Imperial Guard
From Gineipaedia, the Legend of Galactic Heroes wiki
The Imperial Guard (Japanese: 親衛隊) was a military unit of the Galactic Empire that was responsible for protecting the Kaiser and members of the Imperial family, and their residences. During the late Goldenbaum Dynasty and the following Goldenlöwe Dynasty, it was led by Commodore Günther Kisling.
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Role
The Imperial Guard was directly responsible for protecting the Kaiser, his family, imperial residences (including Neue Sanssouci), and the immediate vicinity of the Kaiser where ever he visited, accompanying him to ceremonies or any public events he attended. Guardsmen could also be sent to carry out tasks by orders of the emperor. Completely separate from the rest of the Imperial Armed Forces, the Imperial Guard was commanded by a commodore under the reign of Kaiser Reinhard von Lohengramm, who received orders only from the Kaiser himself. The only exception might have been the kaiser's senior adjutant. (DUEL: 'Chapter III', LOGH: 'The Actress Exits', 'The Kümmel Incident', 'The Urvashi Incident')
Several guardsmen were assigned to Lohengramm for security during his time as prime minister under the late Goldenbaum Dynasty, but it is unknown if that was common practice or an exception. It should be noted that no guardsmen were seen with Klaus von Lichtenlade, the minister of state and acting prime minister under Kaiser Friedrich IV. (LOGH: 'Operation: Ragnarök')
During the late Goldenbaum Dynasty, the Guard also had some authority in court affairs, as they arrested Marquise Sussanna von Beenemünde following her attempt to assassinate Countess Annerose von Grünewald. Admiral Siegfried Kircheis also recommended to Reinhard after the assassination attempt to let the Imperial Guard handle the matter. (LOGH: 'The Actress Exits')
History
Galactic Empire
In 433 UC (124 IC / 3233 CE), Imperial Guards helped prevent Count Eckhart, the Imperial Secretary under Kaisers Otfried I and Kasper, from murdering one of Kasper's acquaintances, Florian. In 453 UC (144 IC / 3253 CE), Kaiser Julius was poisoned by his ambitious grandson, Grand Duke Karl, who wanted to take the throne. An officer of the Imperial Guard brought forth evidence to Sigismund von Braun, a relative of the imperial family. He used the evidence to have Karl arrested and became the next emperor, as Sigismund II. (LOGH: 'Past, Present, and Future')
In 562 UC (253 IC / 3362 CE), the captain of the Imperial Guard murdered August II, who was a brutal tyrant and hated by almost everyone in the Empire, by pushing him into the pit of wild animals that he was feeding. (Legend of Galactic Heroes Volume 4: The Plot)
In January 792 UC (483 IC / 3592 CE), a group of Imperial Guardsmen stopped a duel happening between Reinhard von Lohengramm, who was representing the Schafhausen family, and the agent of Count Herxheimer, regarding mining rights. They had been dispatched there by Kaiser Friedrich IV, who did it at the request of Reinhard's sister, Annerose von Grünewald. (DUEL: 'Chapter IV')
Four years later, in 796 UC (487 IC / 3596 CE), Imperial Guardsmen were seen accompanying Kaiser Friedrich IV to the opera. They were later involved in investigating Marquise Sussanna von Beenemünde's attempt to assassinate the emperor's concubine, Countess Grünewald. Several guards oversaw her execution, along with other members of the Imperial Court. (LOGH: 'The Actress Exits')
After Fleet Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm became prime minister of the Empire (following the Imperial Civil War of 797 UC (488 IC / 3597 CE)), a protective detail of Imperial Guards, under then-Captain Günther Kisling, were assigned to him. (LOGH: 'Operation: Ragnarök')
New Galactic Empire
After Reinhard declared himself emperor, the Imperial Guard was commanded by Commodore Kisling. It accompanied Reinhard on various official visits and guarded his residence on Fezzan, after he made the planet his new Imperial capital. Guardsmen protected him during attempts on the Kaiser's life, including by Baron Heinrich von Kümmel, an enlisted soldier from Westerland, and the mutinous garrison troops on Uruvasi. (LOGH: 'The Kümmel Incident', 'Roses at Summer's End', 'The Urvashi Incident')
During the Battle of Shiva, in June 801 UC (3 NIC / 492 IC / 3601 CE), Imperial Guards were present aboard Reinhard's supreme flagship, the Brünhild, when it was boarded by Alliance soldiers. They fought against members of the Alliance army's Rosen Ritter infantry regiment, and the outcome of their fight was inconclusive. (LOGH: 'The Beautiful Maiden Wants Blood')
Uniform and equipment
Under the Goldenbaum Dynasty, Imperial Guardsmen wore a standard military tunic with a sash (of different colours), yellow epaulettes, and rank insignia. They were typically seen carrying a sabre on their belt, a practice that seems to have been phased out during Reinhard's rule. During his reign, guardsmen carried laser rifles, pistols, and knives. They wore different colour tunics, including red, black, and blue; this was later replaced by the New Reich-style black uniform issued under Kaiser Reinhard. Additionally, guardsmen wore blue or black berets or officer caps that were unique to the Guard. Some of them also wore either a Goldenbaum eagle or rank plaque on their chest. (LOGH: 'The Actress Exits', 'Operation: Ragnarök', 'Roses at Summer's End', 'The Beautiful Maiden Wants Blood')
They were also known to use horses, during Goldenbaum rule. (DUEL: 'Chapter III')
Gallery
 Blue uniform (796 UC (487 IC / 3596 CE)) |
 Red uniform (796 UC (487 IC / 3596 CE)) |
 Black uniform (798 UC (489 IC / 3598 CE)) |
Appendices
Apocrypha
DVD features
The titles for the production sketches in the DVD features show that under the Goldenbaum Dynasty, the red uniformed Guardsmen were palace security, while the black or blue unformed Guardsmen accompanied the Kaiser.
 Palace Guard sketch (Galactic Empire) |
 Kaiser's palace bodyguard sketch (Galactic Empire) |
 Kaiser's bodyguard sketch (Galactic Empire) |
 Kaiser's bodyguard ranks (Galactic Empire) |
 Kaiser's bodyguard uniform (New Galactic Empire) |
