Ilonin Wars

Prelude

The Age of Peace is Over. We will topple every Oppressor, liberate every People, and spread Liberty to all Lands. The Age of Peace is Over, the Age of War has begun and I shall not rest until Judgement come upon every Tyrant - Emperor Ilon III, 1597

60 Years had passed since the Paišan Wars in a time known as the Long Peace. This Long Peace had been the great undertaking of great statesman such as Olian Emperor, Pastinai III, but by now these statesman had long gone and tensions that been boiling for decades but had been cleverly resolved were coming to the surface such as the enduring Issue of Paiša where some recent laws had been passed which negatively effected Olian Merchants and Peoples on the Island along with the Church of Oltos. This was a direct violation of the Peace of Paron which protected the rights of Olians and the Church of Oltos on the Island.
The Local Governor had acted independently without the approval of the central government but when the Olians asked for the repeal of the laws and the return of all property confiscated, the Vakon State, instead of backing down and trying to find a compramise, callously responded it would be too difficult an undertaking as a result the Olians declared War on the Vakon for breaking the Peace of Paron bringing to an end 60 years of Peace and beginning more than four decades of Violence.

History

Fourth Paišan War (1597 - 1600)

The Fourth Paišan ironically not usually included in the Paišan Wars due to the Long Peace despite its name being more associated with the late rather than early-mid Olian Republican Era. Troops in North Silinia were mustered in force for the first time in over two generations and hence the initial process of gathering troops was slow. During this time, his fleet lost a decisive battle at the Battle of the Moon Strait which shook initial confidence in the war effort in the Olian Camp.
The Empire of Deronia joined the Olians in attacking the Vakon in an attempt to gain concessions in territory on the Deronisi-Vakoni Border. The Olian and Deronisi Armies marched their way towards the Vakon Capital of Konylon where the Vakoni had gathered an army of 40,000 Men in the time it took the Allied Armies to get there with about an equal number of Troops of about 30,000 Olians and 15,000 Deronisi.
They would engage at the nearby town of Kysumon where Ilon III first showed his tactical brilliance by surrounding almost the entire Vakon Army of 35,000 sent to Kysumon. The remaining Troops retreated to Konylon while the Vakon Government panicked and decided to retreat to Kelparon. Unfortunately for them, an unexpected storm hit killing many officials and the treasury heavily hampering any future war effort. Upon hearing of the news, the Inexperienced and Panicked Garrison at Konylon surrendered the city over.

No Battle in all the Wars that Ilon III fought was more Important than at Kysumon ... It was at Kysumon where the course of Northern Silinia was Set - King Avaupas I, 1686

An Olian Army of only 15,000 this time would continue North as they braved the harsh winters and mud but eventually they managed to encounter the Vakoni Army of 20,000. The Olians caught the Vakon with surprise when they attacked in the Middle of an Winter Storm leading to the Vakon Troops to disintegrate into the distance leaving the city of Kelparon without any defenders, this is known as the Battle of the White.
The Vakon Government offered Terms which turned into the Treaty of Avan which handed over Paiša to the Olians and a number of towns and villages on the Border to the Deronisi. The Vakon Government was also pressured into being forced to sell a number of its ships to the Olian Navy and pay some war concessions. With this the Fourth Paišan War had come to an end without any fighting on Paiša itself but Ilon III was not done with war yet.

First Deronisi War (1603)

After the Fourth Paišan War, the Olian Army went home but Ilon III did not end there. He had heard reports of the displacement of Olians in the western villages and towns of Deronia. The Lesser House was not to pursue war against a recent ally but Ilon's supporters won out and pressured the Emperor of Deronia who refused to step in.

Why should I only punish oppression done in Paiša but not punish that done in Deronia - Emperor Ilon III to the Lesser House, 1602

With this refusal by the Deronisi Emeperor, the armies on both sides were re-mustered and war began. The War was no contest in reality. At the Battle of Péro, only a few months into the war, the 20,000 Deronisi sent to stop the 25,000 Olians but instead were utterly routed. This happened again when the Deronisi sent a new relief force to end the Siege of Valis but instead lost the entire army of this time 25,000 sent against the Olians. With such massive defeats in less than a year, the Emperor gave into Olia's Demands, at the Treaty of Valis, of Western and North-Western Deronia with a massive pay-out to their former Olian Subjects.

Second Deronisi War (1605 - 1611)

The Deronisi Nobles had begun a revolt against what they saw to be an incompetent Monarch who had in less than a year lost a large amount of Deronia's Territory. The Rebellion began in 1604 but it was not until 1605 when Olian Troops marched their way into the country to help crush the rebels in the name of the Emperor of Deronia. Unfortunately the Emperor instead allied with the Rebels against the Olian Invaders beginning the Second Deronisi War which would last much longer than the first.
The Deronisi believed like 75 years ago they would be able to easily beat back the Olian Forces but unfortunately they proved to be wrong. Ilon III first divided the Rebel and Emperor's Forces at the Battles of Miris and Rodum. It was at the Battle of Rodum that he encountered the first ever use of Gunpowder which proved to be quite deadly against his Troops. He corrected this at the second Battle of Rodum where he decisively crushed the Rebel Forces by luring their Pikeman out of Formation using his F'domisi Light Cavalry allowing his Heavy Cavalry to sweep away the Musketmen.
In 1607, he had finished sieging down the Capital of Valis taking the city. This recent development concerned the Vakon and they decided to raise an Army of 15,000 Men to move into support the Deronisi in the war effort. Ilon's Army moved down the Ava and reached Avan which they put under siege. They then encountered a 27,000 strong Deronisi Army. His 20,000 Troops under his command would however still manage to outmanoeuvre and capture the entire force at the Battle of Misyn which was repeated again at the Second Battle of Misyn to the 15,000 Vakoni Troops but this time preformed by only 9,000 Olians.

With these Defeats in Deronia, none stand to stop the Olians from plunging the World into Violence which we will not see the end of in our Lifetimes - Kalon Pasalan, 1608

With this defeat, the Vakon agreed to leave the War and withdrew its remaining Troops back to Konylon. The city of Avan would fall in 1610 after a lengthy two year siege which bought time for the Deronisi to recapture Valis. 20,000 Olian Soldiers moved south where the Rebels denied any battle instead harassing their supply lines. The Olians would recapture Valis in 1611 with heavy casualties. With the fall of Valis, the Olians sent demands to the Deronisi demanding all lands west of the Ava River.
The Rebels discussed among themselves and realising that they could not win and that any further war would only lead to further suffering and financial losses they agreed. At the Treaty of Misyn, the terms were concluded and Olia expanded even further for a third time in the last decade and a half.

F'domisi Revolt/Third Deronisi War (1612 - 1615)

The F'domisi revolted against the Olians after increasing conscription and taxation due to the recent decade of conflict. The F'domisi Tribal Peoples who many Olians considered as Barbaric and not given representation in the Lesser House or Greater House which created greater resentment between the Government and the Tribal Peoples. The Tribal Peoples began raiding southern Olian Settlements, the F'domisi Light Cavalry in Army began deserting upon hearing of the revolt.
When news of desertions and rebellion reached the courts of Vakonia and Deronia, they raised armies against Olia in support of the Rebels. The situation seemed fraught. Ilon III set a trap for the mutinous F'domisi and defeated them at the Battle of the Kyvis Valley. He them moved to defeat the Vakon at the Battle of Evus allowing him to once again surround Konylon which he sieged for the next year. When spring came, the city surrendered and he moved to face the Deronisi who retreated from their siege of Avan upon hearing the fall of Konylon.
Ilon III sent terms to Vakon where he returned Konylon in return for Trade and Monetary Concessions. Ilon with his 25,000 men went south to face a Deronisi Army of only about 15,000. He surrounded the Army around Valis between his army and his garrisons on the otherside of the Ava River. The poorly trained and disciplined Deronisi Troops began to scatter as hunger took over the army and as winter came. The Mercenary Force either deserted or defected to Ilon's Army. It soon became clear who had won and at the Treaty of Valis, Ilon III was made the new Emperor of Deronia; the Empire was reorganised similar to the Empire of Olia but the Emperor held more significant power than in Olia.

The survival of Republican Governance is reliant on the existence of fellow Republics and the death of Absolutism. Livestock cannot live among Wolves - Emperor Ilon III to the Lesser House, 1617

With his foreign enemies defeated he moved west to face the F'domisi armies which had gathered around Masan. At the Battle, his Heavy Cavalry and Infantry were too slow to face the Light Horse Archers but the Light Horse Archers were too weak to face in open combat leading to a stalemate. Ilon III offered terms to satisfy the F'domisi Leadership offering representation in the Lesser House, greater overall autonomy, and greater freedom from taxation.

Sabir War (1620 - 1626)

For a while it seemed as if the Ilonin Wars had ended as the Lesser House refused to grant funds for any further campaigns by Ilon III. They disbanded the army among other things. Ilon III was being an obstructionist, vetoing large amounts of legislation proposed by the Lesser House until he got his way, the Lesser House offered army reforms, a small professional army, etc but Ilon III for 5 years refused to budge. Finally they approved a campaign against the Kingdom of Sabis over the Pyralo which the Sabir had taken from the Empire of Deronia in 1608.
As Emperor of Deronia, Ilon III or Ilon I in Deronia, gathered his armies from both Olia and Deronia and marched into the Pyralo amounting to about 45,000 men in total. In Sabis he faced the first Gunpowder Army he had ever faced and it would be the greatest challenge of his career. At the Battle of Avalo he defeated a smaller army of about 12,000 men but at higher casualties than expected especially among his Heavy Cavalry. Additionally the army had retreated in good order and suffered few casualties themselves.
Seeing the effectiveness of the Sabir Army, he avoided them instead manoeuvring around them by splitting his army into three. The three forces cut supply lines, poisoned water sources, destroyed farms, etc. The Sabir Commander with about 35,000 men of his own failed to lure any of the forces out of position as they ever eluded him and always retreated back into the Pyralo whenever it seemed he had trapped them.
The Sabir Army decided to army into Deronia, Ilon III rallied his armies back to Avalo to prevent the Attack. The Sabir Army managed to find out about the reassembling of the Army and managed to ambush one of the Forces capturing the whole force at the Battle of Sypyr. With that the Olians were now outnumbered losing about 10,000 Men among those lost to attrition. The War was only in its 2nd Year and things were looking grim. Using ammunition and arms he had found he formed a Regiment of Musketmen. This angered the Heavy Cavalry but he went through with it anyways training them with rigour through the winter and spring. As spring turned to summer he moved south into Sabir once again.

The Adoption of the Firearm into the Olian Army is absolutely essential, if the Army falls behind, the State will fall behind, and all the Republican Values we hold dear will Die - Emperor Ilon III to the Lesser House, 1640

The Sabir Army had gathered around the city of Pyrum which they had heavily fortified. Ilon III and his army moved to face it despite being outnumbered. He split his army into two sending 20,000 to try to surround the city, when the Sabir Army saw this they moved to engage the smaller force with 25,000 men of their own. The Olians and Sabisi formed their lines for battle. The Olian normal infantry were forced back by the muskets with little counter. On the left flank where the Musketmen had been placed upon Ilon III's orders then fired. This lead to confusion among the Sabir ranks who had never seen the Olians use firearms, as the second volley came the Pikemen had become disorganised which allowed the Olian Cavalry to crash in from the left unlike the right flank as they usually did.
The Sabir Army collapsed with the elite troops which had been placed on the right flank being captured. The Sabir force of 25,000 only about 7,000 remained. the 17,000 in Pyrum were sieged down and eventually surrendered to Olian Arms by the end of 1622. The War seemed to have turn, the next year the Olians moved north to take the capital of Kosyvum. The Sabir had been desperately trying to assemble an army over the winter which they could only assemble about 15,000 mostly mercenary men to defend Kosyvum.
The Olians had surrounded the city with their 25,000 men and had bribed about 1/3 of the Defenders. The Battle seemed to be an easy victory. At about noon, the Heavy Cavalry was supposed to sweep in and crush the Defenders using the holes in the defences but the Heavy Cavalry Units resentful over the use of firearms and smaller disputes refused to move instead standing idlely allowing their Mercenary arllies to be forced from the defences. By the time Ilon tried to send in the Light Cavalry, the assault had failed.
For the whole year, the Heavy Cavalry refused to cooperate while Ilon III failed to break the city of Kosyvum no matter what he tried. In the end as winter was coming and increasing supply issues, Ilon III was forced to retreat from the city.

The Army is the State, if the Army cannot protect and enforce the State then there is no State. As so the greatest threat to the Army and hence the State is the Heavy Cavalry - Emperor Ilon III to the Lesser House, 1624

For the next two years, there were indecisive conflicts between a renewed Sabir Army and the Olian Army but neither side could achieve much. In 1625, the F'domisi and Deronisi revolted once again. With the situation so dire, Ilon III finally gave in and disbanded the regiments of musketmen he had created. Finally at the Battle of Marium, he defeated the Sabisi Army at heavy losses and marched and once again surrounded Kosyvum. He negotiated a peace with the King of Sabis. He negotiated the creation of a lesser and greater house and a constitution, which provided Religious Freedom, Right to Trial among other Liberties, but in which the King held greater power than in Olia. Sabis was also raised to the rank of an Empire from Kingdom. The Sabisir were forced to make some small territorial concessions in the Pyralo and monetary tribute to the Olian State. With that the longest of the Ilonin Wars had ended.

Nothing exposed the flaws of the Republic greater than the War in Sabis. An uncooperative army reluctant to change with the times, a bickering and petty Lesser and Greater House unable to support the state, an able Monarch but without the ability to enforce his will, and enemies always ready to destroy it given a chance - King Ilon I to the Lesser House, 1806

Second F'domisi War/Fourth Deronisi War (1625 - 1627)

As the war in Sabis came into its 6th year, many in Deronia saw this as an opportunity to crush the Olians and free themselves from oppression once and for all. Unfortunately the revolt never really caught on among the tired Deronisi Nobility and People and using his Sabisi Mercenaries armed with firearms and his great Heavy Cavalry he crushed the smaller rebel forces.
At home, the F'domisi had not received the benefits promised by the Lesser House and after 6 years of broken promises they revolted. Ilon III stood with the F'domisi and sent them a long list of demands else he would refuse to engage the F'domisi. The Lesser House agreed to the demands which included the acceptance of the special status of Deronia as under the direct management of the Crown, the provisions provided to the F'domisi, etc. The F'domisi and Olians then met up where the F'domisi upon hearing of the agreement dispersed.

Lance Mutiny (1627)

After negotiating with the F'domisi, a problem which had been brewing for a while came to a boiling point. The Sabisi Mercenaries had proven a valuable asset but they were resented especially by the Heavy Cavalry for their use of Firearms. The Heavy Cavalry as such decided to revolt in what is known as the Lance Mutiny. The Mutiny involved the Heavy Cavalry attacking Olian troops and towns until their demands were met. The Lesser House not wanting a civil war forced Ilon III to give into their demands even when groups of Mutineers were defeated in a series of engagements with Ilon's Forces.

If things will continue on this way, I say that all the work I have accomplished in these 30 years will be undone less than 30 years from my death - Ilon III reacting to the Lance Mutiny, 1627

Following this there would be no further wars as the Lesser House withheld as many funds as it could from the Crown to prevent Ilon III from using the funds to maintain the army. Without funds the Crown could not run the government and instead the Great House and Lesser House established their own Ministerial Positions stealing more power away as well as finding a way to block the Crown's veto. With this 8 years of peace would be established.

Fall of the Third Vakon (1635 - 1639)

The Vakon recovering from the Third Deronisi War had begun rebuilding their fleet in violation of the Treaty they had signed. A renewed Vakon posed a threat to Olia and hence Ilon III was finally given the go ahead to lead a campaign into Vakonia. Ilon III was in his 80s by the time this happened and he was more hands off during this campaign. In response to the military build-up in Olia, the Vakon preemptively attacked Paiša with about 50,000 men. The Olians managed to assemble with generous donations about 60,000 men in total.
20,000 were sent to take Konylon while 40,000 prepared to fight the Vakoni on Paiša. The Vakon Army surrounded Paron by land and sea. Ilon III had managed to smuggle a group of fire arms and used them at the Battle of Paron using them against the Vakoni who had never seen fire arms and hence panicked allowing his F'domisi Light Cavalry armed with Lances taken from the Heavy Cavalry to crush the Vakoni Line. They surrounded most of the force, 30,000 Vakoni were captured.
The Lesser House wanting to prevent another Lance Mutiny forced Ilon III to hand over the firearms. Ilon III then made his way to Konylon where he and the troops there took the city once again. He then marched further north but supply issues began to mount so he had to leave most of the army behind only taking 20,000 men north. Ilon III called for Naval Support which the Lesser House obliged, the Navy despite being inferior in number and quality managed to defeat the Vakoni Fleet at the Battle of the Gulf of Konylon.
The Vakoni regrouped in the port of Kelparon currently under siege by the Olians, the Harbour's small passage provided safety from attack. The Olian Admiral sent two ships sent in the Vakoni sent ships to block the way, the two ships rammed into the Vakoni Ships, the Ships were trapped unable to move. When the dust cleared from the Combat, the plan had become cleared. The narrow passage which had provided safety now trapped a large number of the Vakoni Fleet inside the Harbour.
Attempts from smaller forces tried to break the Olian Ships but failed, the Olian Army continued to get supplies and siege continued. By the next year with supplies running low, the Vakon agreed to a settlement with the Olians but the Army revolted and killed the diplomats rejecting the terms and electing their own Owen. The siege stretched on into another year and when the Olians finally broke through the walls they utterly sacked the city.

The city was utterly burned from port to wall, every inhabitant regardless of rank was looted or killed. None were spared from the horror. The walls and towers were torn down... Kelparon the Proud was no longer a city - An account by a Vakoni Nobleman, 1639

The Vakoni Government was utterly replaced with Ilon III as the new Emperor of Vakoni under a constitutional Government centred in Konylon. A constitution was put in place along with a heavy tribute and reparations. The entire fleet was destroyed and walls of all major cities were torn down. It was the utter destruction of the Third Vakon.

Legacy

Ilon III in his long reign could have established a renewed 60 years of peace and prosperity but instead he decided to plunge Northern Silinia into a Dark Age of Violence and the Death of the very Republican Values of which he praised - The Time of Revolution: The History of Man

The Legacy of the Ilonin Wars is complicated. The Ideas of Olian Liberty, Religious Freedom, Judicial System, Constitutionalism, and Protections for the People are all legacies of Ilon III and his conquests but his wars and the peaces he enforced would undermine the nations of the surrounding regions creating a century of chaotic violence which would undermine many of the Republican Values he tried to spread. He left millions dead in his conquest in civilian and militant lives.
Many states would learn from the wars about the importance of manoeuvre and Gunpowder in warfare but the Olian State never learned the Latter rather they deluded themselves in the belief that the wars had shown the superiority of the lance over the gun and it would not be until the Second Kingdom in which Gunpowder was finally adopted by the Army. The Standing Army which Ilon III accidentally created was another idea which could help Modernise Northern Silinian Warfare.
He was honoured by the Second Kingdom of Olia which saw him as a Great Monarch who expanded Olian Influence but was undermined by the Houses and idea which remains in Olia to this day while in the rest of Northern Silinia he is often seen as a cruel delusional at best idealist conqueror who subjugated and slaughtered their peoples leading to hunger and famines across the region.
The Ideas of Olian Liberty and Philosophy would influence Sabir Intellectuals and Thinkers for the next centuries. It was there the ideas of Sabir Liberty and the ideologies they created such as Presidential Democracy, Communism, Nationalism, and the like found in the greatest book of the age, The Time of Revolution: The History of Man. These Ideas would influence the ideas which would dominate the 20th Century and lead to greater rights for many.

Start Date

1597

Ending Date

1639