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Kaiser Reinhard (801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE))
Gender:	Male
Affiliation:	Galactic Empire
Rank:	Supreme Fleet Admiral
Flagship(s):	Brünhild Tannhäuser (former)
Occupation:	Kaiser of the Galactic Empire
Status:	Deceased (natural causes)
Born:	776 UC (467 IC / 3576 CE)
Died:	801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE)
Played by:	Horikawa Ryō (MCISS, OVA, ONW) Narahashi Miki (OVA, childhood) Midorikawa Hikaru (GW)

Reinhard von Lohengramm (Japanese: ラインハルト・フォン・ローエングラム), born Reinhard von Müsel, was an Imperial military and political leader who rose to prominence during the Alliance–Imperial War, overthrowing the ruling Goldenbaum Dynasty and establishing himself as the new Kaiser. A genius in war and politics, he rose to the highest ranks of the Imperial Fleet at a young age and eventually usurped the power of the traditional nobility during the Imperial Civil War. Upon becoming the de facto dictator of the Empire, he instituted numerous political, legal, economic, and social reforms to abolish the old feudalistic system that had existed under the Goldenbaums and created a new state, which was described by Yang Wen-li as having been "Not by the people, but for the people." Shortly after his conquest of the Free Planets Alliance, he removed the last Goldenbaum sovereign, who was essentially powerless, from the throne and proclaimed himself emperor.

He died on 26 July 801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE), at the age of 25, after having become arguably the most influential leader in human history and having unified humanity under the rule of one government.

Early life

Young Reinhard (786 UC (477 IC / 3586 CE))

Born on 14 March 776 UC (467 IC / 3576 CE) to the poor aristocratic von Müsel family, Reinhard spent most of his childhood living with his father, Sebastian, and sister, Annerose, in a middle-class, suburban neighbourhood. Because Reinhard's mother, Caribelle, died in a car accident when he was very young, Reinhard grew very attached to his older sister. The von Müsel family held the noble rank of Reichsritter (Imperial Knight) therefore barely qualifying as a noble. As a child, Reinhard met the man whom he would later declare another part of himself: Siegfried Kircheis. The young Reinhard felt the name "Siegfried" was too common, and insisted on calling Siegfried by his surname, Kircheis. He would retain his habit of using Kircheis' surname, despite their close relationship, for the rest of his life. In many ways, Reinhard's life was defined by the strong relationships he formed with his sister and friend in those happy days. (LOGH: 'Empire's Afterglow', Golden Wings)

Unfortunately, those days were not to last and Reinhard was rudely exposed to the true nature of the Galactic Empire's class system in 786 UC (477 IC / 3586 CE). One day, a high nobleman happened to see Reinhard's sister Annerose in the street, and took notice of her. Shortly thereafter, rumours of her exceptional beauty reached the Imperial Court. It was then decided that she would be brought to the Imperial Palace to serve as an imperial consort to the emperor—Kaiser Friedrich IV. Reinhard's father accepted a large sum of money as a dowry in exchange for effectively selling his daughter into a life of sexual servitude. He chose to accept the money, because he reasoned that even if he refused the payment Annerose would be taken away regardless. Already weak to alcohol since the death of his wife, Sebastian retreated further into the bottle after Annerose was taken. Reflecting on Sebastian's life after his death, Kircheis thought perhaps he was never able to forgive himself for failing to protect his daughter. (DMSN: 'Chapter III')

When Reinhard realised what his father had done, he was enraged. He angrily swore to destroy the corrupt, capricious Goldenbaum Dynasty and rescue his sister from the clutches of Kaiser Friedrich IV. Together, he and Kircheis promised to defeat every enemy and win every battle in pursuit of that goal. Julian Mintz would later note that Annerose served as the catalyst that resulted in the great change of history that Reinhard accomplished. Shortly after his sister was taken, Reinhard joined military school to become an officer, as he considered it the fastest way to advance in their class-based society, getting Kircheis to go along with him. (LOGH: 'Empire's Afterglow', 'Dream: To See It to the End', SWV: 'Chapter I')

Early military career

Kapche-Lanka

Reinhard in Kapche-Lanka (791 UC (482 IC / 3591 CE))

Reinhard graduated from the Imperial Officer Academy on Odin at the top of his class, and though he was much resented by his upperclassmen, all of his peers and underclassmen respected and admired him. Immediately after graduating, Reinhard and Kircheis, as young junior officers, were assigned to an Imperial facility on the frozen world of Kapche-Lanka, located within the Iserlohn Corridor on the front line of the Alliance–Imperial War. It was a minor world that had some natural resources, but was not of much significance, with combat there going on mainly due to the fact that neither the Empire nor the Alliance wanted the other side to take control of it. Reinhard viewed it as an example of the incompetence of the leadership on both sides. He earned the ire of the commanding officer, Captain Herder, after getting into a fight with some lower ranking servicemen that were abusing a civilian woman. However, Reinhard's situation would become more perilous when Marquise Sussanna von Beenemünde, a concubine of Kaiser Friedrich who despised his sister's status at court, secretly hired the captain to assassinate Reinhard. He and Kircheis are thus sent on what is ostensibly a recon mission into the frozen wastes of Kapche-Lanka, but with an ill-equipped tank. (SWV: 'Chapter I', 'Chapter II')

They inevitably run low on fuel and decide to attack an Alliance tank patrol that they stumble across to obtain more supplies. After successfully ambushing them, the pair gained not only more fuel but information on an upcoming Alliance attack on the Imperial base. Meanwhile, Reinhard correctly assumes that Captain Herder will send a subordinate to check on whether or not they are still alive, and lays a trap for him. When Lieutenant Fugenberch arrives and reveals what is really going on before intending to finish off Reinhard, Kircheis fires from the tank nearby and kills the lieutenant. Following his death, Reinhard and Kircheis returned to the base to find it is under attack by the Alliance already, at which point they use a code they obtained from the enemy tank they captured to shut down the Alliance's attacking tanks, allowing the Empire to counterattack. Subsequently, feigning ignorance of Captain Herder's plot against them, they take part in his assault on the Alliance base, and during that assault Herder attempts to murder Reinhard. However, they prepared for it and stopped him, though in the end Herder committed suicide. (SWV: 'Chapter III', 'Chapter IV')

Unfortunately, both conspirators on Kapche-Lanka died, making any possible legal action against Marquise Beenemünde impossible. Following his victories, Reinhard was promoted to Sub-lieutenant and transferred to the space fleet. (SWV: 'Chapter IV')

Hameln II

Reinhard and Kircheis confronting Bertram (791 UC (482 IC / 3591 CE))

Following the events on Kapche-Lanka, in August of 791 UC (482 IC / 3591 CE), Reinhard was assigned as Chief Navigator aboard the destroyer Hameln II. Although the ship's captain is impressed with Reinhard's service record, the rest of the crew is less enthusiastic and sees him as a spoiled aristocratic brat who got promoted because of his sister's status with the Kaiser. However, while going outside the vessel on a space walk, an enlisted rating ended up getting disconnected from the ship and flying out into space, before Reinhard rescued him. This earned the young officer respect from the enlisted crew of the Hameln II. Later during a routine patrol outside of Iserlohn, their squadron is attacked and Reinhard temporarily takes command of the vessel when the captain is severely injured and the first officer, Lieutenant Hartmann Bertram, happens to not be on the bridge. Reinhard led the destroyer away from the rest of their squadron, which fled from the Alliance vessels that were waiting to ambush them in a nearby asteroid field. Instead he flew into the asteroid field, predicting the Alliance ships wouldn't follow them and instead hunt for the fleeing squadron. Bertram returned and later demanded he pass command authority back to him and return to the normal course, but Reinhard's prediction is confirmed when the rest of their squadron is destroyed. (MUT: 'Chapter I', 'Chapter II')

Bertram orders the detainment of Reinhard on the grounds of mutiny, which Kircheis (the Security Officer) carries out. As they hide in the asteroid field from the patrolling Alliance ships, Bertram decided to self-destruct the ship as he believed there is not way of escape. He ignored fellow crewman Schmidt's proposal to use the energy dispensed by a solar eruption from a nearby star to propel their ship away from the Alliance squadron in the area. Kircheis became aware of both the proposal and Bertram's plan to self-destruct, and decided to free Reinhard with the help of some enlisted men. Together they took control of the bridge but were confronted by Bertram, who shot an enlisted crewman defending Reinhard. The situation would have escalated if not for the arrival of Lt Commander Adenauer, their captain, who repeats his order giving Reinhard command authority. They proceeded with the plan to get away using the eruption from the nearby star, and despite some minor problems that resulted in Bertram's death after volunteering for a dangerous mission to atone for having shot a crewman, they are able to escape. (MUT: 'Chapter III', 'Chapter IV')

After their return to Iserlohn, Reinhard was recommended by Adenauer for promotion to lieutenant. Given the choice between continuing on as the new executive officer and an assignment elsewhere, Reinhard opted for assignment elsewhere to broaden his experience. (MUT: 'Chapter IV')

Military administration

While working at the Ministry of Military Affairs on Odin, Reinhard discovered several instances of corruption among base commanders on the front line. He and Kircheis gathered evidence and reported to their superiors, but were told that nothing could be done: a certain amount of corruption was accepted as a "necessary evil". This further solidified Reinhard's opinion that the Goldenbaum Dynasty was too corrupt to be allowed to continue. During this period he participated in a duel on behalf of Viscountess Dorothea von Schafhausen, a friend of Annerose. However, his opponent was actually an assassin sent by Marquise Beenemünde. After an inconclusive duel that was ended by the Kaiser's order, a secret duel was fought in the forest which Reinhard won. He then attempted to get his opponent to confess that he was in Beenemünde's employ, but the assassin killed himself rather than admit this. Cornelius Lutz gave Reinhard valuable advice on the use of duelling pistols for this occasion. (DUEL: )

Hässliche Entlein

Commander Reinhard at Iserlohn (792 UC (483 IC / 3592 CE))

Reinhard commanded a destroyer, Ermland II, in action at the Fifth Battle of Iserlohn, destroying an Alliance cruiser and was then promoted to Commander, taking command of the Imperial cruiser Hässliche Entlein ("Ugly Duckling") in December 792 UC (483 IC / 3592 CE). It was here that he encountered August Samuel Wahlen who was his executive officer. He carried out a dangerous mission behind Alliance lines, recapturing the stolen directional Seffle particles prototype. He received valuable assistance from Neidhart Müller, who was then resident military attaché on Fezzan, and Ernst von Eisenach, who was the captain of a supply ship sent to resupply the Hässliche Entlein. Under Eisenach's command, the supply ship wisely stayed far ahead of the Hässliche Entlein, which was being pursued by dozens of Alliance warships, electing to drop the supplies off and let the Hässliche Entlein's crew to aquire it as they drifted forward. After taking on the necessary supplies, the refuelled Hässliche Entlein was able to make its way, under its own power, back into Imperial territory safely. (Golden Wings, RET: )

Imperial Officer Academy

For a brief period of time, Reinhard von Lohengramm and Siegfried Kircheis were both assigned to the Military Police on the planet Odin. While there, they were tasked with investigating a murder at the Imperial Officer Academy. Reinhard discovered that the school's principal had, himself, committed the murder in order to cover up institutionalised graft and to improve the academic standing of his grandson. (DMSN: )

Fleet command

Holding the rank of Commodore, the eighteen year old Reinhard commanded a small sub-unit of Vice Admiral Richard von Grimmelshausen's fleet at the Battle of Van-Fleet in March 794 UC (485 IC / 3594 CE). Although he found the aged Grimmelshausen a very frustrating commander and developed a rivalry with Commodore Hermann von Lüneburg, Reinhard participated in a ground action under Lüneburg's command and personally captured Alliance Vice Admiral Sinclair Cerebrese. Both Reinhard and Lüneburg were promoted to Rear Admiral as a result and Grimmelshausen was promoted to Admiral. At a party in honour of the Admiral, Luneburg accused Reinhard of impropriety with his wife and only the intervention of Ulrich Kesler prevented a fistfight. (HBSHBL: 'The Battle of Van-Fleet Starzone', 'Drei Rot', 'Chronicle of the Aftermath of the Chaotic War', 'The Night of the Party')

Later in the year both officers returned to the frontlines for the Sixth Battle of Iserlohn. In the early part of the campaign Reinhard amassed several victories but received little attention from his superiors. The Alliance Fleet, however, became aware that there was a capable Imperial fleet commander at work who had handed them several stinging defeats and made attempts to entrap him using a plan developed by Yang. Outnumbered ten to one, Reinhard lost a third of his fleet breaking out of the trap. (HBSHBL: 'Truth Is the Daughter of Time')

During the main engagement Reinhard's fleet was held in reserve. When Iserlohn Fortress was under dangerous bombardment by Alliance missile ships he launched an attack without orders, driving them away. He then seized the initiative and struck the Alliance flank, forcing them to counterattack on a narrow front where their numbers could not overwhelm his much smaller force. Rushing to join the battle, other Imperial fleets blocked the fire of Thor's Hammer and the battle became a melee. Reinhard's rival Lüneburg was killed leading a boarding action during this phase of the fighting. Also Reinhard was sent a collection of blackmail material by Grimmelshausen to use to further his career but instead Reinhard asked Kesler to suppress the documents until a time when the Nobility was no longer in command of the Empire, as Reinhard wished to achieve his goals by his own merit, not by blackmail. (HBSHBL: 'The Sixth Battle of Iserlohn')

Frustrated by the stalemate, Reinhard proposed to Admiral Mückenberger that a force be sent to block the end of the Iserlohn Corridor to trap the Alliance Fleet, which would have to prevent this or be destroyed. He was appointed command of the force and successfully drew the Alliance Fleet after him as they attempted to avoid being trapped. In so doing they disengaged from the Imperial Fleet which withdrew, clearing the way for Thor's Hammer to be used to decisive effect on the Alliance Fleet. (HBSHBL: 'A Hundred Billion Stars, One Ambition')

The Third Battle of Tiamat

....

Later military career

The Brünhild

At the age of 20, Reinhard was promoted to the Admiralty — becoming the youngest full admiral in the Galactic Empire. He was also given special permission to assume the long-defunct noble name of Lohengramm. Reinhard eagerly embraced his new surname, cutting off all ties to his father along with the name 'von Müsel'. As an admiral, Reinhard was given command of a fleet and his own, a one-of-a-kind warship, the Brünhild — the bloodthirsty maiden. (TBT: 'Part Two')

The Battle of Legnica

Shortly before the Fourth Battle of Tiamat, Reinhard von Lohengramm's expeditionary fleet was ordered to intercept an Alliance fleet that had approached the area around Iserlohn Fortress. Reinhard's fleet was exhausted from the long journey to Iserlohn: the order to attack was a transparent attempt to get Reinhard killed: many of the nobility were jealous of Reinhard's favour with the Kaiser, believing he had been granted a command at such a young age solely because of his sister's influence.

Reinhard encountered the Alliance fleet into the atmosphere of the planet Legnica, a gas giant in the Tiamat Starzone. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, the ships of both fleets were forced to fight at extremely close-ranges, as sensors and communications were virtually non-functional. Reinhard ordered his fleet to engage the enemy in close combat for several minutes, having each ship fire all of its cannons as frequently as possible. This rapidly energised the upper layer of Legnica's atmosphere, creating a massive wind storm that propelled a great deal of the hydrogen and helium in the atmosphere upward. Reinhard then had his fleet rise up out of the atmosphere, where he then fired a single nuclear missile from the Brünhild to Legnica's core. When the nuclear warhead detonated, it ignited the atmosphere: the Alliance fleet took heavy damage in the ensuing firestorm.

Though Reinhard von Lohengramm had managed to inflict heavy losses on the Alliance fleet with only token losses to his own forces, he was not given proper credit for his victory, as the weather conditions were assumed by his superiors to have been a natural phenomenon and his victory attributed to luck. The further strengthened the perception that Reinhard was an incompetent commander who had only achieved his rank by "hiding under his sister's skirts", further encouraging assassination attempts.

The Fourth Battle of Tiamat

Despite their defeat at Legnica, the Free Planets Alliance chose to continue with their plans to assault Iserlohn Fortress. The Imperial fleets stationed at Iserlohn, under the command of Gregor von Mückenberger, sallied forth to meet the Alliance fleet head on: Reinhard von Lohengramm's fleet was positioned at the left wing of the formation. Determined to be rid of the "Admiral of the Skirts" once and for all, Mückenberger ordered Reinhard's fleet to advance on the Alliance fleets head-on as a diversionary measure: the rest of the Imperial Fleet would maintain is position, meaning Reinhard's smaller fleet would be annihilated by the vastly more numerous Alliance fleets. Complying with his orders, Reinhard advanced his fleet toward the enemy formation alone. Rather than open fire on them once he was in range, however, Reinhard had his entire fleet turn 90 degrees to the right. Reinhard's fleet then slowly sailed in front of the Alliance fleet, utterly exposed. Unable to comprehend an enemy intentionally making itself so vulnerable, the Alliance fleet commanders refused to attack Reinhard's forces, believing his manoeuvre to be some sort of elaborate trick. Their inaction allowed Reinhard to reposition his forces along the left flank of the Alliance fleet.

By the time they realised their error, the main Imperial Fleet had entered combat range, forcing the Alliance invasion force to deal with the main Imperial force, ignoring Reinhard's fleet. The Imperial fleet was roughly equal in size to the Alliance fleet, turning the battle into a violent brawl. Realising he had been outsmarted by Reinhard, Mückenberger refused to ask Reinhard's fleet to attack: Mückenberger believed that Reinhard was similarly petty, and would not move to aid the besieged Imperial forces unless ordered to do so.

Reinhard, however, realised that the gratitude of the thousands of soldiers whose lives he could save by attacking the Alliance flank far outweighed the ire he would earn from embarrassing Mückenberger. He ordered his fleet to attack, and in moments the Alliance forces were facing a rout.

At this point, the Alliance forces realised they had no choice but to retreat. They determined to launch a diversionary attack directly against Iserlohn Fortress, to draw off the bulk of the Imperial fleet and buy enough time for them to escape. Commodore Yang Wen-li volunteered to lead the diversionary attack: he took a single battleship, the Ulysses, with a skeleton crew along with 4 unmanned cruisers straight for Iserlohn. Using sensor decoys, Yang Wen-li was able to fool the Imperial Fleet into thinking he was leading a fleet of several thousand warships toward the undefended fortress. Mückenberger immediately ordered his fleets to turn around and head back to defend Iserlohn. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Alliance began to retreat while inflicting additional losses upon Mückenberger's forces. Fortunately, Reinhard von Lohengramm immediately realised the Alliance fleet was a decoy operation, and managed to reveal this fact to Mückenberger. This prompted Mückenberger to resume the attack on the Alliance forces, preventing them from retreating.

Determined to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, Yang Wen-li flew his battleship straight into the heart of the Imperial Fleet. There, he assumed a position immediately beneath the Brünhild, effectively taking Reinhard von Lohengramm hostage. Reinhard ordered his forces to disregard his own safety and open fire on Yang Wen-li's ship, but they refused. Mückenberger also did not fire, unwilling to risk the political damage of directly killing the brother of Friedrich IV's favoured concubine. Both the Imperial and Alliance fleets held fire on each other until they had passed. Once the Alliance fleet was in a position to safely retreat, Yang Wen-li's ship followed. Reinhard, determining that the battle was over, ordered his fleet to stand down, allowing Yang Wen-li to escape the battlefield.

After the Fourth Battle of Tiamat, Reinhard von Lohengramm was promoted to High Admiral, and firmly established a reputation for himself as a brilliant tactician. Furthermore, Reinhard went to lengths to learn the name of the Alliance officer who had managed to open up a path to safety for the retreating Alliance forces, while at the same time Yang Wen-li had sought out the name of the commander of the white ship. From this point on, the rivalry with Yang Wen-li would help to define Reinhard's life. (My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars)

The Battle of Astarte

At the Battle of Astarte, Reinhard's Imperial fleet was severely outnumbered by the 3 combined fleets of the Free Planets Alliance, which were attempting to replicate the three sided envelopment devised by Alliance Supreme Commander Lin Pao at the Battle of Dagon 156 years earlier. Nonetheless, Reinhard was able to assault each individual Alliance fleet one at a time, and obliterate the entire formation with relative ease. Though the efforts of Yang Wen-li prevented the complete destruction of the Alliance 2nd Fleet, the Battle of Astarte was an overwhelming victory for Reinhard and the Empire and gained him a promotion to Fleet Admiral, granting him his own Admiralty, which commanded around a third of the fleets in the empire and, after the fall of Iserlohn Fortress, he was put in charge of the war front on the Imperial side of the Iserlohn Corridor. Reinhard took this opportunity and selected talented individuals he had encountered over his previous military service to staff his Admiralty. These individuals had previously been in low ranking positions, with their talents and initiative unrecognised and unappreciated by hierarchical and largely noble born senior officers. (Overture to a New War)

After the Seventh Battle of Iserlohn and the loss of Iserlohn Fortress to the Alliance, the three Imperial Chiefs of Staff sought to resign from their positions: it was obvious that one of the vacancies would be given to Reinhard. Instead, when Kaiser Friedrich IV gave Reinhard the choice of any of the three vacant seats, Reinhard begged the Kaiser not to dismiss any of the Chiefs of Staff, urging him to be lenient: those responsible for the defeat had already been punished by their own actions. The minister of state, Klaus von Lichtenlade agreed with Reinhard, and Friedrich IV determined not to punish anyone for the loss of the fortress. In return for Reinhard's unexpected intercession on their behalf the three Imperial Chiefs of Staff dropped any attempts to punish Paul von Oberstein, who had escaped the fall of Iserlohn Fortress, and whom Reinhard then took on as an advisor. (LOGH: 'Cool, Clear Artificial Eyes')

The Free Planets Alliance invasion

When Yang Wen-li captured Iserlohn Fortress, he hoped that the Free Planets Alliance, whose economy was in shambles after more than a century of continual warfare, would seek an equitable peace treaty. Instead, the ruling High Council of the Alliance, motivated by political gain, saw an opportunity to strike into the heart of the Empire and to 'liberate' the people of the Empire from their oppressors. As Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Fleet, Reinhard von Lohengramm was tasked with the defence of the Empire. At the counsel of his advisor, Paul von Oberstein, Reinhard pursued a "scorched earth" defence plan. Rather than engage the invading Alliance fleets directly, he had Imperial warships remove all supplies from every world in the immediate path of the Alliance force, leaving the people to rely on the Alliance "liberators" to feed them. Because he knew the Alliance invasion hinged upon the idea of liberating the peasants from the Kaiser's rule, Reinhard correctly calculated that the Alliance occupation forces would need to feed the civilians - thus creating a strained and long line of supply from Iserlohn. Once this supply line was attacked and severed by High Admiral Siegfried Kircheis, the invading Alliance forces soon found themselves to be under-supplied and starving along with the Imperial civilians. The people of the occupied planets, though initially thankful for the liberation, soon turned on the occupying Alliance forces who had resorted to confiscating food from the civilians. The Alliance fleets, under-supplied and with low morale, were then engaged by the Imperial forces and forced to withdraw from the many planets they had been allowed to conquer. However, due to the speed and swiftness of these attacks, only three of the Alliance fleets were able to maintain combat capability, the others all being destroyed, severely diminished, or having surrendered. (LOGH: 'Invasion of the Imperial Territory', 'When the Rain of Grief Comes...', 'Liberation of the Frontier Zone', 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone')

The Alliance commander, Fleet Admiral Lassalle Lobos, unwilling to relinquish his gains or admit defeat in the invasion, ordered all remaining forces to gather at the Amritsar Starzone in an attempt battle the Imperial Fleets directly en masse. Reinhard was more than willing to oblige. At the Battle of Amritsar, Reinhard obliterated the Free Planets Alliance invasion force, severely weakening the ability of the Alliance to wage war on any level. Following their disastrous defeat, the Alliance withdrew to Iserlohn Fortress with only Yang's fleet remaining combat capable, and the Alliance had lost around two-thirds of its military strength. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone', 'New Trends')

The Imperial Civil War

No sooner had the Free Planets Alliance been routed at Amritsar, did Reinhard learn that Kaiser Friedrich IV had died peacefully in his sleep, thus robbing Reinhard of his vengeance. A brutal struggle over succession to the Goldenbaum throne was inevitable, and as Reinhard commanded a considerable force, he knew he would become a major player in it. Reinhard, Minister of State Klaus von Lichtenlade, threw his support behind the five-year-old Erwin Josef II. As Lichtenlade needed a military force of his own and Reinhard knew he was likely the one that Lichtenlade would ask for assistance from, they both knew that their alliance was only temporary, and both were prepared to move on the other when the struggle ended. The child was quickly named Kaiser, with Lichtenlade appointed as the boy-emperor's regent and elevating himself to Duke, while Reinhard von Lohengramm acquired the title of Marquis. Many of the high nobles saw this as an attempt by Reinhard and Lichtenlade to usurp the Imperial throne from the Goldenbaum family. These nobles then revolted, opting to support one of the other two heirs to the throne. The reactionary nobles formed the Lippstadt League, led by Duke Otho von Braunschweig and Marquis Wilhelm von Littenheim, the fathers of the other two claimants to the throne. Together with renowned Imperial High Admiral Willibald Joachim von Merkatz, the revolting high nobles fled to Geiersburg Fortress to coordinate the war effort. As they were revolting against the child Kaiser, Reinhard had the nobles named the 'Rebel Forces', the same name that the Empire had used to refer to the Free Planets Alliance ever since the Battle of Dagon over 150 years earlier. (LOGH: 'New Trends', 'The Lippstadt Conspiracy')

Following a series of fleet confrontations in which Reinhard's admirals brutally annihilated the majority of the Lippstadt League's forces, and the final charge of the High Nobles was thwarted and routed by Reinhard who either captured or killed nearly all the High Nobles, Duke Otho von Braunschweig fled back to the fortress where was killed by his chief retainer, Commodore Ansbach, and any remaining nobles or Lippstadt soldiers surrendered to Reinhard's forces. When the body of Braunschweig was presented to Reinhard, Ansbach revealed a hidden weapon from within the corpse, and attempted to assassinate Reinhard. Siegfried Kircheis immediately moved to shield Reinhard, and was killed as a result. His plan foiled, Ansbach then committed suicide. Reinhard went into a inconsolable depression, and refused to see anyone. Seeing this, his admirals decided to take matters into their own hands. At the advice of Paul von Oberstein, both the assassination attempt and the murder of Kircheis were blamed on the Imperial Regent, Klaus von Lichtenlade. Reinhard's subordinates subsequently sent their fleets to the capital, Odin, to arrest Lichtenlade. (LOGH: 'The Fall of Goldenbaum', 'The Day Before Destiny', 'Farewell, Distant Memories')

Their fleets landed on Odin and seized control of the capital and all key facilities on the planet. Lichtenlade was arrested and forced to commit suicide, and the Imperial Seal was retrieved and transferred to Reinhard himself, thereby firmly established his new and total authority over the Empire. (LOGH: 'Farewell, Distant Memories')

Prime minister

Kaiser in all but name, Reinhard began to reform Imperial society, exposing the populace to civil rights and liberties that were unthinkable under Goldenbaum rule. In 798 UC (489 IC / 3598 CE), after ruling over the Empire as both Prime Minister and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces, Reinhard saw an opportunity to finally extend his grip over the entire universe when the Dominion of Fezzan secretly backed former high-nobles in an attempt to kidnap the seven-year-old Kaiser Erwin Josef II. Reinhard allowed the kidnapping to be carried out, and the high nobles established a government-in-exile within the Free Planets Alliance. This gave Reinhard both the pretext and popular support he needed to launch a final invasion of the Free Planets Alliance, and finally fulfil his promise to Siegfried Kircheis of unifying the whole of human occupied space. On 20 September 798 UC (489 IC / 3598 CE), the abdication of Kaiser Erwin Josef II was announced, and the eight-month old Katharin Kätchen ascended to the throne, becoming the first Kaiserin in Imperial history. (LOGH: 'First Battle', 'Thunder', 'The Abduction of the Young Emperor', 'The Arrow Is Released', 'Operation: Ragnarök')

The conquest of the Free Planets Alliance

On the same day Catherine I was put on the throne, Admiral Oskar von Reuenthal led a fleet to attack Iserlohn Fortress. The attack served its purpose, to distract the Alliance leadership, while the bulk of Reinhard von Lohengramm's fleets invaded the Alliance through the Fezzan Corridor. In mid-January of 799 UC (1 NIC / 490 IC / 3599 CE), Admiral Wolfgang Mittermeyer, the Gale Wolf, successfully invaded and occupied the Dominion of Fezzan. Once the planet was firmly under the control of Mittermeyer's forces, the rest of Reinhard's fleets entered Fezzan space. When Reinhard von Lohengramm disembarked the Brünhild on Fezzan's surface, he was met by the loud cheering of tens of thousands, all chanting, 'Sieg mein Kaiser! Sieg Kaiser Reinhard!' (LOGH: 'Fezzan Occupied')

Using Fezzan as a base, Reinhard led an invasion of Alliance with several fleets. They enjoyed initial successes until Yang Wen-li's Iserlohn Garrison Fleet abandoned Iserlohn to oppose him. Both Yang and Reinhard realised that with the massive numerical advantage held by the Imperial fleets it would not be possible for the Alliance to force him to withdraw. Yang therefore adopted a strategy of menacing the Imperial supply lines and advance forces, engaging Reinhard's admirals in isolation while avoiding action with Reinhard's main fleet.

The Battle of Vermilion

The Alliance hoped that that Reinhard's death could cause the Galactic Empire to fragment into another civil war and knowing this, Reinhard dispersed his admirals, keeping only a relatively small fleet with himself in the Vermilion starzone. He hoped that by using himself as bait he would draw Yang into an open confrontation. This strategy succeeded, but Yang was able to dominate the battle despite Reinhard's attrition tactics. Even the arrival of Neidhart Müller's fleet as reinforcements did not turn the tide. However, with the Brünhild under Yang's guns, the Yang Fleet abruptly surrendered, having received news that the fleets of Mittermeyer and Reuenthal had seized Heinessen in a sudden attack, forcing the High Council of the Alliance to surrender. Though Reinhard gained the strategic victory through the actions of his subordinates, the Battle of Vermilion would be the only battle Reinhard ever lost. (LOGH: 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part One)', 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part Two)', 'Sudden Change')

New Galactic Empire

Coronation

With the Alliance government now under Imperial supervision, Reinhard returned to Odin where Kaiserin Katharin Kätchen's regent signed an abdication on her behalf, bringing the reign of the Goldenbaum dynasty to an end and opening the way for Reinhard to be crowned as Kaiser of the New Galactic Empire. (LOGH: 'Long Live the Emperor!')

War with Earth

In the first months of his reign, Kaiser Reinhard accepted an invitation from his chief secretary, Hildegard von Mariendorf, to dine with her sickly cousin, Baron Heinrich von Kümmel. Shortly after the meal began, Kümmel revealed that the Reinhard's table lay above a large subterranean vault, filled with highly volatile Seffle particles. Kümmel revealed a detonator switch, declared his intention to assassinate the Reinhard, and demanded the Kaiser's undivided attention.

While Reinhard was held hostage at the Kümmel Estate, the former Supreme Chairman of the Free Planets Alliance, Job Trunicht, now serving in a minor position within the Imperial government, approached High Admiral Ulrich Kesler, the head of the Military Police, and told him of a Terraist plot to assassinate the Kaiser. This information proved to be true, and allowed the Military Police to deploy much sooner than Kümmel and the Terraists had predicted. The Terraists on Odin were immediately killed or captured as part of Kesler's sweep.

By the time that Kümmel was losing his patience and angrily demanding things of the Kaiser, demands to which Reinhard confidently then hotly shot back refusals, the Military Police has completely surrounded the courtyard where the meal turned incident was taking place. Upon Kümmel's request to hold the Kaiser's locket, Reinhard's temper flared resulting in him slapping away Kümmel's reach. Immediately, Commodore Günther Kisling dove and tackled Kümmel, knocking the detonator free and mortally wounding the frail man in the process. The Military Police and Imperial Guard both then rushed into the courtyard, securing Reinhard and removing him from danger. (LOGH: 'The Kümmel Incident')

In response to this attempt on the Kaiser's life, High Admiral August Samuel Wahlen was sent to Terra to destroy Terraism's main base. Although being wounded by a zealot, he was able to carry out his mission with relative ease with help provided by Julian Mintz and his companions. Seeing their dire situation, the Terraist employed mass suicide and attempted to destroy their own base with the Imperials still inside. Terraism was destroyed as a major religion and power, and was regulated to scheming in small groups from then on. While their were some Imperial casualties, they were relatively light, and Wahlen's mission was considered a success. (LOGH: 'Visitors', 'Holy Land')

Ragnarök again

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The Battle of the Corridor

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The Iserlohn Republic

Reinhard's relationship with the Iserlohn Republic was a complicated one. Upset over the loss of the fortress to Yang Wen-li, Reinhard resolved to re-take it but other matters demanded his attention first. When he could finally turn his attention to military matters, he launched a major expedition, resulting in the Battle of the Corridor. The lengthy battle saw Yang's heavily outnumbered forces first defeat Reinhard's vanguard then fight Reinhard's main force to a stalemate. Reinhard collapsed as a result of exhaustion, and while both exhausted forces pulled back to rest and regroup, Reinhard claimed to have seen a vision of Kircheis, telling him to be a friend to his constant rival. However, Yang did not make it to the offered peace talks. The loss of his rival drove any wish to conquer Iserlohn from his mind as it had really been the desire to fight Yang that had motivated Reinhard. Yang's followers established the Iserlohn Republic as a continuation of Yang's ideals. Reinhard did not recognise the existence of the Republic but did not make any immediate moves to attack it. Though Yang had proven himself worthy of Reinhard's respect and thus worthy of discussing peace with, he did not immediately view the rest of Yang's followers or his successor, Julian Mintz, as having done so. It was not until after the Reuenthal's Revolt and after the Republic's defeat of the Empire at the Eleventh Battle of Iserlohn, that Reinhard rose to the Republic's challenge to his authority. The final Battle of Shiva saw the face to face meeting of Reinhard and Julian Julian Mintz, and an armistice. In return for the return of Iserlohn fortress and the dissolving of the Iserlohn Republic, Reinhard consented to the Ba‘alat Starzone, including the planet Heinessen, being made an internally self-governing autonomous zone. (LOGH: 'Disappointing Victory', 'The Crimson Star Road', 'The Beautiful Maiden Wants Blood', 'The Golden Lion Flag Loses Its Lustre')

Reuenthal's Revolt

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Death

Kaiser Reinhard in his sickbed (801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE))

Frequently bedridden from fatigue and exhaustion in the days following the Battle of the Corridor, Reinhard was eventually diagnosed with a heretofore undiscovered, degenerative disease. Labelled the ' Emperor's Sickness', this malady took Reinhard's life at the age of 25. Reinhard von Lohengramm, first Emperor of the New Galactic Empire, died on 26 July 801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE). Upon his death, Hildegard von Mariendorf assumed rule over the Empire as Regent. (LOGH: 'Dream: To See It to the End')

Legacy

Reinhard's life was characterized by a strong sense of justice and personal responsibility. By his own efforts, he claimed dominion over the galaxy. His enduring wish was to see his Empire ruled not by blood but by merit, even if it meant the end of his dynasty. Reinhard may have been the perfect autocrat, but the abilities and personalities of his successors was unknown, paralleling the situation after Rudolf von Goldenbaum had founded the Empire. Given the groundwork he laid, however, and the moderate influences of his wife, supported by Fleet Admiral Mittermeyer, and the concessions to autonomy for the Ba‘alat Starzone and more representative rule in the whole Empire, it was probable the transition to the early years of the post-Reinhard Empire was reasonably smooth.

Relationships

Annerose von Grünewald

Reinhard was always very close to his older sister, whom he viewed as dearly as a mother. He was incensed when she was sold to the Kaiser, and it was his desire to save her that motivated him to seize power and reform Imperial society.

Siegfried Kircheis

Siegfried Kircheis was Reinhard's best friend, and Reinhard saw him as another part of himself. When Kircheis died, Reinhard would not leave the body. Reinhard refused to remove Kircheis' bloodstain in Geiresberg, and would frequently seal himself in the room with the stain to mourn his fallen friend.

After Kircheis died, Reinhard was very isolated. He was surrounded by subordinates, not friends. He found companionship in Fraulein Hildegard von Mariendorf, a member of the high nobility who shared his intelligence, ideals, and ambition. Hilde quickly became an irreplaceable companion to Reinhard, and worked closely with him as his private secretary. The two enjoyed a very close, personal relationship and were eventually married.

Emil von Selle

Reinhard was also close to his young aide, Emil von Selle, who served Reinhard faithfully in the latter military campaign's of the Emperor's life. When speaking to Hildegard von Mariendorf, Reinhard once remarked that he saw Emil like a little brother, and the relationship gave him a chance to be for Emil what his own sister had been to him.

Yang Wen-li

Although they only met once and only rarely communicated directly with each other, Reinhard had a strong fixation upon Yang Wen-li. He valued Yang as an adversary and in their one meeting was disappointed that he could not convince him to join his cause. When he learned that Yang had been arrested and forced to flee the Alliance he stated strongly that he felt the Alliance had been wrong to betray Yang. On hearing that Yang was dead, he was enraged and declared it the worst news that Hildegard had ever given him. Tellingly he then told her: "Anyone and everyone, be they friend or foe, they all go and leave me behind."

Appendices

Appearances

Memorable quotes

• In any age,in any society,when people are small,they look up at the stars and stretch out their hands as if to grasp them.Then at last,they learn that their own arms aren't long enough to reach the stars.They call that becoming an adult. But I don't think so. Without fail,those stars will be in this hand!

• There is great satisfaction in fighting for the sake of gaining power, but it is joyless to fight for the sake of maintaining it. (LOGH: 'The Kümmel Incident')

• These idiots. What do they think of others? They think they are born with the right to rule. They think they have the right to hurt others. These people are too evil. And this empire is too corrupted.

• I want victory — but not because the enemy is weak.

• It's power. What I need is power. If I should want to get my sister back, then I must first, first of all, possess power that would make those idiots bow to my command. If my enemies are to be the aristocracy, then I need a power greater than theirs. If the emperor is to be my enemy, I must be mightier than even him.

• For those who have come to power, wealth and glory not by their own strength and effort, but simply through inheritance, what right do they have to complain? The very existence of such blood-lineage dynasties is disgusting. Power is the property of one generation. It shouldn't be transferred, it should be seized.

• The man who succeeds me must have talent equal to, or greater than my own.

• Genes determine everything? What nonsense. Hereditary physical qualities have no effect on people, that's for individuals. Heredity concerns family background, not personal abilities. Those who blindly believe in such theories generally having nothing in their own lives to be proud of... they are the people I despise the most.

• Indeed, small acts of opposition cannot solve every problem. Our society needs a complete revolution. Such problems must be corrected, and we must not wait for others to correct them. We must carry out the revolution with our own hands.

• If the enemy has anyone with even a tenth of my intelligence, even Iserlohn will fall.

• Our future battles will not only be on the battlefield. Political struggles, court politics. It's not just a war of words, but also a war of blood.

• It's to be expected that incompetent rulers be overthrown.

• Fighting 100 battles does not mean winning 100 victories.

• Already, I have nothing to lose. But even so, I will fight. To keep my promise to you, and... to gain something to quench the thirst in my heart.

• What criminals need is neither diplomacy nor persuasion. They have neither the ability nor the intention to understand. Only force will enlighten their foolishness.

• I aim to be the supreme ruler... and to reach that goal, I have a policy of my own. It is to fight my own battles. That's the difference between myself and the noblemen I've fought and defeated. That's also the reason why the soldiers follow me.

• I cannot lose to anyone. People admire and stay loyal to me because I'm undefeated. I'm not supported because of my bloodline.

• Something that is supposed to die and does not... will eventually rot away, whether it's a man or a nation.

• I don't believe that absolute truth is necessary. I only need the power to freely accomplish my dreams. One could say that it's the power not to have to take orders from those one despises.

• I formally acknowledge that terrorists have abducted his majesty, the Kaiser Erwin Josef. The whereabouts of his majesty, as well as of the lawless criminals who abducted him have both become clear. This band of criminals are former high nobles led by a former Imperial High Commissioner to Fezzan, Jochen von Remscheid, a Count under the old system. These villains, hiding among the rebels who call themselves the Free Planets Alliance, have illegally announced the establishment of a government-in-exile. I hereby declare: having abducted the Kaiser by illegal and cowardly means, the remnants of the high nobility who plan to reverse the flow of history and steal by force the rights that the people have established will receive a suitable repayment for this atrocity. The ambitious men of the Free Planets Alliance who had illicit dealings with them, and who also plot a rebellious war against the peace and harmony of space, will meet the same fate. Their mistaken choice must be met with an appropriate punishment. What criminals need is neither diplomacy nor persuasion, they have neither the ability nor the intention to understand either. Only force will enlighten their foolishness. Hereafter, no matter how great the volume of blood that comes to be shed, bear in mind these foolish criminals and conspirators and know that they are responsible.

• But even if my sister hates me, I can't turn back. If I retreat now from the road to leadership, who will restore the universe to unity and harmony? Shall I entrust the future of humanity to the high noble prodigals who care only about their own lineage? Or to demagogues who just move armies guided by sophistry and profit?

• What do they think people are? Assuming it's a matter of course to rule over them. Stealing from people and insulting people... yet they say it's their privilege to be forgiven?! Those people are corrupt! This empire is corrupt!

• I don't think I can forgive Rudolf and what he did, becoming Kaiser. He set up the people who flattered him as nobles, and the result of that is this disgrace. Haven't you had thoughts like this, Kircheis? The Goldenbaum dynasty, as with the birth of the human race, need not have happened. It's only been 500 years since Rudolf built it. Before that, neither the Empire nor the Goldenbaum family existed, and he was no more than one citizen. Originally, Rudolf was no more than an upstart man of ambition, and who, riding the current of the times, was made into a sacred, inviolable Kaiser.

• Kircheis, do you think what was possible for Rudolf is impossible for me?

Background information

• The name Reinhard is of old Nordic origin and means pure and sturdy. In German, it roughly translates into determined. Both attributes denoting to Reinhard's character as well as his ulterior motives and goals. Lohengramm is quite likely a mistranslation/misspelling of Lohengrin, the opera of Richard Wagner about the grail-knight of the same name.

• Many of Reinhard's achievements and characteristics mirror those of Alexander the Great. Both men were military geniuses who ascended to power at a very young age. Both men conquered most of their respective known universes. Both men were responsible for sweeping social and political reforms that would impact all of human history to follow, and both men died at a young age shortly after their wars had ended. Reinhard's very close friendship with also Siegfried Kircheis parallels Alexander's relationship with his friend and general, Hephaestion.

• Reinhard's life is also similar to that of Julius Caesar. Like Caesar, Reinhard's power stemmed not just from the military, but from the common people. Like Caesar, Reinhard was very popular with the lowest-classes of citizenry and feared by the ruling nobility. Like Caesar, Reinhard seized power through ostensibly legitimate means and stripped the ruling elite of their power, money, and influence. The scene of fleets loyal to Reinhard descending over Odin — of warships appearing over sacrosanct skies — also mirrors that of the 13th Legion crossing the Rubicon into Rome.

• Reinhard also bears many similarities to Rome's first Emperor, Augustus. Like Augustus, Reinhard enacted many reforms that completely changed the social, political, legal and educational landscape of the Empire, and like Augustus, Reinhard focused on crafting a system of Empire that could survive in spite of, or despite, whomever might become Emperor after his death.

• Though its exact symptoms were never explicitly stated, the disease that ended Reinhard's death bore the name "Emperor's Sickness," a term that has been used commonly to refer to Hemophilia and Porphyria, as illnesses infamous for afflicting regal heads-of-state.

• Reinhard's voice actor, Horikawa Ryō, is also notable for his other big anime role: Vegeta, in the mega-hit anime Dragonball Z, its sequel Dragonball GT, and the many affiliated OVAs and movies.