But how exactly is it that the Imperial Guard is guarding the imperial personage? So the less-conducive organization was discarded. But for them to do so within their post-Heresy organizational framework, they'd have been tripping over the Army. The core function of the Imperial Guard is to protect the well-being of the Emperor. But for what purpose?Д®DIT: Fixed grammar in following paragraph. The Imperial Army had an organizational structure based around trying to win wars decisively, while the Imperial Guard's organizational structure is based around permanently maintaining continuous rates of attrition. I submit that the Imperial Guard was purposefully set up to replace the Imperial Army with a new organizational structure, because the existing structure was no longer conducive to the Emperor's needs. And it is considered treasonous cowardice, punished by death, to outwit orks and trick them into killing themselves, because it would result in a suspicious lack of casualties suffered by your own men in the process.Д®DIT: In short, the Imperial Guard maintains that it is treason to attempt to win a war with a minimum loss of life on your own side.

It is treason punished by death to study the enemy's technology in the hopes of finding better ways to kill his troops and keep him from killing yours. It is treason punished by death to learn the enemy's language so that you can intercept his communications and ambush his reinforcements. Commanders are even encouraged to combine these two approaches, using the communications signals of their platoons on the front lines as a guide to targeting their artillery bombardments.ДЇurthermore, in the organizational doctrines of the Imperial Guard, it is treason punished by death to diverge from the approved training materials for new recruits, even when those training materials are considered hilariously fictional by any veteran who's faced the enemy in question. The Imperial Guard endorses only two stratagems for victory: overwhelming artillery barrages to utterly demolish the value of whatever the battle is being fought over, and drowning the enemy in the corpses of your own men. Take command of this mighty multitude, and you fight in defense of the Imperium itself - but remember, victory in the Emperor's name justifies any sacrifice, for a dutiful death is its own reward.' To quote the first page of their current Codex, 'This book recounts the history of the Imperial Guard, from their brutal inception amid the blood and horror of the Horus Heresy, through ten thousand years of selfless sacrifice and constant warfare.

I submit that these two events are far more closely related than they would at first appear.Д¬onsider the Imperial Guard's approach to warfare. In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, the Emperor was of course installed upon the Golden Throne, and the Imperial Army was forcibly dismantled, with its functions being transferred to the organizational responsibility of the Imperial Guard. I reserve the right to come back and proofread later.Д®DIT: Finally home and able to properly proofread.

This is very long, and entirely typed up on my phone during spare moments while at work.

Emperor of mankind vs horus