Cruel Regime
The Imperium's methods for enforcing order and discipline are exceedingly brutal. In source material it is described as "the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable"; Imperial servants commonly state, "ruthlessness is the mercy of the wise." The Adeptus Arbites (the Imperium's galactic law enforcement agency), readily uses deadly force when faced with any possibility of resistance. The Inquisition makes liberal use of torture, and it cares more about crushing the guilty than protecting the innocent – this frequently results in the deaths of many innocents. Witches and heretics are publicly flogged or burned at the stake. The Imperium's mainstream military forces, such as the Imperial Guard Regiments, often have political officers (Imperial Commissars) attached to them, who have authority to execute out-of-hand any soldier who displays cowardice or disobedience. Occasionally, the Imperium resorts to destroying entire worlds with weapons of mass destruction in order to suppress heresy, rebellion, or alien encroachment.
Read more about this topic: Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
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