Library Data:Imperial Rules of War
To mitigate most of the potentially disastrous aspects of armed conflict, the "rules of war" evolved as an accumulation of unwritten concepts, which were established on a case-by-case basis.[1]
The rules of war have never been officially codified, both to prevent them being seen as an Imperial endorsement of war and to keep formal precedent from preventing Imperial intervention whenever the Imperium deemed it necessary.[1]
The main aim of the rules is maintaining the economic and military wellbeing of the realm. They give the Imperium the right to intervene only when local military action threatens this well-being. The primary causes of instability, as viewed by Imperial analysts, have been long-term economic dislocation and excessive extra-planetary influence.[1]
Long-term social or economic dislocation is suffered when a region loses its ability to carry on at its prewar level of economic activity. [1]
Excessive extra-planetary influence is even more vague. Historically, the Imperium has tolerated the use of force as an outlet for built-up sociopolitical pressures. In such cases, a short war is deemed preferable to continuing tension, sabotage, political agitation, etc. Attempts by extra-planetary forces, such as off-world governments or large commercial interests, to seize control of a world’s affairs are beyond the scope of the "safety valve" rationale.[1]
"Assistance" is tolerated so long as it is deemed appropriate to the level of legitimate interest in the affairs of the world held by the extra-planetary organization. For example, the Imperium has often tolerated the provision by megacorporations of training cadres, arms, equipment, etc., on a limited scale, and even of providing fully equipped combat units to local governments. When it has appeared that the primary burden for the conduct of the war has been carried by an extra-planetary power, the Imperium has intervened, claiming the power is using the misfortune of a local dispute as a pretext for aggression.[1]
Imperial intervention is also guaranteed if any group makes use of or possesses weapons of mass destruction such as biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons. Precisely what constitutes a weapon of mass destruction is not formally defined, and Imperial officers are given vast discretionary powers in enforcement of the restrictions.[1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Loren Wiseman. GURPS Traveller Core Rules (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 41-42.
Other References
- Loren Wiseman. Broadsword (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 46-47.
- John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 30-31.
- Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 29.
- Colin Dunn. Library Data (Mongoose Publishing, 2011), 58-59.