Great War

The Great War
Date 1961-1967 Location Southern Hesperida, Caxcana, Liberalia Result Coalition of Democratic Forces victory Occupation and reconstruction of Darya begins Third wave of decolonization Key Achievement 3 First detonation of a nuclear weapon, beginning the Nuclear Age Subsequent international conferences lead to the SALIENT Treaty Territorial changes Redrawing of borders across the IDU Territory Change 1 Opthelian administration of the colonial territory of Glanainn liberalised A limited, tokenistic form of home rule instituted Independence groups remain suppressed Haesan placed under Maximusian administration Xueyan S.A.R. annexed by Laeral Gwansong Province annexed by Lao Sansong Territory Change 3 Dissolution of nations ?? ?? Formation of nations from Pact territory Andhrapur ?? ??
Belligerents
Pact of the Three Emperors (Pact) Pact Members Darya Dual Monarchy of Vertansk and Solavan Xiomera Associated Powers Central Liberalia Gardavasque Kerlile Lao Sansong Empire of Opthelia (until June 1964) Colony of Bala Victa Colony of Celestria Colony of Glanainn (until July 1963) Protectorate of Glanainn (from March 1964) Colony of Hanafleura Colony of the Hertog Islands Colony of Timur Slokais Islands Zargothrax	Coalition of Democratic Forces (Coalition) Major Powers Aredoa Eiria Greater Acadia Haesan (until January 1964) Laeral United Communist Republic of Lauchenoiria Lehvant Libertas Omnium Maximus Communist Union of the Novella Islands People's Republic of Shuell Minor Powers Free State of Glanainn (July 1963-March 1964) Milintica Serriel Federation Army of Slokais Governments-in-exile Free Andhrapuri Forces Free Haesan (from January 1964) Tacit Support Empire of Opthelia (from June 1964) Colony of Bala Victa Colony of Celestria Protectorate of Glanainn Colony of Hanafleura Colony of the Hertog Islands Colony of Timur
Commanders and leaders
Pact Leaders Pact Members Shivnath Nishad Associated Powers Sunita Patel Albert IV	Coalition Leaders Major Powers Alfonso Cabrera Kirils Voinovs (until 1966) Fēliks Kōlins (from 1966) Henri Lagarde René Gramont (until 1964) Georges Auriol (from 1964) Mateo Villanueva Oliver Milton Patrick Haynes Minor Powers Selim III Governments-in-Exile ABC
Casualties and losses
Military dead: ABC Civilian dead: ABC Total dead: ABC	Military dead: ABC Civilian dead: ABC Total dead: ABC

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

1961

Mere weeks after the declaration of war, Shuell launches an invasion of Otika intended to strike southwards towards the Dual Monarchy. Expecting that the Pond War in the Liberalian Confederation to be occupying the Dual Monarchy's strength, the Shuellian general staff expects an easy victory. The resulting Otika Campaign, however, very quickly becomes a bloodbath, as Shuellian People's Army forces are met with fierce opposition from Dual Monarchy troops as well as an Opthelian expeditionary force.

1963

In February, Darya and Slokais Islands launched an invasion of Haesan, with amphibious landings at the eastern and northern coast and successful naval and air attacks largely neutralizing the Haesanite navy. At the same time a united force of various clans in Lao Sansong invaded Gwansong Province, overwhelming Haesanite forces in the process. Over the coming months, Daryan-Slokaisian forces pushed south through the central river valleys (avoiding the western mountains where Haesanite troops could easily fend them off) in a punishing offensive that would end with the capture of Suyang in January of 1964.

In May, expecting the imminent defeat of Haesanite forces in the face of the technologically-superior Pact invasion and fearing the consequences of Pact control of the Albarine Sea, Laeral launches an invasion of the mountainous western regions of Haesan, including Xueyan.

In November, with Daryan forces advancing on Haesan's southern coast, Libertas Omnium Maximus seizes the Southern Maritimes islands in the Albarine Sea, seeking to deny their usefulness as ports or airfields for Pact forces seeking to expand their foothold in Hesperida.

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 due to 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 - one of the largest and most advanced of their allied nations in Liberalia - 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, negotiations were immediately entered into with the Coalition, with a conference opened 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.

1965

In Slokais Islands, Coalition Forces were joined by the Federation Army of Slokais in an assault on New Liverpool. Beginning in February, militia groups began staging attacks on key military and government points around the city, in what was known as the Battle of the Tunnels, due to the use of sewer and rail tunnels as escape routes. Eventually, a raid captured the Presidential Palace although Juan Costa had already escaped.

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.