Ten Year Plan (Caphiria)

The Ten Year Plan was a policy memorandum and later partly adopted strategy of Caphiria in the interwar period during the reign of the Imperator Magasevetus. The Plan, formulated in 1928, envisioned Talionia returned to Caphirian control within ten years, giving it its name. The Plan called for the escalation of tensions in Dericania in order to create a general Levantine war no later than 1935; with Urcea sufficiently committed in Levantia, Caphiria would launch an invasion of Talionia and present its conquest as a fait accompli. The concept of clandestine support in Dericania had been proven in 1925 with various socialist insurgents receiving piecemeal support from some sectors of the Government of Caphiria. The ten years proscribed under the plan were both a timeframe for completion as well as a warning, as it was assumed that any conflict begun during the period and not completed by 1938 may result in Urcea's mobilization reaching a point that Caphiria could no longer contest with. The design of the Plan was to avert a Second Great War by calculated use of arms and support; an existential threat in Dericania followed by an overwhelming show of force in Urlazio, but a non-existentially threatening one, would lead to Urcea abandoning Urlazio. The plan was thus viewed at the highest levels of Caphirian decisionmakers as the "method to end Levantine Creep at the lowest cost". The plan assumed a war with Cartadania and Pelaxia would accompany any general military conflict in the Occident, a war that Caphiria planned to fight on a defensive basis. Both nations already provided significant tribute in the way of continental obligations, and Magasevetus and others preferred the status quo in Sarpedon to be maintained until the final end of Levantine influence.

The plan required significant expansion over the course of 1929 through 1931. The alignment of Burgundie with Cartadania and Pelaxia greatly expanded the potential scope of the conflict, requiring the plan to be expanded. Similar to its iengagement with nationalists in Levantia, Caphiria began to engage with nationalists in Alshar and Audonia who opposed ongoing Burgoignesc control over significant portions of those continents. Its engagement included clandestine support to a large number of parties, ranging from nationalist militias to Daxia. Similar to the Urcean portion of the plan, Caphirian leadership believed Burgundie would accept the defeat of its Sarpedonic allies in order to preserve its colonial empire in the east. The unexpected involvement of Burgundie required Caphiria to also think proactively about other Levantine threats, including and especially Fiannria. The proactive expansion led Caphiria to form a secret alliance with Faneria in 1931.

The Ten Year Plan was extremely influential on world events, as the course of action it suggested lead to the Second Great War. Most of its assumptions were also faulty, ranging from the inability of Urcea and Burgundie to wage multifront wars to the assumption that Kiravia would potentially intervene against Burgundie, not mentioned in the plans but implicitly thought due to their involvement in the First Great War. Magasevetus himself championed its adoption, although how dogmatically the plan was followed would become a major political issue in the Imperial Legion between its adoption and the beginning of the war. Adherence to the plan was viewed as a sign of political loyalty to Caphiria, as successful execution of the plan was viewed as absolutely vital for the preservation of Imperial Diplomacy and Greater Caphiria. Many historians have evaluated whether or not the plan's tenets are sound. Regardless of theory, the Plan was faulty in the end as Urcea had the will to fight for Talionia and would not readily accept its conquest.