War of 1919 (Pacifica)

War of 1919
(From top to bottom) Weissersteiner forces in the city of Williemsbode; Gunter-Stein Panzerwagen in the Luxemburg Front; General Šbécke with the 2nd Corps
Date 29 June 1919 - 4 August 1923 Location Luxemburg, Weisserstein Lowenia, Weisserstein Clashonia Result Treaty of Fryéndon (1922) Treaty of Bérnberg (1923)
Belligerents
Weisserstein Royal Clashonian government-in-exile	Union State of Bannarsia and Transclarvia	First Clashonian Republic
Commanders and leaders
Friedrich Eugen von Wittelsbach Wilhelm-Alexander von Schwarzberg Gothäart Brént	Klemens Šbécke Falko Šnabel Augustin Dréer Héike Stark	Gustaf Sténmann Kristof Šober
Units involved
Imperial Weissersteiner Army 5th Army 7th Army 25th Army 27th Army Imperial Weissersteiner Navy 1st Fleet Royal Clashonian Army 1st Corps Royal Volunteer Legion Aligned militias Volunteer Army of the Just King Traditionalist Communion Mountain Brotherhood	Army of the Union State 1st Corps 2nd Corps 3rd Mountain Corps 4th Corps 7th Corps Kleinhart Jura Corps Luxemburg Corps Northwestern Corps National Guard of the Union State Black Camp Navy of the Union State Transclarve Flotilla Eastern Flotilla	Clashonian Volunteer Republican Army Republican Guard
Strength
1,758,000 52,000	3,884,800	1,938,000

The War of 1919 (Alman: Krieg von 1919, Clashonian: Krig vén 1919) was an armed conflict between the Weissersteiner Empire and the Union State of Bannarsia and Transclarvia, which lasted from 1919 to 1923. The war started over territorial dispute, namely the territories of Blubach and Bischofgen, both of which had a zinc spar mine. The war brought the end to the existence of the Union State and saw the rise of the First Clashonian Republic.

Following the 1904 Clashonian coup d'etat, the Clashonian royal family, government, and military high command fled to neighboring Weisserstein, establishing the Royal Clashonian government-in-exile. Amidst the chaos of the coup, Weissersteiner forces move to secure the territories of Blubach and Bischofgen. Both territories were previously established as a condominium, but after the coup, the Weissersteiner government decided to incorporate the two territories into the Weissersteiner Empire. At the time, the Union State was unable to do anything due to their own precarious position, and the Union State was forced to recognize the annexation of the territories during discussions regarding the territories in mid-February of 1907, now known as the Brandenburg Agreement. This move angered many within the ranks of the Party of the Union State, namely its more hawkish members under the leadership of X, as well as angering many within the military, who saw both Blubach and Bischofgen as rightful Clashonian clay. The Brandenburg Agreement also gave rise to hopes of possible Transclarve secession, which culminated in the 1907 Transclarve uprising in May. The events of 1907 became a key turning point as more hawkish members of government began taking a more active role in both the military and governance, leading to X becoming the President-Minister of the Union State in 1908.

As time progressed, the Army of the Union State began drafting preparations to retake the territory since as early as 1910, citing its economic importance to the Union State. Defenses were constructed along the border with Weisserstein, namely in the areas neighboring to the Kingdom of Luxemburg. An incident in the border in 1915 nearly brought the two nations to war, but conflict was averted through diplomacy. However, the border clashes proved vital in escalating tension and sowing distrust among the two nations. The Army of the Union State began mobilizing its forces in late 1918 in preparation for the conflict, Weisserstein in return fortified its defenses in their shared border, known as the Schwarzberg Line. In the early hours of June 29, a false flag attack by Union State forces was conducted, followed by firing artillery shells on Weissersteiner positions, and on 8 AM, the Union State officially declared war on Weisserstein, citing the unjust annexation and the false flag attack on the Kleinhart Jura, as well as Weisserstein's support to the exiled Royal government, as the casus belli.

Background

1904 Clashonian coup d'etat

As Clashonia began slowly democratizing, several radical groups would sprung up, whose goals were to overthrow the monarchy. One of these movements was the powerful Unionists, who sought to establish a "federation of equals" between the North (Bannarsia) and the South (Transclarvia).

In 1904, members of the Party of the Union State, alongside sympathetic members of the military and Unionist militias, would storm the Clashonian Royal Palace and the Landtag building, sending the royal family and the government into exile. The military attempted to quell the coup but was unsuccessful. When the Party of the Union State took over, large portions of royalist sympathizers escaped to neighboring Weisserstein.

Annexation of Blubach and Bischofgen by Weisserstein

As political turmoil engulfed Clashonia, the Weissersteiner Empire sent several infantry units to secure the territories of Neutral Blubach and Bischofgen.

1915 Weissersteiner-Clashonian border clashes

Weissersteiner forces in the Weissersteiner-Clashonian border, 1915

In 1915, the Union State and Weisserstein would fight a brief, undeclared, 4-day conflict over Blubach and Bischofgen, killing 79 and wounding 184 on both sides. The conflict nearly escalated into a full blown war before Weissersteiner foreign minister Ernst Friedrich von Glücksburg and his Clashonian counterpart X successfully defused tensions by signing a peace treaty in the spa town of Bad Salzdeck, ending the hostilities between Weisserstein and the Union State.

Despite the peaceful resolution, both militaries became even more wary of a possible armed conflict between the two nations in the future, and began taking steps in preparing for another conflict over the disputed territories. Weisserstein would set up preliminary defenses in the border between the Kingdom of Luxemburg with the Union State, which would be enforced further following Clashonian mobilization in 1918. This defense line would be codenamed the Schwarzberg Line.

1919

False flag attack and declaration of war

Days before the war began, leader of the Black Camp Lothar Popël met with Generals Falko Šnabel, Klemens Šbécke, and Augustin Dréer to discuss preparations for the upcoming conflict between Weisserstein and Clashonia. During these meetings, mentions of a series of false flag attacks to pin the blame of starting the war on Weisserstein were brought to light by General Šnabel, who believed such attacks could possibly give the Union State's justification of war much more acceptable on the international stage. General Dréer suggested to Popël that his Black Camp forces disguise themselves as monarchist militiamen and initiate combat with Clashonian forces in the border to achieve the plans for a false flag attack. Popël agreed to the suggestion and began preparing his forces for the attacks.

Clashonian "Black Camp" militias

After the meeting between Popël and generals of the Army of the Union State, General Šbécke met with President of the Union State, XX. During this meeting, Šbécke informed XX regarding the possibiity of war between Weisserstein and the Union State and requested the President's approval for the military to begin preparations to engage Weissersteiner forces. XX gave Šbécke approval for all military operations moving forward. Plans for the false flag attacks was not given to any of the commanders in the front lines, as well as to the Union State's political institution, as General Šbécke believed that the operation would not run as smoothly if the information was relayed, and he distrusted some of the politicians in power.

On 27 June 1919, members of the Clashonian Black Camp militia would launch a series of engagements with Union State forces dubbed Operation Skylark, killing 2 Clashonian soldiers and 3 Black Camp militiamen. The next day, Union State officials accused Weisserstein of instigating a conflict between Weisserstein and the Union State before sending an ultimatum, demanding Weisserstein to demilitarize the Weissersteiner-Clashonian border, return Blubach and Bischofgen to the Union State, and to extradite the members of the Royal Clashonian government-in-exile, including all the members of the Clashonian royal family. Weissersteiner Foreign Minister Christian Graf von Bismarck did not heed the ultimatum however, which served as casus belli for a declaration of war. Clashonia would sever diplomatic relations with Weisserstein on June 28 and both countries begin stationing their forces along their shared border.

On the morning of 29 June, Clashonian artillery would begin bombing Weissersteiner lines, followed by small incursions between the Weissersteiner Reichswehr and the Army of the Union State. The Union State government would officially declare a state of war between Clashonia and Weisserstein on 08:00 AM, marking the end of the 4-year peace established by the Bad Salzdeck Agreement. Clashonian forces launched their first assaults to the towns of Blubach, Bischofgen, and Marchfelden. The attack on Blubach was successful and Clashonian forces captured the town from Weisserstein. The battle of Bischofgen was much more brutal, as Weissersteiner forces under Hauptmann Florian Friedberger refused to give up the town, which resulted in a fierce battle between the two armies. In the end, control of Bischofgen remained in Weissersteiner hands. The battle of Marchfelden ended in a similar manner, as Weissersteiner forces refused to give up the town. The battle ended in a Weissersteiner victory. In total, the Union State suffered 11,200 casualties from all three battles, while Weisserstein suffered a total of 8,200 casualties from all three battles.

Operation Kettle and offensive into Lowenia

Clashonian Model 1917 105mm howitzer during the Battle of Freihofen

On 30 June, Clashonian forces would launch a major offensive, codenamed Betréb Waserkokher (Operation Kettle), attacking the defenses through a newly-formed unit, the Luxemburg Corps, to push the Weissersteiners out of their defensive lines in the Schwarzberg Line. While successfully gaining grounds throughout the early weeks of the operation, the Luxemburg Corps failed to make the significant breakthrough that the Union State had expected. By the third month of the operation, the frontlines ground to a halt as Weissersteiner forces reinforced their defenses. Under the command of General Falko Šnabel, the forces successfully pushed around 68km into Luxemburg, capturing parts of the Schwarzberg Lines. However, due to logistical issues, the offensive failed to take any of its strategic goals.

General Falko Šnabel would be badly wounded by a stray artillery shell that exploded near his quarters and command was briefly handed to Major Héike Stark, who quickly ordered a shift of focus to the Kleinhart Jura. Clashonian forces began moving swiftly deeper into the Weissersteiner parts of the Kleinhart Jura. The offensive sought to capture cities around parts of Lowenia, namely the city of Brandenburg. This new offensive saw the reorganization of the Clashonian military, which eventually became the backbone of the new Kleinhart Jura Corps, whose focus would be entirely dedicated to the push into the areas of Lowenia. The renewed offensive saw better successes compared to the original push into Luxemburg, however the fighting in the Kleinhart Jura remained very fierce, with several major battles between the Kleinhart Jura Corps and Weissersteiner forces.

General Héike Stark

The first major battle in the second offensive is the Battle of Freihofen on 1 July, which saw Clashonian artillery pieces pounding Weissersteiner defenses in the town. The town was captured on the following day, which created an opportunity to push further into Lowenia and possibly threaten the city of Brandenburg. Clashonian forces would engage with the Reichsheer in the 1st Battle of the Sonzig, one of the tributaries of the Clarve river, on 3 July. The 1st Battle of the Sonzig ended inconclusively and both sides decided to rest. A second battle would occur for the Sonzig, which would prove decisive in determining the campaign's continuity. The 2nd Battle of the Sonzig was the bloodiest campaign up to that point, and saw Clashonian forces defeating the smaller, ill-prepared Weissersteiner forces. The capture of both the Sonzig and Freihofen opened the gates for operations deeper in Weissersteiner territory. For his victories, Héike Stark would be promoted into General.

Clashonian forces would push deeper into Lowenia after the defeat of Weissersteiner troops in the 2nd Battle of the Sonzig. Fighting would break out in the town of Oberfreizach on 5 July, and saw Weissersteiner defenders putting tough resistance to the Clashonian attackers, though due to numerical superiority, Clashonian forces would successfully capture the city on 7 July. The town of Marchmarkt also saw fighting on 6 July, around the same time fighting in the town of Oberfreizach were at its height. The town of Marchmarkt would fall on July 9, which opened the doors for an all-out offensive into the city of Brandenburg. Due to the failures in the defense of these territories, General Lothar Böhme, who was tasked with the defense of the Kleinhart Jura front, was dismissed by Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm II.

On 10 July, Clashonian forces would reach the outskirts of the city of Brandenburg. However, unlike earlier victories in Freihofen, Oberfreizach, and Marchmarkt, Clashonian forces would face much stiffer resistance in their assault on Brandenburg. The task of defending the line, and especially the city of Brandenburg, was given to General Hans Anton von Lettow-Ermhau, who replaced the earlier General Lothar Böhme after the latter's dismissal. The Battle of Brandenburg became the bloodiest battle of the operation, and was for a time the bloodiest battle of the entire war, and remained the bloodiest battle of the war in 1919. Despite the fierce assault by the Clashonian military, the Weissersteiner defenders successfully defended against the assault, halting Operation Kettle in its tracks. The battle lasted all the way up to 19 July, when Clashonian forces fall back to their earlier lines before the assault into Brandenburg. The successful defense of Brandenburg marked the first major victory for Weisserstein during the war, and the failure of the Clashonian military to capture the city would prove fatal as Weissersteiner forces began their counterattack.

1920

Stalemate (January - September)

Following the end of major operations due to the Clashonian defeat in the Battle of Brandenburg and Altenmarkt, both sides dug into their defenses in preparation for a protracted trench-style combat. With the end of both Operation Kettle and Operation Stove, no new offensives were conducted during the months leading to September 1920. During this period, Weissersteiner forces begin reorganizing and regrouping along the Luxemburg Front, with the goal of pushing the Clashonians entirely out of the Kingdom of Luxemburg. Meanwhile, the Clashonian General Staff remained confident that the Union State's military power would be able to overcome Weissersteiner defenders and drafted a plan for a renewed offensive, codenamed Operation Firefly under the command of Falko Šnabel, the commander of the Clashonian Northwestern Corps.

Soldiers of the Northwestern Corps relaxing near an armored train

Operation Firefly was launched on August 12, spearheaded by the Clashonian Northwestern Corps, with the main objective being the city of Altenmarkt. During the renewed offensive, Clashonian forces found their Weissersteiner adversaries had become much more powerful. During the offensive, Weissersteiner and Clashonian forces would meet in the city of Eisennau. The battle was fierce, and both sides continued back and forth well into September. However, the Clashonian 228th Rifleman Division made a miscalculation and Weissersteiner cavalrymen under the command of Klemens Kühn were able to successfully cut off the forces in Eisennau with the rest of the frontlines. The encirclement turned the originally offensive-oriented Clashonian military into a defensive one as Weissersteiner troops began closing in on all sides. After a full week of intense fighting, the 228th Rifleman Division surrendered themselves, becoming the first Clashonian forces to surrender during the war. The fighting for the city ended after the surrender, with Weisserstein suffering 3,500 casualties, while Clashonia suffered 12,800 casualties and an entire division captured as prisoners-of-war by Weisserstein.

During the battle of Eisennau, the Mountain Brotherhood under command of Héide Mâyer would launch a decisive raid in the Kleinhart Jura against Clashonian forces stationed there. In return, Clashonian forces conducted a raid on known Mountain Brotherhood strongholds. These series of engagements would culminate in a desperate assault on the Sonzig by members of the Mountain Brotherhood. This assault, which would later become known as the 3rd Battle of the Sonzig, would prove disastrous for the Mountain Brotherhood, and Héide Mâyer was killed in the firefight. The Mountain Brotherhood lost nearly 40% of its forces in the battle, amounting to about 6,400 casualties. Clashonian forces lost 4,580 men during the assault.

After the assault, the Mountain Brotherhood decided to retreat and reorganize in the Kleinhart Jura under the command of Kristof Martél, who turned the Mountain Brotherhood into an elite paramilitary unit. The Mountain Brotherhood under Martél refrained from partaking in any other engagements until Weissersteiner forces launched their first major offensive, Operation Stahlschlag, in late September, at which point their strength numbered at around 50,000 fighting men.

Operation Stahlschlag

Weissersteiner forces advancing with Panzerwagen GS in Bannarsia

Following the buildup of forces in the previous months, Weissersteiner forces would launch Operation Stahlschlag ("Operation Steel Punch"), which aimed to capture vital portions of northern Bannarsia, which would be spearheaded by armored units using the Panzerwagen GS tanks. Key objectives for this offensive included parts of the Transbannarsia Railway, strategic positions in the Kleinhart Jura, as well as the city of Williemsbode.

1921

Operation Kleiner Schbeck

Weissersteiner troops entering Gréswik during Operation Kleiner Schbeck, with the iconic Gréswik castle being in the background

Following Clashonian failure in Operation Burn Back and the Republican rebellion, Weissersteiner forces launched Operation Kleiner Schbeck ("Operation Little Schbeck"). The main goal of this offensive is to exploit the chaos caused by Operation Burn Back and the rebellion. Weissersteiner troops, spearheaded the Weissersteiner 5th and 28th Army, alongside the Royal Clashonian 1st Corps, and supported by both superior artillery and air power, would capture many major cities in Bannarsia. The capture of the Transbannarsia Railway in the earlier Operation Stahlschlag would prove vital in transporting necessary troops and supply in a blitzkrieg fashion all across Bannarsia.

Command of the operation was given to Friedrich Eugen von Wittelsbach, an experienced military general and one of the proponents of using armored warfare in the Weissersteiner military. Weissersteiner forces would launch Operation Kleiner Schbeck on November 6, capturing several towns and cities along the Transbannarsia Railway. Troops, namely the 7th Army and the Clashonian Blue Legion, were also redirected to fully cut off the Kleinhart Jura Corps from the rest of the Clashonian military.

Weissersteiner forces moved swiftly in the offensive, routing their Clashonian adversaries throughout the offensive. Several major cities were also captured, such as the city of Gréswik and XXXX.

1922

Weisserstein occupation of Käarylsbode

Weissersteiner cavalry entering Käarylsbode

On January 27, Weissersteiner forces reached the outskirts of the Clashonian capital of Käarylsbode as part of Operation Kleiner Schbeck. This caused panic amongst the leadership of the Union State, who saw the fall of the city into Weissersteiner hands as inevitable. XX, the president of the Union State, as well as his cabinet quickly evacuated from the city the next day, which was followed by hundreds of civilians attempting to flee the impending battle. By January 28, Weissersteiner scouts engaged in skirmishes with units of the Clashonian military stationed in the city

Command of the defense of the city was given to YY, who recruited the help of local self-defense militias scattered all over the city. Makeshift defenses began to be constructed in and around the city as Weissersteiner forces began marching closer. The XX, the president's residence, was turned into a makeshift headquarters for the defenders, while the parliament building was turned into a temporary munitions storage and stronghold. At its peak, YY commanded a force numbering about 211,000 men, consisting of several different units and self-defense militias.

On January 29, Weissersteiner artillery would begin firing on the city, causing heavy damage. Despite the bombardment, the makeshift defenses hold. Weissersteiner forces began encircling the city, cutting Käarylsbode off from the rest of the frontlines. The 28th Army under Heinrich Graf zu Edelstein, spearheaded by the 108th Cavalry Brigade and supported by elements from the Royal Clashonian Army's 1st Corps, would later begin engaging the defenders of the city once Käarylsbode has been successfully surrounded. The battle for the city continues as Weissersteiner forces slowly pushed closer into the president's residence.

On February 4, YY met with Heinrich Graf zu Edelstein and officially surrendered the city to Weissersteiner forces after an intense week of nonstop fighting. The Weissersteiner flag was raised in the president's residence, marking the end of all offensive operations in the city. Despite the surrender, sporadic fighting between Weissersteiner forces and the self-defense militias continued well into February 12 before eventually surrendering on February 18.

The battle for the city was exceptionally brutal. Out of the 211,000 Clashonian forces in the city, 49,000 were killed or wounded, with the remaining 162,000 being captured. The Weissersteiner forces fared better, Out of the 135,000 Weissersteiner forces fighting in the city, only 4,500 were killed and only 7,000 were wounded. The battle marked the beginning of the end for the Union State of Bannarsia and Transclarvia, as the fall of Käarylsbode would help push the Union State government to begin peace talks with Weisserstein, which would culminate in the signing of the Treaty of Fryéndon.

Fall of the Kleinhart Jura pocket

The Kleinhart Jura Corps, commanded by XXXX, had been surrounded in the opening days of Operation Kleiner Schbeck, and were now encircled completely in the Clashonian portions of the Kleinhart Jura. Despite this, the Kleinhart Jura Corps continued fighting vigorously, namely in the 7th and 8th Battle of the Sonzig, sustaining heavy casualties. However, morale of the defenders collapse as news of the fall of the Clashonian capital of Käarylsbode reached them. In a desperate attempt to free themselves, XXXX would launch one last assault, the 9th Battle of the Sonzig, which would end in complete disaster. The Kleinhart Jura Corps was nearly wiped out during the assault and eventually large portions of the unit surrendered to the Weissersteiner forces. XXXX would commit suicide out of shame for his failures, while his second in command, YYYY, would formally surrender what remains of the unit to the Weissersteiners. The Battles of the Sonzig were exeptionally brutal, and in total nearly 900,000 men lost their lives in the series of battles for the Sonzig river.

1923

Sténmann Offensive

General Gustaf Sténmann

After the 1922 Coup, the new Republican government reorganized the Clashonian military. Command of the army was given to General Gustaf Sténmann, who sought to regain lost territories from Weissersteiner forces.