The Great Argoan War
Part of the Codex of the Equilibric Age
The Great Argoan War was a major, continental conflict that occurred at the end of the 3rd Age of the Man, just before the Establishment of the Equilibrium. The first war of it's type, it lasted for 22 whole years, being fought both on land, at sea and in the air. The war would leave more than a 100 million dead when it ended in 167 PB after The Torhbad Accord capitulated, making it by far the deadliest war in recorded history.
The Armistice of 30 Octram 167 PB brought the fighting to a close, while the Zhongsun Peace Conference imposed various settlements on the defeated powers. The dissolution of the Urunkharian and Gotkolhian empires, as well as the concessions given by members of the Southern Alliance to eachother resulted in the creation of new independent states, among them Corgeanotia, Nunulga, Melistern and about half a dozen more. Failure to manage the instability that resulted from the upheaval during Establishment of the Equilibrium right after the war contributed to the outbreak of various revolutions of both Nationalist and Syntecratic nature, leading the the current status quo.
Prelude
The Vracnar Leak
Up until the 50's PB, it was unthinkable for many that the world, rich in all the resources needed for prosperous life, would soon come under a state of scarcity. The world had technologically and culturally been at a standstill since the latter quarter of the 2nd Age of the Man, as for 300 years, little changed in the ways of living of the peoples of the world. The notable exception, the gnomes of Gotkolh, had largely kept to themselves ever since the great technological and scientific booms of the island kingdom in the early 900's AZ. Having invented various technologies such as more powerful magical engines, effective firearms and efficient non-magical forms of healing, the gnomes for 200 years were held as the nation with the highest standard of living anywhere on West-Argo. This changed when near the end of the 50's PB, 250 years after the discovery of the new technologies, local minerals needed in the manufacture of the new magical engines ran dry, with the stocks running out quick. To sustain the Gothkolian way of living, various expeditions set out to the East Wall to find neutral lands that were rich in the needed minerals, it mostly being Pearlgold. Gotkolh dispatched mining expeditions towards the western part of the Crow's foot mountains, held by various Foul tribes. However, in the process of pacifying the locals, some of the gnomish technology fell into foreign hands near the goblin Kingdom of Vracnar, ending up in the hands of the Thenosian mercenary company Gurutze Gorria, who quickly became one of the richest companies in the then Republic of Thenos, branching out into many different engineering and gunsmithing fields.The Great Arms Race
With the coming of new technologies, namely airtravel and firearms, the race was on. With not a nation like Thenos itself, but a private company being the first on the mainland to get a hold of the new stuff, they set out to profit maximally from their finds, selling patents to numerous nations around the world. But not only would the world adopt the new machines, they would also quickly set out to improve it. With the raging of the 3rd Prabaiian-Ashari war in the south, the Bočechnian revolution in the north of Urunkhar and the Tam Huoc unification wars in the East Bank, the nations of the world set out to one up eachother, leading to more developments over the course of the century, such as the mech-golem, the glider plane, the water cooled machine gun and new non-magical fuel sources, most prominently Resuma fuel.The escalation
In the year 133 PB, the gnomish mines in the western Crows Feet mountains neared their exhaustion, with the king already looking outward for new sources. That same year, Prabai looked eastward towards the culturally prabaiian western lands of Thenos. Simultaneously, a great economic crisis around the turn of the 130's drove many people to growing political radicalism, with various nations making concessions on both internal and external political questions. With rising continental tensions, alliances were formed in case all out war would come. In 140, the Torhbad Accords were signed, initially by Urunkhar and Gotkolh, although Thenos, Kamilliutsor, Ishekerstan and Korron Quan would all join later as well. One year later Prabai, Matarat and Pon Laok signed the Southern Alliance, with Vexan, Bočechnia and Holzmark joining suit before 144. In early 145, war was inevitable. The war officially started in the early morning of the 28th of Quadran 144 PB, when Prabaiian troops crossed the border into Thenos. The Thenosians immediately opened fire, not to stop doing so for an entire generation.
Conflict Type
War
Start Date
145 PB
Ending Date
167 PB
Conflict Result
Southern Alliance victory
Belligerents
The Southern Alliance
Strength
Total Army Strength
68.670.000 infantrymen
10.800.000 cavalrymen
324.700 artillery pieces
54.000 mech tanks
Total Airfleet Strenght
185.000 paratroopers
3270 fighter planes
804 cruiser airships
42 dreadnought airships
2 carrier airships
Total Navy Strenght
152.600 marines
302 gunboats
486 river monitors
152 cruisers
52 dreadnoughts
3 aircraft carriers
Total Army Strenght
67.200.000 infantrymen
900.000 cavalrymen
624.700 artillery pieces
21.100 mech tanks
Total Airfleet Strenght
142.000 paratroopers
5270 fighter planes
1304 cruiser airships
72 dreadnought airships
6 carrier airships
Total Navy Strenght
112.900 marines
132 gunboats
151 river monitors
76 cruisers
35 dreadnoughts
2 aircraft carriers
Casualties
±51.000.000 soldiers.
±12.000.000 civilians.
±55.000.000 soldiers.
±49.000.000 civilians.
Objectives
Overall course of the war
With the war lasting for more than 2 decades and spanning nearly the whole continent, it would prove an incredible task to put down the entire war with all it's many facets. Therefore, instead of going into every single skirmish and battle on air, land and sea, instead we will look at the major developments over the course of the war, by splitting it into 3 periods; the Early War (145 PB to 150 PB), the Middle War (151 PB to 160 PB) and the Late War (161 PB - 167 PB). The Early War (145PB - 150PB)The Early War
Overview of the Early War. 145PB - 150PB
The Northern Theatre
The Invasion of Thenos
When the Prabaiian 3rd Army invaded eastern Estovia in the early summer of 144, the Thenosian border watch immediately returned heavy fire. Quickly mobilised men from the Estovian Republican Legion, a paramilitary force, managed to turn the tide and, when reinforced by the Thenosian 2nd and 3rd armies, even managed to push the Prabaiians back to the very outskirts of Zhongsun, the imperial capital, badly damaging the palace in the shelling. Yet it was there where the Thenosian advance would lose steam, as more and more Prabaiians arrived by the day from the wide stretches of the empire. Even though stiff resistance was given, by the start of 145PB the relentless assault of the numerically greatly superior Prabaiian military pushed through, quickly pushing the Thenosians back further and further. By the start of Trian 145, the Thenosian armies were pushed back to the eastern bank of the river Pontoma, just 60km from the capital of Thenohiria. It would be the start of the infamous Battles of the Pontoma, as a series of 25 battles would be fought over the cause of the next 22 years, as Prabaiians and Thenosians would battle over every inch of land over the course of a generation.The Basalmov Offensive
As the mostly Foul Folk inhabited Melisternian Basin was split between Prabai, Gotkolh and Urunkhar after the conclusion Third Order of Boron, a demonic uprising in the 90's PB, the Prabaiian Authority of Southern Melistern was for long foreseen as a potential strategical death warrant for Thenos in case if war with Prabai. Therefore, already a month after the start of the war, Urunkharian troops would march into the land together with a large host of Uruque natives. The invasion was relatively quick, although a garrison army at the cave fortress of Joijuk would prove a lengthy task for the dwarves to take. Nevertheless, by early 146 the region was taken for Urunkhar, although the fortress of Joijuk would continue to hold out until it finally fell in late 149.The Battle of Vexan
As the war would start up between Prabai and Thenos by immediate ground war, the hostilities between Vexan and Gotkolh would instead gradually ramp up. Starting off with minor skirmishes at sea and commerce raiding it would only start off proper on the 12th of Transian 146. This day, later known as "the Great Bombing of Vexan", would involve the coordinated bombing of many Vexan cities and military strongpoints, followed by an amphibious assault on the Vexan capital of Capdepód by Gotkolhian paratroopers, an until then never used strategy. Vexan, who had a severely weaker air fleet than Gotkolh, had no real answer to the relentless bombing of its cities, however it proved itself able to fight off the paratroopers and push them into the sea. Vexan would prove itself completely outmatched in the air, however on sea, the Vexan Royal Navy managed to outclass the Gotkolhians even with their air superiority, retaining the seas contested for the first part of the war, even managing to bombard a Gotkolhian fortress in the harbour of Gotkolh City itself, although that was more a symbolic victory than anything, it would foreshadow the city's fate at the end of the war.The Second Invasion of Bočechnia
The Apostolic Federation of Bočechnia originally held a stance of neutrality, yet was diplomatically pushed into the Southern Alliance by Vexan, who controlled large portions of investments in the nation. In early 148, Urunkhar would invade the nation, seeking both clear passage from the sea for logistics, as well as a way to assault Vexan by land that wouldn't lead their armies through dangerous wildlands. The invading dwarves would drive the Bočechnian and Vexan armies back to the Bočechnian capital of Krylapech, although the capital was then moved to Rhisvya in Norbatika. The Bočechnians front would hold right at the city, which would be the victim of brutal urban warfare until it's complete reconquest by Bočechnian troops in 152.The Southern Theatre
The Central Urunkharian Front
The Prabaiian invasion of central Urunkhar started in early 149, in the fourth year of the war. In a bid to cut off the logistical supplies to the southern front of Postovia, which ran across the Trans-Urunkharian Railway deep through the mountains of the East Wall. The advance however would be, as is expected for an assault in mountainous terrain, slow and deadly. The dwarves would prove themselves incredibly capable of defending their homeland mountains, with countless bunkers and minefields prepared well in advance of the war. In the first year alone, 300.000 prabaiian soldiers fell on this front, with the dwarves losing minimal casualties, although they were strategically slowly being pushed back.The Invasion of Ishkerstan
As Prabai was keen to take back the northern lands of the Qarsharan beylik of Ishkerstan back ever since its conquest during the 3rd Ashar-Prabaiian war 50 years before, with the outbreak of the Great Argoan War and the total independence of Ishkerstan from Ashar, a new chance arose to take the northern lands back without the risk of dragging Ashar into the war. In 149, Prabaiian troops crossed the Qarsharan border. With the Qarsharan Army having dug in behind the river Döldım, a relatively slow battle would ensue, which would last until 153, when Ishkerstan, tired of the war, would sign a conditional peace treaty with the Southern Alliance, ceding the northern lands to the Empire.The Postovian Front
In a bid to connect Urunkhar to the southern seas, the potential invasion of Matarat has long been on the dwarves agenda. In late 146, the time had finally come, as dwarven forces from the feudal dependencies of Postovia launched their attack into Matarat. Although the Matarati forces suffered great losses due to strategical oversight, as well as an overzealous general staff, the nation was finally able to halt the advance of the Postovians halfway through the nation along the Jamaput-Banungbaraja Line. The front would, just like in many other places, dig itself into brutal trench warfare that would last until the Late War.Tupassa's Gamble
News seldom comes from the far eastern Kingdom of Korron Quan. Mostly occupied by halflings, along with a large minority of Misans , the nation for most of its history was an isolated and largely primitive nation. In the year 138 that changed however, as the Misan explorer Mkimpsa Tupassa would lead a popular revolt against the king's cabinet and take over the reigns of state, placing the king under house arrest and proclaiming himself as acting regent. He would proceed to push industrialization, militarisation and modernism upon the country, with revanchist ideals being awakened against holders of former lands, particularly against Pon Laok. In late 147 the nation finally invaded the halfling lands using a blend of old and new technology. With armies of spear bearing warriors charging halfling towns, supported by artillery bombardments and even elephant-mounted machine guns and cannons. The sudden and fierce attack from the east came unexpected as the Confederated Kingdoms of Pon Laok only had a singular standing army that was as of present on the Postovian front. Pon Laok would fall before the year was out, with it's government fleeing to Nangang in Prabai, where they would set up an government-in-exile, while the army would continue to fight across the East Bank.The Middle War
Overview of the Middle War. 151PB - 160PB
The Northern Theatre
The Vexan Seafront
The battle on the seas and in the airspace of the Kingdom of Vexan would rage on. Although at the outbreak if the war the Gotkolhians had a vastly superior air fleet, with the study of downed Gotkolhian ships came a greater understanding of their secrets. Although the technologic gap was thinning, the island kingdom would not let the Vexans just produce such machinery, as vast bombing campaigns had started to put down most of the nations industrial capacity early in the war, leading to them producing most of their vehicles in Prabai, even adopting many of their designs outright. With a growing stockpile of airships and fighters, the Royal Vexan Airfleet would slowly succeed to reconquer their airspace, as by 156 the Vexan industry was well on its way in rebuilding their old capacities. The battle would continue to rage on and above the sea, where battling Vexan ships of water and air were reinforced by the growing power of the Bočechnian, specifically Czatzekian Navy.The Bočechnian Push
After the Bočechnian reconquest of Krylapech and the subsequent breaking of the defensive lines, the Vexan-Bočechnian forces would spare no time to capitulate on their victory. Immediately afterwards, a large offensive would be started up that would prove as one of the most successful of the war. From 152 to 156, dwarves and men would clash for control of the Land of the Lakes, with the Bočechnians liberating their land by the end, driving the dwarves back to their prewar borders. There, at the narrow isthmus near Dutivl, a Bočechnian city that Urunkhar held on to after the former colony's independence in 56 PB, the armies would both dig in, with the front not changing much until in the closing years of the war, when the Urunkharian army retreated to defend their capital.The Nunulga Offensive
In Thenos, the Pontoma Line would hold firm as both sides had dug in elaborate trench and fortress systems by now. Nicknamed the "Unbreakable Front" by soldiers from both sides, the Prabaiians would search for ways to circumvent the river altogether, eventually deciding to assault the front from the south, through the lands of Nunulga, an Urunkharian Feudal dependancy. Even though Nunulga was a mountainous land infamous for the pressence of mighty dragons. The offensive would last for 2 years between 153 and 155, in which Prabaiian fighters proved useful, but inadequate to take down the dragons of Nunulga. With stiff resistance building up in souther Thenos, the offensive was eventually blown off.The Southern Theatre
The Great Push East
With the Trans-Urunkharian Railway proving to be a leading factor in the Matarati Front, Prabai decided in 152 that it's current efforts on the Central Urunkharian Front did not suffice to the huge strategical importance of the target. To combat this, they massively upped the presence of troops in the region, pulling troops from other operations in the south, combined with a new wave of conscription. With more than a million troops assembled, in the spring of 153 the Prabaiians launched the Great Push East. The battle, which would rage both and land as in the air, would prove to be a horridly slow offensive, with the East Wall mountains proving to be huge obstacles the dwarves were well versed in overcoming. The offensive would prove to be the longest continuing offensive after the Pontoma battles, with the fighting raging on until autumn 160, when the railway was destroyed.Liberation of Pon Laok
It was in late 153 that the Prabaiian government, having recovered in the south from the war with Ishkerstan, could redirect the troops from the reconquered northern provinces to start up an offensive against Tupassa and his Korronian armies. With support of the exiled Free Pon Laok Army and the exiled government, in early 154 the offensive would start. The Korronian troops, heavily outgunned by a technologically superior foe were forced to start falling back after 4 months of heavy combat at the border. With the fall of the border however, the trouble would only begin, as the fanatical troops of Korron Quan would fight tooth and nail for every village, leading to a long yet mostly one-sided offensive. As the Prabaiian-Laokian forces had a greatly superior fighting force, yet wanted to keep own casualties to a minimum, the offensive was mostly fought not with the rifle, but with the howitzer and the airship, reducing the halfling lands to rubble in the process. Yet in 157, the liberation would be complete after nearly a decade of occupation, with the Tupassa's government falling one year later.The Late War
Overview of the Late War. 160PB - 167PB
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