(Taken from “In Their Own Words” a 2022 Slokasian History textbook)
![[Image: CK9Ali6]](https://imgur.com/a/CK9Ali6)
That was a slogan echoed by the poster produced in 1966 by Jebediah DeVila, a soldier in the Federation Army and former cartoonist for the New Liverpool Daily. It spoke to a popular sentiment among Slokasians of the day.
The dictatorship of Juan Costa had been entrenched in Slokais Islands since 1951, in the early stages of the Great War the proclaimed National Reformist joined Darya in the invasion of Haesan and a state of war on members of the global Coalition of Democratic Forces. Although there was always internal resistance in Slokais, the Great War gave opposition forces the opportunity to organize and make territorial gains in 1963. Divided between the war abroad and at home, Juan Costa initiated national service and a drastic set of economic policy which pushed war industries to their breaking point. In 1963, a conference of rebel leaders created the Federation Army, which fought to establish Slokais as a new “United Federation.”
The Federation Army was in cooperation with the Coalition from the start as the member states believed a popular uprising in Slokais would lead to the collapse of Costa’s force in Haesan and elsewhere. Leaders such as Semerjang Best argued foreign intervention was a win-win, as the Coalition had better supply networks and technology, yet the Federation Army had the arms and local know-how. Howard Xiang and James Mendoza disagreed as they feared a foreign army taking New Liverpool would give them a stake in the post-war government. In addition, nationalistic ideals and some persistent fears of a Gramontist-style Laeralian government being created. Despite this, the leaders of the Federation Army gave intelligence and initial support for the Coalition's initial battles.
However in November 1965, tensions broke down after alleged war crimes by Coalition forces. At a general meeting of Mendoza, Best and Xiang, it was decided there would be no direct cooperation in military affairs and they would cease intel sharing operations. Directive 25 released on the 23rd of November, would be the sum of those ideas and a shifted strategy to capture New Liverpool first. Best would command his Army of the West which had already re-taken much of Ambonar and Valleres Provinces to focus on advancing through the San Fernando valley from the south, Mendoza would do the same from the existing stronghold of San Fernando, which had been liberated in September 1965.
On the battlefield, there was a renewed sense of urgency, more acts of bravery, more risky maneuvers to gain territory. From Juan Costa’s perspective, he was more willing to surrender to the Coalition as he believed he would be treated better and thus more forces were pulled away from confrontations with Coalition forces and instead into direct combat with Federation forces. Publicly, Juan Costa shifted his messaging as he once described Federation forces as "foreign agents” yet now proclaimed a few years later the same foreign nations he had once spoken out against as “the devil we know”. Additionally, Costa used religion as a factor to inspire fight in his troops. Semerajong Best was from a small Neo-Rivivalist group, although had learned away from his upbringing while Howard Xiang was a Minjian faithful, groups which had been the target of prosecution from The Church of Slokais, Costa’s preferred religious choice.
Among the ground soldiers, figures such as the young Howard-Alexander Walker, future PM of Slokais stated in his journal he would “personally throttle the neck of Juan Costa, the bastard will be a spring chicken for a new nation”. Although Walker himself had been previously supportive of foreign governments such as Laeral due to his left-wing politics. The young colonel stated in March 1966 in a letter to his girlfriend and future wife “This is our revolution to win, my dear, by our own blood for our own blood”. In interactions, which were discouraged by Federation Army command, there were actually some agreements and sympathies between the two military forces. At the Battle of Rio Bravos Federation forces pushing into the city from the west worked to send supply runs to Coalition forces in the south, allowing them to take the city so the Federation forces could advance to New Liverpool.
Ultimately, it was the forces of the Federation Army that captured New Liverpool first, after months of siege and street-to-street fighting against determined Reformist forces who destroyed buildings to prevent snipers and eliminate cover. In addition, the Reform Army held an air advantage for weeks, targeting tank columns and eliminating the less experienced Federation forces. Yet it was a coup from within the broken Reform Army that led to victory; Juan Costa escaped the city by boat, leading to a new military administration, which was much less ideological and loyal. On June 6th, under clear skies, tank columns advanced to the Presidential Palace, followed by a combined force of armies from all provinces and factions. A symbolic advance, there was little resistance as the Reform Army surrendered to the new United Federation of Slokais.
Howard-Alexander Walker, who was present on the day, described the events as follows.
A culmination of years of struggle, sacrifice, and strife. Brothers and sisters of the new federation are marching under one flag, yet with dozens of banners. I met soldiers who had been fighting alongside me for years, yet I had not known. We spoke many tongues, were of different dominations, creeds and ethnic groups. Yet we were all Slokasians, and with the fall of the tyrant, that is something we can all be proud of.
Liberation on our terms, my dear. I shall return home soon, if my nation doesn’t call me otherwise. Celebrate with strangers, for we are no longer strangers, but children of the Slokasian nation.
In solidarity,
H.A. Walker
Class Discussion Questions:
1. If you were Juan Costa would you let the Federation or Coalition Army reach New Liverpool first?
2. In prior chapters, we have learned about how religion was used as a tool of division. How does Juan Costa’s use of the Church of Slokais compare to other examples from history? What are the differences?
3. What kind of reasoning does “Beat ‘Em too it” use, what is its purpose? Is the message effective?
4. Is Howard-Alexander Walker in his letter expressing nationalist or federationist ideal’s, what are the differences between them?
