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Ardmori Civil War: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox military conflict | {{Infobox military conflict | ||
| conflict = Ardmori Civil War | | conflict = Ardmori Civil War | ||
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| status = | | status = | ||
| combatants_header = Belligerents | | combatants_header = Belligerents | ||
| combatant1 = Ardmore<br>{{flag|Arcerion}} | | combatant1 = Ardmore<br>{{flag|Arcerion}}<br>{{flag|Alstin}} | ||
| combatant2 = [[Ardmore|Ardmori Cooperative]] | | combatant2 = [[Ardmore|Ardmori Cooperative]] | ||
| combatant3 = | | combatant3 = | ||
| commander1 = King Coilean Ó Canann | | commander1 = King Coilean Ó Canann | ||
| commander2 = | | commander2 = | ||
| units1 = Royal Ardmori Army<br>Royal Ardmori Navy<br>Ardmori Air Corps<br>{{army|Arcerion}} | | units1 = Royal Ardmori Army<br>Royal Ardmori Navy<br>Ardmori Air Corps<br>{{army|Arcerion}}<br>{{flagicon|Alstin}} [[United Republic Navy]] | ||
| units2 = Ardmori Liberation Army<br>National Ardmori Front<br>New Ardmori People's Republic | | units2 = Ardmori Liberation Army<br>National Ardmori Front<br>New Ardmori People's Republic | ||
| strength1 = | | strength1 = | ||
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Ardghar and Ros Mac spent most of 1926 speaking publicly in pubs, dance halls, and poor houses across Great Ardmore. The focus on the South Islands was largely due to the lessening Royal presence, as the Royal Army was undergoing a period of austerity and budget cuts, with Regiments withdrawing closer to garrisons and away from the industrial centres. This was combined with a significant amount of corruption amongst the Ardmore Royal Constabulary, the national and federal police and internal security force that protected the Crown's interest. Another major concern was the lack of a try gendarmerie to deal with the subversive activities of Ardghar and Ros Mac, giving them freedom of movement. The largest rally in Kilkken was held at the shift change of three neighbouring factories in the town's Northern District. Over two thousand shift workers, child labourers, and union activists listen to speeches on worker reform, industrial safety improvements, minimum wages, and pensions for long time employees. Ardghar had bribed sympathetic police officers who ensured the rally went unhindered, and over a thousand of the participants signed up for the New Worker's Party, which by the end of 1926 was nearing 10,000 members across Ardmore and was looking to establish other chapters and groups in the Northern Islands. | Ardghar and Ros Mac spent most of 1926 speaking publicly in pubs, dance halls, and poor houses across Great Ardmore. The focus on the South Islands was largely due to the lessening Royal presence, as the Royal Army was undergoing a period of austerity and budget cuts, with Regiments withdrawing closer to garrisons and away from the industrial centres. This was combined with a significant amount of corruption amongst the Ardmore Royal Constabulary, the national and federal police and internal security force that protected the Crown's interest. Another major concern was the lack of a try gendarmerie to deal with the subversive activities of Ardghar and Ros Mac, giving them freedom of movement. The largest rally in Kilkken was held at the shift change of three neighbouring factories in the town's Northern District. Over two thousand shift workers, child labourers, and union activists listen to speeches on worker reform, industrial safety improvements, minimum wages, and pensions for long time employees. Ardghar had bribed sympathetic police officers who ensured the rally went unhindered, and over a thousand of the participants signed up for the New Worker's Party, which by the end of 1926 was nearing 10,000 members across Ardmore and was looking to establish other chapters and groups in the Northern Islands. | ||
Despite protests from the educated Ardghar, Ros Mac demanded a political stunt outside of the Royal Palace in Rosmore. Ros Mac was determined to take the fight to both the Parliament and Royal Family, and planned a large protest on the day of the communion of several junior members of the Royal Family. The event was likely to have both King Coilean Ó Canann, as well as Prime Minister Teigue Ó hAinle, with several members of the cabinet and senior Royals. Planned for November 11th, 1926 several hundred protestors boarded vessels from Dunvál, arriving the day before the ceremony in Rosmore, staying in pubs, poor houses, and Salvation Army kitchens overnight before the event. | Despite protests from the educated Ardghar, Ros Mac demanded a political stunt outside of the Royal Palace in Rosmore. Ros Mac was determined to take the fight to both the Parliament and Royal Family, and planned a large protest on the day of the communion of several junior members of the Royal Family. The event was likely to have both King Coilean Ó Canann, as well as Prime Minister Teigue Ó hAinle, with several members of the cabinet and senior Royals. Planned for November 11th, 1926 several hundred protestors boarded vessels from Dunvál, arriving the day before the ceremony in Rosmore, staying in pubs, poor houses, and Salvation Army kitchens overnight before the event. | ||
The Royal family was shocked when several hundred angry protestors descended onto the Rosmore Cathedral, and despite attempts by Ardghar to keep the union members and sympathizers peaceful, violent clashes broke out between police, Royal Guardsmen, and union members. The clash was over quickly, but it prevented the King and members of the Royal Family from entering the Cathedral, and several dozen policemen and union members were seriously injured, and at least two cabinet members were accosted by the crowd before swiftly being rescued by police. The King concluded that what had gone on thus far was unacceptable, and what was seen as a passing political fad was now quickly becoming an insurrection that threatened his hold on the Kingdom. Between Ardghar and Ros Mac, a serious rift emerged as they differed not only over politics and suggested courses of action on how to run the campaign to revolutionize their nation, but also on how to deal with the resulting fallout. Ros Mac, the militant communist who demanded a violent revolution to overthrow the ruling class for the workers saw this clash as the first battle in a war for a New Ardmore. Ardghar however was concerned that their activities would now draw the ire of the Royal Family, Constabulary, and ultimately the Royal Army. | |||
[[File:Ardmore Crackdown.jpg|thumb|Workers clash with members of the Royal Ardmore Constabulary on January 5th, 1927 and several dozen members of the Union were killed. Collectively this was referred to as 'Red Wednesday.']] | |||
=== Royal Crackdown and Suppression === | === Royal Crackdown and Suppression === | ||
Ros Mac's insistence on a show that would attract political and international attention continued to drive a wedge between the leadership within the socialist ranks. This discontent allowed infiltrators from the Constabulary and officers/investigators in plainclothes to begin to subvert efforts by Ros Mac to continue planning and executing strikes and events. The intelligence network that was created allowed for the Constabulary to head off strikes, box in protests, or arrest perpetrators before many of the events began. The slow decline of events thanks to effective policing and intelligence work however did not culimnate with the arrest or killing of any of the senior leadership, many of whom had fled to Vithinja for continued education, military training, and political campaigning for additional support. | |||
By the end of 1926, the uprising had been reclassified by police as a "nuisance" and officers and intelligence officials were reassigned. However, Ros Mac, recently returned from a speaking tour at many prominent Levantine universities and colleges, organized a labour event using different agents, means, and methods to ensure it achieved surprise. Arriving the night of January 4th, they set up picket lines and strike areas to prevent steel workers from getting into their factory, organizing and modelling the event as a union signup initiative, to encourage the factory workers and smiths to join his cause rather than continue to be abused by the upper classes of Ardmori business and government. By midday on the 5th of January, the Constabulary had received a formal complaint from the factory senior management, and embarrassed that they had not effectively ended the dissent, sent over two hundred officers to clear out the disturbance. The resulting clash resulted in the deaths of several dozen Union members and several constables, the event, 'Red Wednesday' becoming a rallying cry for the Ardmori people, and the Union leadership finally had scored a political and strategic information victory over the Royal Family. | |||
=== Socialist Uprising === | === Socialist Uprising === | ||
The outpouring of international condemnation was strong, and foreign support and weapons began to flow into the North and South Islands. Ardghar and Ros Mac finally sat down to create a campaign plan based off of lessons they had learned at training camps in Vithnija. However, their tact was different and were unable to overcome disagreements, parting ways to stand up similar, but different organizations. | |||
foreign support | |||
The Royal Family, appalled that the socialist uprising was now turning into a full fledged rebellion, began tasking the Army with hunting down the dissenters and subversives, essentially in an attempt to go onto the offensive and crush the communists. Lacking the effective equipment or training to do so, the clumsy attempts by the Army were either thwarted by sympathetic soldiers leaking plans of attack, or through commander's general incompetence at combatting insurgent forces. Weapons continued to be smuggled in, stolen from private warehouses, or looted from Army store depots throughout Ardmore, as Brigades of socialists began arming themselves. | |||
[[File:Spring 1927.png|thumb|Spring maneuvers by the Royalist Forces, Liberation Brigades, and the arrival of the Arcerion Parachute Regiment Battlegroup, January-May 1927. ]] | |||
== Early War (1927-1929) == | == Early War (1927-1929) == | ||
=== Initial Conflicts === | === Initial Conflicts === | ||
Ardghar and Ros Mac by March of 1927 were barely on speaking terms, with their respective aides and advisors communicating by letter and telegram to communicate the respective leaders' intentions. Ardghar formed the National Ardmori Front (NAF), his effort to still achieve a political solution, and with only a singular brigade of supporters and not nearly enough equipment, withdrew to a satellite island to leave Ros Mac's newly established Ardmori Liberation Army (NLA, sometimes referred to as the 'National Liberation Army') on the North Island near Killinmuir, a major port city, and to continue to receive weapons and foreign fighters into the fledgling Liberation brigades (LBs). | |||
Ardghar's strategy was to win over the support of the local populace with an increased reliance and effort to conduct union sign ups, political petitions, and where necessary apply armed force to force Royal sympathizers out when necessary. Favouring a long-term solution, and working with the Crown to show that they would not concede their demands but rather wished to work towards a common solution for the establishment of a Constitutional Republic, this was wildly opposed to Ros Mac's plan, which called for the violent overthrow of the Royal Family and government through a bloody revolution and national struggle against the upper classes. | |||
==== Battle of Hellman ==== | ==== Battle of Hellman ==== | ||
{{Infobox military conflict | |||
| conflict = Battle of Hellman | |||
| partof = Ardmori Civil War | |||
| image = Ardmori rout.PNG | |||
| image_size = 200px | |||
| caption = National Liberation Army irregulars rout after being engaged by Royalist forces outside of Kilinmuir, March 1927. | |||
| date = 12-19 March 1927 | |||
| place = [[Hellman]], [[Ardmore]] | |||
| result = Royalist Victory | |||
| combatant1 = Royalists | |||
| combatant2 = National Liberation Army | |||
| commander1 = General Kenneth Dunsworth | |||
| commander2 = Ros Mac | |||
| units1 = 2 Infantry Brigades | |||
| units2 = 2 Liberation Brigades (understrength) | |||
| strength1 = ~8,000 | |||
| strength2 = ~6,500 | |||
| casualties1 = Unknown | |||
| casualties2 = 500-600 | |||
}} | |||
Hellman, a small community in the suburbs outside the largest city of Kilinmuir, was a convenient location for Ros Mac's 1st and 2nd Liberation Brigades of the National Liberation Army. Deploying 2 infantry brigades, the Chief of the Army General Staff, General Dunsworthe had both the initiative and the element of surprise. Attacking mid-morning on March 12th, they engaged elements foraging for food and shaking down civilians in outlying villages, infantry and armoured car units managing to rout the counterattacking forces, which lacked heavy equipment and weapons and were routed back to Hellman proper. Ros Mac, panicked at the thought of losing everything so early in the campaign, ordered a general retreat. In the ensuing panic, much of the 2nd Brigade was badly mauled by Royalist forces during their retreat Northward. | |||
Ros Mac's decision was to withdraw to the port of Tuton, where they had been smuggling most of their light weapons and preparing trucks to establish motorised regiments to more quickly move about the country. The garrison commander, upon learning of the rout, began to prep the town for an urban defense, including a heated argument with the Harbourmaster's Office regarding sinking coal freighters in the port's mouth to prevent the Royal Navy from entering. On the March to the Southeast, Ros Mac was now relying on veterans and former Army officers to stall and delay the Royalist forces as they chased them up the Northern coast along the Ardmori Gulf. The 2nd Brigade was now nearly half strength with deserters and casualties, many of the wounded forced to be left behind due to the lack of ambulances or horse carts from which they could transport the non-ambulatory. The larger loss was the multiple caches of weapons, including machineguns, that had been left in Kilinmuir and Hellman. The Battle was considered a defeat for the Socialist forces, and as they withdrew towards Tuton they would continue to lose support, many of those no longer believing in Ros Mac's ability to command a military force and flocked to join Ardghar's Ardmori Front. | |||
north island, loyalists smash commies | north island, loyalists smash commies | ||
==== Battle of Tuton ==== | ==== Battle of Tuton ==== | ||
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-few key battles, at least 1 stalingrad esque | -few key battles, at least 1 stalingrad esque | ||
=== Urcean Diplomatic Intervention === | |||
Urc basically ceases all economic support to Ardmore, orders all key allies to as well | |||
Ardmore now only supported by Alstin and Arcerion | |||
Government and military begin to collapse | |||
==== Battle of Elliston ==== | ==== Battle of Elliston ==== | ||
arco paras and light rifles battling in hills, commies lose | arco paras and light rifles battling in hills, commies lose | ||
[[Royal Easthampton Borderers]] | |||
==== Siege of Wolford ==== | ==== Siege of Wolford ==== | ||
tobrukl-esque, commies caught by loyalists | tobrukl-esque, commies caught by loyalists | ||
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=== Retreat from Wolford === | === Retreat from Wolford === | ||
-ardmori troops begin to break with mass execution of royals and armori government officials | -ardmori troops begin to break with mass execution of royals and armori government officials | ||
-wavering ardmori support increases burden on arco troops | -wavering ardmori support increases burden on arco troops | ||
[[Royal Moorden Regiment]] & [[Arcerion Tank Regiment]] | |||
=== Evacuation of Taernsby === | === Evacuation of Taernsby === | ||
-arco generals see writing on the wall, begin an evacuation a la Manila to get loyalists to the north island | -arco generals see writing on the wall, begin an evacuation a la Manila to get loyalists to the north island | ||
Battle of Taernsby as its first major engagement, where two tank companies supported by an armoured reconnaissance battalion conducted a counter attack to engage communist forces, which lacked anti-tank weapons and were beaten back, giving time for Arcer forces to evacuate civilians and noncombatants through the port. | |||
[[Arcerion Tank Regiment]] | |||
==== Battles of the Southern Marches ==== | ==== Battles of the Southern Marches ==== | ||
''See: [[Operation Smatter]]'' | |||
-retreat to north island (make it seem like a long march type deal) | -retreat to north island (make it seem like a long march type deal) | ||
== Armistice and Legacy == | == Armistice and Legacy == | ||
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[[Category:Ardmore]] | [[Category:Ardmore]] | ||
-arco withdrawal from Levantia | -arco withdrawal from Levantia | ||
{{Template:Award winning article}} | |||
[[Category:2023 Award winning pages]] | |||
[[Category:IXWB]] | |||