1684 Jingdaoese-Alriggian border incidents

1684 Jingdaoese-Alriggian border incident
Part of Jingdaoese-Alriggian War
Date 1684 Location Jingdaoese / Alriggian border Result Start of hostilities between Jingdao and Alrig
Belligerents
Alriggian Republic	Jingdao
Strength
Western Circle Militia 20 infantrymen	IX Alrig Corps 50 infantrymen
Casualties and losses
5	416

The 1684 Jingdaoese-Alriggian border incident were a series of military skirmishes between the Jingdaoese Empire and the Alriggian Republic, up until that moment close allies. They are seen as the ouverture of the Jingdaoese-Alriggian War.

The first incident took place in the Kaiming (3rd) month of 1684, following the chase of an Alriggian car on the Jingdaoese part of Imperial Autobahn 1 by Jingdaoese police officers. The car was headed towards the border and Jingdaoese police dispatch called on its Alriggian counterparts to stop the car at the border. Alrig refused to stop the car as the Jingdaoese did not wish to disclose what the suspected Alriggian national was suspected of. As the car passed the border, Jingdaoese infantrymen belonging to the IX Alrig Corps fired shots at it, with some of the shots hitting an Alriggian border post, killing five soldiers belonging to the Western Circle Militia. The Alriggians returned fire and a heavy machine gun on top the border post managed to wipe out 12 Jingdaoese soldiers. No more shots were fired after these first salvos, but after the incident both sides blamed each other and refused to work together on an investigation into the incident. An investigation undertaken by the Alriggian Council of Driftwood found no proof that the occupants of the chased vehicle committed a crime on Jingdaoese soil. President Luo Dai issued a statement that her government considered the possibility that the incident was a Jingdaoese act of aggression. The Imperial Palace in Daocheng countered with saying that while the death of the five Alriggian soldiers was an unfortunate accident, it was no more than that. It condemned the Alriggian response, calling it a shameful breach of the Jingdaoese-Alriggian alliance. In the weeks following the incident, OldSport trucks carrying shipments from and to Sint Barentsz, belonging to the Apollonian Shipping Company were refused entry for transit through Jingdao. This put tremendous stress on the Northern Circle's economy as its only viable supply line uses Jingdaoese infrastructure.

A second incident took place in the Zanding (fourth) month of 1684. A Jingdaoese semi-trailer combination was stopped by Alriggian police officers, shortly after passing the border on Imperial Autobahn 1 for routine inspections. While inspecting the load they discovered that, besides toilet paper and industrial parts, the truck carried automatic weapons. The weapons were not accompanied by any documentation and no shipping address was given. The driver was arrested and the truck taken into police custody. The Jingdaoese Changgong Headquarters protested, threatening with serious repercussions if the driver and the truck were not returned to Jingdao unharmed and complete. Alrig complied with these demands two days after the seizure. The Council of Driftwood launched a second investigation into the incident and found that the weapons were most likely being shipped to extremist Pan-Jingdaoists in Driftwood that were looking to overthrow the Alriggian Republic. The Jingdaoese Imperial Palace denied these claims, saying they were born out of paranoia.

The allegations against neighbouring Jingdao created unrest in Alriggian society and mass demonstrations were held against the regime of the Chidao Emperor. Often participators in these rallies found themselves being followed home by Pan-Jingdaoists where they would be molested in front of their family. Tensions increased and in the Duchang (4th) month of 1684 several hundred Alriggians gathered at the border post on the Imperial Autobahn. As they unrolled a large banner depicting the Chidao Emperor as a bloodthirsty tyrant, Jingdaoese soldiers attacked the protesters. Armoured vehicles with machine guns were sent over the border, opening fire and driving over at any protester or Alriggian soldier trying to stop them, this caused a bloodbath. 402 Alriggians, of which 385 civilians lost their life. Upon hearing the news, President Luo Dai of Alrig declared war on Jingdao.