Peter I's War (Pacifica)

Peter I's War
Prince Stephen of Sárga kastély during the Battle of Kodull.
Date 15 December 1884 - 3 May 1885 Location Limmvasd Mountains, Sea of Ascensios, Great River Valley Result Sedunnic victory Armistice of Sárkanyvölgy Treaty of Kodull Ezervölgyi isolation Territorial changes Independence of Ikoania from Ezervölgyi
Belligerents
Sedunn Ezervölgyi Republicans Ikoanian rebels	Ezervölgy
Commanders and leaders
Vimmru Kvestarl Tavtid Tapienn Kerrt All	Peter I Prince Stephen János Kövér
Strength
785,000	Ezervölgy 600,000
Casualties and losses
7,425 dead 2,200 missing 24,000 wounded	98,000 killed or wounded 92,000 captured

Peter I's War (Sedunnic: Peter 1' Ramm; Ezervölgyi: I. Péter háborúja) or Winter War (Sedunnic: Kodlussrammd; Ezervölgyi: Téli háború) was the culmination of several years of deteriorating Sedunno-Ezervölgy relations and an attempt by the latter to replace the democratically elected Sedunnic government with constitutional monarchy and a leadership more favourable to Peter I's regime. Hostilities began in 15 December 1884 and ended with the armistice of 31 February 1885 after Sedunnic troops had seized Fehérvár. The war ended formally 3 May with the conditional surrender of Peter I and the signing of the Treaty of Kodull. The war still remains a sensitive subject in Sedunno-Ezervölgy relations.

Background

Sedunn and Ezervölgy were long-term rivals and had widely different political systems. Sedunn was an elective monarchy with a parliament with extensive power while Ezervölgy was an absolute monarchy. Nearing the end of the 20th century the spread of liberal ideas and demand for democratic reforms grew in Ezervölgy. King Peter I feared a democratic revolution, and noting Sedunn's support for other such movements in other nations, he believed Sedunn could intervene in favour of the rebels. Such discussions really occurred in the Sedunnic parliament, especially to support democratic movements in Karnetvor. However, Sedunn was divided over the matter.

The powerful Sedunnic upper class merchants, called the Sesslinns after the Sedunnic name for the strait between Cordilia and Crabry, valued friendly relations with Karnetvor and opposed Sedunnic interventionism. They had wide support in the Sedunnic officer corps, as Sedunn and Karnetvor had been close allies and had often trained together. The rural population generally supported the king and traditional anti-imperialism, but the bourgeoisie was divided.

In 1883 the Sedunnic parliament passed a law that forbid the wealthy Sesslinns from funding foreign states and made it harder for them to "buy" votes by building impressive buildings and arranging expensive festivities for the lower classes. Sedunn also refused to aid Karnetvor in its colonial war that it started the same year. Following this development some Sesslinners formed an informal political opposition called "Open World" that advocated radical changes of the Sedunnic political system. The movement was headed by Matts Opalienn, heir to the centuries old trading company Leveseif.

As the Sedunno-Karnetvorian alliance started to crumble and Karnetvor was locked in its war, Peter I developed a plan to forestall what was considered a likely Sedunnic-backed democratic revolution by an invasion of the Sedunnic mainland to help Opalien seize the crown in Sedunn, believing Sedunn would be too dived to respond to an invasion fast enough. He also his chance to deal a critical blow to his Sedunnic maritime power.

Strategy

Ezervölgy

Early in 1884 a draft for an invasion of Sedunn was finished. It featured a thrust through the Lemfess pass in the mountains between Sedunn and Ezervölgy to the sea to the west to cut Sedunn in half, then a march towards Grovne. A secondary objective included destroying as much as possible of the Sedunnic ocean going navy laying in port in Ullenst. It was crucial to achieve a breakthrough before Sedunn could mobilise enough troops in a counteroffensive, therefore surprise and speed were essential. Peter I then hoped that Opalienn would initiate a coup d'état and negotiate a mutually favourable peace. The invasion was to be launched in 15 December the same year on Sedunn's National Day, anticipating prolonged response times due to celebrations.

Sedunn

The Sedunnic the General Staff had started relocating and discharging what was believed to disloyal officers by early 1884, causing much bitterns in the corps. By the autumn, Sedunnic spies had intercepted Ezervölgyi orders to prepare for mobilisation. The Sedunnic military soon also learned of Peter I's plan. Several general plans to respond to an Ezervölgyi invasion existed. The generic plan featured attrition of enemy forces through a point defence of the important mountain passes along the border with Ezervölgy using forts and trenches. There was however a risk that a prolonged war could threaten Sedunn's international trade. Therefore an outspoken and charismatic general, Vimmru Kvestarl, proposed a different plan.

Kvestarl knew that the Ezervölgyi would be eager to push trough the mountains as fast as possible. In what was known as the Kvestarl Plan, the Ezervölgyi forces would be allowed to cross the border, then they would trapped in a double pincer manoeuvre outside Kodull. Kvestarl appreciated that he would be able to completely and thoroughly defeat the invasion force, which he believed would be a significant part of the Ezervölgyi total fighting force. Such a defeat would open up Ezervölgy for a counter-invasion and bring a much faster and decisive end to the war. He would also concentrate the Sedunnic navy in the Mediterranean Sea for a surprise attack against Ezervölgyi naval ports. Kvestarl knew Sedunn had a much more developed railway system than Ezervölgy, which would allow him to quickly transport a large number of Sedunnic troops in the "last minute" not to reveal his plann early.

Events

Invasion

Following what the Ezervölgyi High Command had believed to be a secret mobilisation, the first troops of the IV Army and the VII Army under the command of Prince Stephen of Sárga kastély crossed the Sedunnic border on 15 December in the afternoon. They met little resistance. Simultaneously, the II Army initiated a siege of Fort Kliends, while the I Army positioned itself on the Ezervölgyi side of the Mal Pass in the south. A declaration of war was sent to Grovne, formally accusing the government of sponsoring rebels.