Cibolan Reconquista

Cibolan Reconquista
Date 1685 - Location Western Cibola
Belligerents
Barbarian Republic Jingdaoese Empire  Imperial Trade Union	Vanic resistance Batavian resistance

The Cibolan Reconquista is an attempt by the Barbarian Republic and the Jingdaoese Empire to regain control over Western Cibola. The idea gained foothold in Barbarian politics after the acceptance of the Chidao Emperor as ceremonial monarch. It was realised that the ancient capital of Jingdao, Zijincheng, including the ruins of the ancient imperial palace were not that far from the territory of the republic. After careful negotiations, the Jingdaoese emperor offered to establish a volunteer army that would assist the republic, the Cibolan Volunteer Corps.

The ultimate goal of the endeavour was the conquest of all lands formerly occupied by the First Empire under the banner of the Empire of Barbary and Nanjing, which would remain independent of the modern Jingdaoese Empire. A point which should be stressed because of claims to the contrary by foreign instigators.

1686

Situation at the beginning of 1686

IX.1686 (Yuandi)

• 14: Jingdaoese ships carrying the first 5,000 recruits belonging to the Cibolan Volunteer Corps moor in the harbour of Naval. They are welcomed by President Ase Wittenstein of the Barbarian Republic.
• 15: After having a night spent with sight-seeing in the historic city centre, the Cibolan Volunteer Corps pledge allegiance to the Barbarian Republic in a ceremony on the northern outskirts of Naval.
• 16: News from the arrival of Jingdaoese troops leads to an uprising in the unincorporated Vanic village of Capua.
• 20: Five more Jingdaoese ships, this time carrying 2,500 recruits of the volunteer corps arrive in Naval.
• 21: A group of 200 descendants from First Empire Jingdaoese citizens reports to join the corps.
• 22: The New Zimian War League activates 10,796 troops based in the Bassarid Penal Colony of Drag'os in preparation for supporting Jingdaoese efforts.

X.1686 (Goburin)

• 01: A legion from the Barbarian Republican Guard marches towards Capua, contact is made with Vanic troops entrenched west of the village.
• 02: After nightly skirmishes, both the Republican Guard and Vanic resistance in Capua mourn several casualties.
• 03: 10 Dolstier I main battle tanks from Jingdao arrive in the harbour of Naval, they are added to the Republican Guard.
• 04: With armoured support, the Republican Guard pushes into Capua, Vanic forces flee towards the east.
• 06: Troops from Ralgon's homeland arrive in Nova Victoria, remaining Batavians in the city do not resist the Ralgonese forces taking control of the city harbour.
• 07: The Ralgonese Emperor orders the formation of an occupation force to secure the Nova Victoria's still-intact naval infrastructure, and its residential quarters to house refugees threatening to overcrowd the homeland. When threatened with eviction from their homes, in order to house Ralgonese refugees, Batavian inhabitants of the city block streets to stop the Ralgonese forces from entering their quarters.
• 10: Ralgonese explorers arrive at the former Storish enclave of Frigga Island. They encounter minor Vanic remnants and report their findings to their allies as they have insufficient forces available to conquer the island alone.
• 11: 2,700 troops, along with material assets, belonging to the New Zimian War League land on the beaches north of Kaapstad.
• 12: The New Zimian War League enters Kaapstad, where they establish a forward operations headquarters in the city's former industrial zone. Minimal opposition is encountered in the industrial zone, but Batavian resistance fighters block the road to the city centre.
• 13: Just over a week after the skirmishes in Capua end, Barbary withdraws the Republican Guard from the village and sends it to a position south of Basella.
• 14: The Cibolan Volunteer Corps sends 5,000 soldiers to join the Republican Guard south of Basella.
• 15: Three members of the Batavian resistance are caught as they make photographs of the Barbarian positions near Basella. They are tortured but do not give credible information on the defense of Basella.
• 16: A Jingdaoese reconnaissance team maps Batavian resistance positions, they are not careful enough and one soldier's life is claimed by machine gun fire from a lookout tower.
• 17: A Barbarian team recovers the body of the Jingdaoese soldier who was slaughtered the day before. They retalliate by blowing up the Batavian lookout tower with a Panzerfaust, two Batavian lives are lost.
• 18: Combined Jingdaoese and Barbarian forces start the assault of Basella. After heavy fighting are they able to capture the former residence of the South Batavian Catological Church. Barbary loses 12 soldiers, Jingdao 6 and the Batavian resistance more than 100, most of them to Dolstier fire.
• 19: Batavian resistance fighters from Laguarres arrive in Basella. They have brought anti-tank weapons with them to counter the Dolstier attacks. The Barbarians lose one tank after it is lured into an ambush.
• 20: In the early hours of the 20th day, Batavian resistance fighters set up an ambush on Jingdao-Barbarian supply lines, setting fire to a parked truck carrying diesel, the driver cannot escape in time and dies in the flames.
• 21: The Republican Guard launches an attack on Basella's city center, fighting Batavian resistance for every meter. After seven hours of fighting the Batavians try to retreat to Laguarres but in their flight they are ambushed by the Cibolan Volunteer Corps. 43 Barbarians lose their life, 5 Jingdaoese, 589 Batavians and another 895 Batavians are taken prisoner.
• 22: The Republican Guard and the Cibolan Volunteer Corps hold a victory march through Basella, after which the city's mayor is forced to swear allegiance to the republic.
• 22: Relying heavily upon aerial support, the New Zimian War League breaks Batavian defenses and makes headway in their efforts to establish control of the city center of Kappstad. Nevertheless, insurgent forces continue to present a considerable obstacle which serves to slow War League operations. As fighting drags on, resistance fighters employ increasingly desperate tactics including the use of IED's and rudimentary booby traps.

XI.1686 (Haigu)

• 01: A delegation from the Barbarian Republic arrives in Nova Victoria to establish a provisional city council. They are surprised to learn that many Ralgonese refugees have descended upon the city. In a discussion in the city hall with representatives of the Ralgonese and Batavian communities they try to find a solution for the impasse, but this is not found.
• 02: Representatives of the Barbarian Republic meet with representatives of Laguarres. They come to the agreement that Laguarres will join the Barbarian Republic, Barbary will in return release the prisoners that were taken on the 21st day of Goburin.
• 03: 5,000 new recruits of the Cibolan Volunteer Corps arrive in the harbour of Nova Victoria, they take over the occupation of the city from Ralgonese forces.
• 04: Five Dolstier I tanks arrive in Naval from Jingdao. They are added to the Cibolan Volunteer Corps.
• 05: After stripping it of valuable and useable materials, the village of Capua is burnt down to the ground by the Cibolan Volunteer Corps. A volunteer who walks into the forest to collect wood for the fire pit is ambushed by Vanic resistance fighters and abducted.
• 06: After noticing one volunteer missing, the Cibolan Volunteer Corps launches a search action in the Capua area. Traces of the Vanic resistance such as cooking utensils are found, but no traces of the abducted soldier.
• 07: During the search action in the woods near Capua, two Vanic fighters are caught. They are both tortured to extract information on the fate of the lost volunteer. They both admit that the volunteer has been abducted but tell different stories on where he has been brought. Scouts are sent in to explore the locations and find that at one of them an ambush has been prepared. The soldier is found dead at the other location, his body gruesomely beaten. It is recovered and the Vanic prisoners are crucified on the location of Capua to serve as a warning.
• 08: A first group of Barbarian scouts is sent out to rediscover the location of the ancient capital Zijincheng, they depart from Basella and carry a parcel which carries the personal seal of the Chidao Emperor.
• 09: The second legion from the Republican Guard leaves Naval to march towards Baicha. A group of scouts is sent out to gather intelligence on the city.
• 11: The scouts from the 2nd legion of the Republican Guard reach Baicha. The former city is reduced to a village but they are pleasantly surprised when they hear the villagers speak Jingdaoese. They make themselves known and are invited to meet with the village elders who are sympathetic to the Barbarian plans. No formal agreement is made, but one village elder is sent to Arvidsudde for negotiations.