Andermani Empire
Encyclopedia
The Anderman Empire is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse
, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction
genre, written by David Weber
and others and published by Baen Books
.
and German
as the official language. The Empire's homeworld is New Berlin. As has been thus far demonstrated with Andermani characters, Andermani citizens usually have Chinese given names and German surnames.
A popular nickname for a native of the Andermani Empire is "Andy" (plural "Andies").
An efficient administrator, Anderman and his men addressed Kuan Yin's plight. He brought microbiologists and genetic engineers to the planet, and these scientists succeeded in developing strains of Terran vegetation immune to local bacteria. Twenty Terran years after Anderman's invasion, the planet was capable of feeding itself. The locals were so grateful to Anderman that they had no trouble whatsoever in accepting him as Emperor Gustav I of the Anderman Empire, and embraced German culture and language as if it were their own, even changing Kuan Yin's name to New Berlin.
By the time of Anderman's death, his Empire ruled over six solar systems and it has continued to expand throughout the following centuries. Gustav Anderman's descendants, the Anderman Dynasty, have ruled over the Empire ever since, and proven to be extremely capable, despite a tendency toward eccentricity. For example, Gustav Anderman himself, who believed himself to be the reincarnation
of Frederick the Great, even running around in period costumes of Frederick's time. Or Gustav VI, who tried to appoint his prized rose bush as Chancellor of the Empire (an action which caused his removal from the throne, without much popular complaint). Or Gustav VI's older sister, who took the throne by using a legal fiction that allowed her to proclaim herself a man, bypassing the Imperial Charter's mandating male heir-only line of succession (it certainly helped "Gustav VII" that "he" had previously taken control of the Imperial Navy's Home Fleet). Gustav VII is considered to be one of the best rulers the Empire has ever had.
. A document known as the Imperial Charter serves as the Empire's constitution; among other things, the Charter regulates the succession to the Imperial Throne. Ever since the foundation of the Empire, the Imperial throne has been in the hands of the House of Anderman.
The Emperor personally wields an important amount of power, and the Andermani distrust for republican forms is widely known. Despite this, the Emperor does not have absolute power, and the existence of the office of Chancellor has been mentioned; the Chancellor
of the Andermani Empire may be analogous to, for example, the Prime Minister of the Star Kingdom of Manticore
, however, unlike its Manticoran counterpart, the appointment of a Chancellor is exclusively up to the Emperor.
There has also been mention of an "Imperial Council". The powers and attributions of this Council are still unknown, but it has been mentioned that the Council played an important role during the succession crisis following the overthrow of Emperor Gustav VI.
The current leader of the Andermani Empire is Emperor Gustav XI. Some members of the Andermani Imperial family mentioned so far in the novels are Crown Prince Huang Anderman and Grand Admiral Chien-lu Anderman, who holds the nobiliary title of Herzog von Rabenstrange (Herzog
being German for Duke
).
if the Andermani Empire in the Honorverse
.
As the Empire's spacegoing naval force, the IAN is not only responsible for defending the Empire's systems against enemy forces, but it is also in charge of "showing the flag", as well as annexing new systems into the Empire and maintaining presence in the Empire's areas of interest, notably the Silesian Confederacy
, which the Empire considers to be its area of influence.
Some members of the IAN command are actively against Manticore
, and pursue a more aggressive stance against the Manticorans, especially in Silesia.
Andermani military ships have the prefix IANS (Imperial Andermani Naval Ship).
In the recent novels of the series, the IAN has reached a technological level close to that of the Royal Manticoran Navy, after developing indigenous missile pods and pod-laying superdreadnoughts and battlecruisers as well as having copied the RMN's new inertial compensator technology. This is a result of the Empire's extremely efficient foreign intelligence services.
Shipboard troops in the IAN are provided by the Imperial Andermani Army, as there is no separate Marine Corps in the Andermani military. While normally only posted on the Andermani capital world in times of peace, recent events (an assassination attempt on a close relative to the Emperor) have meant that some of the IAN's ships have received a complement of elite Totenkopf Hussars -The Andermani Emperor's personal guard — as Marines.
. The Empire's primary expansionist interest has long been the chaos-ridden Silesian Confederacy
.
The Empire has long been distrustful of Haven
, both due to its republican form of government (which the Empire views as inherently unstable) and to its expansionist drive, as the Empire feared that, after dealing with Manticore, both Silesia and the Empire would be the future targets of the People's Republic. Even though relations between the Empire and the resurrected Republic of Haven have been uneventful, the Empire has joined Manticore in its renewed war with Haven.
Manticore and the Empire are trading partners and are usually in good terms with each other. Silesia, however, has been a major bone of contention between both nations, which almost led to a war once. There are also factions in the Imperial government and the Imperial Navy which favor an anti-Manticore foreign policy. The nation of Silesia
was partitioned between the Andermani and the Manticorans
, a necessary move to secure the Empire's participation in the new war with Haven.
of Frederick the Great".
Honorverse
The Honorverse refers to the military science fiction book series and sub-series created by David Weber and published by Baen Books. The series is set primarily after Honor Harrington's October 1, 3961, birth; although she is the protagonist in most of the stories, more recent entries make only...
, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
genre, written by David Weber
David Weber
David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....
and others and published by Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
.
Overview
The Empire is a technologically advanced medium power. Its population is predominantly ethnic Chinese with German cultureCulture of Germany
German culture began long before the rise of Germany as a nation-state and spanned the entire German-speaking world. From its roots, culture in Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as the official language. The Empire's homeworld is New Berlin. As has been thus far demonstrated with Andermani characters, Andermani citizens usually have Chinese given names and German surnames.
A popular nickname for a native of the Andermani Empire is "Andy" (plural "Andies").
History
New Berlin was originally a world settled by ethnic Chinese colonists known as Kuan Yin, after the Chinese goddess of mercy. The name was bitterly ironic, as the colony was doomed by an indigenous bacterium that devoured voraciously every lifeform that had Terran chlorophyll. Entire crops were ruined, and the colony was teetering at the edge of extinction when a mercenary named of Gustav Anderman seized the planet, around the year 1600 post-Diaspora.An efficient administrator, Anderman and his men addressed Kuan Yin's plight. He brought microbiologists and genetic engineers to the planet, and these scientists succeeded in developing strains of Terran vegetation immune to local bacteria. Twenty Terran years after Anderman's invasion, the planet was capable of feeding itself. The locals were so grateful to Anderman that they had no trouble whatsoever in accepting him as Emperor Gustav I of the Anderman Empire, and embraced German culture and language as if it were their own, even changing Kuan Yin's name to New Berlin.
By the time of Anderman's death, his Empire ruled over six solar systems and it has continued to expand throughout the following centuries. Gustav Anderman's descendants, the Anderman Dynasty, have ruled over the Empire ever since, and proven to be extremely capable, despite a tendency toward eccentricity. For example, Gustav Anderman himself, who believed himself to be the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of Frederick the Great, even running around in period costumes of Frederick's time. Or Gustav VI, who tried to appoint his prized rose bush as Chancellor of the Empire (an action which caused his removal from the throne, without much popular complaint). Or Gustav VI's older sister, who took the throne by using a legal fiction that allowed her to proclaim herself a man, bypassing the Imperial Charter's mandating male heir-only line of succession (it certainly helped "Gustav VII" that "he" had previously taken control of the Imperial Navy's Home Fleet). Gustav VII is considered to be one of the best rulers the Empire has ever had.
Government and politics
The Andermani Empire is a constitutional monarchy headed by an EmperorEmperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
. A document known as the Imperial Charter serves as the Empire's constitution; among other things, the Charter regulates the succession to the Imperial Throne. Ever since the foundation of the Empire, the Imperial throne has been in the hands of the House of Anderman.
The Emperor personally wields an important amount of power, and the Andermani distrust for republican forms is widely known. Despite this, the Emperor does not have absolute power, and the existence of the office of Chancellor has been mentioned; the Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the Andermani Empire may be analogous to, for example, the Prime Minister of the Star Kingdom of Manticore
Star Kingdom of Manticore
The Star Kingdom of Manticore , frequently referred to as Manticore or the Star Kingdom, is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse series of military science fiction novels and short stories by David Weber and others, published by Baen Books.- Depiction :The Star Kingdom was founded in the...
, however, unlike its Manticoran counterpart, the appointment of a Chancellor is exclusively up to the Emperor.
There has also been mention of an "Imperial Council". The powers and attributions of this Council are still unknown, but it has been mentioned that the Council played an important role during the succession crisis following the overthrow of Emperor Gustav VI.
The current leader of the Andermani Empire is Emperor Gustav XI. Some members of the Andermani Imperial family mentioned so far in the novels are Crown Prince Huang Anderman and Grand Admiral Chien-lu Anderman, who holds the nobiliary title of Herzog von Rabenstrange (Herzog
Herzog (name)
Herzog is a German hereditary title held by one who rules a territorial duchy, exercises feudal authority over an estate called a duchy, or possesses a right, by law or tradition, to be referred to by the ducal title. The word is usually translated by the English duke and the Latin Dux. Generally,...
being German for Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
).
Military
The Imperial Andermani Navy (IAN) is the fictional space navySpace navy
A space navy is a fictional military service arm tasked with waging battle in or exploring space.* Lensman - Galactic Patrol* Star Trek - Starfleet* Star Trek: The Next Generation - Imperial Klingon Navy...
if the Andermani Empire in the Honorverse
Honorverse
The Honorverse refers to the military science fiction book series and sub-series created by David Weber and published by Baen Books. The series is set primarily after Honor Harrington's October 1, 3961, birth; although she is the protagonist in most of the stories, more recent entries make only...
.
As the Empire's spacegoing naval force, the IAN is not only responsible for defending the Empire's systems against enemy forces, but it is also in charge of "showing the flag", as well as annexing new systems into the Empire and maintaining presence in the Empire's areas of interest, notably the Silesian Confederacy
Silesian Confederacy
The Silesian Confederacy is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction genre, written by David Weber and others and published by Baen Books.- History :...
, which the Empire considers to be its area of influence.
Some members of the IAN command are actively against Manticore
Star Kingdom of Manticore
The Star Kingdom of Manticore , frequently referred to as Manticore or the Star Kingdom, is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse series of military science fiction novels and short stories by David Weber and others, published by Baen Books.- Depiction :The Star Kingdom was founded in the...
, and pursue a more aggressive stance against the Manticorans, especially in Silesia.
Andermani military ships have the prefix IANS (Imperial Andermani Naval Ship).
Technology and naval doctrine
The ships of the IAN emphasize missiles as their primary weapons system instead of energy weapons (which gives them advantage in long range combat but not so much in close combat), and are usually smaller and less massive than their Manticoran counterparts. This means that with equivalent inertial compensators IAN ships are faster than Manticorian ships of the same class, which suits their missile heavy doctrine. Unlike their Manticoran or Havenite counterparts, Andermani warships are painted in a haze gray color instead of white, and the ships are emblazoned with their names instead of their hull numbers.In the recent novels of the series, the IAN has reached a technological level close to that of the Royal Manticoran Navy, after developing indigenous missile pods and pod-laying superdreadnoughts and battlecruisers as well as having copied the RMN's new inertial compensator technology. This is a result of the Empire's extremely efficient foreign intelligence services.
Shipboard troops in the IAN are provided by the Imperial Andermani Army, as there is no separate Marine Corps in the Andermani military. While normally only posted on the Andermani capital world in times of peace, recent events (an assassination attempt on a close relative to the Emperor) have meant that some of the IAN's ships have received a complement of elite Totenkopf Hussars -The Andermani Emperor's personal guard — as Marines.
Foreign Affairs
The Andermani Empire is an expansionist power, but its rulers have been wise enough to grant a considerable degree of autonomy to their conquered subjects, thus preventing uprisings and rebellions. Perhaps due to Gustav Anderman's mercenary profession, the Empire he founded has a tradition of intervening in other nations' affairs only when there was something in it for them. The guiding principle of Andermani diplomacy and foreign relations is RealpolitikRealpolitik
Realpolitik refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily on power and on practical and material factors and considerations, rather than ideological notions or moralistic or ethical premises...
. The Empire's primary expansionist interest has long been the chaos-ridden Silesian Confederacy
Silesian Confederacy
The Silesian Confederacy is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction genre, written by David Weber and others and published by Baen Books.- History :...
.
The Empire has long been distrustful of Haven
People's Republic of Haven
The Republic of Haven is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction genre, written by David Weber and others and published by Baen Books....
, both due to its republican form of government (which the Empire views as inherently unstable) and to its expansionist drive, as the Empire feared that, after dealing with Manticore, both Silesia and the Empire would be the future targets of the People's Republic. Even though relations between the Empire and the resurrected Republic of Haven have been uneventful, the Empire has joined Manticore in its renewed war with Haven.
Manticore and the Empire are trading partners and are usually in good terms with each other. Silesia, however, has been a major bone of contention between both nations, which almost led to a war once. There are also factions in the Imperial government and the Imperial Navy which favor an anti-Manticore foreign policy. The nation of Silesia
Silesian Confederacy
The Silesian Confederacy is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction genre, written by David Weber and others and published by Baen Books.- History :...
was partitioned between the Andermani and the Manticorans
Star Kingdom of Manticore
The Star Kingdom of Manticore , frequently referred to as Manticore or the Star Kingdom, is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse series of military science fiction novels and short stories by David Weber and others, published by Baen Books.- Depiction :The Star Kingdom was founded in the...
, a necessary move to secure the Empire's participation in the new war with Haven.
Allegory
David Weber has said that "the Andermani Empire is, in many ways, the PrussiaPrussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
of Frederick the Great".