Great War
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Template:Military conflict The Norric-Salarian War, also known as the Haarden-Salaria War or the Great War, often abbreviated N-S War, was a global military conflict that took place between the years of 1220 and 1227 CE. To date, it was the largest and most destructive war in history, involving over 50 nations and many dependent territories and colonies. The war is usually considered to have ended the Colonial Period, and firmly established the Union of Salaria as the world's most dominant power.
The primary combatants in the war were the Kingdom of Haarden and the Union of Salaria. Both of these nations, economically and militarily powerful in their own rights, drew additional support from their alliances, formed prior to and during the early days of the war. Haarden and its colonies - collectively known as the Norric Empire - as well as most of the nations of North Sapphilia, Elimnu, and the Tsyan Empire, made up the military pact known (somewhat incorrectly) as the "Northern Alliance". Salaria and most of the nations of South Sapphilia, as well as the Aliôn and the nations of southern Veltland, made up the "Southern Alliance". Both alliances had scattered support from nations in Ashria, Limnia, Havlia, and Limorania.
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Causes
Rivalry between Salaria and Haarden had existed for several decades prior to the outbreak of war. However, only by the early thirteenth century had a fully unified Salaria emerged as the most powerful nation in South Sapphilia, backed by Linaret and Clairone. Salaria was clearly envious of Haarden's vast Norric Empire, as Salaria itself had never played a major role as a colonizing power, thus economic rivalry was a major cause of the war. Starting in 1200 a rapidly escalating arms-race, coupled by the rapid formation of alliances, had begun between the two nations, each striving to attach as many states as possible to its political orbit.
Decline of the Norric Empire
The Norric Empire, which had reached its height by the mid-twelfth century, had begun to slowly decline in economic strength and political unity as early as the 1160s. This decline was prompted largely by the changing structure of the government of Haarden itself: the power of the monarch had been steadily reduced throughout the early 1200s, while the powers of the Adligråd (Council of Ministers), which had originally served a purely advisory role, increased. In 1170, following the disastrous Dageantar War, the Adligråd forced the signing of the Ålderdomligt, making Haarden a constitutional monarchy with an elected legislature. The process of decentralization, spurred by a declining Haardic economy and the popular demand for a reduction in the size of the military, began in earnest shortly thereafter.
Hoping to preserve the unity of the Empire, in 1184 the Haardic government gave its most-prized colonies - Skjønøhav, Arëdighùan, and Strolus - the status of protectorates, entailing limited self-government. Contrary to its original intent, this act gave new impetus to the independence movements of other Haardic colonies in Limnia, Ashria, Raenamon in Limorania, and Template:Country in Illonia. Several attempts at armed resistance to continued Haardic control were crushed, at a heavy military and economic cost, during the 1190s and 1200s, resulting in the growing dissatisfaction of the Haardic people. The conservative monarchy, strongly opposed to further decentralization, blocked numerous legislative measures designed to loosen the bonds of the empire - most notably the Statute of Self-Determination in 1205.
Ceridorum Crisis of 1212
- Main article: Ceridorum crisis of 1212
Garmonel Incident
- Main article: Garmonel incident of 1217
Entangling Alliances
- Coming Soon -
Aasenburg Conference
- Main article: Aasenburg Conference
The Aasenburg Conference, organized by Template:Country prime minister Edmond Thèchot, established a military and economic alliance of Template:Country, the Template:Country, and Aliôn. Conceived by Template:Country leaders as a counterweight against the allied Template:Country and Norric Empire, the alliance was interpreted as a direct threat by the Haardic and 0000 governments.
Template:Country-Template:Country-Salarian alliance
Following the resolution of the Garmonel Incident of 1217 in favor of Template:Country, largely thanks to Salarian backing, Salarian Anësentër Zae Zünin recommended that Template:Country join the Salarian-led Southern Alliance. Negotiations continued until February 1218, when the formal treaty of alliance was signed. Template:Country, encouraged by 0000 prime minister Edmond Thèchot, formally joined the alliance in July of 1218. Intended by the Salarians to ensure that the Southern Gateway would remain in friendly hands, the alliance also guaranteed that Template:Country and Template:Country would become involved in any conflict between Salaria and Haarden.
Haardic-Alahric alliance
Campaigns
Although most of the major fighting occurred in Central Sapphilia and along the border of Southern Sapphilia and Charia, the Haarden-Salaria war was, truly, a world war. Significant campaigns occured in Ashria, Limnia, and Nepania, and there was some fighting even in Limorania and Taria. The world's oceans also became battlegrounds, with naval engagements taking place in the Calarian Ocean, Kunnick Sea, Maroon Sea, Tiltanar Sea, and Orric Ocean.
Sapphilia and Illonia
1220-22
From the beginning of the war in April 1220 to the middle of 1223, Haarden had the advantage over Salaria. Drawing military support from its many colonies, and utilizing its powerful navy effectively, the Haardic crown managed to essentially blockade Salaria for much of this period. The advances of Haarden's Central Sapphilian allies into Salarian-held Template:Country and Velheln proved equally successful, and Chari thrusts into Clairone and Linaret from the east managed to keep Salaria's principal allies occupied with defending their own borders until January 1223. Template:Country was invaded by Haardic forces in February 1221, and eastern Template:Country was occupied later that year. The joint Template:Country-Template:Country army was pushed back to western Template:Country, with the Template:Country government-in-exile establishing itself in Sorme.
1223
The summer of 1223 was marked by several reverses - Haardic forces in Template:Country were suddenly driven back, the Haardic naval blockade was broken, and Salarian forces invaded Template:Country, giving them essential control of the Maroon Sea and allowing them to link up with Template:Country and Template:Country militaries, embroiled in heavy combat against Haardic forces which had been fighting for control of Template:Country since 1221. Haarden was forced to abandon its campaigns in Template:Country after the arrival of Salarian support to the Template:Country-Template:Countryarmy, thus giving up partial control of the Southern Gateway. Alahric forces were also defeated in northern Template:Country in January of 1223, finally allowing Linaret and Clairone to send military support to the main front in Central Sapphilia.
1224-25
By the end of 1224, a stalemate had developed in Central Sapphilia, with the front now located along the southern borders of Beaudelaire and the eastern border of Template:Country. Hoping to dislodge Haardic forces from these positions, the Salarian navy and army executed rapid attacks on many Norric colonies in Ashria and Limnia, including Zanardia, Ezruluy, and Kaoros. These regions, only lightly defended by Haarden's reserve units, fell quickly to the crack Salarian forces. Feeling that the time was right, several Norric colonies - notably, Strolus - arose in rebellion, adding to Haarden's colonial woes. As the year 1225 came to a close, much of Haarden's Norric Empire had simply evaporated; Taria, Gorvalia, and Skjønøhav were the only areas remaining under secure Haardic governance.
1226-27
The stalemate in Central Sapphilia was broken in early 1226, when Haarden's allies mounted a massive counterattack against the Salarian positions, forcing the Salarian, Clesh, and Linaretyri armies into retreat. Seizing the temporary advantage, the Haardic Navy attacked Aurore, leading to desperate fighting by the Salarian garrisons on that island. The initiative, however, was lost by the end of 1226, as Haarden's armies, now isolated and dependant on unreliable supply chains, began once again to fall victim to Salarian attacks as well as those of newly arrived Draeic troops from Havlia and troops from Kwaljon in Limorania. As major fighting ended in 1227, the Sapphilian front line was fixed in central Velheln and northern Template:Country.
Treaty of Sorons
- Main article: Treaty of Sorons
In June of 1227, a six-month armistice was declared by the Salarian and Haardic governments, during which time negotiations between the two nations, for the purpose of formulating a peace treaty, were conducted. Instead of meeting on neutral ground in Zénland, as had been originally planned, in early July the Salarian government abruptly demanded that the negotiations be held in Sorons, the capital of the Salarian Union. Taken aback by the perceived insult, Haarden refused to send negotiators until early November, when it became clear that, as the armistice period neared its end, Salarian forces were mobilizing in preparation for a major assault in Central Sapphilia. Negotiations finally began on November 16, when chief Haardic representatives NAME and NAME arrived, and lasted for slightly over five weeks. Salaria, represented by Lüdd Zümaihd and Dëlor Brajhjhe, at first seemed determined to force the majority of reparation payments for the war's damages on Haarden. However, as the weeks past, this insistence faded, largely due to the fact that the Salarian public was overwhelmingly calling for an end to the war, which, according to popular opinion, had already been won. As a result, the terms, while by no means favorable to the Haardic state, were not as harsh as they might have been.
Major Terms
Nine major terms were agreed to by the Salarian and Haardic representatives, the result of discussions taking place from November 16 to December 21:
1 - The Kingdom of Haarden is to immediately remove all of its military forces from all former colonies and dependent territories; in addition, all Haardic colonies must be granted complete sovereignty and independence from the Kingdom of Haarden within the next five years.
2 - The Union of Salaria is not to make any attempt - for a period of ten years - to take control -- through military, political, or economic means -- of any former Haardic colony or dependent territory.
3 - Neither the Union of Salaria, the Kingdom of Haarden, or the Elimnu Confederation are to retain possession of any territories, which previously comprised a part of, or the entirety of one or more sovereign nations, for a period of more than 365 days after the signing of this treaty.
(to be continued)
Signing
The treaty was officially signed in Sorons, Salaria, on December 22, 1227, by Salarian Anësentër Doan Ebair and Haardic Head of State [NAME].
