The Ten Years
The Conflict
Prelude
The Ten Years is widely cited to have begun because of Tsar Grigori II's controversial centralization policies. These policies were numerous, but the most notable in this case is the Volšbánálog(vohl-sh-bah-nah-log), a system of recruiting sorcerors born to serfs(Volškrepostnoy) into the Royal Army implemented in 428. This not only increased the military strength of House Vestrius, but eventually created a caste of returning soldiers that held influence of power and Vestrian beliefs.
After the Volšbánálog was implemented, House Soleni, backed by a coalition of smaller major houses in the south, called for a Vestrian Summit to negotiate the specifics of this act. They claimed that the Volšbánálog was an overreach of power, and many continued to recruit volškrepostnoy despite it.
A summit was called, and some exceptions were made, including allowing volškrepostnoy to join the Vestrian Church instead of the Royal Army, which for the most part placated the Church. Despite the Soleni's protests, they were only able to get a small amendment forcing the Royal Army to pay 200 kilos of silver for each serf levied.
In 430, House Vestrius created multiple bureaus to better enforce Volšbánálog and other movements towards centralization. Likely in response to this, some of the major houses in the south outlawed volškrepostnoy returning from Vestrian military service from buying land, and in some case even outlawed them. House Soleni also did as much as possible to impede these centralization bureaus.
In the six years that followed, Grigori II continued to make efforts to turn Vestria from a loose confederacy to an empire, and while these efforts often benefited citizens in the central parts of the empire, they were often to the detriment of nobility in the hinterlands to the south.
In 436, Vladimir Soleni along with a small group of southern generals led an unsuccessful coup against Grigori. While his royal guard fought off the attempt and killed or arrested most of those involved, Vladimir himself escaped back to the Red Palace in Solenia. A warrant was given for his arrest, and Ivan Soleni responded to this by stating that his brother would not be arrested.
Fighting began when Vestrian offices in Solenia were assaulted by Soleni troops, and shortly after, fighting moved to a front line along the Solenian border.
Deployment
Initially, the only front of the Ten Years was with House Soleni in the south. Fighting here began between the Solenian personal army and the Vestrian Royal Army. In 438, after two years of fighting, Solenian diplomats convinced the Grand Duchy of Baltgorod to intervene with a small expeditionary force. By 444, the bulk of the Baltic Army was fighting alongside Solenian forces. Also, in 445, the Bolotnikov Rebellion joined this front.
In 440, a militia known as the Bolotnikov Rebellion sprung up in regions of eastern Vestria occupied by Solenian forces. They formed an uneasy alliance with House Ixi to secure these regions, and together managed to set up a provisional government that lasted from 441 to 444 formally called the Vestrian Republic. In 444, House Ixi cut their military and financial support, and Chancellor Coin allowed for the Republic to be integrated into Vestria in exchange for military aid.
In 443, House Ixi, backed by the Lanthian Marines, attempted to take Darelia stage a coup for the Vestrian throne. The Vestrian Royal Army had already been alerted to the attempt by members of the Republican Army, and the coup's forces were halted outside the city. Lanthia withdrew support, and the Vestrian Royal Army were able to force House Ixi into surrender.
The Engagement
The Solenian Front
Fighting on the Solenian front lasted through the entire Ten Years. It started as a losing battle for House Soleni, but when winter arrived with no key cities captured, the Vestrian Army withdrew from their captured lands. Fighting continued this way, with the Vestrians making large pushes in the warm season, then losing it all come winter.
However, in the summer of 438, the Royal Army managed to take the port city of Beril, which had a sizeable enough port to facilitate the supplying of a large force through winter. The Solenians, now desperate to take back the city, negotiated for Baltic forces to intervene, but all this managed was to create a stalemate that was largely in the Vestrians favor.
In the winter of 444 came a campaign that would decide the victor of the war. Most of the Baltic army was now present in Solenia, and were used to the harsh winters of the south. Even so, far more men died to the winter than from Vestrian steel. Despite this, Solenian forces were able to demolish the Vestrian garrison, who hadn't expected an attack in the winter.
Eventually, the Solenian forces arrived at Beril. At this point, the Vestrian Royal Army and the Volšarmiye(The Vestrian Sorceror Corps) had returned from fighting of House Ixi's incursion, and many were stationed at the city. The battle that followed was explosive, and after a week of heavy losses, Vestrian high command authorized the Volšarmiye to utilize their sorcery to it's full extent. The city was left a ruin, with both sides taking heavy losses, but it was declared a Vestrian victory in the end.
The Vestrian Royal Army and parts of the former Republican Army pushed to Solenigrad in the last two years of the war, finally forcing the Solenians to surrender.
The Republican Front
The Vestrian Royal Army had a minute presence in Southeastern Vestria, and mostly relied on the natural border of the mountains and the local nobility to defend from an assault there. Because of this, it quickly fell to the Solenian-aligned House Lacun, who had already been preparing to strike the surrounding major and minor lords and had the support of a Solenian intervention force.
In 437, serfs and volškrepostnoy that disliked House Lacun rose up with the support of the remaining Vestrian garrisons and House Ixi to the north in what's known as the Bolotnikov Rebellion, for its leader, Petr Bolotnikov.
They established a provisional government out of Oleria, a large port city in the region and proclaimed a Vestrian Republic. Fighting continued between Republican and Pro-Solenian forces for around a year, but Solenia withdrew it's intervention force after the loss at Beril in 438.
In 444, House Ixi withdrew aid from the Republic, and facing an unstable political climate and threats of a Soleni counterattack, Chancellor Bolotnikov entered negotiations to be absorbed by Vestria. In 445, the Vestrian Republic was no more and the Republican Army had merged with the Vestrian Royal Army.
The Ixi Incursion
In 443, House Ixi, backed by the Lanthian Republic, attempted to take Darelia. What actually occurred was a battle a mile outside the city that resulted in such a bad loss that Lanthian forces were completely withdrawn. The head of House Ixi offered a conditional surrender a week later, which Vestria accepted.
Outcome
Victory in the Ten Years sparked a short-lived increase in Vestrian patriotism, especially in the capitol where the effects of the conquest were minimal. The end to certain wartime regulations also led to a brief economic boom, as people went out and spent more lavishly.
A Vestrian summit was also held, and the decision was made to pardon House Ixi for their treason, likely because Vestria had taken out large debts from them during the war, and strip Vladimir Soleni of his lands and titles.
This decision was controversial, especially among old southern nobles. Some smaller branches of House Soleni still remained, but many of the volškrepostnoy returning from Vestria took their place as landowners and lords in the south.
In the southeast, republican sentiment remained, and some towns still remained under the control of independent councils. However, when the Republic was dissolved, much of the government property was either returned to the landowners it had originally belonged to or sold off to the highest bidder. House Ixi, who was in the most financially stable position, bought up much of this land
Internationally, Vestrias main ally was Kentria, who had supported them financially throughout the war. The Lanthian Republic attempted to salvage relations, and because of their closeness with House Ixi, succeeded in maintaining the essential trade in agricultural goods, albeit with heavy tariffs. The Grand Duchy of Baltgorod was ostracized from northern diplomacy, and lost significant prestige in Sothnia.
Overall, after the war Vestria was left in a position where it had a lot of new nobles with broadly anti-south beliefs, and a republican sentiment that challenged the absolute monarchy of Grigori II. They had also spent much of their silver paying their soldiers, especially the sorceror corps, and had to take on large debts from Kentria and House Ixi.
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Belligerents
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
Strength
While House Soleni was disproportionally targeted by the Volšbánálog, they made up for their lack of sorcerors with a military that excelled in every other kind of warfare, especially winter warfare. They used their elite units and the huge numbers advantage given to them by the Grand Duchy of Baltgorod to initially overwhelm Vestria.
Casualties
Unfortunately, the Solenians strategy of attacking only when they had the advantage left them vulnerable to counterattack, especially in the warmer seasons. They also consistently suffered high casualties in the later stages of the war.
Objectives
To take Vestria for their own.
Strength
The Republic managed to recruit a sizeable amount of regular troops, and that combined with backing from House Ixi allowed it to put up a formidable fight against Soleni forces. They also had popular support which allowed them to more easily administrate their holdings.
Casualties
Objectives
To uphold stability and freedom in southeast Vestria.
Strength
House Ixi had some popular support, and the support of the Lanthian Republic, but its real strength was in its finances. Despite its loss outside of Darelia, well placed investments and bribes allowed it to continue to be relevant long after the Ten Years were over.
Casualties
The loss outside of Darelia prevented House Ixi from having any real chance of "winning" the Ten Years. The fall of the Vestrian Republic was also a great financial loss for House Ixi, but they were able to get some former government assets during the absorbtion.
Objectives
Make a profit and expand influence.
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