Floria–Shireroth diplomatic conflict

Floria–Shireroth diplomatic conflict
Date 1721 – 1723 Location Floria & Kildare Status Concluded Florian fortification buildup on Kildarian borders. Florian relations strained with the rest of the pact. Increased anti-Floria and anti-Raspur Pact demonstrations across Shireroth.
Parties
Floria	Shireroth (Kildarian Provinces) Supported by:  Natopia  Nouvelle Alexandrie

Background

Events

Greater Floria tweet

The tweet by Florian President Isabelle Chopin.

In 1722 AN, a tweet of Florian president Isabelle Chopin created an outrage in Shireroth, especially among the population of the Greater Kildarian Dominions:

"It is clear why the SDP is no longer in charge of our nation. They lacked the vision to take Floria forward and inevitably failed in their bid to fully remove sanctions from our successful mission in creating a Greater Floria".

The tweet by the sitting president was seen as a provocation and intent to further claim territories of its respective Raspur Pact allies, Shireroth and Natopia. The Thuylemans Government in Shireroth condemned the tweet and Minister Li described it as "either foolish, or aggressive. But given the track record of the Florians, most likely both". The Natopian government similarly condemned the tweet, with a Court of Vista de Nada spokesperson stating "surely this must be the usual Florian bloviation, but it is all the more concerning coming directly from their President". Natopia stated that it will review and reconsider its ties to Floria in light of the tweet.

Florian officials were quick to deny the allegations of aggression especially towards another member of the Raspur Pact branding the allegations ridiculous and the tweet was simply just demoralising a major opposition party within Floria's borders. Florian Secretary of State Mark Russell in a statement said "You must be pretty foolish to believe that we'd actually have the intention to taking an inch of Shireroth as a largely influencal member of the Raspur Pact. This tweet was targeted towards the pathetic domestic policy from the Social Democrats which the Florians thought would change the country for the better. Maybe instead of taking offence to a simple tweet maybe you should sort your problems with Verionists who plague your great nation..."

Rape of Xhusovo riots

In 1723 AN, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the war and the Benacian Union state visit to Floria, a social media and press campaign supported by the World Humanist Organisation, began in support of a petition for the mass pardoning of personnel involved in the attempted invasion of Xhusovo. This petition triggered a hostile response from many individuals - especially the Jing officials - in the Shirerithian government. Large scale protests against Humanists erupted in several Greater Kildarian cities, with their party officials being harassed and treated like traitors.

This was - rather hypocritical for a nation claiming lands of its neighbouring ally - seen as a last straw for Florian officials who came to a decision that the Shireroth which rekindled with after the War was gone and underwent temporary border closure with the Kildarian border and defensive military buildup. As usual, the Florians were a bit too slow to notice that the border had already been closed at Shirerithian side to keep Florian extremists and terrorists out.

Build up of Florian forces

In the aftermath of the Jing instigated anti-Humanist riots in Greater Kildare, which appeared to have the tacit support of the administration in the Eastern Imperium, elements of the Confederate States Armed Forces were observed to be moving towards the Kildarian frontier.

These formations would necessarily belong to Army Group West and the Home Army, the former with responsibility for the defence of that portion of Floria which historically bordered onto Jingdaoese territory and the latter having responsibility for the defence of Northcliff, the Confederate capital.

Shirerithian demarche

On 18.IV.1723 AN a stern demarche was issued by the Imperial Government in Shirekeep addressed to its Florian counterparts in Northcliff.

Subsequent to this communique, BUDF and Natopian Defense Force monitoring satellites began to notice unusual patterns of activity around cantonments controlled by Imperial Forces cantonments in the Eastern Imperium.

Lors Bakker-Kalirion was subsequently dispatched by the Benacian Union to Northcliff in order to develop an appreciation of the circumstances on the ground whilst the Benacian legate in Shirekeep was directed to attend upon the Imperial Court after the rhetoric of the Steward led to concerns in Chryse over the possibility for an escalation into hostilities. The Commission for Foreign Affairs, on the basis of the findings it received, offered its services to both parties as a mediator.

The response of Louis Thuylemans to a Benacian proposal of temporary Natopian custodianship of Apollonia Command, presented to the Joint Military Council of the Raspur Pact in Lindstrom, was both a strident rejection and a forthright attack on the present configuration of the Pact and Shireroth's place within it. The the Benacian Union's abrupt refusal to make the transfer of the military theater from Floria to Shireroth, further increased tensions between the the Shirerithian administration and the Benacian Union (this happened after the Thuylemans government had previously accused the Union of influencing and directly supporting political parties). The 1723 Shirerithian general elections therefore saw for the first time widespread anti-Raspur rhetoric, with several parties in favor of abandoning the Pact.

Treaty breaks and eventual resolution

After the rejection of temporary Natopian control of the Apollonia Command, Floria would eventually cool down its hostilities towards the Kildarian people of Shireroth. Whilst fortifications of the border continued to be built the Florian Government admitted that it was wrong to impose sanctions on its own ally despite the complicated history between the two.

The Government also believed that reunification of the Florian Free State (which Florians consider to be largely neglected) with the mainland would be made more difficult. Shireroth would have rejected any proposal of its land to be ceded to Floria to connect the two and Natopia were already on edge with Floria introducing Anti LGBT+ laws.