The Gran Mur (大要塞壁群, Guran Myūru?) was a massive fortification located in the Republic of San Magnolia. It surrounded the Eighty-Five Sectors and was constructed by the Eighty-Six through the means of forced labor. The Gran Mur itself consisted of a series of fortifications that had the appearance of walls.
The Gran Mur served two main roles. The first one was to act as the final line of defense against the Legion, and the second was to keep the Eighty-Six out of the other sectors as well as serve as a deterrent against dissent and rebellion.
Description[]
The fortifications consisted primarily of interception cannons, as well as a large minefield made up of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. The anti-tank mines are meant to keep the Legion out, while the anti-personnel mines are meant for the Eighty-Six.
These interception cannons' main purpose is to be a deterrent against the Eighty-Six processors who either wished to rebel or to desert. Despite that, many of the interception cannons are rarely used because of the Republic reduced armory and neglect of maintenance.[1][2]
History[]
The Gran Mur was constructed during the early days of the Legion War. After the introduction of the Special Wartime Peace Preservation Act, Presidential Order #6609. The displaced Colorata citizens were forced to construct the Gran Mur. Many worked themselves to death while constructing the fortification.
As the Gran Mur was completed along with the introduction of the M1A4 Juggernaut, the Alba population no longer saw the war as a threat to the Republic and retreated to behind the Gran Mur, letting the Eighty-Six do the fighting on the battlefield. The majority of the Republic believed in the outdated notion that the Legion has an expiration date.
On August 25th RY 368 (SY 2149), while the civilians and military personnel alike were celebrating the anniversary of their Republic's founding, the Legion launched a massive offensive against the Republic and other countries. The Morpho managed to destroy the fortification and a portion of its minefield by using its railgun, as a result, the Legion from the Northern Front managed to overwhelm the remaining Eighty-Five districts.
As the Legion invaded through the North, Captain Vladilena Milizé ordered all personnel from the National Defense HQ to blast open the remaining gates of the Gran Mur and remove the anti-personnel mines in order to allow the Eighty-Six to enter, allowing for the defense of the First Sector.[3]
Following the results of the First Great Offensive. The Gran Mur served little purpose during the Second Great Offensive. Following said offensive, the Gran Mur was eventually abandoned.
Legacy[]
The destruction of the Gran Mur was evidence that the Gran Mur was nothing more than a useless line of fortifications, constructed to give a false sense of security and as an intimidator against an oppressed population. The complete loss of the Gran Mur caused the loss of the will to fight once the fortified lines were breached.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Gran Mur was rendered as the Gran Mule in the Yen Press translation of Volume 1. Subsequent volumes have used the Gran Mur spelling.
- The Gran Mur is likely a reference to the Maginot Line, a series of fortifications in France that became obsolete during the Second World War.
- The Gran Mur also resembles the Great Wall of China. Neither fortification was a single wall, but a series of fortifications that had the appearance of a single wall. Both fortifications also failed in their main goals and forced labor was used in the construction of both fortifications.
- Gran Mur means "Great Wall" in French. However "Mur" typically refers to the wall of a building, while "Muraille" more accurately refers to citadel walls and fortifications.
Footnotes[]
- ↑ Calculated from the area of the Republic's 85 Sectors (23,000 km2).