1950 War

Background

The seeds that eventually bore the fruit of the war were planted during the Steppe Wars. As an increasing number of settlers continued landing on the eastern shores of Unkerlantum, overcrowding pressured the people into moving westward. This began a series of skirmishes with the native Traxans and ultimately culminated into an official war under the commands of the two monarchies. The superior armor, weaponry, and organization of the Unkers finally resulted in the Traxans surrendering control of the entire continent in 1180.

The Traxans remained oppressed and treated as second-class "residents," forbidden from holding titles of nobility and denied access to certain careers, until the 1930s. By that time Unkerlantum had become sufficiently weakened from war and internal strife that the Traxans began reasserting control. In 1939, they revived the dissolved Tribal Council and elected their first Chieftain since 1180. In the following decades they began forming their own Traxan-dominated city governments, establishing foreign relations with Unkerlantum's traditional enemies, and developing a stronger western military. The government in Kuzov voiced its displeasure with the westerners, but was for the most part powerless to act.

Causes

On February 8, 1949, the US Peak (Unkerlantum Ship Peak), a Traxan-operated cruiser, was on route to the island of Malachor III carrying a Traxan ambassador. The purpose of the voyage was to establish a trade agreement with the islanders that would give the Traxan merchants a monopoly on all trade with the Malachorians. However, as the ship steamed into harbor, it suddenly burst into flames, killing the ambassador along with most of the crew.