Commissar (Warhammer 40,000)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Commissar is a term used in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe to represent a political field officer in the regiments of the Imperial Guard. They have the duty to maintain the morale of the troops on their massive campaigns, often in the face of staggering casualties. The uniform of a Commissar is a black and scarlet greatcoat.The Imperial Commissar, as described by many Warhammer 40,000 novelists, is given complete jurisdiction to judge the actions of any trooper or officer of a rank junior to his/her own and to act accordingly. If an officer is unable to prevent his/her troops from retreating in the face of the enemy, the Commisar can (and will) execute the officer and assume command of his/her unit. Among miscreant soldiers, a Commissar's wrath is as frequent a cause of fatality as the enemy. A Commissar's word is immutable law and his/her visage is one of grim authority that is to be respected and rightly feared. They are often products of the Schola Progenium system.

[edit] Notable Commissars

• Commissar Ciaphas Cain, the protagonist from Sandy Mitchell's novels.
• Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, the main character in the ‘’Gaunt's Ghosts’’ series of novels by Dan Abnett.
• Commissar Yarrick, a central character in the Armageddon campaign.

[edit] References

• (1989) Warhammer 40,000 Compendium. Games Workshop, page 151. ISBN - 1869893522. 
• Priestly, Rick (1995). Codex: Imperial Guard. Games Workshop, pages 78 and 84. ISBN - 1872372929.