Dverian War
| 2014 Dverian War | ||||||||
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| File:DveriaWar.jpg | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
| Dveria |
Tano Vekaiyu Listonia Volkia South Hills | Blaskog | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
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J'benamin iz J'imar Ikrisia Levinile Stapen Evesuni Zakhar Kreskov Robert Hunter | Carl IX | |||||||
| Units involved | ||||||||
| Dago I | ||||||||
The 2014 Dverian War was a series of battles fought in and around Dveria between May and July 2014. After tensions between Vekaiyu and Dveria escalated over the small Dverian provinces of Goykag and Ikogu, Dveria turned their attention northward to begin expansion into neighboring Tano. This resulted in both Vekaiyu and Listonia declaring war on the nation, followed closely with movements into the area provided by Volkia and South Hills. War broke out on two fronts - the south and the north - with Dverian armies squeezed in the middle. A balanced war soon deteriorated due to the death of the Dverian King, and both fronts were soon routed, with Vekaiyun forces racing to the capital, Nugala.
The aftermath resulted in Dveria losing its sovereignty. Vekaiyu and Volkia divided Dveria by a north-south divide, with South Hills occupying the Tanoese Sultanate. Listonia, which received no territorial gains, was assured protection by the other nations from potential aggression with neighboring nations, and was to Lake Miiyu through Elphana. These terms were hammered out during The Kerilo Accord, which realized the formation of a powerful alliance, and paved the way for the formation of The Vekaiyun Union some months later.
Prelude
Vekaiyu had grown increasingly vexed at Dveria since the end of the 2012 Listonian War. Despite this, no immediate action against the state was seriously considered until two important factors - the Dreadful Dverian Document and the assassination attempt on Vekaiyun Premier Ikrisia Levinile's life - rallied the Vekaiyun people to war with Dveria. Joint Vekaiyun - Listonian forces commanded by Kral Commodore Yamano Nevikalu and Vil Commodore Yiisu Iskaristre punched salients through the perilous Listonian - Dverian border in November 2013. While the war resulted in the annihilation of the strong 40th army division commanded by Iskaristre, the provinces of Goykag and Ikogu, which were showcased in the Dreadful Dverian Document, were secured in a week's time.
Despite this, the Kivreskov had not given clearance for an all-out war with Dveria. Supporters for the war argued that Vekaiyu must strike Dveria while the iron was hot, while those who argued against it believed the war would be far too messy and would cost Vekaiyu dearly in the long run. The Vekaiyun legislative body would remain divided on an all-out war with Dveria until May the following year.
The War
Dveria Attacks
In March, 2014, a new king was crowned in Dveria. The King, Dago I, was quick to turn attention away from Vekaiyu and instead focused northward to neighboring Tano. The lucrative state had long been important to nations who traded in and out of the Gulf of Itur, as the nation controlled waters exiting the gulf to the north. Dverian forces entered Tano on May 10th. South Hills and Volkia, both of which were tied to the nation through bilateral defense treaties, immediately attempted to assist the Tanoese forces, which were being overwhelmed by the superior Dverian military in numbers and advanced technology. Blaskog, under the basis of protecting Tanoese sovereignty, entered Volkian maritime territory en route towards the Gulf of Itur and Dveria. The situation raised the tensions between the already-adversarial nations of Volkia and Blaskog, which forced Volkian troops to restructure their military posture in the event of a Blaskogian attack. This put a strain on the defensive established in Tano, which provided an opening for Dveria. Volkia had also been concerned with potential northern movement from Vekaiyu, who had also come increasingly close to their territorial waters.
However, Vekaiyu was more concerned with developments in Southern Dveria, where their armies were still on alert. The nation officially declared war on the state on May 11th, and neighboring state Listonia followed suit the next day. This series of events opened the war up on two fronts: The Northern Front located in Northern Dveria and Tano, and the Southern Front, located in Listonia and Southern Dveria.
The Northern Front
The war began in the Northern front, when a Dverian offensive pushed into Tano in a move to solidify Dveria's position, as many felt the country was being entrapped. The goal was to reach the Tano Straits and isolate South Hills from being able to respond, as Tano lacked an organized military.
Originally, this was successful, with the pushback of both the unorganized Tanoan militia and South Hills military forces inland, towards the cities of Insilovka and Polevgorod. Logistics became a major issue for South Hills, as supplies had to be shipped from the mainland two-thousand miles away, however using overwhelming carrier-based airpower, the Dverian offensive came to a standstill.
Following the arrival of the second Marine Expiditionary Unit into the fight, the tide eventually turned in Polevgorod, eventually expelling Dverian forces from the city. However, supply lines to the front lines were further hindered by a full-blown refugee crisis of Tanoese citizens, many fleeing to Volkia and Kurikia, but more notably to the Tanoese island of Kartoshka.
As South Hills forces moved south, Volkia began preparations for a seaborne assault into the northern provinces of Dveria. The two forces consolidated and pushed south into Dveria, with elements of the 2nd Armored Division of the South Hills Army linking up with Vekaiyun forces outside of the capital, Nugala, merging the northern and southern fronts of the conflict into one united front.
The Southern Front
Vekaiyun commodores Yamano Nevikalu and Yiisu Iskaristre were informed at the start of the battle that their progress into Dveria would depend on ultimately who would be recognized as the Kral Commodore of Vekaiyu. For the past year, the two men had competed for success in Vekaiyun military operations, with both making little ground on the other, even though Nevikalu was regarded as the beneficiary of the November 2013 conflict. By May 13th, Nevikalu had advanced some 50 miles into Dveria and secured key bridge heads along the Istoli River. Nevikalu, however, had difficulty with encircling movements due to formidable Dverian defenses that had been built up during the winter of 2014. The next day, a bombing raid provided by South Hills and favorable weather aided the Vekaiyun army groups, and Nevikalu advanced some 155 miles over the course of the long day. Iskaristre, who was aware he was falling behind, resorted to barbaric tactics which included the slaughter and torture of civilians.
On May 16th, Vekaiyun forces were only seventy miles out from the Dverian capital of Nugala. Knowing that the northern front was nearing the capital, it became increasingly important to Ikrisia Levinile that the capital must be taken by Vekaiyu. She informed both her commodores that the one whose division planted a Vekaiyun flag on the Dverian palace would become the unquestioned Kral Commodore of the nation. On the next day, Nevikalu ordered in excess of 10,000 paratroopers to claim the symbolic capital of the nation. Nevikalu, who had been made aware of such plans by unknown means, devoted most of his attention to the southeastern section of the city, which had limited defenses built up in comparison to the southwestern section Nevikalu was facing. Late on that night, the capital was taken by Nevikalu's paratroopers. Iskaristre was immediately informed to divert attention northward to squeeze out resistance between the two fronts. Nevikalu's divisions would continue to fight for the remainder of the capital.
Aftermath
The end of the war signaled the end of Dverian state. Victors of the 2014 Dverian War met in Kerilo, in Vekaiyu, on May 28th to discuss conditions for the war's end. Territorial gains were as follows:
- Vekaiyu was to militarily occupy South Dveria and its capital, Nugala
- Volkia was to militarily occupy North Dveria
- South Hills brought Tano under its protection.
These claims, and the alliance that formed as a result, were outlined in The Kerilo Accord, which forged a powerful alliance among the signatory nations. Though Listonia was not guaranteed any territorial gains, other signatory nations assured protection of the state against any future military incursion by neighboring countries, and the Accord also declared that, if the nation were to expand towards Lake Miiyu, the signatory nations would recognize Listonian sovereignty over the land expanded into.
In addition, South Dveria would later be incorporated into The Vekaiyun Union as fighting continued to diminish in the vassal state.