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 Sesslinners 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 Sesslinners 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 saw his chance to deal a critical blow to the 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 towards the city of Kodull,and from there either use or prevent the Sedunners from using the rail ways system. The Ezervölgyi would then push west to the sea 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 autumn, Sedunnic spies had intercepted Ezervölgyi orders to prepare for mobilisation. The Sedunnic military soon also learned of Peter I's plan itself. Several general plans to respond to an Ezervölgyi invasion already 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 and position abroad. 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 at Kodull 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 in favourable terrain. 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 plan 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.

The advancing columns of the IV Army quickly seized the small border town Ronivv and surrounded the nearby fortress, but did not attempt to storm it. However, Ezervölgyi troops found the connecting railway to be sabotaged. Learning this, Prince Stephen decided to press the advance, fearing that the Sedunners had knowledge of their plan. He left behind most of the division artillery to increase his speed.

Battle of Kodull

The highly developed Sedunnic rail way system enabled fast transportation of troops from the central parts of Sedunn, and as the IV and VII armies approached Kodull, General Kvestarl was able to position his III Army in favourable positions. Anticipating the direction of the Ezervölgyi push, he had also prepositioned significant amounts of field artillery around Kodull. Taking a great risk, Kvestarl let the bulk of the Ezervölgyi forces pass his eastern positions before he ordered his troops to counterattack.

The initial Sedunnic artillery barrages shocked the Ezervölgyi columns, and as they tried to organise their lines, the Sedunnic infantry advanced in well-ordered formations, causing panic in the Ezervölgyi ranks. Prince Stephan was unable to regain control and dispatched several orders to fall back towards Ronivv to reorganise. Simultaneously, he ordered his artillery to advance towards the battlefield. However, concentrated Sedunnic artillery fire prevented a withdrawal in a larger scale, and Kvestarl was able to complete his double pincer manoeuvre, trapping most of the two armies in the crossfire. The onset of dawn meant even more difficulties for the Prince to organise his units. Unable to organise, and often without clear orders, Ezervölgyi units soon started to lay down their arms and surrender. Only two divisions managed to retreat back to Ronivv.

Kvestarl intended to pursue the retreating Ezervölgyi, but the massive amounts of enemy troops captured and the darkness of the night slowed him significantly. As the first pursuing units approach Ronivv in the night, they were surprised to find that most of the Ezervölgyi artillery had been left behind west of Ronivv, mostly in good shape. Prince Stephan had also retreated from Ronivv, unable to defend his position with the Sedunnic fortress intact. His father, King Peter, ordered him to fall back to Virágvölgy and wait for reinforcements for a counteroffensive.

The Sedunnic victory was decisive and Ezervölgyi losses staggering. As General Kvestarl had hoped, he was now able to push through the mountains for his counter-invasion.

Naval Battle of Torkolatváros

Even before invasion had begun, the Sedunnic navy had been deployed and was on its way Torkolatváros, the main Ezervölgy port. Scout ships encountered the Ezervölgyi navy was still in a state of mobilisation due to a misunderstanding where the ships should bunker. Skirmishes soon developed into a full battle as more and more ships arrived. Thanks to superior fire control systems and longer range, the Sedunnic fleet managed to break through the improvised Ezervölgyi lines, scattering the Ezervölgyi fleet. It proceeded to the Great River estuary to initiate a blockade of Torkolatváros and to land marines. However, the Ezervölgyi flagship the HEMS Fehér sárkány and her escorts, which were the main target for the Sedunnic fleet, were in Kétvár further to the east loading ammunition. But she never left port and the Sedunners gained uncontested control over the Sea of Ascensios.

Stalemate in the north

Anticipating the invasion, the Sedunners had the I Army to the northern pass, denying the General János Kövér's II Army access to the pass. Learning of the success of the Sedunnic III Army in the south, General Tavtid Tapienn attempted to break through the Ezervölgyi lines two times, but was repulsed with heavy losses. The II Army was preparing to assault the Sedunnic lines when news arrived about the defeat at Kodull. King Peter I ordered the II Army to hold and await new orders, which never came. Meanehile it was decided that the Sedunners should not attempt to break through the Ezervölgyi lines and try to bind the Ezervölgyi troops there instead.

Great River campaign

The Ezervölgyi High Command was in shock after the defeat at Kodull and tried to organise a response to the immediate threat that the largely intact Sedunnic III Army posed to the entire Great River Valley. It was first decided to meet the Sedunners at the city of Virágvölgy and stall their advance long enough to bring in reinforcements from the east. However, with the fall of Torkolatváros and the landing of the Sedunnic Expeditionary Corps there, Prince Stephan's southern flank was not secure, so it was decided to retreat to the strategic city of Fehérvár. The city was a logistical hub and should enable good supply lines.

Controlling Fehérvár was the next goal for General Kvestarl, from there he it would be possible to exercise control control over the entire northern half of the Great River Valley. He dispatched two corps to march to the north and south to protect his flanks, then the rest of his army, with reinforcements from the IV Army began transporting to Fehérvár, using the largely intact rail ways. Meanwhile, the Expeditionary Corps under General Kerrt All used captured river transports to push north, meeting relatively light oposition. The rapid loss of terrain and difficulties to relay orders made the High Command loose contact with the rest of the troops in souther Ezervölgy. Higher ranking Ezervölgyi officers were discouraged from taking own initiatives, and many remained passive and unaware of the rapid Sedunnic advance.