Imperial Rules of War

The rules of war are an accumulation of unwritten concepts established on a case-by-case basis. They have not been officially codified to prevent formal precedent from preventing Imperial intervention. The main aim of the rules is to maintain the economic and military well-being of the realm.

The Imperium tolerates the use of force as a necessary outlet for built-up political and social pressures beyond the opponents' ability to mediate. A short war is deemed preferable to continuing tension, sabotage, political agitation, etc. However, attempts by extra-planetary forces to seize control of a world's affairs are beyond the scope of the "safety valve" rationale. Recognizing that often some community of interest exists between a faction or state on a planet and some off-planet organization, the Imperium tolerates "assistance" as long as it is deemed appropriate to the level of legitimate interest in the affairs of the world held by the extraplanetary organization. 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.

One prohibition is clear and firm: use or possession of nuclear weapons, if discovered, and regardless of size or type, will almost certainly trigger Imperial intervention. The Imperium alone retains the rights to such weapons, because of their extreme destructive powers and the relatively low tech level at which they can be manufactured.

For similar reasons, certain other weapons (chemical and bacteriological agents, and meson accelerators, for example) are strictly controlled, although they are not subject to the sweeping restrictions placed on nuclear weapons.

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References & Contributors (Sources)

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• Classic Traveller Supplement 11 Library Data (N-Z)