Great War

The Great War
Date 1961-1967 Location Southern Hesperida, Caxcana, Liberalia
Belligerents
Pact of the Three Emperors (Pact) Pact Members Darya Xiomera Dual Monarchy of Vertansk and Solavan Associated Powers Slokais Islands Gardavasque Central Liberalia The Empire of Opthelia (Until June 1964)	Coalition of Democratic Forces (Coalition) Major Powers Eiria Greater Acadia Laeral Lauchenoiria Lehvant Libertas Omnium Maximus The Communist Union of the Novella Islands Shuell Minor Powers Milintica Serriel Federation Army of Slokais Governments-in-exile Free Andhrapuri Forces Tacit Support The Empire of Opthelia (From June 1964)

The Great War, also known as the Great World War or simply as the War, was a global conflict which lasted from 1961 to 1967. Involving virtually every great power worldwide and numerous smaller powers, the Great War was the largest armed conflict in recorded history. Many powers invested their entire military, scientific, and industrial capacity behind the war, rendering it a total war. The Great War had a profound effect on the geopolitical landscape, in particular in northern Caxcana following the Breakup of Darya, as well as causing wide-ranging social, political, and scientific ramifications.

Although historians continue to debate the exact causes of the Great War, the primary culprit is typically considered to be the expansionist ambitions of the Pact states, the three great autocratic empires who had signed the Pact of the Three Emperors, a military and political alliance, in 1957. Although some historians date the Great War to the start of the 1958 Pond War and the subsequent Dual Monarchy Intervention in Liberalia, the conflict was incited by the Tearvan Straits Incident of August 9th, 1961, when the Imperial Daryan Navy sought to close the Straits of Tearvan to foreign commerce. Numerous powers declared war on Darya within the following weeks, triggering the Pact of the Three Emperors and igniting a worldwide conflict in which autocratic imperial powers faced communist and liberal-democratic regimes alike.

The war was characterized by immense naval battles, such as the Battle of the Albarine Sea, alongside massive amphibious invasions, as well as intensive aerial bombing campaigns and battles between armies totaling millions to a side. Although Pact forces experienced major military victories and significant territorial gains during the early war, the superior numbers and manufacturing capacity of the Coalition turned the tide of the conflict. Faced with mounting losses and a punishing aerial bombing campaign, Xiomera would withdraw from the war in 1966 after a change in leadership led by the Imperial Army. Slokais Islands, under the dictatorial regime of Juan Costa, would surrender in 1966 following an invasion by Coalition forces and an uprising by the pro-democracy Federation Army of Slokais. Ultimately, the war was brought to a close with the invasion of Darya itself in Operation Crucible, the April 1966 amphibious landing at Aravali on the Daryan coast which remains the largest amphibious landing in human history.

The Daryan Campaign, the land invasion of Darya which numbers among the bloodiest campaigns in military history, ended after 15 months with the Coalition capture of the Daryan capital city of Kurwai. Although Grand Vizier Shivnath Nishad, widely considered the architect of the Daryan wars of expansion, took his own life rather than face a trial, many other Daryan officials, including Emperor Narain and leading military officers, were brought before an international tribunal at the Kurwai Trials.

Timeline of Events

1964

The Telefar Agreement was signed at the Garden Valley Hotel, 28 June 1964.

By early 1964, the Empire of Opthelia had grown increasingly frustrated by the refusal of the Pact of the Three Emperors to allow their complete entry into the coalition, instead being continually rebuffed and left upon the sidelines. Further, several significant battles resulted in great loss to Opthelian lives - notably, the Battle of Pine Gap, and the Last battle of the O.I.S. Revenge - with these tactical failures blamed in large part on the lack of material support from the three major powers, where they otherwise may have succeeded. This frustration came to a head on 14 June 1964, with Opthelia withdrawing all support for Pact operations. This included the total withdrawal of military forces from all offensive theatres, cancellation of all economic aid to Pact nations and allies, and complete severance of diplomatic channels. As the Empire of Opthelia had been a major supporter of the Pact and its objectives up to this point - the largest and most advanced of their allied nations in Neria - this move was both a significant strategic blow for the Pact, and a great morale booster for Coalition forces.

In the weeks following, Opthelia significantly reinforced its home defence with the forces withdrawn from the frontlines, in preparation for retaliatory strikes from Pact forces. On the diplomatic front, Opthelia immediately entered into negotiations with the Coalition, opening a conference at the Garden Valley Hotel, in the Communist Union of the Novella Islands. This location was selected in part due to the historic ties of the Novellan people to the Opthelian Empire, and also to accept the open invitation the Novella Islands had offered to host diplomatic functions for the withdrawal of any Pact member from the conflict. The conference opened on the 21st of June, and lasted for eight days, culminating in the signing of the Telefar Agreement on 28 June 1964. Opthelia's exit from the war was conditional on several grounds: they were not to re-enter the war, on either side of the conflict; they were not to provide support to Pact forces, in any manner; and they were to limit their military's size and deployment to within their own borders, for self-defence purposes only.

1966

Faced with mounting losses and concern that Xiomera itself might be invaded, the Imperial Army staged a coup on December 14th, 1966. Emperor Zuitotoa, who had begun Xiomera's involvement in the war, was captured and overthrown. After a hastily called Great Selection, General Xiucona of the Imperial Army was selected as the new Emperor. Emperor Xiucona unilaterally declared a cease-fire and offered to hand Zuitotoa over to the Coalition for trial as a war criminal in exchange for peace talks.