Eiria-Xiomera War

Eiria-Xiomera War
Date August 1st, 1929 - December 12th, 1930 Location Eiria
Belligerents
Xiomeran Empire	Eiria
Commanders and leaders
Emperor Lōpoch	Chancellor Roger Mičel

The Eiria-Xiomera War was a military conflict lasting from 1929 to 1930, which began when Xiomera invaded neighboring Eiria in a bid to expand its then-growing Empire. The war ended in a Xiomeran defeat when Eirian forces repelled the invasion, prompting the ritual suicide of Xiomeran Emperor Lōpoch in 1931.

Prelude

The Xiomeran Empire, at the beginning of the war, had ceased expanding for some time. Its last conquests had been nearby Manauia and Cenotillo Islands in 1893 and 1894. Xiomera's fast-growing industrial sector was dependent on the raw materials from conquered lands, and its rapidly growing population was dependent on land for farming and ranching. As such, pressure had been rising for years on the Xiomeran ruler, Lōpoch, to seek out new lands to add to the Empire. The prestige of the ruler, in Xiomera, was also dependent on their ability to grow the Empire. Lōpoch had been Emperor for thirty-six years, and had not managed to achieve any great conquests since annexing the Manauia and Cenotillo islands during the first years of his reign. Pressure within his inner circle was growing, and Lōpoch feared that if he didn't add to his list of successful conquests, that he would be replaced by an Emperor who could.

Looking southward

At this time, Xiomera had already made all of the easy conquests within reach. Huenya, Manauia Island, Cenotillo Island and the Netlcoātl Islands all lay under the control of Tlālacuetztla. Lōpoch had only two options: expand westward into Legionas, or southward into Eiria. After reviewing the two options with the Imperial General Staff, the Emperor decided on an invasion of Eiria. At the time, Eiria was in the midst of massive political strife. The division within the country convinced Xiomeran war planners that the Imperial military could take over Eiria with relatively little effort. Accordingly, in early 1928, the General Staff began drawing up plans for an invasion and building up the Imperial military to fulfill the mission.

Invasion

Without provocation on August 1st, 1929, the Imperial military launched a full-scale invasion of Eiria. Imperial forces landed at three major points (Atlantis, New Riga and Merēta), quickly securing beachheads and pushing Eirian forces back with little organized resistance. Xiomeran forces began advancing along three fronts in a bid to encircle the Eirian capital, Geminus, and force the government to surrender.

Eirian response

With the capital soon falling under siege, the various factions within the Eirian government and society realized that their survival as an independent nation would depend on their coming together to resist the Xiomeran invasion. Eirian forces would eventually rally, pushing the Xiomerans back.

Xiomeran war planning as a factor

Having planned for a quick conquest of Eiria, and having a poor understanding of the harsh Eirian winters, the Xiomeran forces found that continuing the invasion of the country, much less occupying it long-term, was a far tougher task than the Imperial General Staff had anticipated.

Withdrawal

Facing a renewed and intensified Eirian resistance throughout early to mid 1930, as well as the daunting prospect of facing another Eirian winter, Xiomeran forces fully withdrew from Eiria by December 12th, 1930.

Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath of the failed invasion, Emperor Lōpoch would finally be forced from power. Lōpoch, along with the entire General Staff, committed ritual suicide in Tlālacuetztla on January 1st, 1931.

The invasion would have a lasting negative impact on the relations between Xiomera and Eiria well into the present day, with Eirians remaining suspicious of Xiomeran intentions and Xiomerans contemplating what could have been had the invasion been planned better.

The lessons of the conflict were observed with great interest across the IDU. The Xiomeran amphibious landing which began the invasion was widely considered the most ambitious amphibious assault to date, and the tactics and equipment used by Xiomeran forces to overcome Eirian shore defenses were influential in later conflicts. Lessons in military aviation, guerrilla tactics, ground-air coordination, and artillery were all applied to further military planning.