Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium is a fictional galactic empire that contains the majority of humanity, set in the Warhammer 40K meta-universe created by the Games Workshop.
History of the Imperium
The Imperium was founded by the Emperor (Master of mankind, ruler of humanity and God of the human race) at the end of the "Age of Strife", a period of anarchy, lawlessness and senseless destruction that lasted for dozens of centuries and during which all but the faintest traces of the vast, advanced galactic civilization built by men in previous eras disappeared.
However, when the warpstorms of the Age of Strife did subside the Emperor set forth to unite mankind under his rule, turning his hordes of techno-barbaric warriors into the first uber-human Space Marines.
After having secured the docks of Luna and the factories and weaponshops based on Mars the Emperor built a huge warfleet with which he undertook a Space Crusade that lasted two full centuries and ended with the formal
establishment of Imperial Rule over all but the most scattered and distant
human colonized worlds.
Forces of the Imperium
In the 40K meta-universe, the Imperium represents mankind's only hope for survival in the grim, merciless future of the forty first millennium. The Imperium is surrounded by alien species and is continually attacked by forces from an alternative reality (the warp) and other galaxies (Tyranids).
The Imperium's defence forces consist of the:
There are also specialist organisations that prevent 'corruption':
Together, these help defend the Imperium from various enemies, including:
And more recently:
Background to the Imperium in other Science-Fiction
The Imperium itself, keeping with the dystopian themes of Warhammer 40K is a highly oppressive techno-theocracy, (akin to that in the Empire of the Fading Suns), with extreme persecution of those questioning the morality or validity of the endless conflicts and divine rule of the Emperor. The Imperium has an Inquisition, carries out crusades and uses Latin extensively, and so may it be an indirect criticism of historical episodes in the Catholic church. The Imperium's foremost enemy, Chaos, is said to 'corrupt' weak beings in a manner very analogous to 'sin'.
Whilst the Imperial Guard are human soldiers, considered expendable and used in great numbers with heavy artillery support, (deliberately akin to the First World War), the Space Marines are uber-humans with modifications to their physical and mental make up for combat, much like the Armoured Mobile Infantry of Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Their unswerving and blind loyalty to their militaristic God Emperor is an indirect criticism of soldiers motivated by religious zeal, much like the Harkonnens in Dune. The Imperium is also highly xenophobic and can barely comprehend serious dialogue with any alien species - even clearly civilised ones like the Eldar (elf-like and cultured) and Tau (peaceful utilitarians) - highlighting the common human potential for hatred and savagery.
