Cronan Theatre of the Second Great War: Difference between revisions

By 1934, Arcerion was a modern, industrial state with a strong, diversified economy and was considered to be one of the fastest growing nations in Crona. By this time, The Cape had a newly formed socialist government, and there was no normalized diplomatic relationship between [[Kurst Capital Region|Kurst]] and [[Cape Town]]. The Cape's new government was seeking to engage with larger economies to help export raw natural resources and finished goods to help boost its flailing economy that was struggling to compete with its northern Neighbor, [[Paulastra]], and was becoming increasingly threatened by the Arcer economy, which was set to collapse most native industry in The Cape by the mid-1940s due to its pro-business and free market policies. On New Year's Day the Cape prepared a delegation to travel to the now wartime capital of [[Caphiria]], [[Venceia]].  

Urcean intelligence services however had both intercepted telegrams and letters from the Capetian delegation after their arrival in Venceia, but they had also been able to spy on the Capetians during their brief stop in Pelaxia, learning of these plans, transmitting them back to [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]]. Significantly concerned that this would not only widen the scope of the war, but also severely impact the Western Odoneru, the Urcean Consul in Arcerion provided an intelligence docket to the Arcer Prime Minister, informing him of both Caphirian and Capetian schemes to destabilize Crona. Fresh from their loss in the Ardmori Civil War, the [[Government of Arcerion|Confederate Parliament]] was hesitant to get involved in what was quickly becoming a world war of industrial scale, and quietly sent the Foreign Secretary to Cape Town to personally deliver a letter of protest over the matter, informing the Cape that any actions that were taken in this manner would be considered a direct threat to the economic sovereignty of Arcerion.

 

Little happened in the months following diplomatically, but Cahpiria and The Cape secretly signed agreements and moved ahead with their plan. Caphirian soldiers appeared in June of 1934, and began training the Capetian defence forces, with weapons and equipment as available flowing in through Eastern Ports. Its lack of a national intelligence service meant that Arcerion's access to information that indicated the Cape was arming itself and that Caphiria was already staging the submarine tenders and building the facilities necessary to support commerce raiding ships came only sporadically from the Urcean Defense Attache in the [[New Archduchy]]. By the summer of 1935 however, it was becoming explicitly clear that The Cape's military was burgeoning and Caphirian ships had already made several port calls into the Eastern parts of The Cape, ferrying advisors, equipment, and intelligence.

 

On 14 November 1935, a Caphirian submarine that was based out of the newly constructed submarine pens in the Eastern Capetian Peninsula sighted what it assessed as a cargo freighter bound Eastward for Levantia. Based on radio communications that Caphiria had intercepted from the vessel, it was able to ascertain it was indeed an Arcer-flagged vessel, although it was confirmed to be carrying both steel products such as road wheels for tanks, as well as some chemical compounds required to manufacture ammunition. It torpedoed the vessel, the ''SS Finch'', which was lost with all hands and sunk quickly due to its explosive and heavy cargo. Arcerion did not learn of its sinking until two weeks later when the company lodged a formal protest after sailors from a Burgoignesc vessel chartered out of Equatorial Ostiecia found flotsam belonging to the ''Finch''. Enraged, the Arcer government summoned the Caphirian Consul in the New Archduchy to answer for the ship's sinking and the loss of two dozen crew. The Arcer government acknowledged it was carrying weapons and other materiel required for the Levantian war effort, but it reminded Caphiria that Arcerion was both neutral and the ship was privately owned and operated. Embattled, the Caphirian Consul conedd it was unfortunate but that the vessel was a legitimate military target. Arceiron expelled the Consul via rail, however his expulsion was leaked in the Kinnaird Financial Times, and he required escort from members of the [[Royal Arcerion Constabulary]] to avoid being assailed on his exit. The Arcer government also sent telegrams and diplomatic letters to the Capetian government, who were now emboldened with several divisions and a fledgling armed forces, which rebuked the claims as 'Capitalist Slander,' insisting Arcerion had made itself a combatant by supporting Urcea and its allies.  

Arcerion, believing that Caphiria was biding its time until it could finally close off the Songun Straits and use The Cape as its Cronan base of operations, sent a telegram to the Urcean Defense Attache in the New Archduchy, requesting a diplomatic presence in Arcerion with requisite defense officials to begin secret plans for "joint defense of economic and sovereign interests."