Reinhard von Lohengramm
From Gineipaedia, the Legend of Galactic Heroes wiki
 Kaiser Reinhard (801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE)) | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Affiliation: | Galactic Empire |
| 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: | Ryō Horikawa (MCISS, OVA, ONW) Miki Narahashi (OVA, childhood) Hikaru Midorikawa (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 a military genius and political idealist. He overthrew the 500-year-old Goldenbaum Dynasty and established himself as the new emperor or kaiser. Reinhard began a number of reforms, remodelling the Galactic Empire into a nation that was, in the words of Yang Wen-li, 'not by the people, but for the people'.
He died on 26 July 801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE), at the age of 25.
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Early life
Born on 14 March 776 UC (467 IC / 3576 CE) to a poor aristocratic family, Reinhard grew up with his father, Sebastian, and sister in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood. Because his mother, Caribelle, died in a car accident when he was very young, Reinhard formed a very close relationship with his older sister, Annerose.
As a child, Reinhard met the man whom he would later claim as another part of himself: Siegfried Kircheis. The young Reinhard felt the name 'Siegfried' was too dull and common, and thus insisted on calling Siegfried by his surname, Kircheis.
One day a high nobleman happened to see Annerose in street, and took notice of her. Rumours of Annerose's beauty soon reached the Imperial Court, and it was decided that she would be brought to the Imperial Palace to serve as consort to the emperor — Kaiser Friedrich IV. Reinhard's father was given a large sum of money in return for selling his daughter into a life of sexual servitude.
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. Togehter, he and Kircheis promised to defeat any enemy and win every battle on the road toward that goal.
Early military career
Kapche-Lanke
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 were assigned to the frozen world of Kapche-Lanka, on the front line of the Iserlohn Corridor. There, Reinhard found himself the center of an assassination plot by the Baroness Susana von Benemunde, a former consort of the Kaiser who resented Annerose's position in the Imperial Harem. Reinhard managed to thwart the attempt on his life, and at the same time was able to orchestrate two overwhelming victories against the Alliance forces stationed on the planet. Unfortunately, both conspirators on Kapche-Lanka died, making any possible legal action against Baroness Benemunde impossible. Following his victories, Reinhard was promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade and transferred to the space fleet.
Hameln II
In August of 482 IC (791 UC / 3591 CE), Reinhard was assigned as Chief Navigator aboard the destroyer Hameln II. He served aboard the vessel for only a single mission but after the commanding officer was incapacitated he clashed with the executive officer Lieutenant Bertram and briefly mutinied in order to prevent the destruction of the ship. As Bertram was killed while making emergency repairs to the Hameln II, the commanding officer felt it best to cover up the conflict and recommended Reinhard for promotion to Lieutenant and an assignment elsewhere to broaden his experience.
Military administration
While working at the Ministry of the Military 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: corruption was 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 ?????, a friend of Annarose. His opponent was a assassin sent by Baroness Benemunde but killed himself rather than admit this. Cornelius Lutz gave Reinhard valuable advice on the use of dueling pistols.
Herschrichlenchen
Reinhard commanded a Destroyer in action at the 5th Battle of Iserlohn Fortress, destroying an Alliance cruiser and was then promoted to Commander, taking command of the cruiser Hershrichlenchen in December 483 IC (792 UC / 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 Zephyr Particles prototype. He received valuable assistance from Neithart Muller, who was then resident military officer on Phezzan.
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.
Later military career
The Brünhild
At the age of 21, Reinhard was promoted to the Admiralty--becoming the youngest 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, one-of-a-kind warship, the Brünhild--the bloodthirsty maiden.
The Battle of Legnica
Shortly before the Fourth Battle of Tiamat, Reinhard von Lohengramm's expeditionary fleet was ordered to intercept an FPA 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 led the FPA 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 FPA fleet was obliterated by the ensuing firestorm.
Though Reinhard von Lohengramm had managed to wipe out the FPA 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. 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 FPA 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 FPA 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 FPA 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 FPA fleet, utterly exposed. Unable to comprehend an enemy intentionally making itself so vulnerable, the FPA fleet commanders refused to attack Reinhard's forces, believing his maneuver to be some sort of elaborate trick. Their inaction allowed Reinhard to reposition his forces along the left flank of the FPA fleet.
By the time they realised their error, the main Imperial Fleet had entered combat range, forcing the FPA invasion force to deal with the main Imperial force, ignoring Reinhard's fleet. The Imperial fleet was roughly equal in size to the Free Planets Alliance fleet, turning the battle into a violent brawl. Realizing 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 FPA flank far outweighed the ire he would earn from embarrassing Mückenberger. He ordered his fleet to attack, and in moments the FPA fleet had been thoroughly routed.
At this point, the FPA 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 destroyer with a skeleton crew along with 4 drone ships 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. Fortunately, Reinhard von Lohengramm immediately realised the FPA fleet was a decoy operation, and managed to reveal this fact to Mückenberger. This prompted Mückenberger to resume the attack on the FPA forces, preventing them from retreating.
Determined to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, Yang Wen-li flew his small destroyer straight into the heart of the Imperial Fleet. There, he assumed a position immediately beneath the Brünhild and did nothing. In an instant, he could fire the destroyers dorsal cannons and destroy the Brünhild: he had effectively taken 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. Both the Imperial fleet and the FPA fleet refused to open fire on each other until they had passed. Once the FPA fleet was in a position to safely retreat, Yang Wen-li's destroyer 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 granted a special commendation, and firmly established a reputation for himself as a brilliant tactician. Furthermore, Reinhard went to lengths to learn the name of the destroyer captain who had managed to open up a path to safety for the retreating FPA 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.
The Battle of Astarte
At the Battle of Astarte, Reinhard's imperial fleet was severely outnumbered by the combined fleets of the Free Planets Alliance. Nonetheless, Reinhard was able to assault each individual FPA fleet one at a time, and obliterate the entire formation with relative ease. Though the efforts of Yang Wen-li allowed a great many FPA soldiers to escape who would have otherwise perished, the Battle of Astarte was an overwhelming victory for Reinhard and the Empire and gained him a promotion to High Admiral, commanding all of the fleets in the empire and granting him full command over the war effort in the Iserlohn Corridor.
After the Fifth Battle of Tiamat and the loss of Iserlohn Fortress, 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 instead 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 secretary of state, Klaus von Lichtenlade agreed with Reinhard, and Friedrich IV determined not to punish anyone for the loss of the fotress — including Paul von Oberstein, whom Reinhard then took on as an advisor.
The FPA invasion
When Yang Wen-li captured Iserlohn Fortress, many expected that the FPA, whose economy was in shambles after more than a century of continual warfare, would sue for peace. Instead, the hardliners in the Free Planets Alliance saw an opportunity to strike into the heart of the empire and to 'liberate' the people of the Empire from their oppressors. As High Admiral of the Imperial Fleet, Reinhard von Lohengramm was tasked with the defense of the empire. At the counsel of his advisor, Paul von Oberstein, Reinhard pursued a strategy of 'Scorched Earth'. Rather than engage the invading FPA fleets directly, he had Imperial warships visit each world the FPA aimed to liberate, and leave with all of the planet's food, leaving the people to starve. Bbecause he knew the Alliance invasion hinged upon the idea of liberating the peasants from the Kaiser's rule, Reinhard correctly calculated that the FPA occupations would need to feed the civilians - thus creating an unmanagable line of supply from Iserlohn. The plan worked, and the invading FPA forces soon found themselves starving. The people of the occupied planets, though initially thankful for the liberation, soon turned on the occupying FPA armies who had resorted to stealing food from the civilians. The FPA fleets were forced to withdraw from the many planets they had been allowed to conquer, and tighten their supply lines.
The FPA fleets gathered at the Amlitzer Starzone in an attempt battle the Imperial Fleets directly. Reinhard was more than willing to oblige. At the battle of Amlitzer Starzone, Reinhard obliterated the Free Planets Alliance invasion force, severely weakening the ability of the FPA to wage war on any level. Following their disastrous defeat, the FPA withdrew to Iserlohn Fortress to lick their wounds.
The Imperial Civil War
No sooner had the Free Planets Alliance been routed at Amlitzer, 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 considerable power, whichever heir he supported would become the next Kaiser. Reinhard, along with Friedrich's Chief of Staff, Klaus von Lichtenlade, threw his support behind the five-year-old Erwin Joseph II. The child was quickly named Kaiser, with Lichtenlade appointed as the boy-emperor's regent. 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. Prince Otto von Braunschweig led the opposition. Together with renowned Imperial Fleet 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 Nobleman named the 'Rebel Forces', the same name that the Empire had used to refer to the Free Planets Alliance ever since Arle Heinnesen's historic exodus.
Following a series of fleet confrontations in which Reinhard brutally anihilated the Lippstadt Rebellion's forces, the rebel nobles assassinated Prince Otto von Braunschweig and surrendered to Reinhard's forces. When the body of Braunschweig was presented to Reinhard, the nobleman accompanying the body 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 foilde, the assassin himself then commited suicide. At the advice of admiral Paul von Oberstein, both the assassination attempt and the murder of Kircheis were blamed on the Imperial Regent, Klaus von Lichtenlade. Wolfgang Mittermeyer and Oskar von Reuenthal subsequently sent their fleets to the capital, Odin, to arrest Lichtenlade.
Their fleets landed on Odin and siezed control of the capital. 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.
Neue Reich
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 489 IC (798 UC / 3598 CE), after ruling over the Empire as both Prime Minister and Supreme Fleet Admiral, Reinhard saw an opportunity to finally extend his grip over the entire universe when the Dominion of Phezzan secretly backed former high-nobles in an attempt to kidnap the seven-year-old Kaiser Erwin Joseph 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 fulfill his promise to Siegfried Kircheis of unifying the whole of human occupied space. On 20 September 489 IC (798 UC / 3598 CE), the abdication of Kaiser Erwin Joseph II was announced, and the eight-month old Catherine von Goldenbaum ascended to the throne, becoming the first Kaiserin in Imperial history.
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 FPA leadership, while the bulk of Reinhard von Lohengramm's fleets invaded the Alliance through the Phezzan Corridor. In mid-January of 489 IC (798 UC / 3598 CE), admiral Wolfgang Mittermeyer, the Gale Wolf, successfully invaded and occupied the Dominion of Phezzan. Once the planet was firmly under the control of Mittermeyer's forces, the rest of Reinhard's fleets entered Phezzan space. When Reinhard von Lohengramm disembarked the Brünhild on Phezzan's surface, he was met by the loud cheering of tens of thousands, all chanting, 'Sieg mein Kaiser! Sieg Kaiser Reinhard!'
Using Phezzan as a base, Reinhard led an invasion of Alliance with several fleets. They enjoyed initial successes until Yang Wen-Li's 13th 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 Vermillion
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 Vermillion system. 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 attritional tactics. Even the arrival of Muller's fleet as reinforcements did not turn the tide. However, with the Brünhild under Yang's guns, the 13th fleet abruptly surrendered, having received news that the fleets of Mittermeyer and von Reuenthal had seized Heinessen in a sudden attack, forcing the civilian government of the Alliance to surrender.
Kaiser Reinhard I
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 Vermillion system. 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 attritional tactics. Even the arrival of Muller's fleet as reinforcements did not turn the tide. However, with the Brünhild under Yang's guns, the 13th fleet abruptly surrendered, having received news that the fleets of Mittermeyer and von Reuenthal had seized Heinessen in a sudden attack, forcing the civilian government of the Alliance to surrender.
With the Alliance government now under Imperial supervision, Reinhard returned to Odin where Kaiserin Catherine'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.
War with Earth
On XXXXX, Kaiser Reinhard accepted an invitation from his chief secretary, Hildegard von Mariendorf, to dine with her sickly cousin, the former baron, Heinrich Kunmel. Shortly after the meal began, Kunmel revealed that the Rainhard's table lay over a large subeterranian vault, filled with highly volatile zephyr particles. Kunmel 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 Kunmel Estate, former president of the Free Planets Alliance, Job Trunicht, ...
The Iserlohn Republic
....
Reuenthal's revolt
....
Death
Frequently bedridden from fatigue and exhaustion in the days following the end of the Imperial Civil War, 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 Empress, or Kaiserin.
Legacy
Reinhard's life was characterized by a strong sense of justice and personal responsibility. By his genius, he claimed dominion over the Galaxy, and in his wisdom, he reshaped the Universe so that it could survive--and thrive--without him in it.
....
Relationships
Annerose von Grunewald
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 irreplacable companion to Reinhard, and worked closely with him as his private secratary. The two enjoyed a very close, personal relationship and were eventually married.
Emil Secla
Reinhard was also close to his young aide, Emil Secla, 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 Wenli
Although they only met once and only rarely communicated, 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
- My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars (first appearance)
- LOGH:
(46)
- 'In the Eternal Night'
- 'The Battle of Astarte'
- 'Empire's Afterglow'
- 'The Castrop Rebellion'
- 'Cool, Clear Artificial Eyes'
- 'The Klopstock Incident'
- 'The Actress Exits'
- 'When the Rain of Grief Comes...'
- 'Liberation of the Frontier Zone'
- 'The Battle of Amritsar Starzone'
- 'New Trends'
- 'Before the Storm'
- 'The Lippstadt Conspiracy'
- 'The Yang Fleet Goes Out'
- 'Bloodshed in Space'
- 'Courage and Loyalty'
- 'The Fall of Goldenbaum'
- 'The Day Before Destiny'
- 'Farewell, Distant Memories'
- 'First Battle'
- 'Portraits'
- 'One Narrow Thread'
- 'Lost Things'
- 'The Inquiry Committee' (???)
- 'Fortress vs Fortress' (flashback)
- 'The Return'
- 'Determination and Ambition'
- 'Thunder'
- 'The Abduction of the Young Emperor'
- 'The Arrow Is Released'
- 'Operation: Ragnarök'
- 'Invitation to a Requiem'
- 'Fezzan Occupied'
- 'The Cold Spell Arrives'
- 'Admiral Yang's Ark Fleet'
- 'Seeking a Free Universe'
- 'The Two-Headed Snake: The Battle of Rantemario'
- 'The Darkness Before Dawn'
- 'Battle After Battle'
- 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part One)'
- 'The Battle of Vermilion (Part Two)'
- 'Sudden Change'
- 'Long Live the Emperor!'
- 'The Beautiful Maiden Wants Blood'
- 'The Golden Lion Flag Loses Its Lustre'
- 'Dream: To See It to the End' (death)
- Golden Wings
- Overture to a New War
- SWV:
(4)
- 'Chapter I'
- 'Chapter II'
- 'Chapter III'
- 'Chapter IV'
Quotes
- 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 Joseph. 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 Commisioner to Phezzan, Johann von Remschedt, 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 recieve 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, wil 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
- 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 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, forcing them to. 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, Ryo Horikawa, 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.
