Eurasian Legions

**Country**
 **Role**
 **Total strength**
 **March**
 **Predescesor**
 **Establishment**

The **Eurasian Legions**, officially the **Legions of the Eurasian Empire** (Eurasian: *Legiones Imperii*) are the ground based military force of Eurasia. Informally known as the Legions, is a unit of the Military of Eurasia. It was first raised as the personal legions of Julius Eurasius, around 60 BCE. It is the largest standing army in the world, and also the oldest continuously existing military force in history. There are 61 Eurasian legions and 16 Auxiliary Legions, 10 of which are Arveyran Legions. The Eurasian Special Forces are a branch of the Legions.

The Eurasian Legions have been involved in innumerable conflicts in the past two millennia, and most recently were involved the Khanate Partition, as well as several brush conflicts. Traditionally, and contemporaneously, the legions maintain a rigid discipline system, including the usage of flogging and execution for petty crimes in order to foster an unbreakable esperit-de-corps.

## History

The name "Eurasian Legions" was officially provided by imperial decree from Emperor Junius III 1773. Prior to the decree, the legions were not grouped under any one category, but were merely considered individual military entities under the control of the Emperor. Prior to that decree as well, auxiliary units were regulated to solely secondary roles, and after it they were allowed to be formed into whole legions commanded by Eurasian officers.

## Modern Legion

The Eurasian legions have never practiced conscription, operating under the theory that a professional, dedicated military is superior to a conscripted force in both training and morale. Male and female native Eurasian speakers of the Empire are accepted into service into the native legions, and fluent Eurasian speakers are allowed to join the auxiliary legions.

Today, acceptance into the native Legions is based on the following criteria:

* Be a Eurasian citizen
* Be a native Eurasian speaker
* Be a citizen in good legal standing
* Not be deprived of civil rights
* Be at least 18 years of age and not be 29 on the day of joining boot camp.
* Be able to pass psychological, physical and medical evaluations

*(Note: Former indentured servants who have been deprived of citizenship may regain their citizenship by serving 10 years of service.)*

Except for the criteria regarding citizenship, acceptance into the auxiliary legions is based on the same criteria as above, with the following additions:

* Be a fluent Eurasian speaker
* Be a citizen in good legal standing of a foreign country
* Not be a citizen of a country deemed unsuitable for recruitment by the Ministry of War (Eurasia).

### Auxiliary Legions

The Eurasian Legions are divided in two: the native legions are made up entirely of Eurasian citizens, whilst the auxiliary legions are made up of non-citizens, all of whom serve under Eurasian commanders. There are 23 auxiliary legions, 12 of which are Arveyran legions. The Arveyran legions are a series of legions raised by Imperial decree made up of Arveyran citizens, which serve under Eurasian legates and officers. These legions serve, generally, as the national police for Arveyres.

Non-citizens who serve in the auxiliary legions are entitled, after ten-years of service, to become Eurasian citizens, provided they did not have any major disciplinary infractions. Auxiliary legions are deployed in the same manner as Eurasian legions are, and often are deployed alongside their native counterparts. The concept of the auxiliary legions has been copied worldwide, in the plethora of foreign legions that exist.

## Basic Training

Legionaries undergo a rigorous and brutal training regime, which is designed to instill strict discipline and esprit-de-corps amongst the soldiery. During the summer months, legionaries are made to march 18 miles in five hours to affect endurance. Weapons training is a yearlong occurrence, and legionaries are trained to be able to disassemble and reassemble their weapons on the battlefield as well as to be able to fight as a unit. Those who fail are beaten by their centurions.

To affect strength and quick reaction time, legionaries are made to fight with sword and shield in close combat to condition them to the stresses of combat, as well as to make them formidable and fearsome opponents, both at long and close range. Officers are trained in swordsmanship as well.

## Uniforms and Equipment

### Uniforms

The Eurasian legion uniform is austere and ancient, with the modern dress uniform being an homage to the ancient tunics worn by legionaries of eras past. When in combat, legionaries wear a camouflage uniform. Officers wear a similar uniform, however they generally do not carry rucksacks nor rifles, instead relying on pistols and their swords. Officers previously tended towards not wearing helmets in favor of caps, but this is slowly being phased out due to higher attrition rates amongst Eurasian officers due to sniper fire.

Eurasian legionaries are, unlike many other professional military forces, allowed to sport beards in service, provided they are within regulation length.

### Equipment

#### Weapons

Eurasian legionaries are equipped with the following:

* Misriah USP - 9 mm pistol Standard weapon.
* Misriah Type 5 - 9 mm submachinegun Special Operations Forces.
* Misriah Type 36 - 5.56 mm assault rifle.
* Misriah Type 36KE and G36CE - 5.56 mm assault rifle Special Operations Forces.
* Misriah Type 147 - 7.62 mm assault rifle Special Operations Forces.
* Misriah Type 3 - 7.62 mm NATO medium machine gun
* Misriah Type 4 - 5.56 mm light machine gun (standard LMG)
* Misriah Type 2HB - 12.70 mm heavy machine gun
* SB LAG 40 grenade Launcher
* Instalana Alhambra-DO hand grenade
* Instalana C-100 Alcotán - 100 mm anti-tank rocket launcher
* Instalana C-90 CR (M3) - 90 mm disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
* Spike - anti-tank missile launcher
* Milan - anti-tank missile launcher
* Tow 2 - anti-tank missile launcher
* Misriah Type 95 - 12.7 mm heavy sniper rifle
* Misriah Type 72 - 7.62 mm sniper rifle
* ECIA L65/60 60 mm light mortar
* ECIA L65/81 mortar - 81 mm medium mortar
* ECIA L65/105 mortar - 105 mm medium mortar
* ECIA L65/120 mortar - 120 mm heavy mortar

The Eurasian Legions are one of the only modern military forces that equip their officers with functional swords to carry into battle. These swords, known as "officers' gladii", are electrified and highly dangerous, and they function as the officer's secondary armament, the primary one being a pistol. Unlike many modern forces, Eurasian officers do not readily engage in combat, as legionary officers are not as plentiful as they are in Germanic militaries due to the extreme differences in ranking.

#### Artillery

* M119A3 – 105 mm Towed Howitzer
* M119A2 – 105 mm Towed Howitzer
* M777A2 – 155 mm Towed Howitzer
* M109A6, Paladin – 155 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer
* M270A1 – 270 mm MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System)
* M142 – 270 mm HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System)
* M667, Dreadnought - High Orbit Kinetic Bombardment System