I never understood the criteria that went into choosing a People's Commissioner. The level of power they wielded was insane, and these people were chosen from among enlisted men, as well as other disciplines. But what made them so trusting in Saint-Just's eyes?
What became of most of them after the coup? Who would want to continue to work with some of them. And what would their rank be, going from a very powerful People's Commissioner.
BTW, am I the only one who missed that Eloise was once a People's Commissioner? To whom?
People's Commissioner - (wiki informant)
The People's Commissioners were special representatives of the Committee of Public Safety of the People's Republic of Haven assigned to monitor military commanders and personnel for signs of disloyalty or treason against the Committee.
Role and powers
Reporting directly to the Office of State Security and Secretary Oscar Saint-Just himself, People's Commissioners were present in all levels of command of the People's Navy, with a Commissioner assigned to every ship, squadron, task force or fleet command.[1] The Commissioners came from diverse backgrounds, many of them having originally been enlisted personnel of the People's Navy.
As they were the representatives of the Committee's will in the units to which they were assigned, Commissioners had the authority to countermand the orders given by the military commanders they "supervised". In addition, each Commissioner had the power to investigate and arrest any member of the military suspected of disloyalty or "treason against the People", as well as receiving the reports of those officers and enlisted personnel which chose to serve as informers for StateSec.
The role and authority of the Commissioners led to a great deal of resentment from the career military officers, especially if the Commissioner in question came from the enlisted ranks (as it was thought that their background led to overestimating their own knowledge of naval affairs). Further, given the Commissioners' lack of command experience and skills and a quickness to punish perceived cowardice, their involvement in military operations often led to suboptimal or outright disastrous results. However, better Commissioners were able to form working relationships with the naval officers they were responsible for, retaining a degree of military effectiveness without compromising loyalty. (HH5, HH6, HH7, HH8, HH9)
Uniform and customs
Under the military protocol established by the Committee, the People's Commissioners wore no rank insignia in their uniforms (despite their StateSec ranks) and were the only persons assigned to a military unit which could be addressed to as "Sir" or "Ma'am". (HH5, HH6)
Abolishment
The office and position of People's Commissioner was abolished with the restoration of the Republic of Haven. Several former People's Commissioners found new careers in the reborn Republic, including Denis LePic, who became the Republic's Attorney General, and Eloise Pritchart, who became acting head of state and was subsequently elected President. (HH10, HH11)
List of People's Commissioners
Calvin Addison
Kenneth Aston
Diana Citizen
Sandra Connors
George DuPres
Erasmus Fontein
Halket
Everard Honeker
Robert Jamka
Johnson
Denis Jourdain
Sharon Justice
James Keppler
Timothy Kuttner
Leopold
Denis LePic
Lasrina O'Faolain
Ludmilla Penevski
Michael Preznikov
Eloise Pritchart
Yuri Radamacher
Randal
Frank Reidel
Rhodes
Seifert
Sigourney
Jean Testaniere
Howard Wilkins
References
An exception were courier ships: such vessels were considered too small and unimportant to require their own commissioner. (HH7)