Special to the Independent by War Correspondent Fruedlich von Jinkleheimerschmidt
For years now, the Cagilan Empire has relied on fear of its size and resources to allow it to bully the other realms of Atamara - and to keep it out of any actual wars. But has all that peace caused the Empire's legions to become - well, dare we say it - soft? Maintaining the pretense of being everyone's friend has come at a cost, as was seen in this weekend's horrific massacre in Galadia.
Most pundits assumed when CE rolled its immense army into Nazia that it would continue gobbling up the western Falasani provinces at will. Indeed, with a strength some measured as high as 31,000cs, there were those who questioned whether or not the Falsani Kingdom would continue to exist as we know it.
However, they failed to remember one critical point - an army, if it is to remain sharp and combat ready, must not be allowed to sit around for too long, and must be given opportunities to plunder and enrich itself. The "common" noble lives on week-to-week tax gold. Keep him out of battle for too long, then suddenly lift the looting laws, and you've effectively set a pack of starving children loose in a sweetshop. The CE armies, formerly known for their discipline, set upon Nazia with a looting frenzy unseen since the Makarian raids, and failed to respond to the call to move to Galadia.
What lessons should be learned from this? Simply, armies are for warring with, and looting laws created simply for control freaks will bite them when they least expect it.
|