Imperial Bureaucracy

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The Imperial Bureaucracy of the Third Imperium is the group of governing bodies that administers the needs of the Imperium and is divided into three parts:

  1. Civil Ministries of the Imperium
  2. Defense Ministry of the Imperium
  3. Offices of the Imperial Palace


Description[edit]

The Imperial Bureaucracy is the bones and body of the Third Imperium. While the Emperor, Moot, and the Ministry of Justice form the eyes and mind of the corpus. While those high institutions and leaders legislate and adjudicate in important ways, the day-to-day running of the Imperium comes from local nobles and bureaucrats who have sworn loyalty and service to the Imperium through its figurehead of the Emperor. In a very practical way, the Imperial Bureaucracy is the most visible part of the culture of the Imperium.

  • A. The largest part is the civil ministries which support the inner workings of the Imperium and is overseen by High nobles.
  • B. The second part is the Ministry of Defense which oversees and is run by, the Imperial armed forces through appointed nobles and officials.
  • C. The third and smallest part is the various Imperial Offices, which report directly to the Emperor. They serve the Emperor's needs and function as a personal office, cabinet, and advisory.

Bureaucracy Organization[edit]

The three primary groupings of the Imperial Bureaucracy each perform specialized tasks:

  1. Civil Ministries of the Imperium: (Ministry of State and Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Information and Communication & Ministry of Science and Ministry of Technology: Administrative needs such as justice, commerce, communication, science, etc.)
  2. Defense Ministry of the Imperium: (Ministry of Defense: Military needs such as the defense of the realm and maintenance of the starways)
  3. Offices of the Imperial Palace: (Offices of the Emperor & Palace: Needs of the Emperor such as security, ceremonial functions, lodgings, travel, etc.)


Civil Ministries of the Imperium[edit]

Imperial-Sunburst-Sun-Navy-wiki.png

The civil ministries are overseen by the Imperial Nobility, it is the duty of the high nobility to serve as the minister and director of each of the ministries within their demesne. The civil ministries within the Imperium are:

State & Justice Ministries[edit]

Imperial Moot[edit]
Moot-FFE-Image 18-July-2019b.png

- The deliberative body of Imperial Nobles within the Imperium. [1]

  • The Office of the Chancellor of the Moot. [2]
  • Capital Branch Authority
  • Core Sectors Branch Authority
  • Frontier Sectors Branch Authority
Ministry of State[edit]

- Maintains diplomatic relations and executive functions. [3]

Ministry of Justice (MOJ)[edit]

- Exercises authority over violations of Imperial law. [3]

Ministry of Colonization[edit]

- Selects worlds for colonization and expansion of the Imperium. [13]

Commerce & Communications Ministries[edit]

Ministry of Commerce[edit]

- Responsible for maintaining trade and commerce. [13]

» Director of the Imperial Treasury
» Chairman of the Imperial Bank
» Warden of the Imperial Mint
» Chairman of the Imperial Monetary Board
Ministry of Information and Communication[edit]

- Responsible for communications, exploration, records, and education. [25]

- Maintains Educational Institutes, the Imperial Interstellar Library ("The Encyclopedia"), and (Regulation & Prevention of Psionics).

Science & Technologies Ministries[edit]

Ministry of Conservation[edit]

- Oversight and preservation of non-renewable resources.[25] [30] [31]

  • Department of Endangered Creatures
  • Department of Proto-sophont Preservation
  • Department of Reserve Worlds
  • Department of Resource Management
  • Imperial Office of Interstellar Ecology
  • Imperial Terraforming Bureau AKA Imperial Terraformation Bureau [25]
Ministry of Science[edit]

- Oversight of scientific research and the establishment of measurement standards within the Third Imperium.

Ministry of Technology[edit]

- Oversight of technological advancement and research stations. [34][25]


Ministry of Defense[edit]

Traveller Imperial Navy Sunburst logo.svg

The Minister, also known as the High Imperial Marshal, is in charge of advising the Emperor on military affairs, evaluating the general state of the Imperial military, and supervising long-term military planning, research, and development. The Minister of Defence is appointed by the Emperor and reports directly to him. [35]

Imperial High Command[edit]

The Imperial High Command is the Office of Military Command for the Unified Forces of the Imperium. [35]
- The role of the Imperial High Command is to set military policy and perform strategic planning. [35]

The Imperial High Command reports directly to the Emperor and consists of the following offices:

Office of Military Administration[edit]
Office of Special Forces (Commandos)[edit]
Office of Communications (News & Public Relations)[edit]
  • Imperial Pax Department
    • Imperial Communications Authority
  • Imperial War Department
    • High Imperial Censor
Office of Logistics[edit]
  • Imperial Depot Stewardship
  • Imperial Procurement Service
  • Imperial Ready Reserve Fleet
  • Imperial Surplus Service
  • Office of Technology Standardization

Admiralty (Office of the Navy)[edit]

Traveller Imperial Navy Sunburst logo.svg

The Naval office of the Ministry of Defense, also known as the Admiralty, is in charge of the Imperial Navy. The Naval office is run by the First Lord of the Admiralty, who sits on the Admiralty Board. [35]

Imperial Navy[edit]

The totality of the mobile response fleets of the Imperium under direct oversight of the Admiralty, comprised of numbered fleets normally assigned one per Subsector and the logistics elements necessary for their support. The total number of numbered fleet assets in addition to any other Battle Fleet, Task Force, Task Group, or other special assets assigned to operate within a Sector are collectively known as the Named Fleet of a given Sector, or the Sector Fleet.

Traveller Imperial Star Marines Sunburst logo.svg
Subsector Navies[edit]

Static local defense forces of the Imperium maintained locally by each Subsector government and overseen by the High Nobility of the subsector as a static reserve defense force. During peacetime, the records of the sum of all Imperial Subsector Navy assets, including any mothballed strategic reserve assets assigned to it in general in aggregate, is administratively overseen by the Colonial Office. Under wartime conditions, the Subsector Navies are "Imperialized" and transferred to the authority of the Admiralty via the Imperial Naval Reserve and mothballed assets are selectively evaluated, reactivated, and crewed for service.

Huscarle Squadrons[edit]

Personal naval forces of the High Landed Imperial Nobility under feudal obligation.

Unified Armies Command (Office of the Army)[edit]

Traveller Imperial Army Sunburst logo.svg

- The Lord Marshal of the Unified Armies along with the General Staff of the Unified Armies manages the Imperial Army. [35]

Imperial Army[edit]
Sector Armies[edit]

The collective local Planetary, Colonial, and Subsector Defense Forces within a given Sector, acting as local home defense and as a strategic reserve. Each of these various independent forces may or may not have their own GFC, NFC, and/or COACC branches.

Huscarle Forces[edit]

Personal military forces of the High Landed Imperial Nobility under feudal obligation.


Offices of the Imperial Palace[edit]

Traveller Imperial Royal Family Sunburst logo.svg

These offices are part of the Emperor's staff and oversee various aspects of the Third Imperium that do not belong to the other ministries.

Imperial Household[edit]

Office of the Emperor[edit]

- The personal staff to the Emperor and members of the Imperial family. [38]

Imperial Palace Staff[edit]

- The Imperial Palace Staff is responsible for all official activities of the Imperial Household.

Office of the Palace[edit]

- This office is charged with carrying out all official and unofficial court ceremonies and shows of Imperial grandeur and majesty and includes all the ceremonial officeholders of the court. [42]

Office of Security[edit]

- Provides the security to the Emperor, the Imperial family, and the Palace. [41]

- An elite military force assigned directly to service of the Emperor. [38]
Imperial Reservations Office[edit]

- Manages the Emperor's holdings outside of the Imperial palace. [41]

Office of Personal Transportation (OPT)[edit]

- Manages the spacecraft and other transport systems available to the Emperor and High Nobility. [41]

Secondary Service Offices[edit]

Imperial Bureau of Trademarks »[edit]
» Office of Heraldry[edit]
  • Imperial Division of Heraldry: Concerned with the propriety of the Imperial Nobility, Orders, Awards, and all matters related.
  • Imperial Registry of Nobility: This office tracks the families of all current Imperial nobles with Imperial sanction. That includes the Noble Houses.
  • Imperial Registry of Non-native Nobility: This office tracks all of the non-Imperial nobles, usually planetary nobility predating Imperial re-contact although Imperial Clans are also tracked.
Office of Chronology & Temporal Periodization[edit]
Office of Imperial Concerns[edit]


Closed Offices[edit]


History[edit]

When Cleon founded the Imperium, there were five primary bureaucratic agencies. Over the years these agencies have grown, split, intermingled, and rejoined. The bureaucracy at any one point in time can be wildly disparate. For instance, the Imperial Quarantine Agency was once a stand-alone branch of the government, but it was subsumed into other parts of the Imperial Bureaucracy when technology changed. The Quarantine's many roles were distributed to the Navy, Scouts, and others.

Bureaucratic Origin[edit]

The original bureaucracy of the Third Imperium was based upon the governmental institutions of the Sylean Federation and the corporate structure of Zhunastu Industries. Cleon I cleverly blended the two into a unified institution designed to handle the rulership of a people and the direction of a mercantile empire.

  • Later Emperors adapted these bureaucratic structures to the needs of their times. After the First Civil War, Empress Arbellatra decreed that the institutions be given further authority to continue running even when an Emperor might be inept or infirm... Or the Moot might be locked into indecision.
  • In a very real way, the Imperial Bureaucracy is the Third Imperium.

Grand Dukes[edit]

Grand Dukes were a part of the pre-foundational state of the Third Imperium, the Sylean Federation. They had vast stated power and fiefs in excess of the current ducal title. The title was later stricken from the Nobility Lists. The role that Grand Dukes once played has now been replaced by Archdukes.

Domain System & Archduchies[edit]

During the period of the Pacification Campaigns in 76, the Emperor Artemsus subsequently created a new form of Archduke when he initially established the original six nominal Domains of the Imperium, each of which has an Archduke exercising overall control of his/her respective Domain, and acting as an intermediary between the Emperor and the other levels of nobility (except for the Domain of Sylea, where the Emperor himself acted as the titular Archduke). The intended goal of these new Domains and their associated Archdukes was to give each Archduke the responsibility for the prosecution of the "pacification" and integration of new systems into the Third Imperium within the defined boundaries of the given Domain by whatever means were most expedient.

By the late 6th century, the feudal confederation of the Third Imperium had devolved into a state of Civil War under the Emperors of the Flag over what were largely instances of petty ducal and archducal infighting by squabbling dukes. Certain problems were direct antecedent causes of the Civil War of course, but the core issue of preventing the splintering and secession of worlds and regions from the Third Imperium had remained a problem of the Emperors since its founding.

Arbellatrian Reforms[edit]

In response to and as a result of the struggles of the Imperial Civil War, the power and authority of the Archdukes within their Domains was gradually diminished by the Empress Arbellatra after the conclusion of the Civil War, at which time the Domain level within the bureaucracy was restructured and became largely bypassed. The titles of Archdukes who had been either deposed for disloyalty or who had died without a clear heir were allowed to become extinct, resulting in a situation after the Civil War in which most of the Domains of the Imperium did not have an appointed Archduke.

Strephonian Reforms[edit]

In more recent times, and in order to stave off the perceived gradual fracturing of the Imperium into local regional loyalties, the Emperor Strephon has been once again expanding the role of Archdukes and the Domain level of the Imperial bureaucracy, appointing new Archdukes to previously vacant titles.

Imperial Governance & Long-term Stability[edit]

One of the far-reaching goals of several of the Emperors of the Third Imperium has been to explore and achieve aeonic stability, or the establishment of a perpetual system of stability and prosperity, a system that preserves and promotes a peaceful and vigorous civilization without inhibiting it. After studying the eventual failures of the First Imperium and the Second Imperium, it has become apparent that the current model of civilization has its limits and the social constructs of sophontdom rise and fall with frightening regularity. The very existence of the Imperial Bureaucracy is rumored to be part of this program to achieve aeonic stability.

Imperial Longevity Programs[edit]

A number of programs have been launched in the 1100 year era of the Third Imperium's existence including the following:

  1. Exploration of and experimentation with Psychohistory
  2. Deliberate programs of sophont species inclusion and diversity
  3. A program to establish Imperial Cultural Regions and establish diversity and tolerance of thought
  4. A program to establish Imperial Autonomous Regions and greater self-rule
  5. Gradual improvements to the Imperial Bureaucracy to create continuity, flexibility, and stability of governance
  6. The rumored existence of a special agent program to expand the reach of the Emperor
  7. A failsafe program to safeguard civilization in the case of an apocalyptic event or a second Long Night

Official Imperial Warrants, Policies, Regulations & Acts[edit]



See also[edit]

Third Imperium

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Third Imperium


Sources[edit]

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
  1. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 72.
  2. ↑ Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 8.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 64.
  4. ↑ Dave Nilsen. Survival Margin (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 28, 31.
  5. ↑ Steve Daniels, Jim McLean, Christopher Thrash. Far Trader (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), 73.
  6. ↑ Steve Daniels, Jim McLean, Christopher Thrash. Far Trader (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), 73, 74.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Steve Daniels, Jim McLean, Christopher Thrash. Far Trader (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), 74.
  8. ↑ Frank Chadwick. Mercenary (Game Designers Workshop, 1978), 9.
  9. ↑ Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. High Guard (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 9.
  10. ↑ Jon F. Zeigler. Rim of Fire (Steve Jackson Games, 2000), 7.
  11. ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 6.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. The Traveller Adventure (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 97.
  13. ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 65.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), .
  15. ↑ Frank Chadwick, Marc Miller. "Argon Gambit." The Argon Gambit/Death Station (1981): 14.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lester Smith. Milieu 0 (Imperium Games, 1996), 51.
  17. ↑ Loren Wiseman. 76 Patrons (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 36.
  18. ↑ . "The Imperial Secret Service: A New Traveller Career." White Dwarf 27 (1981): 10.
  19. ↑ J. Andrew Keith. Murder on Arcturus Station (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 52-53.
  20. ↑ Jim Cunningham. High Passage 1 (FASA, 1981), 32-39.
  21. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 67-68.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 2.Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), 2.
  23. ↑ Loren Wiseman. 76 Patrons (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 25.
  24. ↑ Greg Porter. Central Supply Catalog (Imperium Games, 1996), 5.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 66.
  26. ↑ Marc Miller. Expedition to Zhodane (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 11.
  27. ↑ Marc Miller. Marc Miller's Traveller (Imperium Games, 1996), 66.
  28. ↑ Dave Nilsen. Survival Margin (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 29.
  29. ↑ Marc Miller. Safari Ship (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 6.
  30. ↑ Marc Miller. The Kinunir (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 4.
  31. ↑ Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), .Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
  32. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 16 (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 16.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 22 (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), 18-23.
  34. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Challenge 43 (Game Designers' Workshop, 1990), 24.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 63.
  36. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 08 (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 6.
  37. ↑ Marc Miller. Signal GK (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 6.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 55.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 56.
  40. ↑ Dave Nilsen. Survival Margin (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 27.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 56.
  42. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 54-56.
  43. ↑ Lester Smith. Milieu 0 (Imperium Games, 1996), .
  44. ↑ Marc Miller. Agent of the Imperium (Far Future Enterprises, 2015), .
  45. ↑ Citation Missing - Milieu:0
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Frank Chadwick, Marc Miller. The Argon Gambit/Death Station (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 12, 17.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Marc Miller. The Kinunir (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 40.
  48. ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 34.
  49. ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 35-37.
  50. ↑ Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 42.
  51. ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 32.
  52. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 04 (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 13.
  53. ↑ Jon F. Zeigler. Rim of Fire (Steve Jackson Games, 2000), 17.
  54. ↑ Marc Miller. Signal GK (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 11.
  55. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 10 (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 31.
  56. ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 40.
  57. ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 14-15.
  58. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 01 (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 30.
  59. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Challenge 31 (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 21.
  60. ↑ Marc Miller. Signal GK (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 46, et al..
  61. ↑ William H. Keith Jr., J. Andrew Keith. The Chamax Plague/Horde (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 8.
  62. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 05 (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 31.
  63. ↑ Loren Wiseman. Marooned/Marooned Alone (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 7.
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