War of Mondesian Liberation

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War of Mondesian Liberation
The Storish Air Force bombs Antica
The Storish Air Force bombs Antica
Date 29 December 2005 – 24 January 2006
Location Terre des Riches
Result Antican victory
  • Treaty of York: Terre des Riches leased to Antica
Belligerents
Antica Babkha

Natopia
Stormark
Aryez

Commanders and leaders
Maggern

Nick Foghorn Leghorn
Steven of Antica
Octavius Me

Ardashir Khan Osmani

Muhammad al-Baqir
Yuri Zhivago
Sarlashger Kerim Pasha
Aryeztur Mejorkhor

The War of Mondesian Liberation was a recwar fought by the Republic of Antica and the Kingdom of Babkha between December 29/30, 2005 and January 24, 2006. Its name derives from the Mondesians, a people subjugated after a Babkhan-led invasion of their homeland of South Mondesia in 2002 led to their subsequent annexation by Shireroth and eventual disappearance altogether. Their alleged slave status was used as the casus belli by Antica against Babkha.

Lead-up

The two great continents of the west and east lie separated by a sea, and within the middle of this sea lies Babkha. To the south of Babkha, the waters are icy, stormy, iceberg-laden, and menaced by the mysterious Lemurians. Thus, almost all of the rich trade between hemispheres is channelled through the Dyre Straits just to Babkha's north. Here, the calm and friendly seas are filled with cargo ships from Terre d'Riches bringing its endless supplies of gold and grain back to the Babkhan motherland. Here, Babkhan silver, Stormarkian gems, and Karnali coal all pass on their way to their destinations. Here, the wealth of the world gets ferried from the nameless mines and farms where it is produced to bustling metropoli like Kamalshahr, Scheheradze, and Tara.

It is not surprising that countries have grown rich off of this trade; they could hardly do otherwise. Babkha wistfully remembers the times when the strait belonged to them alone, but with era of the Grand Commonwealth, they had to concede certain rights of passage to their allies.

Just north of the Straits, Antica had been steadily growing for many years, in spite of the travails of their revolution and civil war. Their economy was booming, and their navy, at least in their own eyes, was second to none. But their ships had few enough developed ports, and Shireroth and the Grand Commonwealth controlled the areas just outside their waters. The Anticans played their cards brilliantly in their rise to Great Power status, but the Dinarchs stumbled, alienated their peoples and invited in a foreign power to shore up their own position. The Republicans struggled valiantly to recover their lost power and prestige – a great expansion into the wilderness had been undertaken to compensate for the loss of most of the motherland. However, one step remained - the acquisition of a well-placed seaport from which their goods could pass to distant lands and their fleets command the world's waterways.

After the Shirerithian annexation of the Dinarchy of Antica, the Republic of Antica was on the offensive to gain more territory. As it could not attain the former Dinarchian lands in the west, they set their eyes south, to the region of Terre de Riches, seized by Babkha from Eblis after its war with Sennar and developed into a major Grand Commonwealth possession. The official reason for the invasion, though, was to liberate the Mondesian slaves from Babkhan mastery. They knew that Babkha, long their chief rival, depended for its stability on regular shipments of food and Mondesian slaves from their colony. They knew that it was the perfect base for Babkha and the Grand Commonwealth to flaunt its ability to launch a surprise attack on Antica. And they knew that its seaports were among the best in the world, and could offer them unparalleled access to the Dyre Straits and the riches it could bring them.

Just prior to the Jaris War the Babkhans reorganized Terre d'Riches, making it part of the Palestina Territories. There was a large class of former petty lords and bureaucrats who are not happy about one or another facet of the reorganization. It was from this background discontent that the Anticans were to recruit many Mondesian supporters who would make the Antican invasion seem like an intervention on behalf of a Mondesian revolt.

Unfortunately the Anticans carefully planned revolt was overtaken by events on the ground. The circumstances are obscure but it appears that the Antican Revolution had a strong impact on the despised Mondesian slave caste whose blood shores up the tottering military and industrial complex in the Babkhan realm. After listening to one too many speeches by Steven, the Antican Speaker, replayed over their illegal transistor radios it appears that a chain gang in Norwich killed their Babkhan overseer and sparked off a grass roots revolt that affected several cities and towns in Terre d’Riches. Only with great resolve and ruthlessness did the Babkhan commander in the region, Sarlashger Kerim Pasha.

Kerim ruled with an iron fist from York overseeing the so-called Court of Blood, which attempted to purge the Mondesian population of any who show any sign of intellect or assertiveness, Speaker Steven found himself presented with a golden opportunity, a chance, in his last month in office to galvanise the nation and secure his legacy by giving the Republic one of its most deeply cherished strategic objectives, and all the prosperity that will bring – all done in the name of liberty and the spreading of the revolution among the downtrodden slaves of the Shah.

When Babkhan commandos seized a radio station outside Caerulea and started transmitting pro-Babkhan propaganda to the people of Phedodah, the leaders of Antica decided proper action had to be taken. The radio station had to be reclaimed and Terre des Riches neutralized. Already, they realized the war had to be swift. Terre des Riches had to be invaded, fortified and pacified before Babkha could call on the entire Grand Commonwealth. Preparations for a mobilization were then taken.

In the days before the beginning of the war, a substantial buildup of forces in the area was conducted, with two hundred thousand Antican patriots were mustering on the border with Terre d’Riches. Against this the Babkhans could only raise a paltry force of colonial soldiers, veterans of the Jaris War to be sure but still more experienced in the art of intimidating natives than fighting any real war. Due to the remoteness to the mainland of Babkha the Republic of Antica was able to raise more troops and get better starting positions than the Babkhan Army.

OOBs and Commanders

Antica

THE ARMY OF ANTICA (Mobilized troops):

  • The Naval Infantry (1,000 men), deployed to Nafticon
    • Commander: Commander Nick Foghorn
  • The Antican 2nd "Viking Berserker" Army (ca. 80,000 men), deployed oustide Caerulea
    • Commander: Lt. Gen. Maggern
  • The Antican 3rd "Conquistador" Army (ca. 80,000 men), deployed in the northeast
    • Commander: Lt. Gen. Olorix/Gen. Steven (command transferred)
  • The Antican 4th Army (ca. 50,000 men), deployed in the south
    • Commander: Brig. Gen. Careless Non-Sequitur/Lt. Gen. Maggern (command transferred)

THE NAVY OF ANTICA:

  • Republican Carrier Group (1 carrier, 4 support vessels and 1 submarine), deployed to Nafticon
    • Commander: Commander Chrimigules

THE AIR FORCE OF ANTICA:

  • Carrier Air Group, deployed to R.A.S. Olympic

Babkha and Allies:

THE ARMY OF BABKHA:

  • The Royal Hattayian Army (ca. 48,000 men), deployed on Babkhan mainland
    • Commander: Grand Vizier Muhammad al-Baqir
  • The Army of Terre des Riches (ca. 52,000 men), deployed to various parts of Terre des Riches, includes city militias
    • Commander: Sarlashger Kerim Pasha
  • Fedayeen Ardashir (ca. 25,000 men), deployed at Richmond
    • Commander: Yuri Zhivago

THE NAVY OF BABKHA:

  • Mithras Carrier Group (2 carriers, 7 support vessels and 2 submarines), deployed to Sahansari-Tara

THE AIR FORCE OF BABKHA:

  • 11th Tactical Air Force (150 fighters), deployed to York
  • Carrier Air Groups, deployed to GCS Taoiseach and HMS Azad

EXPEDITIONARY CORPS:

  • Aryezi Envoy (ca. 4,000-5,000 men), deployed at Aryezi mainland
  • Stormarkian Envoy (ca. 72,000 men), deployed at Stormark mainland:
    • The Corps of Nidaros, Frigga Island, Borgarthing, Frostathing of the Army of Stormark
    • The 5th and 6th Bomb Wings of the Air Force of Stormark
    • The Thurisaz Carrier Group (1 carrier, 4 support vessels and 1 **submarine)
    • Carrier Air Group (60 fighters), deployed to HIMS Rogaland

Initial Action

The first shots of the war were fired by the Antican and Babkhan navies and air forces. The Republican Carrier Group and the Babkhan Mithras Carrier Group both understood the importance of open sea-lanes through the Dyre Straits and so they both steamed into the straits and begun hunting for each other. While fighters from the carriers battled for air superiority, bombers chased after the capital ships. In addition, the powerful batteries of the battlecruisers and other support ships thundered at each other.

Antican propaganda flyer dropped over Terre des Riches

Meanwhile, planes from the R.A.S Olympic managed to sneak through the Babkhan air fighter defences and dropped their cargo of propaganda flyers over eastern Terre des Riches. The posters encouraging Mondesian slaves to rise against their masters and march for Chesterfield, where Antican soldiers would meet them and arm them to join the fight for freedom.

On December 31, the Naval Infantry of Antica under commander Foghorn set sail using spare transport vessels and silently moved through the Jaris Strait. Careful not to be discovered as they were virtually defenseless against the powerful combat vessels of Babkha. Two days later, at 09:00 hours they landed at Tippecanoe, an island just to the northeast of Chesterfield. Once all troops had disembarked, a preliminary base was set up and further operations were planned.

Invasion

On December 30, the first major army movements were performed: the invasion of Terre des Riches was underway. The 2nd Army under Lt Gen Maggern, stationed outside Caerulea started moving south. The first target was the medium-sized city of Norwich which lay just on the other side of the border; an imminent and logic first priority. The plan was to enforce a siege on the city and choke it to death, as the Republican High Command had asked that the city core would be spared from too much bombardment. When the armored formations started moving around the city, the forces were suprised by light Babkhan artillery bombardment from the Royal Norwich Brigade. Antican intelligence had plotted the force further south, so the imminent meet with them took Maggern completely by suprise. Nontheless, the armoured formations of the 2nd Army managed to drive at full speed around the city, while masses of infantry were sent into the suburbs to crack down on the city militia. It was now the Babkhans turn to be suprised. The speed of the attack and the siege was so high that the Royal Norwich Brigade got pinned down inside Norwich together with the militia. Something had to be done. It was decided to mass together everything they had and launch a desperate breakout-manoeuver through the soft infantry flanks of the 2nd Army. This succeeded with too much difficulty, and the 2nd Army had to face the fact that they lost the chance to destroy this unit. Not too long after the breakout, organized resistance in Norwich ended and the 2nd Army could declare the city under Antican control. Entirely controlled the city wasn't however. When the interrim commander of the garrison took office, Babkhan militiamen infiltrated the City Hall and blew it up, effectively killing the commander and making the Anticans realize they would never be allowed rest while in the city.

Further east, in the city of Maldon, which was also a medium-sized city directly at the border, the Antican 3rd Army under Lt Gen Olorix advanced. The battle of Maldon turned out to be of minor importance. Babkhan forces in the city had already planned to withdraw and when the 3rd Army entered the suburbs of Maldon on January 3, they gave only minor resistance. As soon as the Antican infantry had entered the city core, Babkhan forces was already on the move to the southwest.

Front status as of January 9. Antican forces blue, Babkhan forces red. Author: Maggern

Back west, the battle of York Road had begun. The fastest elements of the 2nd Army were chasing the fleeing Babkhans at full speed and some fighting occured. However, Maggern decided it would be best to wait and he issued a halt order. Babkhan forces withdrew into the city of York in central Terre des Riches, meeting up with the escaping elements from the defence of Maldon. It became clear for both sides that the war would stand and fall around the battle of York. As a result, all forces that could be mustered on both sides were sent to York to prepare for the biggest battle of the war.

Further east, the Naval Infantry on Tippecanoe once again embarked their vessels. This time their destination was the Terre des Riches mainland. Upon disembarking on the mainland, they moved into Chesterfield and secured the city without resistance on January 6. There they met with 60,000 Mondesian slaves that had been travelling far and wide to meet with the Anticans and join the struggle. Foghorn armed the peasants and gave them the utmost basic training in warfare. Then he received a march order from High Command and ordered the army on the move towards York.

Following the establishment of the Mondesian Peasant Army, the Naval Infantry performed a commando raid on York Airfield. There they managed to destroy the fuel tanks for the fighters of the 11th Tactical Air Force. This remdered the fighters useless for some time, as fuel from that point on had to be driven by trucks from Richmond. This proved a relief for Antican fighters on the R.A.S Olympic, as they now only had the Babkhan Carrier Groups to concentrate on. Unfortunately, two of the commandos were captured by the King Majeed Military Academy's cadets. A public execution was carried out the next day.

Far west, the Antican 4th Army under Lt Gen Careless Non-Sequitur moved completly unopposed into western Terre des Riches. A small envoy was sent east to participate in the assault on York, while other parts of the army moved along the Mondesian coast to prevent the expected landing of the Hattayan Army.

On January 7, the leading elements of the 2nd Army reached York. They took up positions in the west and started an artillery bombardment of the city. High Command had changed their mind, York was to be levelled.

On January 8, the Hattayian army finally landed in Richmond, boosting Babkhan morale as they now had better chances to defend York. As a result, the 4th Army now no longer needed to scan the coast and so they instead assaulted the city of Chaddington. The city was seized on January 9 with minor resistance from the city militia.

Soon, interesting news reached the Antican High Command. The Osman Shahanshah would personnally be commanding the defence of York and was under way to the Castle (HQ in central York). The High Command realized the time had come to crush York and end the war in a stroke. March orders were issued to the three Antican armies massed around York on January 14. Inside York, the Babkhan forces had been able to put up tough defences, and with most of the city turned into rubble, there were lots of hiding places for the defenders. Antican forces were, however, so numerically superior that the Babkhans time and again were pushed further and further into the city. After several days of fighting, the 2nd Army was closing in on the Castle from the west. In the north, the 3rd Army was pushing en mass and in the east, the peasant army literally threw themselves at the machine gun posts. Following the peasants were the Naval Infantry. Clearing out the hardest defence-posts and organizing the peasants, the Naval Infantry was clearly the spine of the eastern push. After ten days of fierce fighting, the 1st Battallion of the Naval Infantry initiated a commando raid into the core of the city, going around the main defences of the Babkhan Army. They took the defenders of the Castle by suprise and managed to seize the building. While inside, Foghorn encountered the Osman Shahanshah. After a brief sword fight, the Shahanshah could do nothing but surrender.

Foreign Intervention

On January 1, the Aryez (People's Aralanic Republic of Aryez) declared their support for the Kingdom of Babkha and massed an expeditionary corps for the theatre. The quick resolution of the conflict and a sea-lane ravaged by storms prevented the corps from ever reaching the battleground.

On January 7, the Viking Empire of Stormark declared their support for the Kingdom of Babkha. Once again, storms and quick resolution prevented the naval and ground corps from reaching the war, but the aerial envoy arrived. The day after declaring their entrance to the war, aerial forces of Stormark bombed all major Antican cities, creating fire storms in some of them. Although devastating, the raids did little to affect the situation on the front.

Peace

After a dangerous flight from the Castle, Foghorn managed to push the Shahanshah into issuing an armistice order on January 24. Immediately following it, the Shahanshah put together the Treaty of York which was issued to the Antican High Command. The treaty stated that the territory of Terre des Riches was to be leased to Antica for a whole year, but that Babkha would keep an air base and a naval base in Richmond. In addition, the Anticans had to allow Babkhan forces be withdrawn from the front and guarantee them safe passage to mainland Babkha. The Republic of Antica agreed and ratified the treaty the following day.

External Links

Original AntiWiki article