Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 580 - 282 The First Kingdom Army Reform

Busy days always fly by, and in the blink of an eye, the start of February arrived. Fresh sprouts emerged on ancient trees outside the Palace of Wind, greeting the increasingly warm and splendid sunshine. A gentle north wind blew, and throughout Qinchongcan City, prayers of devotion filled the air. The citizens of the Capital City sang the glory of the Chief Divine, as if still in the midst of New Year’s festivities.

The New Year’s grand ceremony brought together numerous generals, and many army officers were also in the Capital City. Seizing this opportunity, Xiulote summoned all his trusted leaders in turn, sought the advice of many Great Generals, and took lessons from certain historical experiences. Finally, he compiled a reform plan for the legion and called the assembly of generals to officially announce it in the Kingdom!

The new legion reform proposal included two parts, the first being the standardization of the military system: establishing accurately graded military ranks and clarifying the composition of each level of troops. The second part, which drew more attention, was the reorganization of the troops: the reorganization of the Kingdom Legion and the determination of the positions of the generals.

Xiulote had engaged in military affairs for many years and had long contemplated the Alliance’s military system. This plan had actually been brewing in his heart for a long time. However, legion reform was a matter of great importance and could not be undertaken lightly. He had waited until now, when the Kingdom’s political situation was largely stable, to find a suitable opportunity to implement it.

The first part of the legion reform was to standardize the military system, generally following the ’five-two’ method of military organization.

First, ’ten’ is a number that can be counted on two hands, and thus, 10 men made one group, which was the smallest unit of troops, led by a group leader. Each group of ten shared a single-wheeled cart for their baggage. Two groups of 20 men formed a small team with a team leader. This was the customary number for Alliance Scout small teams, often represented by four hands. Group leaders and team leaders were undertaken by Samurai of the second to fourth level, serving as the most basic non-commissioned officers.

Next, five teams made up a company of 100 men, led by a Centurion. Two companies formed a battalion of 200 men, led by a bi-centurion. A battalion of 200 men was typically used as a standard tactical unit, capable of effectively executing basic tactical tasks such as assaults, raids, encirclements, and occupations. Centurions and bi-centurions were usually fourth-level experienced Samurai and Nobility with military achievements, forming the backbone of the Kingdom’s legions and mid-level officers of the troops.

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From the company of one hundred men upwards, each level of organization added a War Priest and a Military Doctor, comparable to an adjutant at the same level. The War Priest was responsible for daily prayers, pre-war mobilization, and post-war funerals. The role of the Military Doctor was to prevent epidemics in the army, distribute medicinal herbs for treating diseases, and provide treatment for the wounded after battles. Military Doctors were held by experienced Samurai or Priests knowledgeable about herbs.

Further up, five battalions made up a battalion of 1000 men, and the battalion commander was the Chiliarch. A battalion of 1000 men was the standard unit of regional garrison. According to Alliance tradition, the commander of a Chiliarch battalion corresponded to Nobility with significant military achievements or lesser experienced hereditary Nobility.

Each battalion of 1000 men, depending on its equipment and personnel, had different tendencies, generally divided into Close Combat Camps and long-range camps. The Close Combat Camps typically employed formations with Spears or War Clubs, generally requiring shields, and were equipped with a certain proportion of Battle Axes. Long-range camps were equipped with Longbows, powerful crossbows, or more commonly, Throwing Spears. Also within the same battalion-level organization was the yet-to-be-formed Artillery Camp.

Lastly, 4-8 battalions of 1000 men each formed a Kingdom Legion. A legion was the Kingdom’s strategic unit, and the Legion Commander was truly a role of great responsibility. A legion of 4000 men was known as a small legion, while an 8000-man Xiquipilli was a fully-formed large legion. A Legion Commander required at least the title of hereditary Nobility and was one of the most important figures in the Kingdom’s military and political hierarchy.

From the 10-man group, 20-man team, 100-man company, 200-man battalion, 1000-man battalion, to the 4000-8000 man legion, from the newly added Priests and Military Doctors, to the differentiation of the 1000-man battalions, the new military system clarified the traditional tribal composition, unified the numbers of troops at each level, and helped increase the control of the generals over the armies.

In fact, the new military reform did not cause any controversy, and with just a decree from the King, all generals bowed in obedience.

After standardizing the military system, the second part of the reform was the reorganization of the Kingdom Legion. The Mexica legion, Tarasco Surrendered Army, and the soldiers from the various Tribes all had to undergo dispersal and integration, unified under the same banner of the Black Wolf.

The organization and size of a legion directly affected the power and position of the generals. Only with the supreme authority of the King and under the condition of most Samurai’s obedience, was it possible to effectively reorganize the armies. The news of the legion’s reorganization caused quite a bit of politicking among the generals.

Xiulote met continuously with Great Generals, summoned his confidants, and soothed the officers at all levels. It was not until late February that the King solidified the specific legion organization.

Before the reorganization, the Kingdom’s military force numbered up to sixty-seven thousand. Among those, the direct Mexica legion comprised of over fourteen thousand men, the farmland garrisoning Tarasco Surrendered Army was about fifty thousand strong, and there were an additional two to three thousand scattered Tecos Tribe and Chichimec Tribe soldiers.

More than half of the Tarasco Kingdom’s maximum mobilized legions were successively inherited by the Fief within the lake. However, for the combined population of over six hundred thousand in the three counties of the Fief, this ratio of soldiers to citizens was certainly unsustainable in the long run. Thus, this reorganization of the legions naturally also involved a reduction of the military force.

A gentle wind swayed the torches, and the grand hall was solemn and silent, with only the faint rustling of Armor friction. Xiulote sat high upon the throne, before him a dense crowd of commanding officers, all standing in silent reverence.

"The Royal Decree: establish the Royal Guard Legion, totaling 6000 men. Under its command are the Copper Armor Personal Army of 2500 men, the Powerful Crossbow Guard of 1500 men, and the Vanguard Throwing Spear of 2000 men. The Legion Commander is a distinguished Noble, the sacred Eagle Warrior, the Head Warrior, Bertade!"