Niebres war

Also known as: Line war, One Line war, River war, Saint Repal's war.

The cause

During the expansion of the United High-Human Kingdoms, starting 124 AF, the Empire demanded the submission and assimilation of Niebres. As the Niebrien king Nelgo I. refused the demands (which would later earn him the Nickname "Nelgo the resilient") war was declared in spring of 129 AF. Shortly afterwards Ainsonia entered on the Niebrien side to secure their independence.

Saint Repal's wall

You are stopped by peasants defending a pile of dirt and a puddle?

— General van Rock to his officers

Being a small country with a small population, as soon as they became independent in 44 AF construction of a wall consisting of several meters of earth sandwiched between walls made of wood and clay began. If available the wall would be put in places where it was supported by natural barriers, in the case of the southern border with darnosland (part of the United High-Human Kingdoms) this barrier was the Saint Repal's river. This setup proved pretty (cost) effective and its construction and maintenance was the main job of the Niebrien army in peace times.

The fighting

General van Rock of the sixth imperial army hoped to destroy Saint Repal's wall in one catapult bombardment but because the wall acted like an artificial hill, this proved ineffective and the strategy was changed to crossing over the river and the wall. An attempt to fill up the river resulted in the flooding of two army camps and wile bridges, especially Ant Bridge, Resulted in successful attacks, they weren't enough to finally break trough.

The end

In the Autumn of 131 a passage through the Nonac mountains was discovered and expanded and as winter passed the eighth and sixth imperial Army moved westwards towards Tagiel and around Saint Repal's river. Fearing a war on home soil, King Legul II. of Ainsonia urged King Nelgo (the resilient by now) to negotiate peace.

The aftermath

Niebres and Ainsonia had to pay taxes to the Emperor and had to allow travel of "allied" armies trough their territory but would not provide an army themselves and remained largely self-governed. Still Niebres struggled to recover from losing a tenth of its population.

Picture source: https://www.timeref.com/castles/castmote.htm

Included under Conflict

Second imperial campaigns

Conflict Type

Siege

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

129 AF

Ending Date

132 AF

Belligerents

Sixth imperial Army

• United High-Human Kingdoms of the Central World

Led by

Strength

10.000

Casualties

1.894 to 1.912

Objectives

Annexation of Niebres

Niebrien peoples army

Led by

Strength

ca. 40.000

Casualties

ca. 4.200

Objectives

Defending the independence of NIebres

Royal Army of Ainsonia

Led by

Strength

4.500

Casualties

ca. 700

Objectives

Preventing a war in Ainsonia