Adiexodo tis Sideron Gephura

The first of many conflicts to take place between the city Hetairoi, Lukhoran Nationalists, and Syndicalists of Anadephura. Known by many as the Great Stalemate of Sideron Bridge, this battle lasted for eight days and was famously ended by a speech from hetairos Philippos Kosta, in which he commanded the government forces to take decisive action after their promachos was killed, leading to a proper attack leading disbandment of the bridge's occupation by strikers and to the eventual arrest of many syndicalists and militiamen including the leaders of the strikers and many prominent nationalists. While the short-term outcome was a victory for the government forces, long term effects seem to be pointing towards greater cohesion of nationalist militias, the formation of the Indivisible Workers of Anadephura, and an increase in general hostility towards the Makadelian government.

The Conflict

Prelude

For two weeks, the Ironworker's Union of Anadephura had been striking when on the 16th of Pemptarios, at 23:00, a group of unionists aided by other illicit syndicalist groups began occupying the Sideron Bridge in the east of town. By 07:00 they had created a large barricade in the middle of the bridge and had a large stockpile of arms and ammunition when the local chapter of the Hetairoi began to set up a perimeter. Vastly outnumbered, the hetairoi began fortifying their position but sought to resolve the situation peacefully, asking the demands of the protestors and trying to keep all parties calm and reasonable. By 12:00, the situation still hadn't been resolved and a mob of local Lukhoran militiamen led by the leader of a prominent Nationalist organization marched on the bridge seeking to "do the Makadelian's job for them, by force if necessary". At 12:46, a shot was fired from a rifle, shooting and eventually killing a unionist, triggering the conflict proper. To this day nobody knows who fired the first shot, with most government sources stating a militiaman fired a shot while syndicalist sources are split between militia and government.

Conflict Type

Skirmish

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

Pemptarios 17, 1817

Ending Date

Pemptarios 25, 1817

Conflict Result

Strikers and Militia Dispersed, Hetairoi authority diminished.

Location

Anadephura

Belligerents

Anadephuros Hetairoi

• Hetairoi ton Anadephuron

Led by

Strength

83 Hetairoi

Casualties

19 wounded, 6 killed.

Objectives

Break the strike, arrest syndicalist and nationalist organizers, and restore the peace.

Lukhoran Nationalists

Led by

Strength

147 Militiamen

Casualties

31 injured, 11 killed, 26 arrested

Objectives

Break the strike, discredit and humiliate the hetairoi.

Anadephuros Syndicalists

Led by

Strength

476 irregulars

Casualties

86 injured, 17 killed, 26 arrested

Objectives

Hold the bridge, and improve wages and working hours of ironworkers