Liquidation of the Free Zone

Liquidation of the Free Zone
BUDF personnel crossing the Oktavyan mountains into Bergburg, 1730 AN
Date 11.XIII.1730 AN – Location Bergburg and Katarsis (Kalgachia) Status Ongoing
Parties
Raspur Pact  Benacian Union  Northbloom	Free Zone
Units involved
Benacia Command Central Banner Group Tiny Banner Group

The Liquidation of the Free Zone was an action undertaken by Benacia Command in Kalgachia during the final months of 1730 AN. The objective of the significant deployment was to bring the lieutenancies of Bergburg and Katarsis into full compliance with the ruling Protectorate Council and to introduce forces from the "Central" and "Tiny" banner groups of Benacia Command onto the surface strata therein. The occupation had been long anticipated, as it would remove the last gap in coverage between Benacian and Shirerithian forces on the western front which would be formed along the land border of Batavia.

Background

The "Free Zone" was the informal term applied to that area of the surface of Kalgachia left unoccupied by the forces of the Raspur Pact following Operation Penitent (1717 AN – 1718 AN). Whilst the writ of the newly established protectorate also ran in the two western lieutenancies of Bergburg and Katarsis, this had not been followed up by the introduction of any garrison of the protecting powers, these being the Benacian Union and Northbloom. As such the region had become a haven for those members of the Kalgachi Defence Force who refused to accept their integration into the successor militaries.

The relative failure of Operation Jagdbeute in 1724 AN increased the potential for a clash between the Benacian Union and Shireroth as the Imperial Republic's glacial path towards withdrawal from the Raspur Pact raised the possibility of renewed conflict – a scenario commonly referred to as "Endsieg" – between the surviving vulture states for continental hegemony.

In such a situation, the unoccupied part of Kalgachia would constitute a mountainous salient projecting into what was otherwise a relatively well defined frontier between the Shirerithian dominion of Batavia and the Benacian realms of Elluenuueq and the Unified Governorates. Were the Kalgachi of the "Free Zone" to declare for Shireroth in any future conflict, the Imperials would be gifted a strong redoubt from which to attack and disrupt the Benacian forces in their flanks.

A plan to occupy Free Zone had been drawn up in 1729 AN under the codename of Operation Pariah and went through several revisions, including different BUDF units, increasing the prominence of contingents from the Kalgachi Grouping of Forces and adding provisions for the involvement the Tiny Banner Group, controlled by Northbloom and the Mondosphere, in the occupation of Katarsis.