Fifty Years' War (WIP)

The Fifty Years' War, also referred to as the 50 Year War, the Rhanaric Wars, or the Rhanaro-Britcani War, was a conflict on the continent of Albionia fought that lasted between 1913 and 1963 in which the Kingdom of Rhanar (later the Empire of Rhanar) fought the Kingdom of Britcan and Confederation of Kiaca. The conflict is among the deadliest in the history of Albionia.

The conflict was primarily a result of Rhanaric imperial ambitions, which had failed to be realised by overseas expansionism in the 19th century. Rhanar declared war on the 25 August 1913

Though generally considered to be one war in modern Britcan, some historians have argued that it instead should be seen as several distinct but interconnected conflicts that can be split into two phases: the conventional warfare that dominated the first two decades of the conflict and the insurgency in the Leonian Mountains that dominated the latter thirty years.

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Background

The Kingdom of Rhanar had rapidly industrialised early in the 19th century. However, unlike other contemporary powers, it had struggled to achieve imperial ambitions. Within Albionia it had found itself bounded by the Leonian Mountains to the west, the Pale Mountains to the north, and the much larger Kingdom of Britcan to the east. Successive kings had thus chosen to head south across the seas to forge an overseas empire. These ventures were largely unsuccessful both in profitability and grandeur.

In contrast Britcan was considered a relative backwater, having been slow to industrialise and having had little impact on world affairs despite possessing significant territory and a large population. Though Britcan had been successful in the Second Kherkovian-Britcani War, many considered it to be militarily weak as the army had undergone few structural reforms since the 1820s.

By the turn of the 20th century the attentions of the Rhanaric state under King Fredrich IV had increasingly turned to their eastern neighbour, spurred on by the accession of the 16 year-old King Peter III to the throne in 1910. The Oktoberprogramm of 1912 set out a series of key objectives for territorial expansion. The plan stated that Rhanar should annex the territory between the Halden and Fairwater rivers, the rural areas of which already had a significant German-speaking minority , to create a Haloner Grenzstreifen (Halonian Border Strip). It further recommended the establishment of a demilitarised buffer zone along the southern sections of the River Halden to ensure the security of the city of Vesterholm, and for Calami to separated from the rest of Britcan as a client state of Rhanar.

In the weeks before the war the government of Rhanar claimed that there were numerous incidents of Britcani forces conducting border raids. These claims were treated with suspicion by the international community and post-war historians have generally agreed that these were fabricated in order to provide Rhanar with justification for war.

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Early War (1913-21)

At dawn on the 25th August Rhanaric troops invaded Britcan, the formal declaration of war being delivered at 8am. The crossings along the River Halden saw the most intense fighting due to a limited number of bridges across the southern stretches of the river. The defenders attempted to destroy bridges, with mixed success. In contrast, the resistance in the foothills of the Pale Mountains in the north was minimal, the invaders making substantial progress into Britcani territory before meeting organised resistance.

Simultaneously, the Rhanaric Navy attacked the Britcani fleet at Bridgeport. Three cruisers, four destroyers, and a battleship were lost in the attack and most ships present sustained substantial damage. Significant parts of the naval base itself were also destroyed, forcing many of the surviving ships to relocate to other ports such as Calami City or Ronton for repairs. The damages from attack represented a significant blow to Britcani naval power, half their navy having been based at Bridgeport.

Despite requests for reinforcements the Britcani government was hesitant to divert troops from the Army of the East on the Kherkovian border, believing the Rhanaric invasion to be the precursor to an invasion from Kherkov.

Over the coming months the Rhanaric forces made significant gains in the north, surrounding the city of Enchester. The defenders of the eventually surrendered after more than six months of being besieged. The fall of the city allowed the Rhanaric advance to continue. The southern front moved more slowly, Rhanar achieving a significant bridgehead around the city of Vesterholm but failing to replicate this success upriver. It wasn’t until 1915 that the advance was stopped, Britcani forces managing to hold the Fairwater River.

The view in Rhanar was that Britcan would soon be willing to negotiate terms of surrender. However, images and reports of the siege of Enchester had strengthened the resolve of the Britcani public. Recruiting posters urging the public to “Remember Enchester!” were commonplace. This mood allowed for the passage of the Conscription Act (1915) which significantly increased the pool of men eligible to be called up.

Soon thereafter the southern front around the Vesterholm bridgehead had become a static conflict of trench warfare. By the Spring of 1916 even the forces on the northern front in the foothills of the Pale Mountains, the most mobile frontline of the war, had dug in.

Over the Autumn of 1916 negotiations were held between the governments of Rhanar and Britcan. While some temporary ceasefires were agreed between the sides over the winter, negotiations for a more permanent peace went nowhere. The government of Rhanar, noting that they occupied significant portions of Britcani territory, believed that they had won the war and wished for any agreement to duly have significant concessions to their demands. The Britcani government, on the other hand, viewed the conflict as currently being in a stalemate and were thus unwilling to offer any concessions.

Rhanar launched a new offensive in the summer of 1917, attempting to establish a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Fairwater. This offensive saw the battle of Lake Viviane, the largest freshwater naval operation of the war. As part of the offensive, Rhanar shelled the city of Ida in an attempt both to disrupt the many Britcani supply lines that ran through the city and to intimidate the population into surrender. To the frustration of the Rhanaric high command this had the opposite effect. As in Enchester, photographs of the damage to Ida were used to rally the support of the Britcani population against Rhanar.

Seeking to open up a new front, Rhanar launched an amphibious invasion of Calami. Despite managing to establish a beachhead and take control of the port of Kojey the forces were unable to make progress inland. Stretched out along a series of landing grounds with little cover, the invasion force took heavy casualties. Despite reluctance from the Rhanaric high command to admit defeat, the threat of the entire force being made to surrender meant a withdrawal was necessary. Though a partial retreat was executed, large numbers of Rhanaric forces were captured. Calami represented the largest defeat in the history of the Rhanaric military by number of casualties

Britcan took advantage of the Rhanaric losses with the Spring 1918 counteroffensive across the Fairwater river which established a substantial bridgehead on the west side of the river, the Rhanaric Army lacking forces to reinforce due to their losses.

By 1919 the Britcani advance threatened to cut off the Rhanaric forces in the north. Rhanaric forces retreated across the River Halden, re-occupying their pre-war positions. Only the deployment of newly produced tanks and incoming winter prevented the total collapse of northern front.

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Stalemate on Land (1920-24)

In the early months of 1920 the Britcani Army entrenched themselves opposite the Rhanaric lines. The stalemate of 1920-22 saw little movement and only sporadic fighting, with both sides dug in to strong defensible positions. During this time diplomatic negotiations were conducted via Saint-auguste, discussing the idea of a peace treaty. However, Britcani officials were unwilling to entertain the idea of a peace treaty without reparations and the Rhanaric government was unwilling to offer any.

With the ground war in a stalemate Rhanar increasingly pursued other avenues to regain the advantage and win the war, with military high command concerned that Britcan would win a protracted war of attrition due to its larger population. Attempting to press their technological advantage, Rhanaric aircraft production surged and Britcan was forced to import foreign aircraft including surplus Sopwith Camels and S.E.5s to compensate for a lacking domestic industrial base. While Rhanar did manage to gain air superiority over much of the front throughout the latter half of 1922, it's ground forces only succeeded in making limited advances due to the now well-fortified positions of the Britcani Army.

Rhanar’s high command identified Britcan’s reliance on imports for it’s military as a key vulnerability. In the Spring of 1923 an all-out campaign against Britcani shipping was initiated. Losses were initially high, however the Britcani navy had been rebuilt since the start of the war and, after learning to adapt to the new Rhanaric strategy, inflicted heavy losses on the Rhanaric wolfpacks. Eager not to lose the advantage, the Rhanaric fleet was sent out to once again destroy the Britcani navy. However, Rhanaric intelligence had underestimated the full scale of the rebuilt navy. When the fleets met in the Battle of Calami Strait it proved disastrous for the Rhanaric forces, which saw the loss of nearly half their deadweight tonnage in a single day and the sinking of their flagship, the King Alphons.

The navy of Rhanar was no longer able to directly confront the Britcani Navy. A blockade on Rhanar was thus instituted. To head off international objections Britcan instituted a policy of purchasing the cargo of neutral ships bound for Rhanar and releasing the empty ship.

With the upper hand on the frontlines and the blockade in place, Britcani leaders believed that a peace settlement would be forthcoming by the Autumn of 1924. However, diplomatic talks collapsed following the death of King Friedrich V. His grandson Meinrad declared himself Kaiser of Rhanar, a move intending to symbolise his superiority over the Britcani King, and cut off all negotiations with Britcan.

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Kiacan Front (1925-30)

By the Spring of 1925 the situation was getting desperate for Rhanar. Though rich in natural resources such as oil and iron ore, the blockade and mass conscription had severely wounded the economy. In contrast, the Britcanis were confident in their position, believing that their larger population would ultimately win any drawn-out conflict.

The Kiacan Confederation, bordering both Rhanar and Britcan to the north, had remained neutral in the conflict despite good relations with the Britcanis. Isolated behind the formidable Pale Mountains, it was a relatively underdeveloped nation with a harsh climate. As the Britcani blockade had tightened, Rhanaric officials had become increasingly incensed by Kiacan restrictions on trade passing through their territory, believing it to be an attempt to aid Britcan’s war effort by cutting off trade to friendly nations to the east. In reality, the restrictions applied to all nations and were enforced relatively even-handedly. Plans for an invasion of Kiaca had been drawn up in the past by Rhanaric military strategists, however the harsh climate and terrain had always deterred such action.

The newly-coronated Kaiser Meinrad believed that opening a second front would force the deployment of Britcani forces to defend their northern border, negating their manpower advantage and allowing Rhanar to better utilise their superior defensive position and technological advantage.

The build-up along the Kiacan border was slow, both due to a desire for a surprise attack and the difficult terrain. Troop movements had to done at night or disguised as workers engaging in road expansion and repairs. It was not until the early part of 1926 that sufficient troops had been positioned for the invasion. Weather further delayed the invasion until late spring.

A declaration of war was sent at 10am on the 15th May, Rhanaric troops having entered Kiaca through the Pale Mountains a number of hours earlier. The forces of Kiaca had little in the way of heavy artillery, armour or aircraft. However, the difficulties in transporting such items through the mountain passes also restricted their availability to the Rhanaric invaders. Nevertheless, Rhanaric forces made swift inroads into Kiacan territory.

A naval attack on Norsgraken found the city only lightly defended, marine forces overrunning the defences within a week. On the 23rd June the Jarls Paramount were captured just outside the city and surrendered on behalf on the Kiacan Confederation. When announced on the radio the surrender was greeted with disdain, Kiacan forces overwhelmingly choosing to continue the fight. General Berg, the de facto commander-in-chief of the Kiacan forces, contacted the government of Britcan to request assistance in combatting the invasion. Britcan duly obliged, sending an initial force of five mountain divisions into Kiaca to support the defence.

The combined Britcani and Kiacan forces set up a defensive line along the Sigurðurfljót river where they were able to hold the Rhanaric forces. Britcani and Kiacan forces attempted a counteroffensive to try and push the Rhanaric forces back before they could entrench themselves but this was soon repelled. The Britcani and Kiacan forces were thus forced to dig in for winter.

Significant portions of the Kiacan forces were simply been bypassed by the swift Rhanaric advance. While some were later captured or surrendered, a large portion continued to carry out operations behind the enemy lines, employing guerrilla warfare tactics. This was particularly prevalent in the mountains along the Saint-Augustine border and in the isolated northwest of the country, the army of Rhanar having ignored those areas in their drive eastwards. Rhanaric supply lines and troop columns therefore found themselves harried by repeated hit-and-run attacks, the Kiacans utilising skis to move across difficult terrain swiftly. Though often just armed with bolt-action rifles and improvised explosives, these units were highly effective in disrupting Rhanaric operations. Reprisals against the civilian population, meant to discourage such attacks, in fact served to swell the ranks of the guerrilla forces with new volunteers.

In the spring a Stórþing, a traditional assembly in which determinations were made on various matters, was called in the city of Svenskyla. Though largely a ceremonial occasion, it was used as an opportunity to provide legitimacy to the provisional leadership of General Berg and, by extension, Kiaca's alliance with Britcan.

Newly-arriving Britcani divisions and the reformed Kiacan army were able to roll back the advances through the summer, the Rhanaric army being forced to fall back to a new defensive line anchored at Norsgraken. This line held over winter, but guerrilla attacks from Kiacan irregulars damaged supply lines and from the spring of 1927 the Rhanaric army was consistently on the retreat.

A successful Rhanaric counterattack at the Battle of Kerlinghæð in September prevented a collapse of the front and allowed their forces to dig in through the winter, but growing numbers of Britcani troops meant further territorial losses throughout 1928.

Throughout the Spring of 1929 Rhanaric forces found themselves retreating near-constantly and by the end of the year they were defending positions in the northern foothills of the Pale Mountains. While the Britcani-Kiacan advance was slowed in the rougher terrain, the Rhanaric forces were eventually forced to retreat into the mountains to avoid being cut off where they established more secure defensive lines.

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Battle of Annika's Fork (1930)

With Rhanaric forces on the retreat in the north, the Britcanis hoped to bring a negotiated end to the war by striking into Rhanar itself. The river Halden had proved a considerable obstacle to any advances, with crossings in recent years being unsuccessful and resulting in significant casualties. However, the possibility of ending the stalemate and perhaps the war meant offensives continued to be planned.

Britcani high command formulated a plan of feigning an attack at Vesterholm as cover for an offensive South of Enchester. Fake troop movements towards the southern front were made and poorly encrypted messages confirming the plans for an attack on Vesterholm were sent. Rhanaric reconnaissance and code breakers both came to the conclusion that an attack was planned in the Southern sector and troops were redeployed to Vesterholm in anticipation.

On 12th August 1930 Britcani forces crossed the river Halden at Annika's Fork. Despite heavy opposition from the Rhanaric defenders a beachhead was successfully established, the first West of the Halden. Over the next week Rhanar attempted to push the Britcanis back into the river but their reduced numbers meant the beachhead was secured and fixed crossings established, allowing the Britcani presence to grow.

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Prukovian Intervention (1931-33)

The military high command of Kingdom of Prukov had been split on the idea of joining the war against Britcan. The Expansionists (Expansionisten) favoured collaboration with Rhanar, in part because of the symbolic significance of besting the nation which Kheria had failed to defeat in the 1883-1885 war. Officers of this faction would regularly visit Rhanar, officially as military observers. The other faction, the Unificationists (Vereinigungisten), viewed Britcan and Rhanar as a distraction from the goal of unifying Kherkov.

With the crossing at Annika's Fork, Wilhelm V was convinced by the Expansionists that Britcan had overstretched itself. Over the winter the Expansionist officers in Rhanar returned to Prukov and through backchannel communications with Rhanar a plan was formulated: Prukovian forces would cross the White Sea and land in Kiaca, knocking it out of the war and giving a backdoor into Britcan via the Pale Mountains. In exchange for this assistance, Rhanar agreed to the creation of a Prukovian puppet state in Kiaca post-war.

Prukovian troops landed in at Jötunnfjörður in northeastern Kiaca in early Spring. Though their progress was slowed by a late snow, the invasion created significant panic as the entry of Kherkovian states into the war had long been considered a worst case scenario for the Britcanis. In order to avoid the possibility of a collapse on both fronts the Britcanis withdrew from Annika's Fork.

Rhanar attempted to take advantage of the chaos with an attack in the southern sector, attempting an aphibous crossing north of Vesterholm. While the landing was successful, the quick preparations meant there were insufficient boats to support the crossing and an orderly withdrawal was ultimately required. Simultaneously, Rhanaric army in Kiaca attempted an offensive to the northwest in an attempt to secure a port and create a link to Prukov via the White Sea. The offensive made some progress but was hampered by Kiacan flying columns, forcing the invaders to move a slow pace.

The few divisions guarding the northeastern Kiacan coast engaged in a delaying action to slow the invaders. While outnumbered, the defenders had the advantage of defending difficult terrain in harsh weather as well as recent military experience. Nevertheless, the Prukovians secured a significant beachhead and established a foothold in Kiaca. Prukovian divisions struggled to make progress beyond their initial footholds, the defenders making use of their familiarity with the terrain to constantly harass the invaders. Wilhelm V became increasingly frustrated with both the slow and costly progress of his own forces and the inability of the Rhanaric army to secure a port.

The winter of 1931/32 was particularly tough for the Prukovian troops with the threats of frostbite and avalanches being particularly acute. In Gratberg the Prukovian leadership became increasingly concerned with the threat of Kheria entering the war on the Britcani side, having observed a military build-up. The threat of the Britcani navy also meant supply lines to the Prukovian troops were under constant threat.

Throughout the summer of 1932 further Britcani divisions arrived in the northeastern Kiaca, halting the Prukovian advance. As winter began to close in and the threat of a Kherian entrance into the war increased, Wilhelm V ordered a withdrawal from Kiaca. The risk of spending another costly winter in the Britcani mountains was considered too great. The Expansionist officers who had advocated for the plan were relieved of duty and arrested.

The Prukovian forces successfully withdrew from Kiaca and a peace treaty was signed on 3rd March 1933. The Prukovian government placed the blame for the invasion on the sacked Expansionists, agreeing to pay minor reparations and affirm their commitment to Kiacan independence. Both sides were unhappy with the treaty, many Kiacans wanted a harsher punishment for the unprovoked invasion while the Prukovians did not wish to appear defeated. However, the necessity of a Prukovian exit from the war to free up troops for the western front on the and concern over the Kherian military build-up overrode these concerns on both sides. Kaiser Meinrad was reportedly furious with the treaty, viewing it as a betrayal, and viscously condemned the Prukovians in public speeches.

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Battles of the Weisswas (1933-34)

With the Prukovian threat having been dealt with, the Kiacan and Britcani forces could once again turn their attention to Rhanar. The Rhanaric push to the White Sea had stalled and their army began to be pushed back southwards.

In late April Britcani forces forced a breakthrough, overwhelming Rhanaric lines in the southern foothills of the Pale Mountains. The intention was to secure the southern side of the mountains, cutting off supply lines to the Rhanaric forces in Kiaca. This resulted in the First Battle of the Weisswas as Rhanaric forces attempted to stop the Britcani push.

Despite initial successes, the Britcani advance was overextended by the end of the Spring. This allowed for a successful Rhanaric rearguard action at the Second Battle of the Weisswas in June and for the remaining Rhanaric force in Kiaca to safely withdraw. With Rhanaric troops no longer on foreign soil and the allied forces threatening to advance into Rhanar's heartland some of the Kaiser's advisors urged him to sue for peace. Though inital channels were opened via Saint-auguste, the Kaiser Meinrad rejected the idea of any concessions to the Britcanis.