Editing Federated Peacekeeping Forces

== Overview ==
Established during the rule of [[Charles Davion]],<ref name="HD(TFS)p25"/> sometime between [[2334]]<ref name="HD(TFS)p26">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 26-27, "The War Leader"</ref> and [[2340]],<ref name=HBHDp107>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 107: "Leaders of the Federated Suns"</ref> the '''Federated Peacekeeping Forces''' were the first organized state military of the [[Federated Suns]].

== History ==
=== Origin ===
The beginnings of the Federated Peacekeeping Forces or FPF lay in the [[twenty-third century]] conflicts between the newly-formed Federated Suns and the minor states of the Capellan Zone. The Federated Suns inherited one conflict with the [[Tikonov Grand Union]] when the [[Marlette Association]] joined the Federated Suns,<ref name="HB:HDp19">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 20: "Marlette and Tikonov"</ref> and a second conflict with the [[Chesterton Trade Federation]] when the [[Muskegon Empire]] joined.<ref name="HB:HDp19A">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 19: "Muskegon and Chesterton"</ref> In these conflicts as with other conflicts over other worlds the Federated Suns formed a new expeditionary force for each campaign, with the field commander of the force elected by the Council and the strategic aims of the force chosen by the President.<ref name="HD(TFS)p24">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 24: "Muskegon"</ref> The Federated Suns fared poorly in both conflicts, and soon became a target for predation by other states on the border, including the [[Capellan Hegemony]] and the [[St. Ives Mercantile Association]].<ref name="HB:HDp20A"/> Worlds such as [[Alcyone]], [[Daniels]] and [[Redfield]] were conquered outright;<ref name="HD(TFS)p24"/> other independent worlds simply aligned themselves with one of the Capellan Zone states rather than the weak Federated Suns.<ref name="HB:HDp20A">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 20: "Capellan Zone Border Wars"</ref>

=== Formation ===
The first President of the Federated Suns was [[Lucien Davion (23rd c.)|Lucien Davion]], who stepped down in [[2332]]; his brother [[Charles Davion]] was elected as his successor to the posts of Prime Minister of [[New Avalon]] and President of the Federated Suns. Charles was an ambitious, arrogant and quick-tempered man possessed of great energy; determined to build the Federated Suns into a true interstellar power and to secure the place of the Davion family within the Suns, Charles initiated a number of reforms. One of those was formation of the Federated Peacekeeping Forces.<ref name="HD(TFS)p25">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 25: "Charles the Reformer"</ref>

The defeats in the Rim March were enough to convince the various worlds of the Federated Suns to each give Charles Davion a handful of elite mercenary units.<ref name="HD(TFS)p25"/> Having amended the Crucis Pact to allow for the formation and support of a standing military,<ref name="HB:HDp21">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 21: "Charles the Reformer"</ref> Charles marshaled these units into a new standing army, with its own ranks, organization and support structure. Christened the Federated Peacekeeping Forces, the new army was able to use its support structure to obtain and manage supplies and transport independently of the various member states, giving it considerable independence. Charles initiated a regimen of extensive troop training and indoctrination to build morale within the new armed forces and to encourage the troops to identify themselves with the FPF rather than the various member worlds that had initially raised the regiments. Charles also ensured that as with the newly-forming state bureaucracy, many of the senior members of the FPF were from New Avalon,<ref name="HD(TFS)p25"/> many of whom owed a debt of gratitude to Charles or the Davion family.<ref name="HB:HDp21"/>

=== Early Campaigns ===
==== Versus the Tikonov Grand Union ====
Whilst the FPF focused on securing the Federated Suns, Charles' death in [[2340]] ushered in a new President - [[Reynard Davion]], nephew of Charles, son of Lucien, Deputy Prime Minister of New Avalon and a former [[Colonel]] in the FPF. Reynard was a Davion through and through, and just the ruler the Federated Suns needed at the time: charismatic, driven, and ruthless. When Reynard came to power the [[Draconis Combine]] border had not yet reached the Federated Suns, and the [[Terran Hegemony]] was embroiled in problems with the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] whilst dealing with the loss of its [[Director-General]] just months before. With the [[Taurian Concordat]] both distant and unknown, the only clear threats to the Federated Suns were the nations of the Capellan Zone, and it was on these that Reynard focused his attention.<ref name="HB:HDp21A">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 21: "Reynard the Warrior"</ref>

Having assembled a reserve force in the [[Achernar]] system, Reynard assigned two Task Forces to draw the attention of the forces on [[Mirach]] before leading the reserve force personally on a strike against the world of [[Almach]] in [[2344]].<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/> The FPF quickly seized Almach, cutting off the [[Tikonov Grand Union]] supply route into the worlds of [[Mira]] and [[Mesartim]]. In one stroke, Reynard had recaptured the worlds contested between the Marlette Association and the Tikonov Grand Union for decades.<ref name="HB:HDp21B">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 21: "Taking the Initiative"</ref>

Although no-one was more surprised at the success of the FPF campaign against the Tikonov Grand Union than the FPF itself, Reynard was able to use their victory to secure treaties with the Capellan Hegemony and Tikonov Grand Union, securing two borders.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/>

==== Versus the Sarna Supremacy ====
Although the next few years were largely peaceful, the FPF was far from inactive; the FPF captured [[Bell]] from the [[Sarna Supremacy]] in [[2357]],<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/> the Supremacy having absorbed the Chesterton Trade Federation some years before.<ref name="HB:HDp22">''Handbook: House Davion'', pp. 22–23: "Pushing Towards Confederation"</ref> Reynard moved additional FPF forces to the border and demanded that the Supremacy also concede the worlds of [[Chesterton]] and [[Highspire]] to the Federated Suns. The Supremacy had little choice but to comply, and the resulting political repercussions within the Capellan Zone toppled the Prime Minister of the Capellan Hegemony from power.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/><ref name="HB:HDp22"/> Capellan reports from the time indicate that Reynard threatened the use of atomic weapons to force the Supremacy to comply with his demand to hand over the planet [[Bell]]; the same reports indicate that when a combined relief force drawn from Sarn, Capellan and Tikonovian forces landed on Bell in [[2358]] they found no sign of the FPF on the planet, as well as no trace of the Sarna garrison or the civilian population of the planet, estimated as being some 15,000 people.<ref name="HL(TCC)p24">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 24: "Friends and Other Enemies"</ref>

The Capellan records on the mystery of the disappearance of the population of Bell remained a source of dispute between the two nations; official sources within the Federated Suns were continuing to assert as late as the [[thirty-first century]] that the FPF commanding officer on Bell had orders to conduct a simple spoiling attack in advance of further attacks along the [[Heligoland]]-[[Tsingtao]] corridor, attacks that never occurred because of the redeployment of FPF troops in response to events that erupted near [[Mallory's World]].<ref name="HL(TCC)p24"/> Other sources indicate that a Taurian explorer, [[Tracy Ashton Pendleton]], accidentally discovered the missing Bellites on the world of [[Tentativa]] whilst conducting a mapping and geological survey in the system in [[2360]]. According to Taurian records, the Bellites had been transported to work as cheap labor on the planet, and Pendleton responded to her discovery by organizing a revolt among the captive Bellites; the revolt surprised and overwhelmed the local garrison, as well as causing shockwaves through the Concordat. Taurian [[Protector of the Realm|Protector]] [[Richard Calderon (24th c.)|Richard Calderon]], convinced of the perfidious nature of the Federated Suns, subsequently began to construct the Concordat's first [[WarShip]]s and began recruiting a standing army, with the assistance of Bellite survivors rescued from Tentativa.<ref name="TP1Ep17">''The Periphery, First Edition'', p. 17: "Davion and Calderon"</ref>

==== Versus the Capellan Hegemony ====
The new Prime Minister of the Capellan Hegemony, [[Seluk Tucas]], spent years building a coalition with the Tikonov Grand Union against the Federated Suns, and in [[2363]] he arranged for the Grand Union to renounce both treaties signed after the war of 2340. Tucas openly supported the Grand Union's declaration and went a step further, demanding the return of the Chesterton worlds ceded by the Sarna Supremacy and the world of [[Lee]] as well.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/><ref name="HB:HDp22"/>

When the Capellan Hegemony ambassador to New Avalon - who was also Seluk Tucas' brother - vanished mysteriously en route back to Capellan space,<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/><ref name="HB:HDp22"/> Seluk called on the various member states of the Federated Suns to depose Reynard and join the Capellan states; not one state took Seluk up on his offer, and Reynard's subsequent proclamation of a state of war between the two nations received a unanimous vote of confidence. This began several years of border conflicts, with every Capellan attack on Lee rebuffed by the FPF.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/> Seluk Tucas had gambled by mobilizing the best of his forces and those of his allies to strike at Lee, only to have those forces crushed,<ref name="HB:HDp22"/> with the list of units effectively destroyed including such noted commands as the [[1st Tikonov Lancers|First]] and [[3rd Tikonov Lancers|Third Tikonov Lancers]], the [[Capellan Reserve Cavalry]], [[Moorcock's Rangers]], the [[Seluk's Principia]] and [[Seneca's Fusiliers]].<ref name="HL(TSC)p25">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 25: "The Aris Crisis"</ref>

The repercussions of the disaster on Lee - a disaster prompted by Reynard having received advance warning of the attack, most probably from [[Premier of the Sarna Supremacy|Premiere]] [[Alexi Nimzovich]] of the Sarna Supremacy, and transporting eight crack FPF regiments to the world in secret in advance of the attack<ref name="HL(TSC)p25"/> - led to considerable internal turmoil within the Capellan Zone, toppling Seluk from power along with his government while the FPF made steady advances against the Capellan forces.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/>

Both the Tikonov Grand Union and the St. Ives Mercantile Association were drawn into the war, and both were equally unsuccessful, with each nation losing worlds to the FPF. While Reynard didn't take to the field, he directed the strategy behind the FPF campaign from New Avalon, and over the course of several years of conflict the FPF managed to push far enough into the Capellan Zone to recapture Redfield and the majority other worlds lost during the first border wars.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/><ref name="HB:HDp22"/>

By [[2367]] the FPF had [[Tikonov]] itself under siege, and landed a "peacekeeping force" on [[Capella]], declaring that the forces would remain in place until a suitable government could be elected and order restored. Such was the FPF's success that it actually led to the various Capellan states unifying into a new nation, the [[Capellan Confederation]], under [[Franco Liao]] - and one of Franco's first orders was for the transport fleet that brought the FPF to Capella to be destroyed, before then ordering that the capital city be destroyed, wiping out both the city and the<ref name="HB:HDp22"/> three handpicked FPF regiments occupying the city, the [[3rd Aragon Lancers|Third Aragon Lancers]], the [[Findas Motorized Infantry]] and the [[Illisen Commandos]], regiments that were subsequently never reformed.<ref name="HL(TSC)p28">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 28: "Hell on Capella Prime"</ref>

Franco's actions shocked Reynard - and the rest of the [[Inner Sphere]] - to the point that Reynard failed to follow up on the invasion of Capella.<ref name="HB:HDp22"/> While Reynard refused to acknowledge the Confederation as a state or negotiate a truce, prompting the war to largely grind to a halt that year, although battles would continue along the border for several years.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/><ref name="HB:HDp22"/>

==== Engaging the Taurian Concordat ====
Fleeing separatists from the Tikonov nobility traveled into the Taurian Concordat in [[2369]], attempting to escape Franco Liao's ruthless purging of any elements disloyal to him and with a Capellan task force in hot pursuit. The Tikonovian group encountered the Taurians and captured several Taurian [[WarShip]]s before fleeing again when the Capellans caught up with them; this time, they fled into Federated Suns space, and although they were challenged by FPF WarShips the Tikonovians managed to flee again when the pursuing Capellan force engaged in battle with the FPF.<ref name="HB:HDp23">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 23: "The Bull and the Sword"</ref> The Tikonovian forces - a thousand men led by Lord Tormassov and previously known as the Galactic Rangers of Tikonov - had initially been interned by Richard Calderon while he and Lord Tormassov negotiated, with Calderon attempting to gain a better understanding of the nature of the militaries of the Inner Sphere from Tormassov, with the common ground between them being dislike of the Federated Suns. The appearance of Franco Liao's pursuit forces led by [[Anthony LeBlanc]] over [[Pinard]], the location of the Galactic Rangers, led to the Rangers breaking out of internment and fleeing into Federated Suns space without their leader, using captured Taurian ships.<ref name="TP1Ep18">''The Periphery, First Edition'', p. 18: "Davion and Calderon"</ref>

The Galactica Rangers' escape attempt made it as far as [[Sanurcha]], where they emerged from a jump and ran straight into two orbital defense flotillas. As the Rangers fled in panic, vanishing to never be seen again, General LeBlanc's ships arrived in the Sanurcha system and were swiftly engaged by the Federated Suns WarShips; the Federated Suns ships were heavier and outgunned the Capellan vessels, as well as outnumbering them, leaving the outcome in no doubt.<ref name="TP1Ep18"/> The appearance of the Capellans beyond the [[rimward]] reaches of the Federated Suns was of considerable concern to Reynard, who believed that the Capellans may have created a secret staging point in the area.<ref name="HB:HDp23"/> He responded by authorizing a number of naval investigations into the region to hunt for that staging point, only for the FPF to run directly into Taurian forces at [[Robsart]]. The Taurian corvettes were much more maneuverable than the heavier Federated Suns WarShips, and destroyed two Davion WarShips whilst capturing a third through a desperate boarding action.<ref name="TP1Ep18"/> After the Taurians defeated the first FPF mission they encountered a series of expeditions were launched in both directions. After two years of sparring Reynard came to the conclusion that the Concordat was a relatively minor threat, but the Concordat had been aware of the Federated Suns for many years and the encounters fostered a growing paranoia towards the Federated Suns in the mind of the Taurian Protector.<ref name="HB:HDp23"/> The brief flurry of engagements ranging from Robsart across to the [[Pleiades Cluster]] between [[2369]] and [[2371]] led to Richard Calderon granting himself emergency powers to prosecute what he believed would be a war to the death, and despite Reynard changing his focus to the Capellan threat soon after, Richard retained those emergency powers until his death in [[2387]], convinced that a full-scale FPF invasion of the Concordat was imminent.<ref name="TP1Ep18"/>

==== Etien the Mad ====
Reynard Davion's death in [[2371]] brought his son, [[Etien Davion]], to power.<ref name="HD(TFS)p26"/> Etien was a military hero, wounded in action during the battle for Lee, and swiftly managed to broker a ceasefire on the Capellan Front as well as managing other diplomatic successes such as adding three new worlds to the Federated Suns and creating official diplomatic channels with the Draconis Combine. Unfortunately for the Federated Suns, his injuries had lingering aftereffects, making Etien moody, weak-minded and quick to anger. As Etien's rule progressed he became more and more interested in hedonistic pursuits, leaving the realm to be directed by the bureaucracy and quickly causing both the economy and the FPF's border expansions to stagnate.<ref name="HB:HDp23A">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 23: "Etien the Mad"</ref>

==== Capellan Border War ====
After Etien's suicide in [[2378]] his brother [[Paul Davion (24th c.)|Paul]] was elected to succeed him. Paul was eccentric and prone to indications of intermittent paranoia and hypochondria, but possessed of great energy, goodwill and determination. The High Council discovered that he was far from being the puppet some had predicted, and among his early successes was a short but successful war<ref name="HD(TFS)p29"/> consisting of several limited campaigns<ref name="HB:HDp25">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 25: "Paul the Scholar"</ref> waged by the FPF on the Capellan frontier to rein in any ambitions the Confederation had towards the Federated Suns.<ref name="HD(TFS)p29">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 29: "The Scholar"</ref><ref name="HD(TFS)p29A">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', pp. 29–30: "A Noble Effort"</ref><ref name="HB:HDp25"/>

Paul's reign ended with his death in [[2394]], with the only significant FPF actions having been the Capellan Border War and a brief confrontation with the Terran Hegemony in [[2383]].<ref name="HD(TFS)p29A"/>

=== The Age of War ===
The [[Age of War]] began in [[2398]] with battles between the Capellan Confederation and the [[Free Worlds League]], but the Federated Suns was soon embroiled in conflicts of its own, precipitated by a Capellan attack on [[Novaya Zemlya]] that saw three-quarters of the planetary population killed via orbital bombardment, the first time such a tactic had been used. This resulted in a crash WarShip construction program within the Federated Suns as well as a series of conventional FPF assaults along the Capellan border in an effort to prevent any further such deep raids and to tie up Capellan units,<ref name="HD(TFS)p30">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 30: "Maiden Aunt"</ref><ref name="HB:HDp25A">''Handbook: House Davion'', pp. 25–26: "Marie Davion"</ref> although the energy expended on the war effort by Paul's successor, [[Marie Davion]], caused to a series of strokes that led to her death in [[2402]].<ref name="HB:HDp25A"/>

==== The Ares Conventions ====
Although the Federated Suns signed the [[Ares Conventions]], binding the FPF to the terms of the Conventions, between [[2402]] and [[2417]] the FPF was subject to both benign neglect and internal purges at the hands of the rulers of the Federated Suns. Although [[Edmund Davion]] was the official successor to Paul, his mother [[Marion Michaels]] was the true power behind the throne; Marion focused on securing further power for her family, effectively allowing the generals within the FPF to deal with the growing conflicts without direct oversight from herself.<ref name="HB:HDP26">''Handbook: House Davion'', pp. 26–27: "The Twin Tyrants"</ref>

This changed swiftly after Marion's death in [[2410]]; Edmund swiftly came under the influence of his brother [[Edward Davion (24th c.)|Edward]], just as he had been under his mother's influence, plunging the Federated Suns further into decline. Edmund's mysterious death in [[2413]] placed Edward officially in power, only to see him sack many of the senior officers within the FPF after becoming convinced that they were planning to supplant him; in their place he promoted sycophants of dubious ability.<ref name="HB:HDP26"/>

==== Simon Davion ====
The end to Edward's rule came at the hands of [[Simon Davion]], son of Paul. A serving FPF officer on the Capellan border, Simon wasn't immune from Edward's depredations; Edward went so far as to order the death of Paul's heir, issuing an order to that effect to Simon's commanding officer, but that officer - Colonel [[R. Radwell Chung]]<ref name="HD(TFS)p32">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 32: "A Failure To Communicate"</ref> - disobeyed the order and passed details of the instruction on to Simon,<ref name="HD(TFS)p31">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 31: "The Ares Summit"</ref> while the Corporal manning the communications system at the time the signal arrived covered up details of what the message had contained.<ref name="HD(TFS)p32"/> Even as Edward was attempting to arrange for Simon's death, members of the High Council were actively plotting to remove Edward from power; Simon arranged to return to New Avalon, ostensibly to bring news of the capture of the world of [[Jaipur]], but his return coincided with a plot involving the representatives for four of the core worlds of the Federated Suns within the High Council involving using elements of the FPF loyal to the Council to seize key installations in orbit above New Avalon as part of what became known as the [[November Conspiracy]].<ref name="HD(TFS)p32A">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 32: "Death of a Tyrant"</ref>

Simon appeared before the High Council to issue an address that had been publicized well in advance, but when Edward appeared in the Council chamber Simon snatched a weapon from one of the presidential bodyguard - suspected later of being a sympathizer within the FPF - and shot Edward repeatedly, killing him. Following Simon's surrender to the High Council - members of which promptly surrounded him, preventing his execution out of hand by the presidential bodyguard - and a public trial, Simon was acquitted of murder and shortly after declared President of the Federated Suns, with the support of the public, the FPF and the bulk of the High Council.<ref name="HD(TFS)p32A"/>

Simon's appointment as the ninth President marked a reverse in the decline of the FPF, which was becoming increasingly heavily tasked as the Federated Suns became more deeply entangled in the Age of War. The Draconis Combine and the Federated Suns now shared a border, and that border was becoming increasingly active as the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] and FPF launched raids and strikes against each other, despite both realms being more concerned about other, older enemies.

==== Capellan Confederation Attacks ====
The first major threat to the Federated Suns to materialize during Simon's rule was from the Capellan Confederation; Simon was spending much of his time traveling within the Federated Suns, echoing the efforts Lucien Davion had made to build support and reassure the people after the disruptive rule of his predecessors, and [[Chancellor]] [[Arden Baxter]] viewed the Federated Suns as being weak and divided. Even as Simon was reorganizing the structure of the Federated Suns and establishing the five Marches that would constitute the Federated Suns for the next century Baxter began making demands in [[2418]], attempting to secure territorial gains<ref name="HB:HDp28"/> - specifically, the Lee, Redfield and [[Safe Port]] systems<ref name="HL(TCC)p33">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 33: "One Step Back"</ref> - in exchange for any official recognition of Simon as ruler of the Federated Suns. Simon ignored Baxter's demands, leading Baxter to attempt to secure through military actions what he had failed to achieve through threats and intimidation.<ref name="HB:HDp28">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 28: "New Government, New Challenges"</ref><ref name="HD(TFS)p36">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 36: "The First Prince"</ref>

Baxter had taken a similarly hard line with the Free Worlds League, and the rulers of the Confederation had been lashing out at all of their neighbors, including the Taurian Concordat, since the beginning of the Age of War. Baxter swiftly discovered that he had overestimated both his own importance and the Confederation's political influence; the FPF and the armed forces of the Free Worlds League soon stymied his attempts at expansion, leaving the Confederation pinned between two enemies both stronger than it was.<ref name="HB:HDp28"/>

With the restructuring of the Federated Suns into five Marches - Capellan, Crucis, Draconis, Terran and Outer - the FPF was also restructured, split into five independent commands based within the five Marches.<ref name="HB:HDp38">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 38: "Dividends of Peace"</ref>

==== Terran Hegemony War ====
The world of [[Cartago]] had been the subject of an escalating conflict between the Terran Hegemony and the Federated Suns since [[2411]], the legacy of a dispute that began with Federated Suns colonists and Terran Hegemony terraforming technicians. The Hegemony annexed Cartargo completely, resulting in two decades of tit-for-tat attacks between the two nations that led to Director-General [[Richard Cameron]] attempting to end the conflict by giving a stark warning to the Federated Suns. That warning came in the form of the [[2431]] invasion of [[Kentares]] by the [[Hegemony Armed Forces]], an invasion the FPF contested but ultimately couldn't resist, losing control of the planet after a six month struggle.<ref name="HB:HDp28"/>

The capture of Kentares by the Terran Hegemony highlighted a flaw in the structure of the Federated Suns - Kentares was a world within the [[Terran March]], and the Prince of the Terran March refused to seek assistance from New Avalon, convinced that the forces within the Terran March could oppose the Hegemony alone. Despite the FPF's efforts, Kentares would remain a Hegemony world for centuries because of those decisions.<ref name="HB:HDp28"/> It would be eight years before the Prince of the Terran March finally asked for assistance, having been unable to mount a successful counterattack; not only was it too late by that point, but several other border worlds changed allegiance in the face of Terran military superiority, defecting to the Terran Hegemony.<ref name="HD(TFS)p36"/>

==== Introduction of the BattleMech ====
One of the most significant changes in the history of the FPF began in [[2455]]; the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] had managed to obtain details on how to manufacture a new engine of war that had previously been unique to the Terran Hegemony - the [[BattleMech]]. The Commonwealth and the Federated Suns had enjoyed civil diplomatic relations in the past, and Simon Davion acted on what he saw an opportunity to obtain BattleMech technology for the FPF.<ref name="HB:HDp28A">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 28: "The Four Horsemen"</ref>

Dispatching Duke [[Denton Felsner]] on what was dubbed Operation VENTURE,<ref name="HB:HDp29">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 29: "Recollections and Ruminations"</ref> Simon opened up negotiations with the Commonwealth with a view to obtaining the ability to manufacture BattleMechs. The Federated Suns had little to offer other than money and diplomatic persuasion, but by highlighting the common enemies both nations shared in the form of the Terran Hegemony and the Draconis Combine, along with the application of large quantities of money<ref name="HB:HDp28A"/> and a certain amount of espionage Felsner was successful.<ref name="HB:HDp29"/> It took a year of negotiations, but the Federated Suns was soon producing BattleMechs for the FPF as fast as it could.<ref name="HB:HDp28A"/>

==== Capellan Border War ====
Early in the twenty-sixth century and in the early years of the reign of [[First Prince]] [[William Davion]] another major war erupted on the Capellan border; among the casualties suffered by the FPF during the war were the only son of William Davion, Edward, a young officer in a BattleMech unit who was killed in a Capellan raid on [[Royalston]] in [[2508]]. Edward's death was in part due to an FPF unit loyal to the Prince of the Capellan March, [[David Varnay]], inexplicably failing to arrive in time to support Edward's unit, despite having been in a position to do so. Investigations exonerated the unit commander, despite allegations of treachery on the part of Varnay at the time; tragedy would strike again in [[2511]], when Edward's widow [[Sondra Black|Sondra Black Davion]], another serving FPF officer, died in battle above [[Avigait]] when her [[DropShip]] was destroyed.<ref name="HD(TFS)p39">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 39: "William The Fair"</ref>

==== Prelude to Civil War ====
With the death of William Davion at the hands of assassins in [[2512]]<ref name="HB:HDp37">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 37: "Timeline: Revolution and Civil War"</ref> the Federated Suns began a move towards what would prove to be a devastating Civil War. William's successor was the five-year-old [[Alexander Davion|Alexander]], orphaned son of Edward and Sondra, and the High Council appointed a Council of Regents to rule until Alexander was ready to assume power. The Council of Regents was dominated by internal politics revolving initially around the rulers of the Capellan March, David and [[Cassandra Varnay]], and [[Laura Davion]], sister to William, who became ruler of the Draconis March after the death of Prince [[Vladimir Kerensky]].<ref name="HB:HDp31"/><ref name="HD(TFS)p41">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 41: "The Regency"</ref> In [[2515]]<ref name="HB:HDp37"/><ref name="HD(TFS)p41"/> the Hegemony launched a series of new incursions into the Federated Suns, killing Prince [[Charles Leighton]] of the Terran March and his immediate family on [[Robinson]], leading to the appointment of [[Nikolai Rostov]], a famed and respected General within the FPF, as Prince of the Terran March.<ref name="HB:HDp31">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 31: "Council of Regents"</ref><ref name="HD(TFS)p41"/>

It took Rostov five years to stop the Terran incursions, but in [[2520]] he finally secured the Terran March;<ref name="HB:HDp31"/> having won not as a result of superior quality of troops or equipment but rather through brilliant strategy, Rostov's star rose in the Federated Suns, while David Varnay's botched attempt to earn popularity in Capellan border conflicts served to highlight Rostov's abilities. It was Laura Davion who suggested the creation of an extraordinary post within the FPF - titled [[First Marshal]] of the Federated Suns, and with command over all other military posts in the five Principalities - along with the nomination of Nikolai Rostov to the post. The move secured more support amongst the soldiers of the FPF, but was voted against by Cassandra Varnay in an attempt to check Laura's power - a move that not only failed, but alienated Rostov.<ref name="HD(TFS)p41A">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 41: "Varnay Versus Davion"</ref>

Just three years later in [[2523]] another border conflict erupted, this time on the border with the Draconis Combine.<ref name="HB:HDp31"/> The Varnays took advantage of the disruption to kidnap Alexander - claiming to be doing so for his own protection - and relocating him to the Capellan March while Laura Davion and the FPF units under her command battled the Combine.<ref name="HB:HDp37"/>

==== Civil War ====
The [[Davion Civil War]] finally erupted in [[2525]]. Alexander had been married to [[Cynthia Varnay]] as part of a plot to secure control of the Federated Suns by the Varnay family, only for Alexander to escape while on [[Nahoni]] using the celebrations around the birth of his son as a distraction. The Varnays had Alexander declared dead even as Laura Davion's forces finally secured the Combine border; both factions attempted to secure New Avalon and open combat between FPF units from different Marches began.<ref name="HB:HDp37"/>

The Davion Civil War inflicted devastating damage on the Federated Suns; what began with troops from the Capellan and Draconis Marches fighting each other escalated rapidly, with Alexander Davion raising loyalist forces within the Capellan and Crucis Marches. Alexander's forces forced the Draconis March forces out of the Crucis March in [[2528]] while forces loyal to Alexander under the command of General [[John Gordon]] concentrated their efforts on the Capellan March. Each side courted the Terran March as allies, with Rostov's forces finally committing their support to Alexander long enough for the Capellan March forces to be defeated.<ref name="HB:HDp37"/>

Alexander began to initiate reforms of the structure of the Federated Suns Marches and the FPF, only to find Nikolai Rostov's son, [[Dmitri Rostov]], leading the Terran March forces in insurrection against him. Rostov was killed on Robinson in November [[2540]], finally ending the fifteen-year war.<ref name="HB:HDp37"/>

=== Reorganization ===
Having secured his realm after fifteen years of civil war, Alexander enacted widespread structural changes to the Federated Suns and the FPF. Two of the Marches, the Terran March and the Outer March, were disbanded, with elements of each incorporated into the remaining three Marches.<ref name="HB:HDp38"/>

Alexander reformed the government, removing hundreds of senior nobles, bureaucrats and generals in the process, promoting new leaders and administrators as needed; he comprehensively removed the devolved command structure of the FPF, replacing it with a single, central command and support organization, removing its identity in the process. The FPF was renamed to the [[Armed Forces of the Federated Suns]], and whilst it would take decades for all of Alexander's changes to be implemented, the AFFS would become the most professional and skilled military in the [[Inner Sphere]].<ref name="HB:HDp38">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 38: "Dividends of Peace"</ref>

Following the reorganization of the FPF into the [[AFFS]] a significant number of units antagonistic to Alexander remained; particularly divisive elements included the regiments of the [[Terran Brigade]], which had been responsible for guarding the Terran March, and a number of regiments within the [[Syrtis Fusiliers]] brigade; those units would remain a part of the AFFS until the formation of the [[Star League Defense Force]] in [[2571]], at which point Alexander solved the problems associated with those units by transferring them wholesale into the [[SLDF]] as a part of the Federated Suns contribution to the forming [[Star League]].<ref name="H:RWp32">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 32: "Integration with the SLDF"</ref>

== Units of the Federated Peacekeeping Forces ==
A number of brigades and other major formations are known to have served as a part of the FPF during its existence.

=== Arcadian Cuirassiers ===
{{main|Arcadian Cuirassiers}}
Formerly a premiere combat unit of the Chesterton Trade League, the Arcadian Cuirassiers were incorporated into the Federated Suns military as a combat brigade after their homeworld of Demeter was conquered, and served loyally throughout the Age of War and Star League eras. 

{|class="wikitable" width='200px' style="background: #gray; border: 2px solid black;"
! colspan="1" style="border-bottom:2px solid black"| Arcadian Cuirassiers
|-
|width='200px' align="center "|[[Image:Arcadian Cuirassiers -Brigade logo.png|100px]]
|}

=== Avalon Hussars ===
{{main|Avalon Hussars}}
The '''Avalon Hussars''' are the descendants of the [[Terran Alliance]] Marines that served on the world of [[New Avalon]] in the early age of human extraterrestrial colonization. The unit decided to defend [[New Avalon]] after being stranded by the [[Demarcation Declaration]], and pledged their loyalty to [[Lucien Davion (23rd c.)|Lucien Davion]] when the [[Crucis Reach]] joined the Federated Suns.<ref>''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 138</ref> The [[1st Avalon Hussars|First Avalon Hussars]] - "The Sword Of The Prince" - are the oldest fighting force in the Federated Suns, having formed on that day in [[2317]] from a Terran armor regiment.<ref name="ER:2750p46">''Era Report: 2750'', p. 46: "First Avalon Hussars"</ref> Since the Hussars are a large force and usually loyal to House Davion and the Federated Suns, they are well equipped.<ref>''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 138</ref>  At its zenith, the Avalon Hussars defended the entire Combine border with 26 [[BattleMech]] regiments and 32 conventional regiments.{{cn}}

{|class="wikitable" width='200px' style="background: #gray; border: 2px solid black;"
! colspan="1" style="border-bottom:2px solid black"| Avalon Hussars
|-
|width='200px' align="center "|[[Image:Avalon Hussars -Brigade logo 2765.png|100px|Insignia of the Avalon Hussars]]
|}

=== Royal Brigade ===
The origin of the Royal Brigade lay the personal guard of the Davion family; originally responsible for protecting members of the family, the brigade took on wider responsibilities as the [[Federated Suns]] evolved. When [[Reynard Davion]]<ref name="FR:FS2765p13">''Field Report 2765: AFFS'', p. 13: "Davion Brigade of Guards"</ref> became President in [[2340]]<ref name=HBHDp107>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 107: "Leaders of the Federated Suns"</ref> the brigade took on the responsibility of protecting the leader of the Federated Suns, and when [[Simon Davion]]<ref name="FR:FS2765p13"/> became the first person to hold the title of [[First Prince]] in [[2418]]<ref name=HBHDp108>''Handbook: House Davion'', pp. 108–109: "Leaders of the Federated Suns"</ref> the brigade was officially incorporated as the Royal Brigade.<ref name="FR:FS2765p13"/> The Royal Brigade would later become known as the [[Davion Brigade of Guards]].

=== Syrtis Fusiliers ===
{{main|Syrtis Fusiliers}}


{|class="wikitable" width='200px' style="background: #gray; border: 2px solid black;"
! colspan="1" style="border-bottom:2px solid black"| Syrtis Fusiliers
|-
|width='200px' align="center "|[[Image:Syrtis Fusiliers -Brigade logo.png|100px|Insignia of the Syrtis Fusiliers]]
|}

=== Tancredi Warriors Brigade ===
{{main|Tancredi Warriors Brigade}}


=== Terran Brigade ===
{{main|Terran Brigade}}


=== Vale Rangers ===
{{main|Vale Rangers}}
The '''Vale Rangers''' was a major [[Federated Peacekeeping Forces]] [[brigade]] and the lead combat formation of the Terran March Principality of the [[Federated Suns]] prior to the end of the [[Davion Civil War]].

=== Conventional Forces ===
Prior to the acquisition of the BattleMech by the Federated Suns in the 2450s,<ref name="NV">''Nothing Ventured''</ref> the units of the Federated Peacekeeping Forces were based solely on conventional forces. Relatively little has been published regarding the organization of the FPF prior to the introduction of the BattleMech, but the FPF was known to organize its conventional forces into [[division]]s and [[Corps|corps]] with varying designations; an example of one of the few such units identified in canon is the [[6th Terran March Corps|Sixth Terran March Corps]], a command within the forces of the Terran March. Identified as a shock corps by the [[Hegemony Armed Forces]] during the invasion of [[Basalt]] in April [[2445]], the Sixth consisted of six heavy divisions, primarily composed of tanks and artillery.<ref name="IOp10">''Interstellar Operations'', p. 10: "Charge of the Light"</ref> Conventional brigades known to have existed within the FPF included the [[Aragon Lancers]] and [[Victoria Lancers]].<ref name="HL(TSC)p28">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 28: "Hell on Capella Prime"</ref> In or around the 2420s, the FPF created the Colonial Marines as a distinct service branch.<ref name="HL(TSC)p33">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 33: "The Forgotten Davion"</ref>

==== Notable Conventional Regiments ====
* [[Third Aragon Lancers]]<ref name="HL(TSC)p28"/>
* [[Findas Motorized Infantry]]<ref name="HL(TSC)p28"/>
* [[Illisen Commandos]]<ref name="HL(TSC)p28"/>
* [[1st New Avalon Dragoons|First New Avalon Dragoons]]<ref name="HD(TFS)p45">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 45: "Victor of Nahoni"</ref>
* [[1st Victoria Lancers|First Victoria Lancers]]<ref name="HL(TSC)p28"/>
* [[Fifth Victoria Lancers]]<ref name="HL(TSC)p28"/>

== Notes ==
Although several conflicts between the Federated Suns and the Capellan Hegemony were noted, it was only in material produced in the Federated Suns that the Capellan state was referred to as the Capellan Hegemony;<ref name="HD(TFS)p26">''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'', p. 26-27, "The War Leader"</ref> the Capellan Hegemony was actually disbanded in [[2310]], several years prior to the formation of the Federated Suns, as a result of the outcome of the [[Capellan_Hegemony#The_Capellan_Hegemony.2FSarna_Supremacy_War|Capellan Hegemony/Sarna Supremacy War]] of [[2305]] to 2310.<ref name="HL(TCC)p16+">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', pp. 16–17: "Arboris Secedes"</ref> The Capellan Hegemony had in fact been replaced by the [[Capellan Commonality]] by the time of the various conflics with the Federated Suns.<ref name="HL(TCC)p17">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 17: "Loosening Up"</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[Era Report: 2750]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Davion]]''
* ''[[Historical: Reunification War]]''
* ''[[House Davion (The Federated Suns)]]''
* ''[[House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)]]''
* ''[[Interstellar Operations]]''
* ''[[Nothing Ventured]]''
* ''[[The Periphery (sourcebook)|The Periphery, First Edition]]''

[[Category: Military Organizations]]