Invasion of Ankivara Plateau

The Invasion of Ankivara Plateau was one of the first largest, bloodiest (at the time) engagement of the Great War fought between Holy Levantine Empire forces primarily Ankivaran Legatation Police Forces(A-LPF) assited by Foreign Legionnaires from Burgundie and the Republican Army of Reçêpistan supported by Caphirian military attaché advising and overseeing the battle. Since the previous years there have been a series of undeclared in some cases armed exchanges in the continent soon-to-decide whose going to be on each side as the conflict would trigger to a world-wide escalation.

Background
The treaty port of Ankivara and the surrounding towns opened to foreign control by unequal treaties in Recepistan under the auspices of opening them to foreign trade, as a form of "reparation" of Recepistan towards HLE liberating them from foreign rule. The Legatation of Ankivara enjoyed extraterritoriality, being subject to HLE’s laws and maintaining a large garrison in order to promote collective HLE interests in the wider area.

Since 1875, the Kingdom of Dericania and Burgundian South Levantine Trading Company, on behalf of Burgundie, had been squabbling over the rights to control the garrison as both were trying to establish their presence as colonists in the region. The conflict led to a power struggle that left the city's defenses in flux as it became a bargaining chip. Starting in the mid 1880s there started to be a severe shortage in skilled officers that persisted until the fall of the city. Issues were also arising because Burgundie deferred to the Burgundian South Levantine Trading Company during its cycles. The Board of Directors became increasingly concerned that the Company was looking to take over the city with the support of Burgundie and cut out the rest of the Imperial partners. Burgundie's attempts to dominate the city first raised alarm bells in 1896 when, without consulting the Board of Directors, the Burgundian Ars Nouvo Gran Escole leveled vast portions of the ancient city to create a. The Urcean bishop who was the Legate at the time said he had been informed that the plan was approved and gave it the final stamp of approval. The second crisis of confidence in Burgundie's impartiality was when they bullied the remaining Directors into giving Lansing Lines an open-ended railroad construction contract in 1931.

Seeing the inner turmoil and becoming panicked by the concept of a direct rail link that would speed up Levantine Creep into Ixnay, Caphiria and Recepistan conspired to take action. The original aim of the Auxilium forces was to test the readiness of the colonial forces in the Legatation of Ankivara, but the end result was rapid and overwhelming vistory for the Recepi forces.

The Battle
The first day of the battle(part of the First Phase) at the outlying villages inside of Zone of Control convinced the upper echelons to overwhelm the defenders in a swift strike relying on the element of surprise, technological superiority as the Experimental Division was attached to the formation (alongside with prototype fast-moving armored cars decimating scout cavalry formations and useful on recon capabilities) alongside newly developed I-30 provide strikes into enemy positions.

The Second Phase was fought in downtown Ankivara, the defenders turned on stalling the enemy as sailors stormed from the beaches and the port into a fierce house-to-house combat. The entire battle and especially the Second Phase was one of the most documented in military history from bottom to top studying tactics and failures making necessary advancements that would prove life-saving for the RAR although they would prolong the war considerably.

Prelude
Vast preparations to devise deployment plans for a war-winning offensive against a large range of targets has been happening since 1908, correspondence, personal papers and recollections of military advisors.

A rump plan idea for an invasion of the plateau was first planned at a clandestine military academy in 1928/9 by Caphivarian High Command to perfect it; since the uncovering of the Fvüwal 1913 spy ring it has been clear that the Holy Levantine Empire and on lesser extended Kiravia with their overseas possessions as a threat to the imperialist policies of Caphiria. With war considered as inevitable between the blocs, the only questions was when - there were concerns of the ever-increasing military capacities of the Imperium's enemies turning into a perceived ‘encirclement’ by alliances of possible future enemies against her the inescapable reality that the country would have to fight a two-front war into two one-front wars which it could hope to win. But for the plan to succeed, Caphiria would have to attack in such a way as to avoid the heavy fortifications along any possible encirclement threats. Original plans for a fast-track invasion of Pelaxia and Cartadania were considered but later changed after better relations between the two countries allowed the adjustment of the war plan.

The Caphivarian Foreign Office convinced the Imperator regarding concerns with the Ankivara issue that the entry of the HLE into the war would negate both their continental numerical advantage if they did not attack quickly and massed attacks far away areas making them vulnerable throughout the continent. A Levantine railway company had arrived recently making intense expansion plans creating railroads to integrate Ankivara with mainland railroads, rumors were circulating of possible "invasion forces" by Recepi and Corummese press of the period due to the large amount of military observers of the project.

First Phase
The average Recépi soldier had the advantage, being they were highly motivated and familiar with the terrain. Some selected as former denizens the city, they spoke and were educated in Ankivara and had even served in the local security forces. The Experimental Division would be spearheading the invasion.

The first objective was the takeover of the Hill 100, a high ground to the north of the city, the terrain would allow artillery observers to place artillery pieces, calibrate and commence intense bombardments on Ankivara which was only 19 kilometres away. For it's utmost importance dispatched 3 army regular battalions in order to overwhelm the understrength but dug-in defenders and keep the best men until they reach the city. The terrain was very difficult to allow the support of heavy weapons and mobile vehicles; they were allocated to other objectives. It fell to the local field commanders making effective battle coordination, better moveable mortars were used to the operation proved of invaluable assistance to the assaulting forces.

Despite the element of surprise, the defenders put up a valiant fight killing more than 400 soldiers in just a few hours and the exhausted soldiers surrendered without further incidents, many gained the respect of the Recepis but that didn't stop them from executing all the officers and a score of NCO's. The takeover of the "bastion" proved the defenders were no match for the Republican Army. With the hill taken, artillery units commenced a barrage using mustard gas and high explosive rounds unto the outskirts of the city unto high-value targets to soft the defenses before bring the fight into the city streets.

Second Phase
Early was applied instead of treated as a series of skirmishes.

Aftermath
Unfortunately, this battle, like any full-scale battle, saw the death of hundreds of thousands of both innocent civilians and military personnel. For the rest of the week, RAR forces would continue mop-up operations throughout the city, securing by the 11th of April as the official day of its liberation - not occupation.

After the capture of the city, the victorious Republican Army went on a rampage: pillaging private and public buildings, killing POWs under the pretext “too many prisoners to handle” and abusing civilians. It provided a mark for all officers participating on both the operation and later reprisals as future famous officers had been principal leaders.

The battle for Ankivara was the first and fiercest urban fighting in the entire Great War. Few battles exceeded the destruction and the brutality of the massacres and savagery of the fighting for the next decade. The business district only two buildings were damaged and were looted of their plumbing by RAR engineers to rebuilt the water networks. The steel flagpole that stood until the Quds War at the entrance of the old administration building pockmarked by numerous bullet and shrapnel hits, a testament to the intense, bitter fighting for the city.

Countless government buildings, universities and colleges, convents, monasteries, synagogues, mosques and churches, and their accompanying treasures were damaged with many demolished after being declared unfit for use. The cultural architectural melting pot was spared to a degree but suffered immensely from the battle.