Capellan Confederation
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In the BattleTech universe, the Capellan Confederation is the smallest Successor State, ruled by House Liao. Originally governed from Capella, its current capital world is Sian. The chief of state is the Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation.
Politics
The Capellan Confederation started out as collection of states united for common defense & well-being, but over hundreds of years, through the influences of certain schools of philosophy and the House Liao, it has evolved to become an autocratic state with a controlled economy. Nearly all of the power in the Capellan Confederation is actually held by the Chancellor who is among the most important rulers in the Inner Sphere. Technically, the Chancellor is elected by the Prefectorate, but in practice, it is little more than a rubber stamp; only two Chancellors in history have not been members of the Liao family. Officially a law-making body, the Prefectorate is made up of the six leaders of the Capellan member-states, which generally includes the current Chancellor. Below the Prefectorate is the House of Scions, a gathering of the Capellan nobility.
As far as organization is concerned, the Capellan Confederation is divided into Commonalities & Prefectures. Commonalities are large districts which originally consisted of the signatory-states forming the Confederation. Hundreds of years have seen series of redistricting, so that currently they consist of Sian, Capella, Victoria, St. Ives, & Liao Commonalities. Prefectures, on the other hand, are small collections of planets within a commonality, each ruled by an appointed administrator.
Military
The military of the Capellan Confederation is known as the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces (CCAF). Though it is small and often under-equipped, the CCAF is actually among the most powerful of militaries in a one-on-one encounter. The CCAF is unique in that it places more power in the hands of the commander at the regiment level and less at higher levels than do most other militaries. Capellan units are often named after their commander; for example the first regiment of the Victoria Commonality Rangers is known as Kingston's Rangers. The CCAF is also famous for its use of Military Orders. Military Orders are collections of warriors organized on allegiance to a particular set of principles.
CCAF units are composed of 'Mech, conventional, infantry and aerospace forces, and has long relied on mercenaries, more than other Inner Sphere militaries.
Military academies
The Capella War College is the most prestigious of all the academies in the Capellan Confederation. The War College is the source of many of the most important leaders of the CCAF. Historically, the Holdfast Guard and Capellan Hussars have been given "first pick" among graduates.
The Liao Conservatory of Military Arts was formed in 3058 in part to ameliorate the gap caused by the loss of several academies during the Fourth Succession War. It is famous for its heavy influence on meditation and intellectual pursuits.
The Sarna Military Academy (SMA) was an important part of the Capellan Confederation's training program. During the Fourth Succession War, the world of Sarna was conquered by the Federated Suns and was briefly integrated into the AFFC. After the collapse of authority in the Sarna March and the re-emergence of the Sarna Supremacy, the academy opened its doors to all and became known as an academy for mercenaries. The academy is still independent and is considered the least prestigious of the major Capellan military academies.
Religion and Philosophy
The Capellan Confederation, more then any other state in the Inner Sphere, is hostile to all forms of organized religion. Although a wide segment of the Capellan Confederation, especially the worlds near Terra, still practice organized religion, most of the population is either agnostic or adheres to the state-sponsored atheism of the Capellan government.
In lieu of organized religion, the state has historically encouraged a series of philosophical movements, such as the Korvin Doctrine and the Lorix Order. These doctrines are followed by a wide segment of the Capellan Confederation's population and play much the same role as organized religion. Theological orthodoxy is enforced by the Philosophical Examiners - a group of thought police which examine the beliefs of the populace and, if necessary, take them to the Court of Theological Enquiry for judgment and possibility of re-education. It is also reinforced by the Ranks of the Dedicated, a state-sponsored youth organization.
References
The text in this article is based on this revision of the Wikipedia article "Capellan Confederation" used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See the BattleTechWiki's copyright notice.