High Lords of Terra

Nominally, the head of the Imperium is still the Emperor of Humanity. However, since his ascension to the Golden Throne, the duty of ruling humanity has fallen to the Senatorum Imperialis - the Imperial Council of the twelve High Lords of Terra. The High Lords differ from each other in both knowledge and personalities, but in any case, the members of the Council are the leaders and representatives of the most powerful organizations in the Imperium. After the revival of Roboute Guilliman, he effectively became the ruler of the Imperium as regent of the Emperor and Lord Commander.

Imperial possessions

The Segmentums are the main administrative regions of the Imperium. Each of them is divided into sectors that cover certain territories in space. Sectors, in turn, consist of subsectors, each of which unites several star systems. Thus, different levels of territorial government are represented in the Imperium. The Segmentum Commander directs his Sector Commanders, who are at the same time responsible for the Sub-Sector Commanders overseeing the Planetary Governors. Commanders often also serve as the governor of a planet. Thanks to this system, unified control is maintained over the huge number of planets that make up the Imperium.

Planetary control

Due to the long distances separating star systems and the instability of warp communication, planetary governors enjoy almost complete independence. As a result, there are many different forms of local government. Most of the governors receive their office by inheritance, but on some planets the governor's office is elective, on others it may be a governor who has gained power by force, and so on. As long as a governor fulfills his duty to the Imperium, his rule will usually not be challenged by a higher authority.

Origin of the Imperial Guard

The history of Astra Militarum began during the Great Crusade, when the Emperor conquered the stars and created the Imperium of Mankind. On the fronts of expansion and reconquest, legions of Space Marines fought - the Legiones Astartes, the best warriors in the memory of people, equal in battle to ten mortals. But for all the combat power of the Space Marines, his forces were not unlimited, and the need for soldiers increased as the galactic power expanded. Dispersed groupings of legions were already thousands of light years apart. Without additional troops, the offensive impulse of the crusade could have weakened, so the Lord of Mankind created the Imperial Army.

Imperial Guard structure

There are many divisions in the Imperial Guard, the most significant of which are Militarum Vendorum, Militarum Ordinatus, Militarum Auxilia, Militarum Tempestus, and Militarum Regimentos. In turn, the Imperial Guard is under the supervision of the Officio Prefectus Departmento Munitorum (also known as the Commissariat). The Imperial Guard troops are divided into regiments, which are mostly autonomous structures. These regiments are recruited from worlds of the Imperium that have been classified as suitable for this purpose.