Talk:First Great War

Broad outline
This is a primarily Sarpedon centric war which revolves primarily around Caphirian interests in expansion. This is a war fought between Caphiria, Vachena, and potentially Burgundie against Pelaxia, Cartadania, Veltorina, and potentially Kiravia. There is a small global element here, especially between Burgundie, Caphiria, and Kiravia, but for the most part the big slug matches are on Sarpedon. Maybe Faskano Strait is incorporated, maybe not, but internationally this takes the complexion of maybe the summation of the long-running Kiro-Burgundie colonial wars.

The war ends with the outright annexation of Veltorina and the chastening of Pelaxia and Cartadania. Maybe they lost territory, up to them. Recall at this point Caphiria has the southern area now part of Slak/Once part of Valcenia. Maybe Vachena gets annexed here? That's up to Insui. Caphiria ends with continental hegemony. Pelaxia and Cartadania seek allies abroad to prevent this from happening again, and start looking towards Urcea as part of a broader strategy to surround Caphiria.

Possible 1890s version
Based on Burg's timing suggestion below, an 1890s First Great War could take on a global complexion with a series of minor colonial skirmishes and domestic wars in Urcea and the Cape (Red Interregnum and Cape's first War of independence, respecively) with Kiro-Caphiric and Burgundie influenced factions on both sides, maybe elsewhere. In this way the "global war" element will ultimately be kind of a Seven Year's War situation, where there is good fighting elsewhere but the majority of committed resources remain in Sarpedon. Burg suggested including Faskano Strait and that may play well with the Cape's war, I'm unsure.

A good concept may include Greg FitzRex of Urcea, the Crown Regent, promising Talionia (Dorhaven) to Caphiria upon the completion of Urcea's Red Interregnum civil war in exchange for Caphirian aid and arms - I'm thinking a similar arrangement between Austria and France wherein Austria would give France the Austrian Netherlands in exchange for help securing Silesia. Caphiria makes a light effort but due to a lack of care about it in addition to Burgundie naval superiority no real Caphirian help arrives. Accordingly upon the restoration Patrick III obviously disavows ceding Talionia, and Caphiria feels burned since it was "promised" the territory, setting the stage for the Second Great War.

ADDENDUM: I fucked this up. Burgundie and Caphiria couldn't be on the same side if the Interregnum is a theater of the war. It would have to be Kiravia on the Caphirian side and Burgundie on the allied side. That's unfortunate since I wanted the swap of Caphiria and Burgundie on the same side, but it's probably not possible.

Timing considerations
It should feature all the familiar accoutrement of industrialized warfare, so trenches, big howitzers, machine guns, dreadnoughts, etc., but should probably remain a generation before the bigger second war. The original lore of a Great Depression in 1909 and beyond may be a good point for this, so perhaps a 6 year war 1909-1915. It could be earlier to differentiate it from IRL WW1. We don't want to be accused of being derivative.

The BURG Blowup Suggestion
Burg wrote, on 1/18/22:

''I am interested in this. I will work backwards into what you all decide. I like the idea of it being an eruption of the Kiro-Burg wars. I think I am going to retconn most of the New Burg Secession war in favor of giving the Faskano Strait War more of my attention when I can get to it. It's going to be a mutiny, not a full-on civil war. I like the concept of Heku getting vindictive after GW1 and leaning in on the Derics to kick off the second frat to get GW2 rolling.

I love the idea of a very late 1800s GW1 the, I know you hadn't pushed it back THAT far but I could really dig it. Regardless, its going to look like the late 1800s for the Burgs at least, lol. I think it will be a good watershed for the death of the Les Grand Fops in the military high command. How is this going to play with the Red Interreggnum?''

This timing would help keep the tech implications on GW2 less, since mass machine guns and big siege howitzers etc. would not be available during this time and tanks/airplanes could not be produced. It would allow GW2 to unfold more or less as presently shaped (1914-18 of doctrinal developments in about a year) and allow for a Red Interregnum tie in. It's an interesting thought.

Burg
To wear the shit out of the following uniforms. Also to have a punch up with Kiravia but lets face it, its the uniforms for me dawg. Also Yonbon, we join too, Volonderres baby Yondie, mien freund do you want your guys to be in all grey uniforms. I am thinking of the third to last photo, the guy in Madagascar kit? Kool by me

First Great War (DRAFT)
First Great War (1896-1902)

Main Participants
"Allies"/"The Aliança"

Cartadania Pelaxia Burgundie (+ Yonderrian volunteers) Veltorina Aciria

"Concordiae Powers"

Caphiria Kiravia Alstin (?) Vachena (?)

Side Theater Participants
The Cape (1st Independence War, Burg-aligned 1896-97, neutral 1897-99, Kir aligned 1899-1902)+Fhainnin republican volunteers Urcean Legitimists (Red Interregnum, aligned with Burgundie) Urcean Regalists (RI, aligned with Caphiria) Random Deric countries (RI only) Carna (Mostly just in the RI) Alstin Natalia Arcerion Paulastra

Theaters
Sarpedon - Main theater of combat South Levantia - Mostly Red Interregnum related and mostly Urcean domestic fighting with Burgundie and Deric assistance Crona - Faskano Strait/Capetian Independence War, Arcer-Paul War, Natalia War Global - Random small colonial skirmishes including Kiro-Alstin coalition forces against Burg

Result
Veltorina ANNEXED by Caphiria Vachena partly annexed by Cartadania during the war; rest swallowed a few years later Pelaxia and Cartadania chastened; land lost? de Weluta restored in Urcea Cape independence achieved Talionia pretext for next war Seváronsa becomes Kiravian; that whole archipelago is partitioned between Kiravia and Alstin Washakara condominium established Alstin presumably gains some other lands from Burg or whomever Natalia partitioned between Paulastra and the Cape; portions Paulastra gets are former Julian Belt portions taken by Cartadania during the Cronan Beaver War

Timeline of Events
1. Background; Veltorina becomes independent (1782) and Socialist (1860s) refusing to participate in Imperial Diplomacy; Caphiria seeks repatriation, tensions elevate on Sarpedon, Pelaxia and Cartadania guarantee/ally Veltorina (1880s) Caphiria invades Veltorina (1896) 2. Sarpedon War main theater rages beginning in 1896. Caphiria calls in Kiravia for their naval resources/manpower/etc due to preexisting ties with promise of Cartadanian islands etc. Burgundie jumps in on the allied side as a result of this in order to prevent themselves from being locked out of Crona. If Burg or Kir have better lore to explain their involvement, that will be used instead 3. After plotting and various stuff, the uprising in Urcea starts (1897) launching the Red Interregnum. Caphiria and the FitzRexist regime ally (they are already close) and FitzRex promises Talioinia to Caphiria if he wins if Caphiria helps. Carna joins the war on the side of the legitimists, drawing its semi-colony Arcerion also into the conflict against Paulastra which is on friendly terms and is somehow involved in the war. A short war over Washakara starts in Crona 4. NRA Government in the Cape begins uprisings and declares independence (1897) initially with Burger support. Kiravian government concedes the issue in exchange for kicking out Burgers, which the Cape does and becomes neutral (1897). 5. Seeing opportunity to take Cart/Burg colonies, Alstin joins the war on the side of Kiravia and Caphiria (1897). Presumably they maybe take some of their current IRL islands from this conflict 6. Paul-Arcer War ends (1898) with establishment of Washakara condominium, beginning long friendship. 7. The Cape begins its war against Natalia (1899), officially joining sides with the Kiro-Caphirian faction but largely standing as a cobelligerent; Paulastra also invades 8. Red Interregnum ends with Legitimists restored (1902) 9. End of war. Veltorina destroyed (1902)

Technology
Frankly, a lot of short recoil artillery will not be available during this war or at least available until the very late years of the war. A lot of this is going to look like "very advanced American Civil War with Maxim guns sometimes but not always employed". We will need somebody to study the Spanish American War in depth for tactical deployment of technology, but as far as I understand it was still ACW-style advance of massed infantry or cavalry on entrenched positions but using bolt action