First Crusades

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First Crusades
Clockwise from the top: An Iphelklorian ship under attack by Karishian planes, Iphelklorian light tanks in Southern Karishkanov, The 1st Diyuhan infantry battalion, CAA troops during Victory Day, a downed Esperaino biplane, Yadylikan counteroffensive in Eastern Iphelklori
Date February 21, 1930 - November 25, 1935 Location Central Arcturia Result Iphelklorian Defeat
Belligerents
Ademar's Crusaders Iphelklori	Central Arcturian Alliance Sokala Yadylika Karishkanov Nuesperanza
Strength
220,000	475,000
Casualties and losses
183,643 dead	274,740 dead

The First Crusade was the first of a series of religious wars announced by the Pravadist Empire of Iphelklori, although no second crusade has been initiated at the time of recording. The objective was the recovery of the Yadylikan islands that were lost to the Durdneelians in the 1500s. The islands have historically been the place for religious pilgrimage by the natives of Iphelklori prior to the arrival of the Asendavians. The earliest initiative for the First Crusade began in 1927 when the Iphelklorian Supreme Chancellor, Alexis Boranov, publicly demanded the islands from the newly formed nation of Sokala.

Background

Expansionsism

During the later part of the 19th century, several expansionist movements, including the Pravdaist, the imperialist, and the theocratic expansionist movements, popped up across Iphelklori. The Pravdaist expansionists, the biggest among the movements, was one of the spearhead movements usually attributed to directly instigating more support for expansionism. The origins of this movement can be traced back to a Pravdaist monk by the name of Junn Kelt who preached that Yadylika, the islands that house the Pravdaist temple of Lestnitsa v Iphelaris, must be annexed by Iphelklori to secure the land of which many Iphelklorians embark pilgrimage to. Kelt argued that the islands were the Iphelklorian's holy land and advocated for the use of military action to retake the islands. Many fellow Pravdaist leaders came to Kelt's sermons, with many following suit and spreading messages similar to that of Kelt. Another movement that propelled expansionist ideals was the imperialists. Alvin Horseven, a former supreme chancellor, spread the idea that the King-Emperor's rule must be expanded and that its enemies must be eliminated to minimize the threat that the nation would face. It advocated for the invasion of the Matriarchy of Nuesperanza and the Meritocratic Karishkanov, two nations that Iphelklori had come to be enemies with.

Although King-Emperor Nikolai Orlov was opposed to the idea, Supreme General Faddei Nikolaev was very supportive of the Pravdaist expansionist cause.