Auroran-Cerenerian War

Auroran-Cerenerian War
Colonarius Mk2's in action during the war
Date 31 May 2017 - 24 October 2017 Location Aurora, Cerenerian Ocean Result Allied Victory Partition of the Matriarchy of Ethalria Partition of the Uspalria Formation of the League of Novaris Decline of the South-East Pacific Coalition Reunification and independence of Yor
Belligerents
Bursil Alliance: Great Morstaybishlia The Oan Isles Axdel Tretrid Kuthernburg Atiland Nacata Lokania Furnifold Yor Asendavia Vistaraland • Wescernia South Peragen Mexregiona	Ribenstadt Pact: Matriarchy of Ethalria Uspalria Kostromastan Stratarin
Commanders and leaders
Bursil Alliance: Walter Johannes Leon Jolva Oahoanu Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu Rico Lúaz Jon Harstad VII Owen Tubolt  † Marium I Lukas Heide Levan Dekker Jariano II Tunsedoro Tejedor Mister Leader II	Ribenstadt Pact: Amalda Harimann (MIA) Boris Olegovich Erwina Pipenz (MIA) Mikhail Starikov
Strength
2,000,000 600,000 540,000 200,000 200,000 89,000 32,000 41,600 9,100	1,236,000 700,000 ~8,000
Casualties and losses
106,724 22,000 21,400 7,605 6,900 6,000 4,840 4,101 2,840 862	~230,500 10,513 205

The name of the Pacific Ocean has been officially changed by the community to Cerenerian Ocean. Consequently, sections that refer to the Pacific Ocean may need to be revised to reflect this change. Please note that other articles may also require revision.

This page includes references to Al-Jaheed, which is not recognized as part of the official TEP Evolved RP canon. While it has been retained for the sake of coherence, any references to Al-Jaheed should be removed or revised to align with TEP canon. Other sections / parts of this page may also require review and confirmation.

The Auroran-Cerenerian War, often abbreviated as the ACW was an international military conflict between the Bursil Alliance and the Ribenstadt Pact. The war arose against the backdrop of fascist Usprian forces rising in the Republic of Ethalria to form Uspalria; and the Matriarchy of Ethalria due to resentment over the partition of the Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria and imposition of foreign systems of government and economically crippling reparations payments following the Auroran Imperial War.

The islands of Yor had been a dependent territory of the Republic of Ethalria (henceforth Republic). A resistance movement called the Opposition Fighters of Yor arose to end the rule of the Republic and its puppet government, the Dominion of Yor. This led to the Yor Civil War. The Opposition Fighters received the support of Al-Jaheed, an internationally recognised terrorist group from Latianburg. In the midst of the Yor Civil War, reports emerged from refugees who were rescued by a merchant vessel from Furnifold that the Republic was committing human rights violations. Faced with condemnation from the international community, the Republic started negotiating with OFOY. Fascist movements took advantage of this act and orchestrated a coup d'état on 28 May 2017 and proclaimed the Uspalria led by High Commander Erwina Pipenz. The Republic government fled to and formally took over Yor along with their entire Navy, half of the rest of their military and about 2 to 3 million refugees. Faced with a common enemy, the Republic and the OFOY declared a truce. Amalda Harimann of the Matriarchy of Ethalria and High Commander Pipenz of Uspalria formed the Ribenstadt Pact.

The ACW formally began on 29 May 2017 when the Oan Isles declared war on Uspalria and Ethalria (henceforth Matriarchy). King Lambertus VII of Great Morstaybishlia called a conference of allied nations to form the Sani Bursil Alliance. Viktor Drugov of Stratarin was among the attendees and committed his country to assisting, but Mikhail Starikov overthrew him and revealed that he had aligned Stratarin with the Ribenstadt Pact bringing Stratarin into the war. This wrought chaos in the South-East Pacific Coalition because some its members were part of opposing military pacts. Attempts to get Stratarin to admit to the coup failed and the SEPC collapsed. For analytical purposes, the war is divided into three fronts: the Upper Ethalrian Front, Lower Ethalrian Front and Pacific Ocean Front.

The Al-Jaheed and the OFOY fell out because the truce with Republic and OFOY's refusal to declare Kuthernburg an enemy. They severed ties and the mainland forces of the Al-Jaheed set up a rogue state around Hindersville in Uspalria. Due its close proximity, Kostoria-Obertonia (KO) attacked Al-Jaheed and captured the territory they had taken. In the midst of the confusion that ensued, Uspalria invaded and occupied KO.

Despite the resistance of the Republic Navy and the assistance of the Axdel naval forces, Uspalria broke the blockade that the Republic has set up, sending their navy into retreat. With the help of Ethalria, Uspalria invaded Yor, defeated the Republic and set up a military occupation. The Oan Isles, Kuthernburg and Furnifold ended the occupation of those islands and placed them under Bursil control.

Terminology

The Republic of Ethlaria refers to the internationally recognised government that ruled all of the territory of Lower Ethalria between 1975 and 26 May 2017 that eventually set up a government-in-exile in Yor. Uspalria refers to the country that couped the Republic of Ethalria before the war began, and existed up to 29 October 2017. The legitimate government of that country was contested.

Lower Ethalria is the region of the western Ethalns.

Combatants

Bursil Alliance

Axdel was a constitutional presidential republic. President Leon Jolva led the war effort. It is the second largest country in Aurora in area, population and GDP. It had an area almost 3 million square kilometres. It had a developed diversified post-industrial capitalist economy of 4 trillion KRB. It had a population of over 120 million people. The Axdel Armed Forces had a total budget of 80 billion KRB and a total manpower of 500,000.

Great Morstaybishlia was a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The country was represented by King Lambertus VII and led by the Prime Minister Walter Johannes. It had a population of 500 million and a GDP of 14 trillion KRB. It had an area of 5,9 million square kilometers including territories spread across all the continents on Urth. The Royal Armed Forces of the Empire has a total budget 580 billion KRB and total manpower of 5 million troops.

The Oan Isles was a constitutional monarchy under parliamentary democracy. The country was represented by Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II followed by Oahoanu led by Prime Minister Locklyn Le Roy. It had a population of 12 million people and a GDP of 600 billion KRB. The Oan Defence Forces had a budget of 30 billion KRB and a manpower of 200,000 troops.

The Republic of Ethalria was a democratic state that claimed Lower Ethalria and was recognised as the government of that nation by the vast majority of the international community. It moved all of Lower Ethalria's gold reserves and foreign exchange reserves to Yor. It also brought most of the most talented and skilled civil servants in the region. In fact, about a third of the businesses from the region moved their headquarters to Yor. About half of the national treasures like art and so on were brought to Yor. It also received incredible amounts of military aid and loans from foreign nations. it controlled a military of 400,000 men and all of the naval vessels of Lower Ethalria except for the nuclear submarines. it fled to Yor with a tenth of the population of the region. The government of the Dominion of Yor ceded all control of Yor to the Republic of Ethalria.

The Kuthern Commonwealth was an empire ruled by the Kingdom of Kuthernburg. It consisted of Atiland, Nacata and Latianburg. Despite being nominally independent these three countries relied on Kuthernburg for foreign relations and defence policy, making them dependent territories of Kuthernburg. Furthermore, they all recognised Queen Naomi Truden II as their head of state. The Kuthern Commonwealth had a total population of approximately 190 million people, a combined GDP of approximately 5 trillion KRB. It spanned 3 continents.

The Ducal Federation of Vistaraland was a semi-constitutional monarchy in Western Yasteria, with Imperial posessions across the Urth that nominally remain in a reorganized confederation to this day, or as part of the Vistari Commonwealth. Considered one of the Great Colonial Powers in the past, Vistaraland was notable for its ardent refusal of decolonization, generally holding a foreign policy which tended towards elitism and self-interest. In spite of this, Vistaraland joined the war on the side of the Bursil Alliance in order to fulfil treaty obligations within the realms of the IRSA, as well as the 1709 Alliance it maintains with Great Morstaybishlia. Within the region, Vistari interested centred on the colonial possession of the Vistari West Cerenerian Dominions, a territory purchased from Salovia in the 19th Century.

Ribenstadt Pact

Uspalria was a one-party militaristic dictatorship ruled by High Commander b. It had a GDP of 1 trillion KRB and a population of 170 million people. The Greater Ethalrian Imperial Armed Forces had a budget of 100 billion KRB and a manpower of 1 million people. Trade sanctions, a naval blockade, asset freezes and travel bans were imposed on this nation that were severe they crippled its economy such that it lost 10% to 15% of its value in a few months

Upper Ethalria was a one-party dictatorship ruled by Matriarch Amalda Harimann. It had a military strength of 1,236,000.

Yor Civil War

President Ositha Boracova of the Republic held a meeting with President Owen Tubolt of Yor on 26 May 2017. Tubolt reported that a rebel group had emerged in Yor by the name of the Opposition Fighters of Yor. He alleged that Al Jaheed was supporting that group. Recognising the seriousness of a potential civil war and the emergence of piracy in the Ethalrian Republic's southern waters, President Boracova agreed to send military aid in the form of soldiers and military equipment to stop the rebels. Furthermore, she wanted to use this crisis to reduce the international criticism against the Republic for installing a puppet government led by Tubolt in Yor. Faced with a common enemy, Kuthernburg and the Republic joined forces to combat the threat of the Opposition Fighters.

The Opposition Fighters led by Simon Skoglund stated goal was to overthrow the Tubolt government because it was seen as a colonial subject of the Republic. They subscribed to the extremist communist ideals of Al Jaheed. The Republic forces launched a military attack in support of the Tubolt government that day. The Opposition Fighters destroyed a Kuthern helicopter carrying five Kuthern marines led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivar Blomqvist believing that Kuthernburg was also an illegitimate force. Some of the marines survived and tried to rendezvous with the Republic’s forces. The Opposition Fighters also destroyed another helicopter belonging to the Republic. Following these military successes, the Opposition Fighters went after wealthy civilians.

Following the destruction of the helicopters and reports of attacks on civilians, a squadron of D-22 bombers of Republic Air Force began an aerial bombing campaign of Al Jaheed targets. This included the use of chemical warfare through dropping a chemical agent known as napalm. Lt Col Blomqvist led the survivors into a building occupied by Opposition Fighters forces. They defeated the poorly trained forces and commandeered a radio. Private Elisabeth Naslund managed to get a telephone line to the Republic’s forces and she informed them of their location and the fact that the Opposition Fighters had sent at least 300 of their fighters to search for the Kuthern survivors.

Shmaaya ben Sorek, commander of the Opposition Fighters led a maritime attack against a container port using small military vessels like large patrol boats. After receiving the radio from Private Naslund, Republic forces sent a team to rescue them. Admiral Yuki Hempi of the 2nd Naval Fleet of the Republic’s Navy received clearance in the later afternoon from the Yor Military Command to attack Opposition Fighters vessels.

Queen Naomi Truden II of Kuthernburg addressed the planet later that evening. She congratulated the forces of the nations involved in assisting the Latianburg insurgency, earlier that year. She commended the forces fighting in Yor and condemned the Al Jaheed. Furthermore, Naomi Trudent conferred the Blue Medal (Kuthernburg's highest honours) on Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II of the Oan Isles and Magistrate Jacopo d'Arrigo of Furnifold.

After 12 hours of intensive bombing, 5000 members of the Opposition Fighters were reported dead by Republic’s Armed Forces. The RKS Blueacia, a military vessel from the Kuthern navy, arrived to offer support to the Republic and Yor forces. Republic Marines and Yor Self-Defence Force troops clashed with the 300+ Opposition Fighter troops that Private Naslund had informed the Republic forces of. Lt Col Blomqvist and his team were rescued.

The FMS Sandcrawler, a Furnofoldian merchant ship rescued York refugees off the coast of the Republic. After radioing coastal authorities, the FMS Sandcrawler was instructed to transfer the refugees to the RES Irving (a Republic Coast Guard ship) for processing. The captain of the Sandcrawler decided to drop off the refugees at the next port-of-call rather than hand them over to Republic forces because he did not trust them, furthermore they were far-enough from the Republic that they were no longer in their territorial waters. This caused a massive diplomatic incident because the Republic felt that there may have been Opposition Fighter/Al Jaheed terrorists among the refugees. President Boracova called Magistrate d'Arrigo and demanded that he order the Sandcrawler to hand the refugees to the Irving as requested.

The Republic sent the Irving with an escort of destroyers to intercept the Sandcrawler. The Sandcrawler received a warning radio from the Irving. The Sandcrawler radioed the Blueacia to help them. Captain Vlador of the Blueacia was suspicious of the Republic and instead opted to rescue the Sandcrawler with the aid of its naval escort. They radioed the Irving and demanded that they step back because the Sandcrawler was in international waters. The Irving was forced to step down. The Blueacia escorted the Sandcrawler to safety. In light of this incident, President Boracova declared an official blockade of Yor to prevent anyone from getting in or out. The Sandcrawler headed to Nuremkastel, Kostoria-Obertonia.

One of the refugees recounted the horrors of the invasion of Yor by the Republic to the captain of the Sandcrawler. The refugee spoke about how the Republic had invaded Yor and installed the Tubolt government as a puppet state. This created conditions for Al Jaheed to capitalise on the anger that the people felt to start a civil war and create a beachhead for Al Jaheed. Most of all, the refugee recounted the humanitarian implications of this war including the incredible human rights abuses that the Republic was committing. News of this report reached Magistrate Jacopo d'Arrigo in Furnifold. He was so moved by this story that he contacted President Boracova and refused to order the Sandcrawler to hand over the refugees.

In light of the serious allegations of war crimes and sapient rights violations, President Boracova sought to salvage her country's reputation by proposing a ceasefire to rescue civilians. The Republic’s government contacted the Opposition Fighters of Yor to begin negotiations.

Overthrow of the Republic of Ethalria

Coup d'etat

Not long after Queen Naomi Truden II's speech, President Ositha Boracova granted the head of the Republic of Ethalria's National Intelligence Agency unofficial powers to wiretap communications lines throughout the country, after receiving a tip-off that her government was under threat. The story of the refugee as well as the seeming weakness of her government gave the perfect opportunity for Erwina Pipenz and her cortege to launch a coup d'etat. On 28 May 2017, half of the armed forces under the command of General Erwina Pienz mutinied. They captured senior officials of the Republic government and disbanded the elected legislature. The Anzrelstätt Stock Exchange was ordered to close. Pro-Boracova forces held off several northern territories where they fought against the mutineer forces. The city of Rorivon was a bastion for Pro-Republic forces and continued to send supplies.

Unfortunately, the mutineers took control of four ICBM silos and seized half of the nuclear submarines of the navy that carried nuclear-armed ICBMs. Protests and insurgencies ensued in the streets supporting and resisting Erwina Pipenz' takeover. Erwina Pipenz issued a decree and public announcement proclaiming the establishment of Uspalria. Most of what remained of the government of the Republic fled to Yor led by Ositha Boracova and established a government-in-exile. Other than the four nuclear submarines, the Republic retained control of its navy and its forces retained control of Rorivon.

Kuthern response

Kuthern forces discovered that one of the refugees who had been rescued by the Sandcrawler was in fact a member of the the Opposition Fighters of Yor. He was and was interrogated by General Budar in Nuremkastel, Kostoria-Obertonia. He explained that the sole purpose of the Opposition Fighters was to end Uspalria's colonial rule thus the Kuthern helicopter had been shot unintentionally. According to this undisclosed individual, Kuthernburg had not originally been intended as an enemy of the Opposition Fighters. To the astonishment of the Kutherns, he stated that the Opposition Fighters do in fact receive weapons from Al Jaheed but they are not the same organisation. General Budar returned aboard the Blueacia and contacted the RKS Latnic and alerted Captain Serle Ingrams of the information he had received. This information was sent to Kuthern forces stationed in Redrugus, Staynes, Great Morstaybishlia and the rest of the 22nd Kuthern Royal Battle Fleet.

Upon receiving this news as well as the news of the civil war, Admiral Stefan Dowrick aboard the RKS Queen Naomi commanded patrol vessels to monitor the developing refugee crisis around Yor and assist as they can. In light of the complicated situation with the Opposition Fighters, Admiral Dowrick contacted Simon Skoglund, leader of the Opposition Fighters to broker a deal that would end hostilities and enable humanitarian aid to reach Opposition Fighters-controlled areas of Yor.

Queen Naomi Truden II contacted Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II, Magistrate Jacopo d'Arrigo of Furnifold and Jurgen Oppenheimer of Kostoria-Obertonia requesting their assistance to eliminate Al Jaheed (which they had discovered was not the same as the Opposition Fighters) and in turn Kuthernburg would assist to deal with the crisis in Yor and the former Republic of Ethalria.

Evacuation of the Republic of Ethalria

Upon arriving in Yor, Ositha Boracova asked Owen Tubold to dissolve the government of Yor and surrender the islands to the control of the Republic. Tubolt agreed to this. At the instruction of President Boracova, Tubolt was sent as an envoy of the Republic to seek a negotiated settlement with the Opposition Fighters so that it could concentrate its focus on fighting Uspalria. The Republic maintained a blockade of Uspalria.

President Boracova contacted General Tabatha Lancaster and Admiral Udina Himishaki. They reported that the Republic's Armed Forces that had remained loyal to the Republic were in dire straits. on 28 May 2017, 120,000 Republic National Guard troops were evacuating to Yor. In total they retained command of 420,000 soldiers. Admiral Himishaki reported that 3 destroyers had been sunk and all 4 nuclear submarines had been lost. President Boracova solicited Kutherburg and Furnifold for assistance but Furnifold refused. Luckily, Kuthernburg was already ready and willing to help.

Queen Naomi Truden II contacted King Lambertus VII of Great Morstaybishlia suggesting that an international conference be called in Sani Bursil to coordinate a response to the myriad of crisis that had befallen the Republic of Ethalria. Tubolt managed to get hold of Kosov one of the leaders of the Opposition FIghters who agreed to a ceasefire.

Admiral Udina Himishaki received orders to provide cover for evacuating soldiers. She sent forces to provide cover fire and transport for the soldiers leaving the port of Anzrelstätt. Some nuclear warheads and ICBMs were captured by remaining Republic Forces. They evacuated these assets to Yor. General Tabatha Lancaster reported that the battle had been fierce and 20,000 soldiers died but 400,000 had been rescued and evacuated to Yor.

On 29 May 2017 in the early morning, Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II announced that the Oan Isles declared war on Uspalria.

Formation of the Ribenstadt Pact

Amalda Harimann of the Matriarchy of Ethalria rejoiced that the Republic that ruled over Lower Ethalria had been defeated. She resented them because it was formed from the partition of the Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria. The Republic subscribed to ideals that the Matriarchy detested. Furthermore, the Republic had been effectively rendered a third-rate power. The rise of Uspalria was a triumph for her because it set up a government aligned to her vision for a strong and united Ethalrian national identity (even if it did not entail political reunification). She contacted General Erwina Pipenz and Mikhail Starikov of Stratarin to form an alliance. General Erwina Pipenz, the High Commander of Uspalria, obliged the invitation and went to Ribenstadt to negotiate an alliance on 28 May 2017. Shortly after, Mikhail Starikov arrived in Ribenstadt. They signed the Treaty of Ribenstadt whereby their formed a formal tripartite alliance.

Sani Bursil Summit

Invitation

On 29 May 2017, King Lambertus VII of Great Morstaybishlia on behalf of the Cabinet of Great Morstaybishlia and on the advice of Prime Minister Walter Johannes sent an invitation to the remaining member states of the Auroran Continental Assembly and sympathetic nations from all over the world to a summit at the Sani Bursil Royal Palace in Sani Bursil to discuss and potentially form an alliance to collectively respond to the military threat posed by the Ribenstadt powers.

Attendance

Of the nations outside of Aurora, the following were in attendance. Rurik Lukin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Stratarin was sent by former General-Secretary of Stratarin Viktor Drugov to attend the summit on his behalf. This arose amidst tensions in that country about whether to side with the Bursil or Ribenstadt alliances with the latter receiving support from a faction of the Stratarin Communist Party led by Mikhail Starikov. Queen Naomi Truden II of Kuthernburg was en route to a diplomatic visit to Blueacia. In light of the severity of the situation she diverted her trip to Sani Bursil to attend the summit. Chancellor Alyona Petrovavich of Tuvaltastan attended on behalf of her country. Mr. Leader of Mexregiona attended as well.

Of the nations in Aurora, several attended. Grand Duke Jeymian Drachenburg III of Dragonia and Lord Mayor Jeymi Vorlynovich of Oceansend represented their respective nations. The government of the Oan Isles sent then Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II to represent the country at the summit. Crown Prince Oahoanu accompanied him to the summit. Although President Leon Jolva of Axdel had intended to visit the military base at Montakaan Citadel to inspect the preparations of the Axdel Armed Forces for a potential conflict with the Uspalria, he diverted his itinerary to Sani Bursil to attend the summit. Alongside the King and Prime Minister of Great Morstaybishlia, Lord Governor Frederik of Caltharus and Chief Minister Frode Humblack of then-South Staynes attended. Jurgen Oppenheimer attended on behalf of Kostoria-Obertonia. Ositha Boracova and Owen Tubolt of the government-in-exile of the Republic attended. Some nations declined the invitation. Jacopo d'Arrigo, the Magistrate of Furnifold declined the invitation.

Proceedings

To open the session, King Lambertus VII addressed the gathered leaders. He spoke of the fascists that had overthrown the legitimate government of the Republic and replaced it with Uspalria which his government (and several others) categorically did not recognise as a legitimate state as they continued to recognise the government-in-exile of Ositha Boracova. He asked the attending leaders to form the Bursil alliance and join forces to defeat the Ribenstadt forces. He appealed to their shared ideologies and interests as well as the fact that the instability caused by the Ribenstadt powers had allowed the Al Jaheed terrorist group to take root in Aurora, potentially threatening many nations. The other leaders applauded and committed to the Bursil alliance. Viktor Drugov delivered a speech speaking to the commonality among the attended nations despite salient ideological differences. This speech was not only poorly received but preceded a coup d'etat in his home nation that occurred shortly after.

Coup d'etat in Stratarin

Planning and preparation

Mikhail Starikov, then the Minister of Law Enforcement of Stratarin, approached Sergey Vasileyvich, the head of the Sem'ya criminal syndicate on 13 January 2017 to assist him to overthrow the Strataric government. Sergey Vasileyvich was killed after refusing to comply; however Leonid Lychnikoff, another senior member of that syndicate, agreed to help Starikov with his request. Lychnikoff approached a member of the Sem'ya running an operation in the Vistari West Pacific named Vladimir Zvyagin to execute the assassination of Viktor Drugov in a meeting in Raspubirsk, Stratarin. During a parade in Coyden, Stratarin, on 18 May 2017, Zvyagin planned to shoot Drugov from a vantage point one a building towering above the parade route. Before he could succeed, he was intercepted and captured by Strataric forces under STP Major Lenya Dragomirov. Given the botched assassination attempt, Starikov significantly crippled the Sem'ya crime syndicate through the destruction of the Draelis, a sun-group in that organisation that carried out vital tasks for the syndicate as a whole.

Failed attempts

Another assassination attempt took place. Officer Sasha Orlov attempted to shoot Viktor Drugov at point blank range in his office in the Velikolepnyy Building in Coyden. Drugov reacted quickly and shot Orlov dead. Yuri Kustarnik, First Deputy Prime Minister of Stratarin was arrested on suspicion of orchestrating the entire plot. Following an interrogation in which Dragomirov used torture on Kustarnik, it was discovered that Kustarnik was not the mastermind. Suspicion pointed to Procurator General Mikhail Starikov.

In a ploy to strengthen his international credentials, Mikhail Starikov manipulated the desire of the Oan Isles to seem morally superior to a supposed backwater like Stratarin. The Oan Centre for Law at the University of Anapa in Anapa, the Oan Isles wanted to award Starikov with the Ehe II Award for Most Outstanding Officer of the Law for allegedly killing Sergey Vasileyvich and destroying the Draelis in the name of justice. The award was personally granted by the Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II himself, further legitimising and inadvertently shielding Mikhail Starikov from closer scrutiny. He sent a representative to accept the award on his behalf but declined the invitation to lecture.

Having realised that the Sem'ya could no longer be useful to him, Starikov commanded Colonel Demenok to destroy whatever remained of the Sem'ya. Sometime thereafter, Administrator of Affairs, a senior member of the Strataric government mysteriously vanished. On 29 May 2017, Colonel Demenok assassinated both Major Dragomirov and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Rurik Lukin in Coyden. Mikhail Starikov arrived at the scene to file a report in his capacity as Procurator General.

Execution

After the speech at the Sani Bursil Summit on 29 May 2017, opinion in the Stratarin Communist Party turned so violently and completely against Viktor Drugov that Mikhail Starikov took the opportunity to overthrow the Drugov government. The Coyden Harbinger announced the assassination of the entire executive branch of that country including Minister of Foreign Affairs Rurik Lukin. News of this reached the leaders attending the summit and was so shocking to Viktor Drugov that he felt ill and went outside to calm down. He was attacked by an unknown Stratarian. This coup completely took the Bursil Alliance by surprise to the extent that it disrupted the proceedings at the summit. This coup also disrupted the South East Pacific Coalition because Stratarin was predicted to fundamentally and irreversibly change policy under the newly declared General Secretary Mikhail Starikov (who was widely believed to have orchestrated the coup) to the extent that it would tear that alliance apart.

After taking control of the Strataric government, Starikov appointed Fyodr Lyvov as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Assassination of the Duke of Horkalo

On 1 June 2017, Amalda Harimann held a meeting with the Vice Matriarch of Ethalria. Together they conspired to have the King of Great Morstaybishlia, Lambertus VII assassinated. Amalda Harimann ordered the Upper Ethalria Central Intelligence Bureau (CIB) to make preparations and execute the assassination plot. Despite misgivings by the Vice Matriarch, Amalda Harimman insisted that assassinating Lambertus VII would break the spirit of the Bursil Alliance and diminish the willingness and capacity for them to fight against the Ribenstadt Pact.

7 June 2017 was the day of a royal parade in the city of Sani Bursil, Staynes. The Upper Ethalria CIB hired Ivanka Drokeyvich to implement the plan. Drokeyvich scoured the royal parade route for opportunities to assassinate Lambertus VII. The royal car transported King Lambertus VII and his retinue. It began its journey at the Sani Bursil Royal Palace. Then it would move several blocks north to the Celidizia district. From there, the parade retinue would go through Prompton Road past Citadella Stadium where sniper Les would be positioned to kill Lambertus VII in his car. Prince Thadeus, Duke of Horkalo was in the same vehicle. He obscured a clear shot of the Lambertus VII, preventing Les from making the shot.

After Les failed to make the shot, another sniper called Gas was in position at the Montecadra building to take the shot. The royal car was covered in confetti. Before Gas could take the shot, he was arrested by 7 officers of the Sani Bursil Police Department. When Drokeyvich realised that Gas had failed, she took the shot herself. The officers had not yet had enough time to warn the King's Bodyguard to change the route of the parade or to take any intervention measures, before Drokeyvich finally made the shot. Because Lambertus VII was moving around, the shot hit Prince Thadeus, the Duke of Horkalo. The Prince died on impact. The bullet ricocheted and hit Lambertus VII but he suffered a non-fatal injury. The scene of blood and death caused the crowds to go into panic. Drokeyvich mistakenly thought she hit King Lambertus VII.

Drokeyvich notified CIB operatives and ordered them to rendezvous at her location. Gas managed to escape the Sani Bursil police and make the rendezvous. Despite initial fears that Les had been discovered she met them. Unfortunately, police had trailed Les and intercepted all three operatives. Gas was shot and died at the scene. Les and Drokeyvich unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide using cyanide pills. They were apprehended before they had the opportunity.

The royal retinue made its way to the Sani Bursil Royal Palace, but they could not save Prince Thadeus. Feladine Junt, the commander of the assassination plot awaited the team, but failed to reach them. Suspecting they had been captured, she hid in a small wine house to evade the helicopters circling the skies. On receiving the news of Prince Thadeus's death, Ehe II expressed the condolences of the Oan royal family to the House of Louzar. An emergency meeting of the Oan Council of Ministers was summoned because the government predicted that a hot war with the Ribenstadt Pact would ensue. Viktor Drugov, in exile in Sani Bursil and recovering from his injuries, conveyed his condolences to the family directly through Princess Rosamund, Duchess of Jubliak.

On 1209AM 8 June 2017, King Lambertus VII declared war on the Uspalria and the Matriarchy on behalf of Great Morstaybishlia. On 7 June 2017, the military and government of Axdel held a meeting in Montakaan Citadel to discuss the Axdelian response to the Ethalrian Civil War and the deteriorating security situation that it precipitated. President Leon Jolva, Chief Overseer Jargk Reita among other senior Axdelian politicians and generals were in attendance. According the Axdelian military intelligence, Uspalria had already begun construction of frigates. Likely, they were continuing the work of existing shipyards or repurposing existing skeletons of commercial ships for military purposes. As they were holding this conference and contemplating their response, they received intelligence that Prince Thadeus, Duke of Horkalo had been assassinated. Upon Great Morstaybishlia announcing that the assassins were Ethalrian and that it was declaring war on the Ribenstadt Pact member states, Axdel followed suit on the same day.

Conflict in the SEPC

In light of the coup d'etat in Stratarin, the South-East Pacific Coalition (SEPC) held a meeting in Akhalip'ort'isi, Vistari West Pacific to discuss the way forward on 5 June 2017. Remis Yurikov represented Tuvaltastan. Yurikov openly insinuated that the assassination of the Council of Ministers of Stratarin was a coup d'etat. Molotov (representing Stratarin) denied the allegations. Molotov provided a convoluted and fantastical explanation of the deaths of the members of the Council of Ministers of Stratarin and denied that Mikhail Starikov and his new government had committed any human rights violations.

Yurikov was left dumfounded as Molotov went on a tirade about how the members of the Council of Ministers committed suicide and some were killed by senior members of the military. Molotov denied that Starikov had been involved. Attempts to get Molotov to admit that this was a coup did not work at all.

The Oan Isles sent a letter to the members of the SEPC on 14 June 2017 urging them to expel and declare war on Stratarin. Furthermore, they proposed an ultimatum on Starikov. The Oans officially severed ties with Stratarin and imposed economic sanctions and threatened military force if Stratarin did not release political prisoners captured during the coup to the Oan Isles, order all naval vessels preparing to support the Ribenstadt powers did not return to point and a new elective conference for the General Secretary was not called. The newly appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fyodr Lyvov refused to comply with the ultimatum .

The sessions of the SEPC ended without resolution. At that point the SEPC was rendered moribund. On June 14, Tretrid announced that it was suspending all relations with and declaring war on Stratarin. Oan News published a story alleging that Fyodr Lyvov was facing marital strife. The story had been published as an attempt to destabilise Starikov's government. Unfortunately, this gave Starikov the perfect excuse to replace Lyvov to salvage Stratarin's failing international image. On 13 June 2017, Lyvov was dismissed and Yekaterina Drugova was summoned to Starikov's office for a meeting.

Yekaterina Drugova succeeded Fyodr Lyvov as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Stratarin. She urged the Oan Isles and Tretrid to reconsider their positions in light of the fact that the Strataric Procurator's Office had conducted an investigation that determined that the death of the Council of Ministers could not be blamed on Mikhail Starikov. The Oan Isles suggested a tribunal of the ACA and SEPC to resolve the issues between their nations, a request that was ignored. Further driving a wedge between Stratarin and the rest of the SEPC, Stratarin was entering into even more agreements with Uspalria.

Upper Ethalrian Front

Louzar Fortress in Lambertupol, Caltharus, was activated as the hub for the Royal Armed Forces of the Empire to launch an attack into the Upper Ethalria. General Otto von Hessius was in charge of the invasion force. General Klaus Obersson was to assist General von Hessius in implementing the invasion. Officers from the Redplate Guard, Morstaybishlian Army and Air Force were assembled at the fortress.

Several hours later, the RAFOTE forces made their way into the territory of the Upper Ethalria. At border, the Upper Ethalria forces were unable to stop the land invasion. Air superiority fighters defeated Upper Ethalria aerial defence forces.

Battle of Kanvel

The town of Kanvel in the Upper Ethalria lay 13.0488 miles (21 km) west of Arkanvel. Brigadier General Julius led a force to capture the town due to its strategic location on the Ethalrian highway, assisted by Major General Marcus. Two fire teams moved in and scanned the surroundings. Matriarchal Ethalrian forces began to shoot from the town. Morstaybishlian forces open fire in retaliation. The infantry team began to move in through the dense folliage surrounding the town, clearing a path for the artillery to move through and taking down Matriarchal Ethalrian forces.

General von Hessius received information from Morstaybishlian air force drones that an attack would be advancing on that area from Arkanvel. General von Hessius ordered Brigadier General Kykarberg to intercept those forces. The army group commanded by Brigadier General Kykarberg made its way to the town of Avenai. It faced resistance from Matriarchal Ethalrian forces but managed to break through.

Brigadier General Julius's force began slowing down as they entered the threshold of the town. Shots burst forth from homes, obscuring civilians with soldiers. Morstaybishlian forces opened fire. Colonel Marian had been leading a regiment through one of the buldings. Enemy infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) fired on the group. A massive explosion erupted. Major Virgil and Major Dail's platoons which were part of Colonel Marian's regiment were attacked.

Major Kar ordered Captain Heinrick and his squadron to guard an import road while he led his forces to assist Majors Virgil and Dail. A rocket fired at Captain Heinrick's group forcing them to scatter. Major General Marcus was in the thick of combat and had been close to the site where the rocket struck. Brigadier Julius ordered his force to retaliate with rocket fire, temporarily dislodging the Matriarchal Ethalrian forces.

They managed to secure their area of the town. Matriarchal Ethalrian forces captured Major Kar and his group. The Ethalrians intended to cut the supply lines running from Avenai to Kanvel and Arkanvel. General Kyrkaberg continued the push at Avenai. Nevertheless, the push back from the Ethalrian forces threatened their advance and threatened to cut off the forces.

Lower Ethalrian Front

Battle of Hindersville

The civil war precipitated a massive refugee crisis of people who feared persecution at the hands of Uspalria. There was a massive influx of refugees into Kostoria-Obertonia. Al Jaheed in Aurora had heard of the fact that a member of the Opposition Fighters had spoken to the Kutherns and assisted them. They saw this as a massive betrayal by the entire Opposition Fighters. In the chaos of the fighting, the Al Jeehad in Yor attacked a Uspalria town called Hindersinville that lay 39 miles (62.7644 km) east of Fort Wahington. They proclaimed the State of Al Jaheed and renamed it to Gdakow. They proclaimed Derata Kuk'uq as their new leader and cut off all funding and supplies to the Opposition Fighters of Yor, and thus severed their alliance. They declared the Opposition Fighters an enemy of the Al Jaheed. The Al-Jaheed also took control of the panhandled surrounding that town.

On 28 May 2017, Reiner Ufferman informed Jurgen Oppenheimer of the State of Al-Jaheed and its close proximity to their territory. Oppenheimer agreed to allow refugees to enter but they were to be heavily monitored. He gave permission for the Kostoro-Obertonian navy and army to seize the panhandle to secure the territorial integrity of Kostoria-Obertonia.

Furnifold was wary of the rapidly evolving situation in Aurora and did not want to commit to a position. Thus, Jacopo d'Arrigo replied Naomi Truden II's letter and declined to commit any Furnifoldian forces to intervene in the crisis.

Kostoro-Obertonian forces were led by Captain Jakob Felgenhauer and Captain Emmerich Holder. They entered Uspalrian territory via the Kostoro-Obertonian bordertown of Obernraschen on 8 June 2017. They led four companies of 216 troops in total, 20 combat helicopters and 20 main battle tanks. The Al Jaheed had accumulated 570 troops, 20 armoured personnel carriers and rocket launch systems and spread them around and in Hindersville. The Al-Jaheed exterminated civilians who disobeyed them. They spread improvised explosive devices throughout the countryside to discourage attacks from Kostoro-Obertonian forces.

Sergeant Koloman Dessauer led a team that became trapped in a building on 64 Majakowskiring Street by the Al-Jaheed. Al-Jaheed forces and Dessauer's team exchanged fire. He directed snipers to take a hire position in the building to pick off Al-Jaheed soldiers. One of these snipers was Linus Holzer who managed to kill and injure many Al-Jaheed fighters. One of the tanks's of the Kostoro-Obertonian made its way to the building, blowing Al-Jaheed forces to smithereens. With Al-Jaheed surrounded at the rear, Koloman bore down on the Al-Jaheed. However, the Al-Jaheed judged Koloman's forces as more manageable and thus doubled down on their assault, putting Koloman's team on the backfoot, causing them to seek reenforcments.

Commander Aladeed of the Al-Jaheed led his troops towards Koloman. He radioed Commander Uternek, another Al-Jaheed leader to position his forces 280 metres from the building. He had hoped that Uternek could assist them when the IEDs that they had laid on Majakowskiring Street would destroy or at least incapacitate the Kostorian tank. Commander Uternek positioned snipers on an adjacent building, who exchanged fire with the Kostorian snipers. The commander of the tank received intelligence that IEDs had been planted on the road. He ordered the tank to stop and reverse, escaping the IED. Unfortunately, this allowed Al-Jaheed forces to press on Koloman's.

Reinforcements from KO arrived. The KOE artillery division moved towards Hindersville. They were faced with Al-Jaheed forces. The Al-Jaheed only had IFV and APCs. The KO forces pushed them back further and severely crippled. The Al-Jaheed had severely underestimated KO's determination to defeat them and the resources they would be willing to expend in the process. Koloman's team rejoiced at news of the coming reinforcements. Despite thwarting the tank, Aladeed and Uternek were effectively surrounded. Emboldeded by the arrival of the reinforcements, tank focused its fire on Uternek's position, making the pressure on Aladeed's team incredible. Commander Suril Zuberi of the Al-Jaheed was in charge of the forces preventing the KO forces from advancing on Hindersville. He had command of 4 old GZ-72 tanks. Commander Alaron Shedu, also of the Al-Jaheed was in charge of the artillery group ordered his team to fire on the KO forces. Commander Zuberi did the same.

On 15 June 2017 Erwina Pipenz ordered the Uspalrian military to commence the invasion of Kostoria-Obertonia. Uspalrian forces attacked from the east. When Jurgen Oppenheimer received intelligence of the attack, he ordered Captain Jakob Felgenhauer and Captain Emmerich to retreat and come to KO to prepare for an invasion from Uspalria. To the surprise of Aladeed and other Al-Jaheed commanders who had thought that the battle was turning against them, Kostorian forces retreated. Not long after they were celebrating their false victory, they saw the armies of Uspalria marching straight towards them. The Uspalrians defeated them swiftly and captured most of their leaders.

Battle of Yor

On 9 June 2017, Owen Tubolt was in the Yor Parliament Building. He sensed that there may be a threat in the building and ordered security forces to conduct a security sweep of the building. As Owen Tubolt had feared, there was an assailant in the building. The assailant shot Owen Tubolt. With the shot resonating throughout the building, the security team found Tubolt's dead body on the ground.

On 9 June 2017, Admiral Udina Hamishaki was in the RENS Boracova air craft carrier, the flagship of the Republic of Ethalria Navy. It was struck by a torpedo from the Uspalria Navy. The Uspalria Armed Forces launched a surprise attack on the Republic fleet that had gone unnoticed until it was too late. The aerial might that Uspalria brought to bear was overwhelming and proved incredibly challenging for the navy. A few destroyers and frigates were severely crippled or sunk in the process. In the thick of battle, Uspalria sent a parachute team to commandeer the RENS Boracova. Faced with the aerial bombardment and mistakenly thinking that the air craft carrier was lost, the Republic Naval forces retreated to the Dominion of Yor. The parachute team was able to board the ship. With the Boracova abandoned, Uspalria sent smaller vessels with solders to board that ship. The resistance of the soldiers on the ship was so tremendous that Uspalria lost an incredible number of soldiers in the assault, approximately several hundred. Furthermore, despite having controlled the air superiority fighters of the Republic, the fight against the fighter jets of the Republic was so intense, that Uspalria lost a fifth of their aerial capabilities. Admiral Hamishaki felt that the lives of her crew were more important than the ship, so she surrendered to Uspalria hoping to negotiate for their lives.

High Commander Erwina Pipenz received news that the blockade had been broken and that what remained of the Republic Navy had fled to Yor. She ordered General von Bauer to prepare an invasion of Yor. The Oan government received wind that the Republic Naval Blockade had been broken and that Uspalria was preparing for an invasion. They felt that it would take Tretridian, Mexregionan sian forces too long to arrive in Yor, and that it the Oan Isles alone could not stop Uspalria. Thus, they beseeched Great Morstaybishlia to invade rather than wait for Uspalria to attack first.

To the fortune of the Republic, the Axdelian Navy had caught wind of the attack and was willing and able to release its ships to defend it and thwart any potential Uspalria invasion. The Axdelians sent a air craft carrier strike group led by the ANV Axiom. They were able to intercept the RENS Boracova. Axdelian forces attacked Uspalria aerial support units. Uspalria maritime passenger transport vessels were sunk as the ANV Meson, a submarine of the Axdelian navy, fired torpedoes. The Meson and Axiom coordinated closely with the Axiom and her aerial fighter jets handling the aerial assault while the Meson handled the transport vessels. The Uspalria forces on the Boracova tried to sail the limping ship towards Anzrelstätt with hopes that additional Uspalria forces could stop the Axdelians. The Boracova managed to get close enough to the mainland that the Axdelian forces were unable to get closer due to the surface to surface cruise missiles that fired on them from the shore. Unable to overcome the anti-ship fire of Uspalria, the Axdelian forces retreated.

The Matriarchy of Ethalria finally came to Uspalria's aid providing them with the naval forces needed to effect the invasion. Ethalria sent two air craft carrier strike groups which included amphibious vessels. Uspalria had an invasion force of 125,000 soldiers ready to attack the islands. Ethalrian forces faced off with the Axdelian air craft strike group. Although the Axdelians were able to defend them for a time, Ethalria’s power was too great. Without support or reinforcements, Axdelian forces retreated to Indigo Island. Without Axdelian or any other defences, Uspalria and Ethalria made their way to Yor. Faced with the peril of a brutal attack from Ethalria and Uspalria, President Ositha Boracova surrendered Yor them. Uspalria placed the islands under military occupation and seized the military assets of the Republic including its naval ships. They placed Republic forces under imprisonment in internment camps on the Yor islands. Faced with Uspalria, the Opposition Fighters collapsed and many of their troops went into hiding or were placed in internment camps on Yor. Many of the Lower Ethalrians who had fled to Yor were effectively trapped on the islands by Uspalria. A quarantine was placed on the islands to prevent flight of people and capital. Despite protests, the population, weary of conflict and brutally oppressed by Uspalria forces, were unable to mount a useful resistance and eventually acquiesced to Uspalrian rule. With Yor under a military occupation, Uspalria and Etharia were able to focus their attention on an invasion of KO.

Although the Republic of Ethalria had surrendered, soldiers from the Republic military and the Opposition Fighters who had escaped capture by Uspalria formed the South Yor Guard, a paramilitary guerilla group that aimed to combat Uspalrian occupation with asymmetric warfare. The Uspalrian forces ordered the use of chemical weapons on Southern Yor, which was identified as a stronghold of the South Yor Guard. They had warplanes pour a dangerous chemical known as napalm onto the forests of Yor.

Unbeknownst to the Ethalrians, the Kutherns and the Axdelians had orchestrated a plan for the Kutherns to seize Yor and for the Axdelians to invade Uspalria from the south. The Kuthern Royal President Luaz Rico coordinated the plan in concert with the Axdelian Admiral Beatrice Pavla. Admiral Palva was resistant to President Rico's proposal to carpet bomb the Yor Isles because she strongly felt it would be a sapient rights violation. She instead suggested a surgical approach that would both defeat the Uspalrians and prevent a power vacuum from forming. The Axdelians and the Kutherns struck a deal that the Axdelians would invade and occupy southern Uspalria. The terms of the agreement included terms such as "take" which led to ambiguity about the extent of the Axdelian intervention in southern Uspalria. The initial plan was to have Great Morstaybishlia attack the north while Axdel and Kuthernburg worried about the south.

The Axdelians used civilian places painted with symbols of Uspalria to evade their attacks. They managed to intercept communications on callsigns from Uspalria, thus when Uspalria air traffic controllers hailed them, they used Uspalria callsigns, codes and authorised flight paths, allowing these planes to evade the fire of Uspalria. This enabled Axdel to land a parachute team on North Yor. Under the command of Admiral Rufornaks, the Kuthern navy strike group centered on the flagship, the air craft carrier Queen Naomi II, made its way to Yor. Uspalria forces focused the naval battle, missing the parachute attack of Axdelian special operations units surreptitiously descending over their heads. The Kutherns dropped joint direct attack munitions on Uspalria military targets. When Uspalria air traffic control discovered that the civilian aircraft had been Axdelian, they tried to intercept them, but by then they were well on their way back to Indigo Island with under the escort of Royal Kuthern Air Force Raptor fighter jets beyond the reach of the Uspalria air force which was dealing with the aerial attack anyway.

Naval Commander Tesnof of the Royal Kuthern Navy managed to seriously cripple Uspalria naval defences. This allowed Lieutenant Gary to lead a squadron of fighter jets and helicopters to provide the Axdelian forces with cover. The Axdelian and Kuthern forces managed to seize the headquarters of Uspalria military government in Yor and capture their most senior officials. Axdelian forces also had a firefight with Uspalria forces in at Rob Matterson Military Base where Uspalria forces were holed in, trying to defend themselves. The Rob Matterson Base was of strategic importance because it was one of key centers for Uspalria operations. Cut off from the military government headquarters, the commanders at the Rob Matterson Base fought bitterly to prevent Axdelian and Kuthern capture. APCs came in to provide Axdelian and Kuthern troops with support and escort injured Axdelian and Kuthern soldiers. After a Kuthern armoured assault fighter (AAF) blew a hole in the Rob Matterson Military Base Hospital, senior Uspalria forces fled the base and the remaining Uspalria forces surrendered.

507th Kuthern artillery force managed to land once Uspalria naval defences were broken. They defeated Uspalria infantry and artillery still fighting near the docks and rendezvoused with the Axdelian and Kuthern team at Rob Matterson, clearing out any stray Uspalria forces in the process. Any remaining Uspalria forces fled to the thick forests of North Yor to escape capture or death by the Bursil alliance bearing upon them. A contingent from Furnifold under the command of Commander Keyes arrived with the 507th division. They were tasked with capturing the fleeing Uspalria forces. Some Uspalria forces moved their focus to critical infrastructure namely the water treatment facility, and powerplant located outside the Yor capital. Commander Keyes set up a trap to capture Uspalria forces at the waterworks and powerplant as well as snuff out those in the forest. The plan deviated somewhat from the Axdelians' original invasion strategy, but they agreed because it would enable them to eradicate Uspalria in Yor once and for all while insuring that vital infrastructure was regained largely unscathed.

Commander Keyes sent the Counter Insurgency Force led by Captain Jouette to the forests of the Malcolm Nature Reserve where Uspalria forces had allegedly fled, according to the Axdelian intelligence. The CIF worked with a force led by Axdelian Commander Liam Tyrsin. They pushed these forces back, killing and capturing many of them. They used the Nature Reserve as a route to go unnoticed to the waterworks plant that lay near the park. Commander Keyes ordered Captain Plame as well. He instructed her to assists the Kutherns with aerial support so that they could combat sorties coming from the Kuthern mainland. Despite attempts by the sorties, they were lackluster and fruitless and failed to make a significant difference. The determination of captain Plame and her team to resist Uspalria forces, made it impossible for reinforcements to arrive for Uspalria.

Although the Kutherns were willing to blow Uspalria forces hunkered at the water treatment plant and power plant to smithereens regardless of the consequences, the Axdelians and Furnifoldians were completely opposed to this. The Furnifoldians suggested a delicate touch whereby they used a computer virus to gain remote control of the water and power plant. The Kutherns had to deal with skirmishes in the east of the York capital. Captain Jouette of Furnifold and Commander Tukanaye led a joint special task force that infiltrated the water facility. A strange device called a Bass Cannon was debuted which emitted a sound wave that dislodged delicate matter like snow as to expose traps. The trap laid by Commander Keyes caught and killed several Uspalria officials, distracting them from the point at which the Jouette-Tukanaye team accessed the plant. The Jouette team got trapped in the pumping station. They fought with Uspalria but their position was not easily defensible so they abandoned it. Lieutenant Atesso of the Kuthern forces sent some assistance. With Kuthern support they drove back Uspalria forces and formed a defensive perimetre and Uspalria retreated.

An Axdelian tank waiting in ambush

On the other hand, another team was working on the powerplant. Colonel Satiye about 4 platoons into the facility. They took the facility section by section. They drove Uspalria forces into the woods. The Axdelians, familiar with forest warfare, concealed themselves using foliage and snow, enabling them to ambush the fleeing Uspalria forces. Despite their desire to be careful and preserve as much of the critical infrastructure as possible, Uspalria believed in scorched earth policy so they destroyed the facility. With their operation blown, the Kutherns sent in air support to rescue Satiye's forces. The Uspalria forces were more numerous than the Axdelians had originally predicted. The two sides were locked in a prolonged battle to gain ground. When the Furnifoldians secured the water plant, they asked the Kutherns and Tretridians to assist the Axdelians. The Kutherns managed to obliterate the enemy and rescue the Axdelian forces.

With the Battle of Yor dragging out, Royal President Luaz Rico of Kuthernburg sent a letter to Erwina Pipenz proposing a ceasefire in Yor. In part, it would provide relief for humanitarian aid to come in and on the other it would obfuscate the imminent invasion from Great Morstaybishlia by getting Uspalria to feel more at ease. Erwina Pipenz reluctantly accepted the invitation and she ordered Uspalria Military High Command to order a ceasefire. The PeaceKeeping Forces of Urth was sent in to monitor and enforce the ceasefire. The Oans used the opportunity to record the scale of the war. 7,000 Axdelian soldiers had been sent of whom 1,400 were injured and 700 were dead. The Bursil and Ribenstadt pact agreed to divide Yor in two with the north controlled by Uspalria and the south controlled by the Bursil alliance. With Axdel having spent 2 billion KRB on the Battle of Yor, they were faced with intense public scrutiny for the cost and conduct of the war.

Woodrow Taft, then the Secretary of State of Uspalria held a meeting with High Commander Erwina Pipenz and Foreign Secretary Johanna Smith to call for a reform of the Ribenstadt pact. He suggested that Stratarin and Uspalria use this brief respite to get nuclear warheads to Kostromastan and provide some much needed training to its military. Kuthern forces in Yor temporarily moved to the border between Great Morstaybishlia and Uspalria. The Bursil alliance decided to set up an air defence missile system to prevent the north from attacking. The Republic of Ethalria was reconstituted and it was set up as a government in exile in south Yor. Remarkably, some of its forces survived. The Southern Yor Guard was set up as the new government of South Yor. The State of North Yor asked Uspalria for more military support, violating the terms of the ceasefire.

Royal Chief Marshal Watkins of the Royal Kuthern Armed Forces sent a secret wire without the knowledge of the Kuthern government to senior officials of the Bursil alliance to end the ceasefire and resume the war. He called it a disgrace. This letter was intercepted by Uspalria National Intelligence Agency. Its director, Georgina Whill told Erwina Pipenz that the Bursil alliance was planning on not abiding by the terms of the ceasefire. Pipenz sent a secret communication to then Crown Prince Oahoanu of the Oan Isles telling him to convince the Bursil alliance not to break the ceasefire or the Ribenstadt pact would retaliate with force. When Pipenz was injured and Uspalria military high command ordered a break in the ceasefire. The South Yor military forces started mobilising and preparing for a resumption of hostilities against the Ribenstadt forces in the north of Yor.

Battle of Uspalria

In Raufstreffen on 8 June 2017, Erwina Pipenz directed General Alexandrina Larkov to mobilise 500,000 troops to the border with Great Morstaybishlia in anticipation of an invasion from the north. The next day, High Commander Erwin Pipenz received intelligence that Great Morstaybishlia was in the throws of invading Ethalria. She ordered General Larkov to add an additional 300,000 soldiers to the invasion force. With the approval of the Imperial Diet, additional rationing was put in place to set aside funds and resources to prepare for the fight with Morstaybishlia and Yor. Uspalria 5th, 7th and 18th Air Superiority Squadrons were placed on patrol with an order to shoot non-hailing aircraft on sight. In a surprise attack, Morstaybishlian forces fired on the patrol plane. Adjacent Uspalria jets alerted ground control. Uspalria Air Superiority fighters tried to chase the Morstaybishlian air forces out of Uspalrian. The Morst jets fled to safer airspace in Staynes. The Uspalria air force was too frightened to attack Staynes directly and the commanders did not want to escalate a skirmish into a full-blown war without the authorisation of the High Commander. So they retreated.

The Morsts were informed of the plan by the Kutherns and the Oans to retake Yor. They stayed their invasion until the Oans and Kutherns had a foothold in Yor. This was done was so that Uspalria would be forced to focus its attention on fighting Great Morstaybishlia instead of trying to recapture Yor. To the surprise of everyone, the Executive Cabinet of the Confederation of Kostromastan opted to join the Ribenstadt Pact, sending a letter to Uspalrian government on 15 July 2017. With the ceasefire coming in force, it was agreed that a demilitarised zone was to be built between the two nations. The planned invasion of Uspalria was not carried out. The ceasefire negotiated by Rico allowed humanitarian aid to enter the newly split Yor as well as Uspalria. The Oan Isles sent humanitarian aid and reconstruction funds and resources to south Yor. The Oan Isles kept sanctions on Uspalria and asked all other nations to continue with this. The Oan Isles also sent its forces and provided resources to assist in the Great Morstaybishlian and Uspalria demilitarised zone.

KAE Systems and the Oan Defence Forces had been working on unmanned aerial combat vehicles for 16 years. With the collapse of the ceasefire, the original plan to invade Uspalria took shape and these weapons were to be deployed in the war effort. The attack on Uspalria was preceded by a massive propaganda campaign aiming to foment rebellion against Uspalria. 100 million pamphlets were dropped in that country by the Oan Air Force. Tipene Rahua, representing the Oan Isles proposed that the Bursil alliance countries that were shareholders of the Auroran Central Bank to use their shareholding to freeze the financial assets of the Bank of Uspalria. This was a shocking proposal because the ACB was supposed to be neutral.

The Uspalrian Military High Command ordered the PKFU to evacuate the DMZ. The Oans sent a container ship called the HSMS Huatamanu escorted by a small naval accompaniment (that looked like maritime police) to York. The Uspalrian Navy ordered the ship to leave. Captain Tihanohua of the Huatamanu explained that the ship was sending supplies to Yor and that the naval patrol's refusal to allow the Oan ship to head to Yor was basically a blockade which would be considered a new act of war. They reached a compromise that a single inspector would have 30 minutes to inspect the ship. The inspector had too little time to conduct a thorough investigation and was thus fooled into believing that the UACV parts were parts for medical equipment. Despite suspicion, the Uspalrian navy allowed the Huatamanu to continue.

The Huatamanu arrived in South Yor and began assembling the UACVs in a secret facility. The UACVs secretely began flying towards Uspalria. The Uspalrians detected unknown air craft flying over North Yor. Uspalrians began preparing their anti-aircraft guns for a potential attack. They were expecting that these aircraft would be the same aircraft that would be dropping useless propaganda. At 2am on 5 August 2017, Oan-Kuthern UACVs bombed the Rorivon Military Base and they also bombed military defences in Anzrelstätt. This led to a major strategic defeat for the Uspalrians. However, the Oans made some strategic blunders. They attacked symbolic targets such as a major iconic monument in Rauffstrefen. In the process, one of the UACV's was destroyed by the Uspalrian air defence systems.

Battle of Kostoria-Obertonia

Under the name of Operation Red Eagle, Ethalria and Uspalria planned to invade KO. The Uspalria used the assets recovered from the Republic to reconstitute its navy. Some Republic officers defected to Uspalria and joined their military. Coupled with the naval fire power from Ethalria, Uspalria was poised to invade KO. To the misfortune of the Kostorians, a few Uspalria military vessels were coming online. Despite being hastily made, they surpassed KO's defensive capabilities. Furthermore, with some of their forces bogged down in the battle of Hindersville, KO's defences faced incredible challenges. A two-pronged attack was preferred: an invasion by land from the east and a naval blockade from the south and invasion by sea of the city of Nuremkastel. The Oan air craft carrier strike group finally reached the Azure Sea. It established its base on Indigo Island with the permission of the government of Axdel.

With Erwina Pipenz having ordered an invasion of Kostoria-Obertonia on 15 June 2017, the Kostorian Armed Forces were called back from fighting in Hindersville to defend the country. KO called upon foreign aid. Unfortunately for KO, its allies were preparing for another massive attack in Yor and on Great Morstaybishlia. To the dismay of the Kostorians, the Uspalrian forces marched straight in. The invasion began with a blockade that cut off KO from maritime trade. The land invasion met some resistance from Kostorian forces.

Jurgen Oppenheimer felt that fighting with the Uspalrians would be futile especially since it was evident that help was not coming. Instead, he offered up terms of surrender to the Uspalrians and fled with his government to Sani Bursil where they established a government-in-exile to continue resistance against the Uspalrians. The Uspalrians greatly benefitted from Kostoria-Obertonia because they were able to direct its human and physical capital to produce food and weapons for Uspalria. Furthermore, although they had been cut off from Lower Ethalria's stake in the Auroran Central Bank, they controlled the Bank of Kostoria-Obertonia and used it to funnel much needed kiribs and foreign exchange into Uspalrian hands. Because of the ACB's policy of political neutrality, it did not stop the Bank of Kostoria-Obertonia's withdrawals. It was because of this, that the Oan Isles petitioned for the ACB to block the Bank of Kostoria-Obertonia's access to its financial facilities.

The invasion of KO was a major complication of the plan to invade Uspalria. Pressed for time, the Oans and Kutherns continued with their initial which included taking over KO. Uspalria set up a military junta to rule over KO. The Oan Isles enacted a propaganda campaign in that country to foment unrest against the regime. Adelmar Tomna, an ordinary citizen sparked the flames of resistance when he began a revolt against the invading military junta. The

Pipenz coup and peace negotiations

The Military High Command of Uspalria held a meeting to overthrow Erwina Pipenz. They felt that she was no longer serving the interests of Uspalria and that she was leading Uspalria to ruin, so they conspired to have her assassinated. After contriving several ideas, they decided to have her shot by a sniper. Oahoanu managed to stop the Bursil alliance from breaking the ceasefire agreement. The Duke of Kuthernburg was set to meet with him in Blueacia to negotiate a peaceful end to the war. They granted Pipenz diplomatic immunity on arriving in that country. After communicating the arrangements with Crown Prince Oahoanu, Erwina Pipenz left Uspalria HQ. As she walked out onto the street, the sniper shot at her but missed. Undeterred, she ordered that her team to rush her to the Rauffstrefen International Airport and headed to Blueacia hoping that the diplomatic immunity agreement would remain in force. Realising she had failed to kill Pipenz, the Sniper booked a ticket to Blueacia where the generals had told her Pipenz may be going.

Duke Losto was also to be in attendance with the Duke of Orkeo. To preserve the neutrality of this whole process, the Prime Minister of Blueacia, Pearson Lagonus was to meet Erwina Pipenz at the airport. Despite the Duke of Kuthernburg's pleasantries, the Duke Losto was cold and insisted that they get down to business. The Duke Orkeo broached the topic of peace. Pipenz stated that Uspalria was meant to overcome the evils of the Republic and was thus willing to enter into a white peace with the Bursil alliance. When Lagonus asked if Uspalria was willing to have peace treaty with the MBE specifically, Pipenz stated only if the MBE would not attack them first.

It was then that she revealed that was privy to a missive sent which indicated that the Bursil alliance was willing to break the ceasefire. Concealing surprise at the assertion, Duke Orkeo stated the increase of forces in North Yor was a violation of the ceasefire terms. Furthermore, Duke Losto explained that the build was a response to the actions of the North Yor and Uspalria militaries. Pipenz demanded a decrease in the military activity and buildup in South Yor. Duke Orkeo said that it would not be possible to do that as the Kuthern government was unlikely to comply. Furthermore, he stated that without Kuthernburg, it was unlikely that there was anyone on the Bursil alliance willing to talk peace. Pipenz threatened them that if she got assassinated, her successor would unleash the nuclear weapons of her nation. Duke Orkeo denied the allegations and stated that the Bursil alliance did not orchestrate the assassination plot.

The Sniper was informed of the location of the negotiations by Uspalria intelligence. As Pipenz was speaking the Sniper shot her through a window. The negotiating party including Pipenz were evacuated. The Sniper informed Uspalria Military High Command that Pipenz was dead. Pipenz was rushed to Berea Hospital. Believing she was dead Uspalria Military High Command seized power and announced her death. They blamed it on the Bursil alliance and announced plans to invade the MBE. Woodrow Taft called a secret meeting with Pipenz' cabinet. Lucinda Pipenz was supposed to succeed Erwina if anything happened to her, but the Military High Command had other plans.

The Blueacians managed to get a communication to Woodrow Taft informing him that Pipenz was alive but that Uspalria was to stand down its plans for an invasion. Woodrow Taft informed the Blueacians that it was a coup that Uspalria government did not orchestrate the ceasefire collapse. The South Yor military forces started mobilising and preparing for a resumption of hostilities. Queen Naomi Truden II informed Woodrow Taft that if Uspalria did not drop the escalation, the fighting would continue. Taft tried to get the HIgh Command to stop. They refused, but Taft was able to delay the mobilisation using an administrative loophole.

Battle of Nocturne

Following secret discussions among Kostrom, Uspalrian, and Ethalrian leadership, it was agreed upon that Kostromastan would open a new front by invading the Nocturne province of Great Morstaybishlia requiring the Allies to respond, allowing Ethalria and Uspalria to make headway on their own respective fronts. As planned, Kostrom forces entered and invaded the largest city in the province, holding the area for approximately 54 hours. As expected the Allies responded to the invasion, however the strength in which the Allies responded was significantly stronger than anticipated. As a result, Allied forces drove the Kostroms out of the city, and as an additional deterrent, Kuthernburg conducted a series of airstrikes on a number of significant military structures in northern Kostromastan, including airstrips, hangars, and other strategic infrastructure, rendering Kostromastan's military ineffective for any future efforts during the war.

Pacific Front

Tokapa Summit

In light of the summit held by Mexregiona, Tretrid , the Oan Isles was to coordinate military action on Uspalria with them. On Saturday, 18 June 2017, the monarch of The Oan Isles, Rangitanga-a-te-Moana Ehe II invited the heads of state of Mexregiona, Tretrid to a meeting in Tokapa to request military assistance to combat an invasion of the Oan Isles from Stratarin. The government of the Oan Isles asked Oahoanu to assist Ehe II to host the event and represent the Oan Isles in the negotiations.

Upon the arrival of the invited guests, Oahoanu, then the Crown Prince of the Oan Isles, addressed the attendees due to his father having an illness. He appealed to the democratic heritage and ancient relationship between the Bursil forces and their respective nations. Admiral Tukama Uataka was in charge of the Oan part of the war. He informed the leaders of a plan to cut off sea and air routes to Republic, occupy its southern territory and to expel its forces from Yor with a view to getting a negotiated settlement. He gave them a breakdown of the materiel and personnel shortages which included 2500 troops and an air craft carrier.

To the relief of the Oans, and Tretridian militaries were able and willing to assist by sending their respective forces and fortunately, they had preempted the Oan request by partially mobilizing their forces in anticipation of potential conflict. However, the Mexregionans refused to send soldiers to maintain an occupation of the southern territory of Uspalria, a sentiment shared by Tretrid. During the discussions, Queen Naomi Truden II of Kuthernburg was invited and after holding discussions with her government, agreed to assist the Oan invasion forces with 78,000 soldiers from Latianburg. Mexregiona and Tretrid agreed to support the Oans with two joint air craft carrier strike groups for the purpose of enforcing maritime and aerial blockade, transporting soldiers to Uspalria and securing the port city of Anzrelstätt.