office of Strategic Services immediately sideline the faltering FIS before ultimately assuming near all foreign intelligence responsibilities and assets. This would effectively end the issue of Florencia's divided foreign intelligence services and with the centralizing of authority see to a much more efficient and effective use of the ZVK. Conversely it also lead to the military's assumption of all foreign intelligence, which has received limited scrutiny in the modern era as the stain of the FIS fades from public memory.

In the modern era the ZVK continues to perform the functions it has since it's inception in support of the Zhaska High Command, in addition to foreign intelligence responsibilities provided at the discretion of the executive council. In order to better perform these functions the ZVK is divided into departments with purview over specific roles fulfilled by the ZVK. Most notable among these is the First Department, Fourth Department, and Sixteenth Departments which handle military intelligence, signals intelligence, and foreign espionage, respectively. As the ZVK is apart of the national military establishment and a uniformed service, all operatives hold equivalent ranks and are subjective to military discipline, regulation, and democracy. As of fiscal year 2020 the Office of Strategic Services to the Zhaska has disclosed that around 17,000 personal are employed.

Personal
The Florencian Republics is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse nations on the planet and the defense forces are representative of this. The federal census recognizes five different major racial and ethnic categories; those being Elyrian, Zhenian,, , and. Likewise four languages are considered by the Union government; Elyrian, Zhenian,, and. While in the past such issues as racial or ethnic discrimination and segregation were prevalent within the Empire that preceded the social republican regime, the successes of the revolution and First Cultural Renaissance has largely eliminated the issue. However linguistic barriers was and continues to be a challenge for the defense forces to overcome.

Within the active duty components of the UDF the largest racial majority is Elyrians at 42.8%. The largest minority of soldiers is those of Zhenian ancestry, at 20.4% followed by native descended soldiers at 2.3%. Mixed race soldiers then account for 18.6% and Lyudic Florencians a further 15.9. Generally the disposition of soldiers within the Florencian military apparatus mirrors that of the greater Union.

Though the Union Defense Forces officially does not favor a language, the de-facto tongue of the military is Modern Standard Elyrian. Elyrian is both the most spoken and largest secondary secondary language within the Florencian Republics, so this isn't without precedent. Extensive linguistic programs exist within the UDF for soldiers to learn or achieve a better grasp of both Elyrian and the other recognized national languages within Florencia. While the active component of the military subscribes to the majority language, National Militia units generally speak in the language of their titular republic. The same goes for the Scarlet Guard, with training conducted in the majority language of the republic guardsmen have been drafted from.

Gender equality


Prior to the Revolution women with in the Imperial Regime were forbidden from military service. Typically the only exception to this was a limited number of female nurses in voluntary service with the armies fighting in the War of Unification and later the First World War. Woman had no formal history of combat service in Florencia prior to the Great Revolution, though their were tales within the Shinjin Republic that during it's revolutionary war against Zhenia that several women took up arms. There were also a limited number of reports from both the Velorénsia Empire and Shinjin Republic during their expansion into indigenous territories that native woman were known on occasion to join their husbands in resistance.

The first official and licit combat experience by women was during the Great Revolution. Several workers' councils voted on the inclusion of mixed gender workers' shock battalions and later the nascent Union Army and Scarlet Guards permitted the existence of all female combat units. However the greatest contribution of women in the revolution was in the rear area by providing key support in the medical and logistics fields. Following the success of the revolution the equality of the genders would be enshrined in the constitution of the Florencian Republics, this then applying to the defense forces. However it would take time to break the systematic gender discrimination of the times. Mixed gender combat units would soon be broken up following the conclusion of hostilities against separatist forces, as well as the all female combat units.

The Scarlet Guards would practice the conscription of both women and men, however they would be segregated. Though women in the Scarlet Guards were trained for all possible combat arms positions, they were largely forbade from combat arms and relegated to rear area all female units within the professional Union Army. The Republican Navy would be the only service to practice proper gender integration prior to the First Cultural Renaissance of the 1930's, however like the army most women would be relegated to support positions on navy ships.

The First Cultural Renaissance would force the army to reform it's gender integration in time for the Second World War, with women in the rear area support positions being integrated into male units. In 1942 the Union Army would once again experiment with all women combat infantry and tank battalions. Serving on the front lines women would prove their worth and dedication to the Florencian Republics on the front line. This ultimately leading to the Chancellor demanding the military initiate full gender integration following the conclusion of hostilities in 1947.



Since 1947 all jobs within the military of Florencia are open to female soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and later the espateers. Combat arms in the Army and Marines remain predominately male with around 35% of these front-line soldiers being female. This data is somewhat skewed for the army, where woman in cavalry scout and artillery battalions are more common then in infantry or parachute units. However support echelon support troops are by a slim majority female, the Union Army estimating 53% of it's rear component being female. Likewise the air defense forces, strategic weapons, stellar forces, and navy are all near equal in gender composition. Special Purpose Troop components of all the branches and the OSS are still predominately male given the taxing physical demands, however often times women in Army Diversionary Troop or Paramarine battalions make up an overwhelming majority of special forces qualified support personal.

Since their inclusion into the military of the Florencian Republic women have faced discrimination and on occasion instances of sexual harassment and assault. These issues were largely ignored within the military until the Second Cultural Renaissance in the 1970's. The congressional oversight that resulted in the drastic reorganization of the defense forces in 1968 would soon be coupled with social pressure that would force the defense forces to reform the treatment of women. The Army would institute anti-sexual assault and harassment programs and provide greater resources to women and men facing abuse and discrimination within the ranks. Though the peak reports of sexual assault and harassment within the Defense Forces was in the 1992 and has since subsided, it still remains a minor thorn in the side of the military.

Military democracy
The success of the 1919 Revolution would lead to a drastic change in the how the form of the Florencian military would take shape. The bulk of revolutionary fighting forces subscribed to the principles of social republicanism that the Provisional Government were quick to decree in the constitution. As such, defected imperial regiments, revolting naval detachments, workers' shock battalions, and rural peasantry militia had organized their own soldiers' councils. Furthermore quite a few units elected their own non-commissioned officers. It wasn't unheard of several revolutionary naval ships electing their own beloved captains.

The committee tasked by the provisional government to reform and retool the newly constituted Union Defense Forces for the protection of the nascent Florencian Republics was thus dealt a difficult task. Respect for the spontaneous expressions of solidarity amidst the military and the principles of the revolution was paramount. Yet order, discipline, standardization, and a proper experienced chain of command are the necessary foundations of any effective fighting force.

Ultimately after much trial and tribulation the present shape of military democracy took form within the professional Union Defense Forces, reservist National Militia, and even the conscript training apparatus of the Scarlet Guards. A soldiers' council exists in every military detachment. Organized and coordinated by the company, battalion, and so forth. The naming convention of a council differs between branches or services. For instance, in the Republican Navy it is a sailors' council, for the airborne forces a Paratrooper Council. A set number of delegates are elected to these councils to represent their comrades to the chain of command.

In regards to non-commissioned officers, the practice of soldiers electing all sergeants and so forth was put to a stop in 1920. However the essence of this democratic tradition continues within the command staffs at the divisional and regimental level. The Chief of Staff (CoS) is a title granted to officers who act as the intermediary between the commander and his staff. In turn complaints and requests are transferred between lower ranking officers to the Chief of Staff, who passes this onto the unit commander. However he also holds the purpose of meeting with battalion and regimental level soldiers' councils which allows for the lower enlisted and officers to more easily voice their concerns and needs to the chain of command. The CoS then transfers this information to the commander and his staff, allowing them to better lead their men and woman.

The existence of the soldiers' councils and their right to meet with a unit's chief of staff is protected by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is the foundation of law within the Union Defense Forces. The Union of Florencian Republics is unique in that it is the sole practitioner of military democracy in the world.