Revision as of 10:01, 10 August 2007

The Farminan-Messian War is in fact the second war between Democratic Republic of Farmina and the Snyder Directorate of the Militia Enforced State. The factors leading up to the war were complex, but fighting finally broke out after an engagement between mercenaries in Farmina and the Messian navy. Although the war was not long, it ended with millions of dead, mainly Messian civilians. The war ended when the Militia Enforced State signed the Treaty of Trinity and the balance of power between the two nations was radically rewritten.

Background

Second Arandior War

Forty five years prior to the Farminan-Messian War, Farminan and Messian forces met in the Second Arandior War. The First Arandior War had seen Farmina annex north Arandior five years earlier, breaking the confidence of the Arandiorian people. In desperation, they turned to the Militia Enforced State for protection, strengthening ties to ensure that Farmina was not in a position to attack what remained of the People’s Republic of Arandior.

The Second Arandior War broke out when Farmina accused Arandior of smuggling weapons to separatists in northern Arandior. The Militia Enforced State quickly mobilized to fulfill its obligations. The war was widely marked by incompetence on both sides and for a long time remained a bloody draw (the Second Arandior war saw more military casualties than the Farminan-Messian war). Slowly a string of Farminan offensives gained momentum at great cost to both sides. The People’s Republic of Arandior surrendered to Farmina unconditionally and then the Militia Enforced State made a more respectable withdrawal from the war. Farmina combined the Territory of Northern Arandior, with the People’s Republic of Arandior to form the Province of Arandior.

Interwar Years

Road to War

The Messian Offensive

Blockade of Ricco

First Battle for Alice

Battle for the Pass of Farmina

Second Battle for Alice

Tobias Grey’s Peace Gesture

Fall of the Messian Fleet

Farmina’s Counter Offensive

Invasion of Scirenia

Invasion of Trinity

First Battle of Sciren

After securing a beachhead, Farminan Field Marshal Graham Salamander moved quickly to extend his foothold. Despite orders to await reinforcements, the Field Marshal launched a major offensive against the nearby city of Sciren to drive, in an attempt to make gains using the element of surprise.

The attack took place on the third day of after the landing, at nine in the morning. The drive on Sciren was opened with an artillery bombardment, followed by a concentrated tank thrust from the north-west into the city. Although Messian efforts in the theatre were concentrated around Sciren, they were outnumbered by the Farminan thrust. Farminan infantry poured into the city as armored columns launched attacks against the outnumbered Messian defenders on the northern of the city. Farmina also exploited its massive advantage in artillery; bring the field guns as far forward as possible to smash the Messian supply lines.

After a day of intense fighting, the Farminan armor had smashed most of the defenders on the northern flanks and bringing artillery well within range of the major roads into Sciren, while the Farmina infantry had driven the Messians out of the majority of the city. Despite major gains, the Farminans endured higher military causalities in its attempt to advance through the urban areas. A ceasefire was called by Field Marshal Salamander and the highest surviving commander of Sciren’s defences Colonel Ryan Anderson. The two later secretly met to discuss a surrender.

Second Battle of Sciren

Annexation of Trinity

Once the occupation of Trinity was complete, the Farminan government formed the Trinity Island Authority (TIA). The TIA was made of a group of Trinity residents sympathetic to the Democratic Republic of Farmina, although some members were more sympathetic to the power and wealth they might accrue by an alliance with Farmina. The TIA was widely seen for what it was, a collaborationist regime, but the fact that Trinity was not being directly ruled by Farminans in Verica, made the occupation of Trinity easier.

After the decisive Farminan victory at the Second Battle of Sciren, Farminan strategic analysts felt that the Messians regaining Trinity by force was unlikely. The residents of Trinity had also made no attempt to rise up against their Farminan occupiers and had served (grudgingly) the White Palace via its proxies the TIA. Messian weakness and calm in Trinity led to the view that permanent Farminan authority in Trinity was feasible.

The TIA submitted an application to the Farminan Parliament, that Trinity be recognised as a Province of Farmina, making Trinity a full and equal member of the Democratic Republic. It is widely believed the TIA was acting on the advice of President Grey in this matter. The Parliament and the President agreed to approve the TIA’s request.

President Grey flew to Trinity, to announce the plans to bring Trinity into the Democratic Republic. He made the announcement in the middle of Trinity, to a large audience also appointing the TIA as transitionary Trinity Provincial Government. Patrols were stepped up in fear of resistance. This did not occur. The transition was peaceful and later reinforced by Messian assent to the Treaty of Trinity.

Race to Angelas-Francisico

The crushing of Snyder's major force in the Western Theatre, during the Second Battle for Sciren, was widely seen as the beginning of the end. Attempts by Snyder's forces to recapture Angelas-Franisico from pro-Force Commander rebels had still not seen the Directorate banner return to the Messian capital.

At this point Jason Snyder was desperate for a face saving way out of the war and contacted international powerbrokers as diplomatic go betweens to try and negotiate a backdoor peace with Farmina. When the Farminan government was informed of the peace guestures it purposely stalled in an attempt to maximise its bargaining power, as military sources suggested the Directate siege against pro-Force Commander forces in Angelas-Francisico could be broken quickly.

Although small scale fighting continued in the ruins of Sciren, Field Marshal Salamander turned the bulk of Army Groups A and B towards Angelas-Francisico with the intention of advancing directly along the major roads between the two cities, sweeping aside the Directorate forces that remained in the theatre.

The new Messian Director of Military Operations, Timothy Reis, scratched together all remaining Messian forces in the theatre to try and slow the anticipated Farminan advance north-east, so that there would be more time to crush the revolt before it could unite with the Farminans. The resistance along the highways was fierce; the Messians launching a series of small and moderate scale battles to absorb Farminan resources, supported by guerilla tactics. The Directorate were however overwhelmed by what was now a massive strength disparity. Messian morale was failing and many Directorate troops were surrendering before the advancing Farminan forces.

The largest battle came several days in to the advance towards Angelas-Francisico, when the Messians managed to regroup and make a determined stand at the MESB Fargo fortress compound, slowing the Farminan advance for by a day.

After the battle, Field Marshal Salamander had his photo taken in front of the compound ruins, standing next to a signpost pointing forward to Angelas-Francisico and backwards towards Sciren. This would become one of the most famous photographs of the war.

As Farminan artillery came in range of the Angelas-Francisico, Timothy Reis organised nearly all his remaining forces for a last ditch urban house to house fighting in the south western part of the city.

Snyder’s Peace Gesture

The battle for south eastern Angelas-Francisico never occurred. Snyder abandoned his plans for a backdoor peace deal and openly declared he was suing for peace in an attempt to force the Farminans to the table. The ploy worked, however Tobias Grey required harsh terms for the meeting including weapons transfers, a reduction in Messian space weaponry and the presence of Force Commander representatives at the meeting.

Final Days

Destruction of Verica

Following the breakdown of the negotations, Snyder called down a massive air and space based strike to damage large portions of Verica, including the White Palace. Hundreds of elite Messian stealth fighter planes appeared in the sky, to take part in the largest aerial assault of the war.

The targeting of the White Palace suggests that Jason Snyder intended to kill the other delegates at the conference. The delegates managed to escape due to early warning signs of the Palace's imminent destruction by Snyder's space based super-weapon.

Although several Messian aircraft were shot down, including one carrying Director Dylan Aguliar, a proud Farmina-hater, the day ended badly for Farmina incurring massive casualties. Huge proportions of inner Verica were left in ruins, making it the most costly day of Farminan lives in history and the most costly day with regard to human life in the war, up to that point. The casualties were overwhelmingly civilian although several politicians and high ranking public servants were also killed.

The attack also saw space based weapons come to the fore, with Farmina releasing all its available firepower to obliterate the Messian space platforms responsible for so much destruction in Verica.

In the chaos, a single Messian transport aircraft picked up Jason Snyder and removed him from Farmina.

Invasion of Borteloga

In an attempt to prevent the remote naval base on Borteloga being used by Snyder as an escape route, the Farminan carrier group Elizabeth was brought in range of the island.

Farminan aircraft launched a shock wave of bombers against the island, damaging the military facilities. This was followed by marine landings that quickly overwhelmed the under resourced and damaged Messian outpost. The island remains under Farminan occupation to the present day.

Unfortunately, Jason Snyder had secretly passed through Borteloga only a few hours earlier, and was well on the way back to MES.

Ultimatum

Destruction of Dylaria

As Snyder tried desperately to gain some leverage over the Farminans, his hastily prepared new fleet sat ready for action in the docks of Dylaria. At the time Dylaria was the second largest city in the Militia Enforced State and had the nation's largest concentration of military personal. If the ships were not deployed quickly, their construction would have been wasted. The Farminans were aware of the threat.

Acting on the advice of his cabinet and Supreme Commander Aricar, it is believed Tobias Grey authorised the deployment of a nuclear weapon against Dylaria. Reasons for authorising the deployment include preventing the new fleet never came into play, destroying a major Messian military garrison, striking a large blow against Snyder's power base and as revenge for the devastating attack against Verica. The destruction of Snyder's space fleet also meant the Directorate had no superweapons, meaning Farmina WMD could be used without fear of retaliation.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, Messian time, an unidentified (presumably Farminan) submarine fired a torpedo carrying a hydrogen fusion warhead into the Dylarian shipyards. Detonating just underwater, below the docks, the massive explosion incinerated the entire shipyards and a massive chunk of Dylaria, creating a large crater that has now expanded the ocean. The destruction of Dylaria is the greatest number of casualties caused by any single Farminan action and is also the largest source of casualties during the war. Due to the Dylaria's large military garrison, military casualties were also very high. Although the casualties are above 20 million, the number of deaths is still unknown.

Farmina's Final Offensive

The Messian Surrender

When Supreme Commander Aricar and President Tobias Grey made a joint demand for the unconditional surrender of the Messian Generals of face the destruction of further cities, they responded immediately in the affirmative.

This was an unusual response by Messian Generals who usually left such high level decisions to higher levels of authority, such as Force Commanders and Directors. Left with out a higher authority to respond to, a complete breakdown of the military situation, and an inability to respond to the real threat of the nuclear destruction of cities; the Messian military leadership accepted the reality of the situation.

The Messian military units withdrew from the field, leaving their weapons behind as spoils to the victors.

Aftermath

Treaty of Trinity

The Treaty of Trinity was signed by Tobias Grey, the Messian Force Commanders and the President of Scirenia, officially ending the war, although the terms had been agreed beforehand and fighting had ceased several months earlier. The Treaty of Trinity imposed a range of terms on the Militia Enforced State, that some accused of being harsh. Others, mainly in Farmina, felt the terms were too lenient. The terms are generally felt as degrading in MES, especially since the Force Commanders had to relinquish Trinity, while in Trinity. Debate continues in Farmina as to what extent the terms should be enforced, some arguing that the emphasis should be on normalising relations with MES, while others emphasise “keeping the genie in the bottle.”

The terms include:

-MES accepted full responsibility for the war.

-MES would pay the full cost of the war.

-MES would democratise fully.

-MES recognised the independence and original borders of the Republic of Scirenia.

-MES recognised the Province of Trinity as sovereign Farmina, and re-recognised the Province of Arandior as under Farminan sovereignty. In addition Borteloga was handed over to Farmina.

-MES accepted massive military restrictions.

-MES accepted the International Court of Freedom was the legitimate body to try members of the Snyder Directorate.

-MES was banned from owning space based possessions.

-All Messian international finance and trade regulations were surrendered to the Farminan parliament.

The full effects of these terms are not yet known. The current administration of Farmina seems intent to keep the Militia Enforced State firmly under thumb.

Trial of Director Snyder

All the surviving directors, except elusive Timothy Reis and Tia Norris, were tried by the newly created International Court of Freedom. It is widely believed the verdicts were decided before the trials commenced. All the directors were found guilty of tyranny and sentenced to death.

Jason Snyder was also found guilty of warmongering and other serious crimes. He was executed by ceremony (dismemberment), the most severe form of punishment under Farminan law. All the other tried Directors were executed by hanging, except Director Wallace Stirling who was executed by firing squad with full honours.

Messian Elections

Occupation of Trinity

Despite continuing resentment about the annexation, the people of Trinity have so far peacefully accepted the new order that has been imposed on their small island. The Farminan military presence remains strong and the Farminan government is dedicated to destroying the remnants of Messian institutions that form reminders of the past.