Central Vallosi War
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The Central Vallosi War was an armed conflict between Valverdist Almadaria and an international coalition led by Urcea with Castadilla serving as the main leader of the Almadarian front. The conflict against the ultranationalist regime in Almadaria is divided into two main phases: The War of the Liberation of Arona from the war's beginning in 2037 until late 2039, which consisted of the entirety of Urcea's direct involvement in the conflict and focused on the liberation of Arona; and the War of the Astol Plains that spanned almost the entirety of the war, which consisted of Castadilla's eventual conquest and annexation of Almadaria thus ending the nation's almost two-century-long independence in 2040. The war was also the first major conflict in Vallos since the colonial era.
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In 2037, just months after his victory in the Almadarian Civil War, Valverdist President Ernesto Allende began an invasion of the neighbouring Urcen protectorate of Arona and was able to conquer the entire country within a span of a week. Arona was seen by Valverdists as being an integral part of Valverdia, a pseudohistorical irredentist concept which claims the entirety of Almadaria and Arona as well as half of Castadilla and parts of northern Takatta Loa as supposedly being a part of a long-lost medieval-era Vallosi empire. The conquest of Arona would see the establishment of a temporary "occupation republic" before being quickly integrated into Almadaria a day after the "republic" was declared. The invasion and subsequent conquest of Arona was met with immediate condemnation from both members of the Vallosi Economic Association (VEA) as well as the international community, with Urcea calling for the formation of an international coalition to liberate its protectorate from Almadaria occupation. The coalition would also collaborate with the VEA, whose members had been embarking on military build-ups to try and counter the increasing threat of the Valverdists, with Castadilla being a major Vallosi contributor to the war effort. The liberation of Arona took just over two years to accomplish, due to stiff pushback from "vigilante" militias and initially successful lightning warfare tactics which soon became less effective due to the robustness of Castadillaan and Urcean forces, and once Arona was liberated the fall of the Valverdist forces would soon follow in short succession before ending with the Fall of Piedratorres in 2040.
Because the Valverdist government was not internationally recognised, the war also took on the meaning of restoring a legitimate democratic government to Almadaria, one way or another. This ultimately took on the form of having Almadaria become a part of Castadilla, which was voted in an internationally-recognised referendum voted on by Almadarian expats, which was accomplished through an occupation system designed to deradicalise, and democratise the former Almadarian territories in three phases of governance; military occupation, democratic tutelage, and constitutional governance. The war was also seen as a sign that the VEA need to be granted more powers, making it into more of a supranational economic and political union like the Levantine Union and complete with the establishment of the Vallosi Defense Commission for coordination between the armed forces of member states.
Background
Roughly a year prior to the start of the Central Vallosi War, Almadaria was an increasingly authoritarian, illiberal democracy under the presidency of the moderate conservative nationalist Arturo Nuñez who had co-opted certain elements of Valverdism, but had largely disavowed it due to it being a pseudohistorical theory that promoted what he deemed to be a rather destructive form of militarism. The co-opting of some Valverdist rhetoric was initially seen as a good thing in the eyes of the Revenant Valverdist Vanguard, but when Nuñez disavowed the group they were pushed further towards extremism. This nascent extremism had allowed for Ernesto Allende to become the VVR's leader in the mid-2000s which meant that he could finally formalise Valverdism as a political ideology beyond the initial pseudohistorical theory; this was how modern Valverdism came to be as an ultranationalist, syncretic political movement with heavy irredentist and revanchist elements.
The turn towards extremism would make the Nuñez presidency declare the VVR a terror group and thus was considered to be banned under punishment of harsh imprisonment sentences. To Nuñez, moderate Occidental-based nationalism was the proper alternative to Castadillaan-style socialist multiculturalism; indeed he believed that although the Occidental-descended people of Vallos were at risk of potentially losing their heritage, the overtly hostile narrative that the VVR had been pushing was a detriment due to the group's desire to subjugate any and all non-Occidental ethnic groups in Vallos. As relations between the Nuñez government and the VVR further deteriorated into hostilities, the latter group began to conduct a series of terror attacks all across Almadaria, with the most notable attacks happening in the northern half of the country which eventually culminated in an uprising occurring in the nation's capital of Piedratorres in September 2036 which involved both VVR members and "vigilante" militias that were aligned with the VVR despite being independent. The uprising would see the overthrow and death of president Nuñez while VVR leader Ernesto Allende declared himself the new president "by will of the rebels".
Members of the Almadarian democratic opposition had opposed the VVR's victory in the uprising and so fled with most of the armed forces to southern Almadaria where they established a rival democratic government. The two governments would enter into armed conflict on 1 October 2036, with only the democratic government in the south receiving international recognition. For the first two months of the Almadarian Civil War the democratic forces were initially poised to soundly defeat the Valverdist forces by Christmas, but in mid-December the fortunes of the democratic forces have quickly reversed with the Valverdist forces seemingly proving themselves to be a more effective fighting force. In February of 2037, the vast majority of the democratic forces have decided to defect to the Valverdists, with the democratic government making preparations to evacuate to neighbouring Castadilla. Valverdist president Allende would declare victory over the democratic forces on 15 March that same year.
In the months leading up to the invasion of Arona, Almadaria's neighbours began to intensify armament measures and building up their respective armed forces in preparation for a possible attack or even invasion from the Valverdist government. There were also calls to turn the Vallosi Economic Association, which already had served as the primary diplomatic meeting place for member states, into a supranational union more akin to the Levantine Union; this meant that an amendment to the Treaty of Emérida d'u Mar was required as the treaty did not provide provisions for the eventuality that the VEA would become more than what many had seen as just an economic trading bloc.
Timeline
Invasion of Arona
Although Almadaria's neighbours had expected an invasion to occur, what they did not expect was for the Valverdist government to invade the Urcean protectorate of Arona. As a protectorate of Urcea, that meant that any aggressive action taken against Arona would risk incurring retaliation from Urcea, and the rest of the nations in Vallos, already knowing that there was no point in instigating a war on the subcontinent, were well aware of such a possibility and so any actions taken in regards to Arona remained exclusively within the realm of diplomacy. The Valverdist government, whether due to an onset of complacency in their overall militaristic capabilities or an eagerness to restore Valverdia, had decided in a secret meeting between president Allende and his generals that the conquest of Arona would serve as the first step towards dominating the subcontinent and probably even believed that conquering Arona would not result in any retaliatory action from either Urcea or their neighbours. Preparations for the invasion were done clandestinely, with the strategy being to send in "vigilantes" that would sabotage the Aronese telecommunications infrastructure which would serve as the prologue to the first of the invasion forces into the area.
The invasion of Arona began on 19 July 2037, starting with a surprise attack that made use of lightning warfare tactics which proved a big success against the Aronese forces. The attack came to as a surprise to the VEA which had expected the Valverdist government to maintain a similar if not slightly more aggressive rhetoric towards its neighbours like the preceding Nuñez presidency had done. The invasion lasted about a week, and was a Valverdist victory. To hasten the integration of the newly-conquered territory, Almadaria would set up a so-called "occupation republic" which would handle the internal affairs of Arona and prepare it for minority rule over the majority Tainean population. This republic lasted only two weeks before it was integrated into Almadaria proper. The invasion and subsequent conquest of Arona was met with international condemnation as well as preparations for outright war in Vallos from amongst the VEA membership; the success of the invasion exacerbated fears of an imminent future invasion. The result was the establishment of the Vallosi Defence Commission, the VEA's primary defence agency serving as a primary means of coordination between the armed forces of each VEA member state.
Formation of an international coalition
As the Vallosi Defense Commission was established, Arona's protector Urcea began to make calls for an international coalition intended to disarm the Valverdist occupation forces and liberate all occupied territories. To ensure stable communications, and because of the VEA's very precautionary reactions made in light of the Valverdist victory in the Almadarian Civil Wat, the coalition was to be led by a Vallosi nation. The honour was given to Castadilla, not only because the nation was the first to have began rearmament in response to tensions with Almadaria, but also because of the strategic advantage of sharing a long border with Almadaria; Castadillaan forces had many options in where they could cross the border and especially as much of the Almadarian forces were still serving as occupation forces in Arona and thus would not be able to reach the Castadillaan forces for about a week.
Other nations that were interested in joining the international coalition include Takatta Loa and Lucrecia, both being members of the Vallosi Defense Commission, Tierrador, which has had historically positive relations with Castadilla and its preceding governments since the latter's independence in 1852, and Fiannria, with logistical assistance from Burgundie and Caphiria, both countries holding territory in northern Vallos respectively through Equatorial Ostiecia and Vespera.
Early counterattacks
Early counterattacks began with operations conducted by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force against the Valverdists' naval forces, with an early coalition victory coming when the BIV De Osma, flagship of the Imperial Valverdist Navy, was struck by a ship-to-ship long-range anti-ship missile launched by an Royal Navy vessel. Photos of the sinking of the De Osma were published online within minutes of the attack. Additional photos of other notable Valverdist vessels were published as well, showing the sinking of the BIV Portana, Arnez, Astolia, and Vallos, with Valverdist naval capabilities being greatly crippled as a result. The Imperial Valverdist Air Force was almost entirely disabled by the Brenadine Squadron of the Royal Air Force. The Aronese island of Galib was soon liberated thanks to the Royal Marine Corps and local partisans.
Tierrador's first counterattacks against the Valverdists were through air raids over the cities Portana and Lacusentia. The immediate military attacks as ordered by the Woqali, although criticised by members of the Socialist Workers' Party, were instrumental in effectively splitting Almadaria into two with the governments of the southern departments being overthrown by pro-democratic partisans and becoming quasi-independent entities that awaited for the fall of the Valverdist regime before they could declare themselves to be a part of the exiled United Republic of Almadaria.
The southern departments instead opted to surrender to the Imperial Castadillaan Army, effectively placing them under Castadillaan occupation. Castadilla's formal entry into the conflict was late compared to the rest of the coalition due to the Imperial Castadillaan Armed Forces handling the evacuation of all settlements within twenty kilometres of the border with Almadaria to ensure both a reduction of instances of accidental friendly fire as well as to ensure that no citizen was at risk of being captured by Valverdist-aligned "vigilante" militias. Initial Castadillaan movements were heavily slowed down by attacks from the "vigilantes" and had to rely on air strikes from both the Imperial Castadillaan Air Force and the Tierradorian Air Force to hamper the militias' efforts.
Liberation of Arona
The liberation of Arona began with a series of amphibious assaults on northwestern Almadaria and the Aronese coast by the Royal Marine Corps, which resulted in the quick liberation of the Aronese capital of Toucari. However, the exiled government claimed that they would not return to Arona until significant parts of the country are liberated. Some have speculated that the decision to stay in exile for the time being was at the very least partly influenced by a mass demonstration against the Aronese government for its failure in defending the country against the Valverdist invasion. At the same time, forces of the Royal and Imperial Army would begin to enter Arona through its northern border to directly engage with the Valverdist forces in the Aronese hinterlands. Eventually, the Valverdist forces were encircled with the Royal and Imperial Army soon entering into northern Almadaria to serve as a buffer against any further Valverdist forces. Urcean involvement would formally end after Almadaria was recognised as a part of Castadilla on 10 April 2038.
Castadillaan invasion of Almadaria
Shortly before the formal end of Urcean involvement in the conflict in mid-April of 2038, Castadillaan forces began to launch a series of campaigns and assaults on northern Almadaria. With no formal armed forces on the side of the Valverdists, the only effective fighting force, if any, was the "vigilante" militias which had gotten more and more fierce in their last-ditch attempts at defending the rapidly-collapsing regime. The rapid collapse of Valverdist-held areas have also made advances into the heartlands of the Astol Plains much more difficult as with every significant settlement liberated there were numerous instances of Almadarian civilians who have pleaded for a "mercy kill"; Valverdist indoctrination was revealed to have instilled a sense of national honour for Almadaria, and now that the supposed "inferior" Castadillaans are successfully invading the country that means that the national honour of Almadaria has been irreparably destroyed. deradicalisation had to be quickly established in an effort to curb the more suicidal aspects of Valverdism.
The Imperial Castadillaan Signal Corps was deployed in recently-liberated areas to document the damages and atrocities caused by the Valverdist regime. Units of the Signal Corps would document, among other incidents, the ruins of the Avevalles Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedral buildings in Almadaria and seat of the Primate of Almadaria, which had been set ablaze in 2037 during the civil war and was simply left in ruins by the Valverdists. Drones were extensively used for aerial photography, particularly for ruins that were considered to be structurally unsound. Thousands of photos were taken by the Signal Corps, and were used extensively for the Imperial Commission on the Former Almadaria to determine which areas were to be put under exclusion zones to prevent any potential loss of life until conditions in a given area are deemed to be habitable once again.
Fall of Almadaria
The final battle of the conflict was at the capital of Piedratorres. Most of the remaining Valverdist forces and "vigilante" militias have fled to the city to prepare for a Castadillaan siege of the city., whether out of a vain hope that they would be able to ensure the survival of Almadaria as a rump state or to gain some international sympathy. Neither of these were possible, as the regime was deemed to be a threat to both Vallos and the international order in general, especially as most of the world had quickly recognised Almadaria as being Castadillaan territory. The siege would last until late March of 2040 when the Imperial Castadillaan Army was able to break through the city's defenses, putting and end to the last of the hostilities in the conflict. Ernesto Allende attempted suicide by swallowing a cyanide pill, but the pill was rendered near non-toxic due to them being over thirty years old, and instead Allende was captured by Castadillaan forces during a successful raid into the Presidential House. With Allende's capture, the Valverdist regime had finally fallen, thus formally ending the conflict.
Aftermath
Annexation of Almadaria
After the fall and surrender of the last of the Valverdist forces to Castadillaan forces in 2040, the subsequent Treaty of Astolia placed the former lands of Almadaria under martial law for a decade. It also established the Central Vallosi Union, which is a temporary loose confederation of both Castadilla and Almadaria which shared a common currency (the Peseta), a common head of state (the Castadillaan Emperor), a common flag, a common national seal, a common national anthem, and a common foreign policy. The main idea behind this loose confederation emerged due to concerns over how integrating a ruined Almadaria could impact the country economically and demographically. As such, Almadaria was reestablished as a member state of the Central Vallosi Union and was governed under the nation's 1995 constitution; the process of integration is intended to see Almadaria gradually implement constitutional amendments which would see the country transform from a unitary presidential republic to a federal semi-presidential republic similar to Castadilla. As this happened, Castadilla, with the aid and assistance of Burgundie, will restore order to Almadaria and reconstruct the country; Almadarian citizens will be forbidden to permanently leave Almadaria so as to prevent a potential demographic collapse and brain drain. Instead, Almadarians will be granted work permits to grant them permission to temporarily move to Castadilla for work in an effort to stimulate the Almadarian economy.
Death of Castoustecism
Castoustecism was a Tainean nationalist concept which advocated for all majority-Tainean lands to come under the rule of Castadilla, citing the Emperor's title of "Protector of the Taineans" as a guarantee of said concept. It had reached its peak throughout the early 2030s with some minor Aronese officials even advocating for it. This sentiment had largely died down after the Almadarian invasion of Arona and the Aronese government and culture subsequently began to drift away from the ideas of a great Tainean nation in favour of closer ties with Urcea. In Castadilla, Castoustecism was a major ideological concept amongst the nation's Tainean populace which had made them into a particularly influential political bloc. Almadaria's unification with Castadilla would see the latter's Tainean population double, prompting the government to declare that the goals of Castoustecism have been fulfilled and thus would no longer be pursued. This also had the consequence of splitting the Democratic Farmers' Union into three parties. The remnants of the old UDA would rebrand themselves into a general agrarian party under the same name while the United Taineans' League would emerge to become a general Tainean interests party and the Christian Social Party would emerge as a Protestant christian democratic party in an political alliance with the Catholic Christian National Party known as the PNC/PSC.
See also