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 | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| 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 |
Gustaf Sténmann  Kristof Šober | ||||||
| Units involved | ||||||||
|
Imperial Weissersteiner Army
Imperial Weissersteiner Navy
Royal Clashonian Army
|
Army of the Union State
Navy of the Union State
|
1st Volunteer Corps Transclarve Volunteer Corps Republican Guard | ||||||
| Strength | ||||||||
|
428,000 52,000 |
1,484,800 |
320,000 | ||||||
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. The war also saw one of the earliest usage of tanks in the conflict, namely in the Northwestern Front.
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
Blubach and Bischofgen dispute
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
1907 Brandenburg Agreement
1915 Weissersteiner-Clashonian border clashes
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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
Intense fighting in the Kleinhart Jura
Operation Kettle and Luxemburg Front
1920
Stalemate (January - September)
Operation Stahlschlag
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 Burn Back
Republican rebellion
Operation Kleiner Schbeck
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 Operaion Burn Back and the rebellion. Weissersteiner troops, spearheaded by cavalry and tanks, and supported by superior artillery, would capture many major cities in Bannarsia, encircling the Union State's Kleinhart Jura Corps. The Reichsheer would eventually reach the outskirts of the Clashonian capital of Käarylsbode by the end of the year, which sparked a massive political crisis within the Union State government.