The Zanscare Empire is a theocratic regime seeking to conquer the Earth Sphere and the main antagonistic faction of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.
History
Foundation
Leading a life of extreme poverty, a young Maria Pia Armonia discovered her supernatural ability to heal people. Maria used her profits gained operating as a healer to open a consultation bureau at an Albanian colony in Side 1 (L5). As her popularity rapidly spread, Maria was elevated to an almost sacred status. Maria Pia Armonia soon began to propagate her ideas that most social crises are caused by male leaders and advocated the establishment of a matrilineal society. A Maria group formed and petitioned the Albanian colony government to form a political party, while her staff published Maria’s teachings.
Eventually though, the Earth Federation Side 1 commander kicked the group out of the colony. In UC 0145, Maria met Fonse Kagatie, a man formerly of the Jupiter Fleet, who supported her politically. The Maria group became radical and the Gattle Party was formed as its political extension, becoming the third party in the government assembly of the Amelia colony in Side 2 (L4). In a show of force, a group of corrupt ministers were executed on the guillotine and the Gattle Party rapidly took the power in Amelia.
Invasion of the Earth Sphere
In UC 0149, the establishment of the Zanscare Empire is proclaimed at Side 2 (L4). After it was formed, the Zanscare Empire launched an invasion of the Earth Sphere, with the Earth Federaton, which had been weakened due to the Neo Zeon war in U.C. 0093 and the Crossbone Vanguard's attacks in U.C. 0123, able to do little to halt it. However, another organization called the League Militaire soon rose to defend the Earth Sphere from the Zanscare invasion.
During the events of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, Fonse Kagatie reveals that the real purpose hidden in the war against the Earth Sphere was to purge the human race with the ultimate newtype weapon, the Angel Halo. By the end of the devastating last battle on UC 0153.06.23, nearly all key members of the Zanscare Empire were killed, including Fonse Kagatie and Maria Pia Armonia. The Zanscare Empire collapsed soon afterwards and Earth Federation took back the Zancare-held colonies.
Organization
The capital of the Zanscare Empire is the Side 2 colony Amelia. The Zanscare Empire enforces a rigid societal and military hierarchy, with most of its members being fanatically loyal to the Empire's cause. The Empire's primary goal is to cleanse the Earth of its population so their Jupiter sphere benefactors can move in and claim the planet. In theory, the Empire is ruled by the Newtype queen Maria Pure Armonia, whose matriarchal religious teachings dominate the Empire's politics, but in practice she is little more than a powerless figurehead. The majority of decisions in the Empire are handled by Prime Minister Fonse Kagatie, leader of the Gattle party and also secret president of Jupiter Republic Alliance, who oversees the military decisions and politics of the Empire. The Empire's Mobile Weapons are provided by BESPA, formerly a Side 2 branch of SNRI which was annexed into Zanscare and transformed into an arm of their military responsible for the production of their mobile suits and the training of their pilots. Some of the Empire's ace pilots are: Cronicle Asher, Arbeo Pippiniden and the League Militaire defector Katejina Loos.
Within BESPA and the broader Zanscare military exist several specialized factions, including BESPA's elite Yellow Jacket forces and the Motorad Squadron, headed by Duker Iq. The Zanscare are known for their tendency to use execution as a form of punishment, most notably, the guillotine. Another method is the release of the condemned into the vacuum of space, causing the person to die through starvation or asphyxiation. It is also notable that Zanscare's own soldiers are not exempt from execution, and failure on the battlefield can result in immediate condemnation. This is most likely used to motivate other officers within Zanscare through fear and generally to keep them in line.
Notable Members
- Maria Pia Armonia
- Fonse Kagatie
- Cronicle Asher
- Katejina Loos
- Tassilo Vago
- Fuala Griffon
- Arbeo Pippiniden
- Duker Iq
- Renda de Paloma
- Kil Tandon
- Metchet Rubence
