Phalanx and Dwarven Field Armies

These troops came from the middle classes that could afford their own armor. In Ancient Greece, they would also use a third to half of the able bodied men to fight in war, making these armies proportionally larger than a lot of armies. Such numbers were reached in Athens by exempting men from service only after they turned 60. Sparta did so by essentially making citizen the same as being a soldier.   The first major group of reserves the Imperial Army had in this system was the Landwehr. Members were technically anyone between 18 and 45, but that lower limit seems a mere technicality. If we remember, the conscription of men at 18 for three years means that 18-21 year olds were likely to still be in the standing army, not landwehr formations. That aside, this meant that all those not in the main army and still likely to be fit enough to serve in active combat were liable to be called up in times of war.   Landstrum was the last major tier. This group was basically those not fit for service in any of the other units. Their ages varied over time, from as low as 15 to as high as 60. In Germany during the Napoleonic Wars they were organized to be partisan bands. Perhaps the dwarf mercenaries and privateers would come from this group too. The equivalent units in Sweden were used for home defense and securing mobilization. I have no information regarding these units having conscripts with medical exemptions, but would not surprise me. The Union Army during the US Civil War did use a similar concept called the Veteran Reserve Corps. This unit had those soldiers that were partially disabled due to diseases or wounds. While they could not fight on the front lines, light duty or garrison posts were still possible. This freed up more fit troops for front line posts. However, in the Swedish versions, they were poorly led, trained and equipped. Often, this and their conscript nature meant low morale. This is natural as these formations are seen as and treated like the bottom of the barrel and filled with people forced into them.   The Hapsburg Army used a similar system, with superficial differences. For example, their conscription age was 21, was for two years and reserve obligations ended at 36. One thing that the Hapsburg Army did that appears unique to them was specialized academies for reserve officers. The Germans did have a special recruitment process for reserve officers, but I have not found any evidence for German reserve academies.   It seems that there is a potential top level here of those still in their mandated reserve terms. We can expect that the 4-6 year terms conscripts would be filled in this rank prior to being sent out to the Landwehr. As this would be a new, not found in history extra level of reserves, some construction would be needed. For this, I am borrowing from the Spartan Army the requirement to live and eat in the barracks. Then I see a potential here for the feudal idea of requiring the reserves to provide a set amount of labor to the state every month.   More importantly, this reserve group is likely to be a form of gendarmerie or proto-police force. In many medieval and ancient societies, police as we normally think of them did not exist. Police services in Rome for example was entrusted to the Emperor’s bodyguards, who acted more like political police than the public order and crime prevention force we think of them today. Yet, in a slave society like what I expect the Dwarven Kingdoms to be, I would suspect that some form of police force would be needed. The National Guard reserves would probably step in and handle tasks related to suppressing violent crime and slave revolts, riots and similar public disorders.   All reserves are likely to be required to partake in weekend drills and more intense monthly exercises or war games. In emergencies, they can be called out for domestic security, reconstruction or as labor battalions. The National Guard and Landwehr units would be most likely deployed to the front in times of war. Landstrum units would probably be reserved for garrisons, guard posts, protecting critical infrastructure, civilian police and POW camp operations.   Carl Schmitt, 1963. Theorie des Partisanen. Zwischenbemerkung zum Begriff des Politischen, Chapter I, Section 2   Veteran Reserve Corps (VRC), 1863–1865, National Archives   Honorable Scars - Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War, National Institute of Health   Given the fact that I think the Dwarves would have such a huge slave population, the Spartan model would probably be the best model to follow. Athens used less slaves and relied more on its navy – something the landlocked dwarves can’t do. Also, the figures would probably closer to the larger 50% of men between 18 and 60 would be called up to fight. However, Sparta had 100% of its citizens in their uniquely professional standing army. This seems unlikely to be implemented by the dwarves, as such full time commitments to the military would harm economic production. I would assume then that closer to 30% would be the peacetime standing army and 50% would be mobilized for war. The full 100% figure would probably not be reached unless the kingdom was under direct siege.   The Spartan model is important in other elements. Part of what made the Spartan military machine practical is the huge reliance on slaves. This meant the huge and constant mobilization of such a large number of citizens did not destroy their economic base. With the Dwarves using slaves, overseas production and guest workers to cover a lot of domestic labor needs, similar abnormally large numbers could be reached. But unlike Sparta, the dwarves in the army would be counted on to have careers that would generate the majority of the wealth. All skilled occupations would be the purview of these dwarves. This means that the solid 100% figure is unlikely. Hence my assumption of 30%.   But, being part time soldiers, they would be less disciplined. There were cases of lightly armed skirmishers annoying hoplites so much that the hoplites broke ranks to pursue them. The entire power of hoplites comes from the tight phalanx formation, so that cost the hoplites the battle. One way in which this was dealt with historically was the growth of professional armies. However, the dwarves are appear to be so profit oriented that the costs of a large permanent standing army would not be something the government would be too keen on. How do we get around this? To me this would mean a replication of the sort of reserve and planning systems used by Germany and the Hapsburg Empire before World War 1.

They also had the manufacturing abilities, raw materials and physical strength needed for the heaviest plate armor in Middle Earth.   As noted before, the phalanx of Ancient Greece would likely be the foundation of Dwarven formations. Hoplites was the name for the soldiers manning these formations. The hoplites themselves are known for their use of long spears, shields and heavy armor. Persian archers in the Battle of Thermopylae were not able to penetrate the armor. So while hoplite armor was nothing to scoff at, we can expect that the dwarves would make better. The elves would have much better bows than the Ancient Persians. Due to proximity and the inherent dislike between the races, the dwarves would want to counter those bows. Similarly the dwarves would have more iron and skill at making armor. I would suspect that the Dwarves would actually use armor for their infantry more like that worn by real world knights than the traditional hoplite armor. Not only would this be better made, but was specifically crafted to deflect arrows and cover the entire body. Hoplites had decent protection but there were more gaps that could be exploited by arrows.   I suspect that due to the mass nature of the phalanx and manufacturing culture of Dwarves, the plate would be more in line with munitions armor. This would be cheaper and protect just what is needed. The shield is the primary defense of the hoplite after all. But the cheapness one needs to outfit a whole army is much more in line with what is provided by munition style plate. And is what one expects from a state led by cost conscious dwarves who are trying to pay for a full army of hoplites.   It must be noted that due to the nature of the amateur soldiers being called up that had to supply their own equipment, there was no standards in terms of quality or looks. This armor would be family heirlooms, thus reflective of family tradition more than any sort of national uniform.   The shield was the critical piece of armor though. It would probably remain the same. The hoplite shield (the aspis) was between 31 and 39 inches in diameter and weighed 14 to 18 pounds. Due to the smaller size of dwarves, the smaller range would probably be used. Like the hoplites, the shield would be rested on the shoulder. As the dwarves would be in full plate armor, the leather inside layer would not be needed. As wood would be in shorter supply compared to metal, it would thus be solid metal and still weigh closer to the 18 pounds. The hoplite shield was actually revolutionary in the fact it had a grip inside that attached the shield securely to the forearm. The result is that it was dropped much less often than other shields of the day. This would be an innovation the dwarves of Middle Earth would be know for.   It is important to note that these shields covered the left side of the body and covered the right side of the soldier standing in the next row over. This demanded close formations. If one soldier drifted too far, the soldier to their right became exposed. However, this left the far edge of the phalanx formation exposed. Often, this meant efforts were made to hit that side hardest to exploit the weakness. Similarly, breaks in unit coherence were even more damaging as each solider needed the solider next to them to be fully protected. Hence why baiting the enemy into poor discipline was more fatal than normal.   Front ranks of the Swiss pike formations tended to wear more armor than those in the rear, but breast plates and helmets appear to have been the norm. I would suspect then that the dwarves of the front ranks would have full plate suits while those in the back would use this breast plate and helmet combination. The munitions armor or traditional Hoplite for rear ranks would make sense as well. Basically, one only needs full armor when the full force of an enemy is expected.

As noted above, I suspect the dwarves would be based on Greek Hoplites. This means the dwarves would probably use the same spears. For hoplites, the spears were the primary offensive weaponry. These guys were seriously impressive – between 8 and 15 feet long with a secondary spike at the back. This could be used to stick the spear in the ground as an extra brace when under attack. But it could also stab enemy troops as the formation marched over the wounded or be used as the primary weapon should the spear be broken. Other sources suggest up to 20 foot spears. The shaft was a solid 1 inch thick and had a leaf shaped tip. Some of my sources suggest there was a 2 foot spear used as well, but I was unable to find any information on usage.   So, as noted in the Spear article, there were two main Greek spears - the Dory and the Sarissa. The question is which one would they prefer. I would imagine that on campaign they would go with the Dory. After all, the dory would be much easier to transport over distances. Granted the weight of the Sarissa would not be as big of a deal for the Dwarves. But the relative balance would be the same. Regardless of user, the Dory would be much easier to use. Granted, the Sarissa would be a better defense against cavalry attacks. I'm not saying it would not be useful. But the Dory would be much more practical on the march and good enough. Yes, Alexander did use the Sarissa on his conquests. But if what he did was easy, he would not be "the Great".   But at home where the Phalanx would be much better suitable as a formation, the Sarissa would shine. I would suspect then that the dwarves would keep them in the armory for when defending their homes. The issues with the two handed nature of the Sarissa would be compensated for with the almost assured inability to outflank the formation. Plus, the dwarves already have impressive plate armor that would be the basis for their personal protection in battle. I would be willing to bet that without the concerns about heavy plate wearing out troops on the march, they could beef up their plate even more.   Short swords were the common side arm. As they were not the main weaponry, the Spartans used one that was 11 to 18 inches long. This length allowed it to be used by front rank troops once the two armies came into contact. A longer sword would not be able to swing effectively in such tight ranks as the phalanx. Meanwhile, the shorter version could be thrusted through the enemy shield wall with more precision at close range than the long spears. Most importantly though was it provided a backup in case the formation was broken or the spear was lost entirely.

The Spartan Army was made up of 6 total divisions. These had 4 bands each, with 4 groups of 36 men. This will be important later as a starting point for discussions of non phalanx formations.   Remember the whole financial angle that I think motivates the Dwarves to use the Imperial German system? This actually provides us with a real world foundation to look at how officers were chosen. First and most obvious is the use of the long term volunteers. But, there is another special group of recruits into the German Army from this same period – called one year volunteers. They agreed to pay for the entire cost of their food, equipment and clothing. In exchange, their service was reduced to one year and were given the opportunity to pick their branch and become reserve officers. Those that chose not to become reserve officers had to complete 6 years in the reserves. The costs in today’s dollars was around $11,407.55, essentially making the upper classes the only groups that could afford this option. This was combined with an examination process to test their suitability and academic qualifications.   Brockhaus, The Encyclopedia in 24 volumes (1796–2001), Volume 6: 3-7653-3666-1, page 172   Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th Edition, Volume 6, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1885–1892, Page 659. in German   One important factor to consider here is the social component of the Swiss formations. Captains were appointed from town councils. In Dwarven societies, this would probably translate into guild masters and jurors. These captains would lead units from the same areas, so many rank and file soldiers would be more likely to be friends, family or neighbors. The result is higher unit cohesion and greater willingness to fight to the last man. This also meant that some Swiss areas were able to open schools to teach pike drills from youth, further increasing training and discipline. Lastly, this meant the Swiss were less likely to take prisoners. Doing so would require detaching men from a unit to guard them. I would suspect similar phenomenons to develop with the dwarves. After all, it seems logical that the Prussian style reserve/conscription system and the city state structure of dwarven politics would produce similar skill and outlook in dwarven troops.

Now, how would the dwarven regular armies fight? Well we can assume that the preference would be for sieges as all dwarven kingdoms are located in some of the best natural positions to defend when besieged. Then, their crafting abilities would probably lend itself to the construction of impressive siege engines. I would assume then that the walls of enemies would be no match for the regular army of the dwarves.   Then, their kingdoms are located in mountains – The Lonely Mountain is unique in that it was a single mountain instead of a range. Also unique in Middle Earth, dwarven kingdoms were built inside instead of on top of the mountains. This means halls, bridges and caverns that make flanking attacks almost impossible. Instead, all that is open is frontal attacks along paths the dwarves would be able to cover and predict ahead of time where the invaders are headed. All of these factors together and I suspect the dwarves would rely on hoplites in phalanx formations. These were adapted to the mountainous terrain of Greece, similar to the dwarves. Sparta also held a lot of slaves that the army was frequently used to suppress. Sound familiar?   Battles were often agreed-upon in advance on days and on sites both sided felt they could win on. This meant that narrow passages would be the most common ground. Phalanxes were notoriously vulnerable to flanking attacks, so the narrow confines of a mountain pass protects those in the formation. Auxiliary troops were needed to cover flanks in more open terrain. Mounted troops and light skirmishers thus existed to protect flanks and scout, but the main fighting was by the hoplites.   The phalanx formation itself consisted of between 8 to 16 ranks of the hoplites massed tightly together (4 or 50 rank formations were rare but did happen). Later units, like those of Alexander the Great, were 150 ranks deep. These formations were so tight in fact that one soldier’s shield would provide protection for those standing next to them. Troops behind them were so close that their shields were used to support those in front. Spears were pointed outwards towards the enemy line as the units attacked. Many ranks could point their spears past the front ranks, sometimes a solid 6 full ranks. Ones behind would hold their spears up as arrow defenses. The result was an approaching mass of spear tips and an impressive shield wall. What follows is a collision described as “bone breaking”, leaving many on the front ranks dead. At this point, things devolve into a deadly pushing match. Valor by the front would be reinforced with prodding by the shields of the ranks behind. The short swords would also be used by the front ranks to stab through the shield wall once the units got in close. This meant that any loss of coherence in the line could prove devastating. But when it worked, the sheer weight of the unit would push the enemy back and break their coherence and leading to a rout. Once that happened, the auxiliary troops would pursue them.   These tactics are great against other phalanx formations, light melee infantry or those with poor discipline. However, solid archery that can thin out the ranks will prove devastating. Also, reorienting the shield wall and such long spears means that surprise flank attacks would be quite powerful. Thus, Rohan would be well placed to defend against dwarven invasions. Meanwhile, the formations would be perfectly suited for the battles on their home turf. Often, light infantry would be used to protect flanks, so the raider style troops noted above could be used as skirmishers to fill this role. The mountains - like of Greece and the Misty Mountains - would provide some of the flank protection needed by the phalanx. So would the narrow passage ways and internal regions of Dwarven Kingdoms.   Cavalry was more of a status symbol to the Ancient Greeks, and often used purely in the light cavalry role. Therefore, it was often not something to worry about in battles between two city states. However, when the Greek city states went up against other armies, they struggled. More professional armies, formations like legions with more flexibility or those with more mounted troops were serious problems. This is part of the reason Persia was defeated but Rome conquered the region. But, like the Ancient Greeks, we can expect the Dwarves to not have huge mounted divisions. After all, they do not have the most ample supply of mounts or their own supply of fodder.   One of the more effective deployments of phalanx formations was the Oblique Order. This saw the concentration of forces on the left side of the formation while the rest were delibrately weakened. The enemy phalanx was normally had their troops evenly distributed along their entire front. The result was the enemy forces facing the relatively more powerful allied left flank would be at a noticable disadvantage. Once this section of the line was broken, the enemy's flanks were now exposed. Because an entire section of the enemy army was defeated and phalanxes were weak against flank attacks, this meant the enemy was much easier to defeat. The weaker allied center and right would retreat rearward and towards the left flank in the face of the enemy advance.   Part of the power of this attack was the fact that the Hoplite shield was held in the left hand, so the right side was left unprotected by their own shield. For most soldiers this was not a problem as there was a soldier on that side whose shield would fill in the gap. But what happens when you are on the far side of the formation? Well, you have no protection. This made the right side was weaker. Combine this with the fact that people would seek better protection from their neighbor, formations had a habit of drifting to the right.   Putting the best trained/most disciplined/ most experienced on that side helped, but did not solve the problem. This area was still the most vulnerable to attack. Some generals would actually embrace this - they would let their army drift so they could strike the weak right side. Then, once this was broken, they would turn on the enemy flank.   The Oblique Order worked as well as it did first due to a lack of flank protections. It had no cavalry to speak up and phalanxes had horrible manueverability. This meant that any breaks in the line could not be reinforced by allies. A total lack of reserves compounded this issue. This formation led to Thebes beating Sparta's feared army andbreaking its hegemony. But simply using skirmishers and light cavalry in proper coordination could have stopped this from working. So too would anchoring the flanks with a defensible feature like a river. Or reserves that could respond quickly to trouble areas.   Phalanxes appear to be perfectly suited for when Dwarves are forced into the defensive. The mountains and interior caverns or halls leave little to no room for archery or flanking attacks. So, how would one go on the offensive? Well, it is entirely possible that they would simply keep the phalanx and struggle on with higher losses or outright defeats in combat. It seems difficult to see the dwarves taking that approach beyond a single war. The ancient Romans were masters of coming up with new tactics and formations in the face of defeats, so there is historical examples of successful military powers adapting their tactics in the face of failures. All powers learn from the successes of other nation’s victories as well.   The first historically used formation that could be quite useful for the dwarves would be the pike square. This formation is pretty self explanatory – a 10x10 group of men with pikes or spears. Front ranks would kneel down to allow those behind to stick their weaponry over their heads. Well trained units could easily reorient where their spears were aimed. Or it was possible to have their weapons pointed in all directions. Most importantly, it allows for the formations to move independently from the rest of their army without losing strength – making them much less vulnerable in broken terrain. They can then reconstitute into larger formations once around obstacles. These formations dominated the battlefield in late medieval wars due to their defensive power and devastating charges.   In the Swiss Pike formations, as many as 5 pike tips could protrude out past the front ranks. Due to high discipline, training and speed, they were able to assault artillery pieces before the enemy gun could fire their second shot. Ranks as close as 6 inches could be formed.   It must be noted that the Spartan Army organization is already made up of 96 of the smallest units of 36 men. This means an easy adaptation of the pike square related formations to an 8 by 8 size instead of a 10 by 10 one. Such a system means that one can adapt the Spartan Army unit structure and fit it in rather neatly into a new tactical doctrine. This one would be able to switch between many different pike or spear based formations. Phalanxes may be the preferred formation, but the same unit structure could then be reordered based on local terrain and enemies into more suitable formations.   This formation can be the basis for a uniquely powerful defensive position – the circular schiltron. Here, the unit would form a circle. Stakes would be pounded into the ground with ropes connecting them. Then, the spears would be pointed outwards. Such a position would be difficult at best to take in direct assault, especially with cavalry. But, as one could expect, it had no effective offensive power. Once that stake/rope barrier was up, it would keep friendly troops in as much as enemies out.   Generally, those with ranged units would always win against those without. But, the fact that dwarves rely on the crossbow and sling combination would cause problems for them. This suggests to me a possible adaptation of the Dutch “pike and shot” formations when in actual combat. In the modified formation, 60 dwarves with slings would form a loose screen that would march in front. Possibly outfitted as raiders. The front ranks of the main formation would be 250 pike or spear men 5-10 ranks deep. The rear would be formed with 300 troops with crossbows, 8-12 ranks deep. Volley fire would be normal for such units. Each rank would fire all at once, then retreat to the rear to reload. Once the next rank was in place, they would fire. The depth of 8-12 ranks would mean that by the time a rank was back up front they would probably have had time to reload.   Lastly, let’s look at sieges. Given the fact that dwarves are likely to find themselves in many sieges on both sides, this is an important thing to look at. I would expect the Dwarves to use massive siege engines. Towers used in the ancient world are somewhat impractical in their size, but are instructive in what would be possible for Dwarves. There are records of towers built by the Ancient Greeks that were beasts - 150 foot tall with 70 square foot bases. These larger ones had nine separate floors, each with their own drawbridge and battering rams. Some had catapults on top. Archers were placed on the top levels as well, making them mobile artillery positions. Sheep skin and iron plating protected them. Drills were added so that people in the towers could literally burrow into city walls. Granted, terrain needed to be perfect to move these epic towers, even when the 3,400 people needed to move them were present. 
   Another tactic that the dwarves seem particularly suited for is the use of earth ramps to attack city walls. The Assyrian Empire was particularly skilled at this, knowing precisely how much dirt would be needed. Normally, the earth was piled up to form a ramp onto which towers and battering rams could be pushed. The shorter distances to the top of the walls and the fact the walls were usually thinner towards the top made this quite effective. Once the troops got on top of the walls, they would then storm the gatehouses. The tactic was used until at least the Roman Empire, whose most famous use was in the Siege of Masada. Thousands of tons of stones and dirt were used. A giant tower with a battering ram was rolled up the ramp to the walls. 
 Mining was also used by the Assyrian Empire in conjunction to ramps. It was continued into the Medieval period in response to the stone castle walls that could not be burned. This tactic involved a tunnel being dug under the walls with the roof supported by timber. Once it was in the right place, the timber was burned, causing everything on top to collapse. Ideally, this included the walls. Solid rock at the base or sandy, waterlogged soil was difficult if not impossible to mine. Often, castle location prevented this tactic. Moats were also developed as a defensive feature specifically to block mining.   Now, both seem quite dwarf behaviors. After all – moving large amounts of dirt is somewhat their thing. Now, it must be noted that these tactics are by no means fool proof. First, both tactics are obviously attached to rather extreme costs in material, time and manpower. Then, the obstacles to undermining means that only specific conditions even allow for it. Then, there is the fact that they only can breach the outer walls. One cannot undermine or build up ramps to take inner walls. Now, castles in Europe tended to have multiple walls and are placed on tops of mountains were possible. Like Minas Tirith. But most medieval and especially ancient cities only one layer of walls and no moats. Almost if not more important was the fact that they were sited with trade as a significantly greater factor than defense in cities. Ancient warfare also centered more on cities, while castles were more important for medieval era wars. Since the ancient armies were attacking targets more vulnerable to those tactics, they would be more common there. Since dwarves would be making capital cities their primary targets and only Minas Tirith represents the major developments to stop these tactics, I suspect ramps and tunnels to be key dwarven tactics.   “Ancient Siege Warfare.” History, 1 June 2017, www.historyonthenet.com/ancient-siege-warfare.     Morrow, John H., Jr (1977). "Industrialization Mobilization in World War I: The Prussian Army and the Aircraft Industry". Journal of Economic History. 37 (1): 3651. JSTOR 2119443.   Oman, Charles (1924). The Art of War in the Middle Ages. vol.2. London: Greenhill. p. 80. ISBN 1-85367-100-2.   Carlyon 2006, p. 635.   Laffin 1992, p. 60.   1st Battalion War Diary & July 1918, p. 7.

Training for Imperial German conscripts was 6 months long. It focused on close order drills, weapon care and use, maneuvering in formation and marching. Ideally, this training was meant to produce corpse like obedience under the stress of combat. There was no need for the short term conscripts meant to be used in large groups to be masters of combat. What was really needed was inner assertiveness, courage under fire and a willingness to press an attack forward. Victory was seen as rooted in large amounts of physical and moral energy and acceptance of blood sacrifices. The wounded and elderly veterans often led this training, especially during World War One. This sort of training would be perfect for phalanx combat.

Lets stop here for a second and comment quickly here on logistics. The Incan warehouse and highway system I mention elsewhere would have important military implications as well. The same good storage system and state administered production system could easily be used for military supplies as well as international trade. Due to the fact the Incans had no vehicles or rivers to use, their warehouses were all on roads within a day's walk from the next. This meant that armies could be raised and marched clear across the Empire with food and weapons ready for them when they got to the end of their march. This means armies could march much further due to the lower weights they needed to carry on each soldier's back. Only when entering enemy territory or the crisis zone would the full kit be carried.     A dwarven army would probably have abnormally strong logistical bases to work with, able to attack and defend for longer periods of time. This would probably increase their prefference for sieges.   Lets look at this Spartan model here. It is notable for the fact that it was one of two professional armies at the time – Thebes being the other. Sparta however had 100% of its adult male citizens in the military, each dedicating their lives to military service. This was only possible due to farm work being solely performed by slaves and the complete disregard for things like art and philosophy.

Prussian government officials sat atop one of the largest industrial machines as well as a military power. There was a saying that in Prussia, mobilization meant war, meant to contrast with the Russians. Russia’s more inefficient, rural and agrarian economy could still somewhat function with high levels of mobilization. Therefore it could mobilize its army simply to intimidate other states. Prussia, with its more industrial workforce, could not afford to mobilize troops just to have them sit in barracks. As a result, once mobilization was ordered, combat would be started as soon as possible. To further this, railroad schedules were meticulously planned down to the minute and mobilized soldiers needed to catch very specific trains to get to the front. Plans by the General Staff is part of the reason the start of World War one has been described as “war by timetable”.   Its militarism led to noticeable regulation of the economy for the sake of increasing military effectiveness. The army worked closely with industry. Wages and prices for military related industries were set by the army. Supplies of credit and raw materials and labor-management relations were controlled by the army. Such regulations meant that the higher wages for machinists in the aircraft industry made it attractive to work in. As a result, the German aircraft industry saw rapid expansion – producing not just a high number of planes but high quality. It must be noted that this was limited in that it appears that only the aircraft industry really improved under such a regulations regime. Like one would expect to occur in the sort of government structure of the dwarves.

It must be noted here that even where part time citizen militias were the norm, 2 years of military service were required. Athens for example required 18-20 year olds to serve in guard houses and in border patrols. We can expect therefore that even in peacetime, there would be some form of standing conscript army. Then, there was the call up of the citizen soldiers for war. Only at this point would the 30% to 50% of the population be under arms at any one time.   As a result, campaigns were often short, as the loss of such a large proportion of the workers from the economy cannot be sustainable. This is further magnified by the fact that these soldiers were the main farmers, with 5-10 acres of land. One cannot expect to mobilize a disproportional number of your farmers and expect to be able to handle long term deployments. The same would be true for dwarves, just drawing from the skilled craftsmen and small business owners.   The standing army in the Imperial German system amounted to basically a training agency for conscripts. The Imperial German Army called up men at 18 to serve three years in active duty then four in the reserves. There was a group of long term enlistees that would voluntarily sign up for longer terms after their 3 years was up. The minimum was 4 but the norm was closer to 12. The result was a group of professional officers and a large number of already trained troops in civilian life. This allows for the core standing army officers and a few conscripts to handle the day to day peacetime needs of the government. Only when war breaks out does the state bear the full financial and manpower costs.