Sudmoll Island Conflicts
The Sudmoll Island Conflicts is a collective name for numerous border clashes between the Stenzan People's Collective and Burgundie over the island of Sudmoll, which lies just off Stenza's coast. Although the conflicts never escalated to a full-scale war, tensions have been frequent and high around Sudmoll throughout recent history, with naval forces of both sides coming close to armed or even engaging in confrontation multiple times.
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Various other forces depending on the time period, including:
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Fishery disputes (1922-1934)
One of the first issues the Stenzan People's Collective faced after its independence from Corumm during the Stenzan Civil War was defending its borders from possible foreign intervention. The new country's opinion was that Sudmoll was occupied Stenzan land, and as such should end up under Stenzan control eventually. These claims were officially declared in 1924, after which Stenzan fishermen started to disregard any claim of Burgoignesc territorial waters around Sudmoll. Although diplomatic complaints soon arrived from Burgundie, it was not until 1928 that the Burgoignesc from Sudmoll replied with any sort of force. This was when Stenzan and Burgoignesc fishermen started fighting over fishing spots around Sudmoll. The situation remained relatively peaceful bar a handful of incidents between fishermen over the coming years, with both sides frequently objecting the presence of each other's fishermen in 'their' territorial waters.
First clashes (1934-1951)
Tensions rose in 1934. While the Great War was kicking off and devastating other parts of the world, Stenza was neutral and had finally accumulated enough naval power to take a stance on the Sudmoll affair. After being sufficiently pressured by the fishing industry, the Stenzan Navy's 2nd Squadron, which at the time consisted of four destroyers and a light cruiser, set out to Sudmoll with a marine division in tow on December 13th, 1934. This force, which intended to take Sudmoll and absorb it into the collective, was initially successful in its mission. Only token Burgoignesc resistance was met, with only a Chiondi class Aviso standing in the way of the Stenzan naval force. The Aviso was sunk during a brief naval battle, after which the Stenzan fleet steamed ahead with the intention of landing the marines.
The invasion would have meant Stenza's entry into the Great War if it were not for the alarming warning from within the Party that taking Sudmoll might mean facing the wrath of not just Burgundie, but also its allies. Stenzan military leadership was promptly ordered to cancel the assault, and the fleet returned home with Sudmoll in sight. This brief state of conflict set the stage for future clashes to follow.
Stenzan forces laid low for the rest of the Great War out of fear for LOTA retaliation, with the closest calls being Stenzan aircraft buzzing Burgoignesc and other LOTA naval vessels while the Stenzan Navy protected Stenzan fishermen in international waters. Stenzan forces became slightly more aggressive again after the Great War, with Stenzan Navy ships poking territorial waters around Sudmoll and sometimes trying to protect fishermen fishing in Burgoignesc waters. Most of these attempts did not return in violence however, seeing the arrival of Burgoignesc forces would mean a retreat of the Stenzans during these confrontations. This situation would persist until the early 1950s.
Continued clashes (1951-1983)
Starting in 1951, the Stenzan approach to the Sudmoll affair became more aggressive, with frequent Stenzan military incursions into Sudmoll's territorial waters and airspace to emphasize Stenza's belief that the island is theirs. This, in response, led to a buildup of Burgoignesc forces on the island, with Stenzan aircraft being intercepted and escorted home by Burgoignesc fighters, and Stenzan ships being met by their Burgoignesc peers to be guided out of Sudmoll's waters. These incidents became a sort of routine for both nations, with incursions happening as often as weekly. While the bulk of these incidents were resolved peacefully, it was not uncommon for either side to not back up until warning shots were fired or the risk of violence became imminent.
The naval altercations during these years led to quite a bit of damage on both sides, with naval collisions being quite common when both sides were adamant of their courses and unwilling to change course. Jury rigged solutions to these incidents became common during the 1960s and 1970s, with Stenzan warhips operating near Sudmoll being seen having strengthened bows and other means of structural reinforcement. The frequency of these incidents also meant a near continuous stream of diplomatic protests, with both sides spending a lot of time in various international courts trying to gain compensation for the damage caused.
The incidents during these years were not only military in nature however, with the fishery disputes continuing throughout the decades. Stenzan and Burgoignesc fishermen were commonly seen fighting over fishing spots in international waters, with both nation's naval forces and Coast Guards being busy dealing with maritime law enforcement in the area.
Some of the highlights during this era are the 1967 shootdown of a Stenzan bomber and the 1973 collision between a Stenzan fighter and its Burgoignesc counterpart.
1984 Sudmoll Conflict
July 27th, 1984 marked a flare-up in the Sudmoll. A routine incident between a Stenzan destroyer and a Burgoignesc Frigate escalated when the Stenzan ship fired its torpedoes at short range, devastating the Burgoignesc warship before it could mount a response. The act of aggression turned out to be part of a larger plan, for a larger Stenzan naval force moved in to clear the way for a mounting amphibious force. Throughout the day, Stenzan and Burgoignesc naval and air forces exchanged fire with low intensity, climaxing in a Stenzan air raid on Burgoignesc naval facilities on Sudmoll.
The day ended with multiple aircraft and ships destroyed on both side, with the defending forces losing two Frigates an an Aviso while the Stenzans lost two Frigates and a Destroyer. Tensions were rising swiftly, with both sides preparing for a full scale conflict. The threat of a larger Burgoignesc reaction over the small island was enough to scare the Stenzans, and conflict was avoided through swift diplomatic action. Stenzan Party officials and the Burgoignesc met throughout the night, with both parties eventually agreeing to return to the status quo as a better solution to all out conflict.
After the conflict (1984-2022)
Things returned to relative normalcy after the conflict, with the four years after its conclusion being peaceful enough by standards of the last few decades. The late 1980s saw the Stenzans picking up the pace again when it comes to aggression, with pre-conflicts incidents becoming commonplace again into the 2000s.
The early 2000s saw the Stenzan government spend more time on internal affairs than external ones, with the Stenzan navy toning down its aggression. As a result of this, the waters around Sudmoll gradually became more peaceful.
Current day (2022-Present)
The fall of the Stenzan People's Collective and the rise of the Republic of Stenza meant a formal peace agreement between Stenza and Burgundie that outlined the immediate cessation of any remaining hostilities and opening of diplomatic ties between both nations. Going forward, those from Stenza and Sudmoll would be able to travel freely between both territories while trade was encouraged. The availability of Stenzan commodities lowered the cost of living in Sudmoll, which no longer had to rely on nations further away for trade.