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The 1979 Balniki coup d'état, Also known as the December Coup, was orchestrated by members of the Balniki government, and military in an attempt to seize control of the country from Chairman Dimi Mio. Key members of the coup were extreme members of the Communist Party of Balnik (KPB) who were in opposition to the several proposed economic, and constitutional reforms that would have led to a more liberal government and market to appease the nations of Gael, who issued heavy sanctions on Balnik at the time. Although the Council for State Security (VTN) successfully seized the government and executed as well as arrested many opposition members, including Chairman Mio who was executed on state TV on December 18th, the country faced heavy unrest with protests and riots, most occurring in Rustov, and on December 19th a state of emergency was declared. This coup, and the return of exiled Prince Ilya Vuković with the Kingdom of Balnova are considered to have led to the Horseshoe War and the formation of the Democratic Balniki Alliance (DBL) and the Valkoi National Front (VKR)

Background

Assuming the Chairman position of the Communist Party of Balnik in 1976, Dimi Mio heavily pushed policies of economic liberalization and appeasement of western nations. These proposals were met with opposition and hostility from extreme members of the KPB. The policies also led to the unforeseen formation of several anti government movements such as the Proletarians For Democracy and the National Reclamation Group. Both pro western and anti western groups were putting pressure on the government and each other which further exasperated the griefs of hardliners over government inefficiency and appeasement.

Economic problems were also highlighted by Mio, with fuel stocks running thin in mountain and even major urban regions, hour long lines to purchase essential goods, and heavy inflation up over 200% from the previous year. Protests previously already occurred in Rustov in the previous months and further put pressure onto Mio for economic change.

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Preparation

On December 1st hard line members of the KPB approached Mio in private and urged him to postpone the signing in the new policies as well as to give the Balniki Council emergency powers to circumvent these laws as well as to implement a state of emergency and apply martial law, calling the protesters "anti revolutionary" and "western espionage". Mio denied and stated that a decision will be made when the Balniki Council convenes and decide on the actions to take. Hardliners would soon learn that they were looking to be replaced with more liberal members open to change as well as more receptive to western policy in general.

on December 12th the hardliners that would make the VTN meet in Fort Rustov with military members who feel the same about the state of affairs, which happened to be the majority of high level military members, who felt like their positions were at risk of being replaced. The VTN would come to a consensus that Hugo Pastrnak, Speaker of the Balniki Council, would assume the Chairmanship after Mio was removed. After reviewing the proposals set the VTN came to the conclusion that the proposals would lead to the collapse of the KPB and ironically, Balnik as a whole. the VTN decided that Mio needed to be removed and that they must secure the government. The coup was green lit to begin on the 17th and the Ragtaz internal forces were recalled to Rustov and the 5th Guards Division and 8th Mechanized Division were mobilized to the North and South respectively to maintain order through the events of the coup.

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Timeline of the Coup

Members of the Ragtaz seized the Federation Tower on 10:15 December 17th and the Balniki Council on 11:00 December 17th, including Dimi Mio who was arrested and transferred to Gennady Prison at 15:00. At 12:30 all news stations were forced to broadcast a statement from Hugo Pastrnak, who announced the creation of the Council for State Security that will be supplementing the Balniki Council to preserve the integrity of the Socialist Republic of Balnik and the Communist Party of Balnik from western influence. The key members of the VTN included:

-Hugo Pastrnak, Council Speaker
-Victor Tuuli, Head of Ragtaz
-Boyić Vular, Minister of Economy
-Alisa Krević, Minister of Defense
-Gregor Lahti, Minister of Interior
-Aleks Gruppa, Commander of the Army

December 17

At 10:00 members of the Ragtaz moved to take all news broadcasting sources such as newspapers, radio, and television under their control and ban all media and news distribution, save three sources, one paper, one radio, and one television broadcast to relay information to the populace. Broadcasts were distributed informing the populace to stay indoors and off of the streets. At 11:00 paratroopers and armor seized the Balniki Council Building and its staff, who were in the middle of a hearing regarding the liberalization policy. Mio and his top allies were later taken to Gennady prison while the rest of the council was interned at the Rustov Fort.

At 12:30 Pastrnak issued a broadcast relaying that the VTN has taken control of the Balniki government and that martial law has been declared, this leads to pro coup and anti coup demonstrators clashing in the streets of Rustov. However due to communications blackouts many surrounding cities were unaware of the events unfolding in the capital. Members of the 8th Mechanized Division and the 92nd Airborne later seize Cinnigrad and inform the populace of the events occurring in Rustov, they declare their allegiance to the Constitution of Balnik and spread the word to other cities, spreading unrest especially in Zokol.

December 18

At 15:00 a live transmission from the Federation Tower broadcasting a blindfolded Mio with his allies in front of the southern wall of the Gennady prison. An officer announces the crimes of Mio and his government, including; "Treason, espionage, and crimes against the Constitution of Balnik" The officer is interrupted by Mio who declares that "The coup is illegal and unconstitutional, I implore the citizens of Rustov to rise up against this illegal seizure of government." Several troopers soon open fire on Mio and his aides while an officer turns off the live transmission. Mio is soon buried in the courtyard in a mass grave.

At 20:00 a group of Anti Coup guerrillas storm a police station and seize several weapons, they later move to and take the city hall, barricading themselves inside against the police and pro coup protesters. Protests and riots soon erupt all over the country following the death of Mio while military forces defect further to the north and to Cinnigrad.

December 19
At 09:00 Pastrnak declares a state of emergency and grants the VTN emergency powers over the government of Balnik. The VTN halts the process of the liberal reforms proposed by Mio and declares further attempts to pursue these policies as "Counter Revolutionary." Supporters of the policies and pro western members of the government are later replaced from their positions and arrested.

In Zokol at 20:00 Ragtaz forces surround the city hall and give the defenders and ultimatum stating that they will be granted amnesty if they surrender to security forces, if not then they will be attacked in an assault. On 22:00, six defenders surrender to Ragtaz forces, they are detained but their fates are unknown. At 23:00 a Ragtaz trooper is killed by a sniper on top of the clock tower on the city hall, this leads to a premature assault of the city hall in an attack known as the Zokol Massacre. Thermobaric weapons are launched at the city hall, setting it ablaze in a fire that lasts for 2 hours until it is extinguished. Anyone who flees the burning building are shot and killed while those who remain are incinerated in the flames leaving 26 killed and 14 injured, some permanently debilitating. The Zokol massacre is used as a rallying call for those in Cinnigrad as a form of opposition to the VTN.

December 20

In Rustov and Zokol the riots have ceased and the situation has been wrestled under control in surrounding cities. The 4th mechanized infantry and several artillery and airborne attachments approach Cinnigrad, preparing to assault the city. At 17:00 in Rustov a broadcast featuring the VTN announce that the coup is over and that peace has been restored in the nation and that the ideals of the revolution were protected and upheld. A victory parade was held on the streets of Rustov where tens of thousands of communists arrived to celebrate victory while those openly against the coup were arrested and purged by the Ragtaz.

Proletarians For Democracy and the remaining hidden government officials primarily relocated to Aftavan while The National Reclamation Group fled to Valkoibalma with several head members of the military. at 22:00 Ilya Vuković arrived in Cinnigrad to the open arms of the military and the people in the city.

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Aftermath

The coup is widely regarded to be the key event that sparked the outbreak of the Horseshoe war and the demise of the Socialist Republic of Balnik, due to conflict breaking out just a week later on December 28th. The mass grave of Dimi Mio was exhumed and he was later buried in the back of his private estate, where his gravestone sits next to his previously deceased wife.

The purges and coups that followed were numerous and often brutal, with families being separated and stormed midday, executions even sometimes taking place on the middle of the street. This built an air of distrust as neighbors often reported each other for government rations and essential goods as the economy plummeted further.

Breakup of Balnik

On the 28th of December at 01:00 the VTN authorized an assault on Cinnigrad. Expecting weak resistance the VTN forces moved through the streets in armored columns, these columns would prove easy targets for anti tank hunter killer teams in the city who were guerrillas armed with anti tank rocket launchers from the defector military forces. The battles within the city lasted for two weeks until the VTN ordered a retreat. The Cinnigrad forces announced victory and Ilya Vuković announced his return to the world and the independence of the Kingdom of Balnova.

In the northern parts of the country mass defections took place with the far-right Valkoi National Front gaining mass amounts of military personnel and eventually controlling the cities of Fenisil and Valkoibalma. The Generals commanding the VKR being Andre Chernobog and Sereb Illić would declare independence from Balnik on December 30th. In Aftavan and Anamstasa the Democratic Balniki Alliance emerged between the two cities and Sasha Drugov was elected president on January 3rd, shortly after she declared independence from Balnik. It was at this point that the war was in full effect as the four sides attacked each other, signaling the breakup of Balnik.

The Horseshoe War

After the declaration of independence of the three splinter groups, the VTN consolidated control over communist Balnik and took a heavy stance on controlling and subjugating the new factions. Balnik would experience this civil war until its end on November 29th of 1982 where the Valkoi National Front (now National Socialist Party of Balnik) would seize Fort Rustov and execute the members of the VTN a day later. Following this Balnik turned into a fascist dictatorship ruled by Andre Chernobog as its head.