Difference between revisions of "Invasion of British Londinium"

Revision as of 09:42, 7 January 2007

Damage done to the streets of Kensington, Eurasia during the New Year Rising

The Invasion of British Londinium was a war fought between a coalition of nations, primarily within the Sovereign League although at least one from GASN, and British Londinium, later Eurasia, and nations allied to British Londinium. Although fighting as died down in Eurasia and reconstruction has begun, an official exit strategy for the Coalition has not been released publicly as yet and is expected to depend heavily on events.

Invasion of British Londinium Summary
Date:	12/29/06-Present
Locations:	British Londinium/Eurasia
Cassus Belli:	Violations of human rights by Londinian regime, imperialism.
Outcome:	Occupation of British Londinium. Extended insurgency among civilians. Nuclear destruction of Nova Britannica.
Main Participants
Coalition	Eurasia and Allies
Whyatica Praetonia Allanea Cravan Izistan Clandonia Prime The Silver Sky We Buy It, Inc Franberry Velkya Steel and Fire No Endorse Space Union Novacom	British Londinium (Eurasia) Kroando Dephire EVIL Alliance Nova Brittanica
Strength (approx.)
Coalition	Eurasia and Allies
~5-10 million	Unknown numbers of irregular fighters, reservists, and regulars.
Casualties (approx.)
Coalition	Eurasia and Allies
Military dead: 1,012 Military wounded: 1,931 Civilian dead: ~50,520,000 (approx 220,000 in Praetonia, 300,000 in Clandonia Prime, ~10 million in Cravan, and ~40 million in No endorse)	Military dead: ~5,000 in British Londinum ~millions in Nova Britannica Military wounded:~8,000 Civilian dead:~300 million in Nova Britannica Civilian wounded:Unknown
Total:	+350 million dead, many more wounded

Prelude to War

The nation of British Londinium, lead by President James Swanner, was a relatively new nation in world affairs, and had already made a name for itself in that they practiced hunting their own young for sport. This act of barbarity was seen by members of the Sovereign League as a violation of basic human rights. After the British Londinian leader announced a week where pregnant women and babies under the age of five were open sport for hunters, the Imperial Democracy of Whyatica took action.

Declaration of War

On December 29th, 2006, the Imperial Democracy of Whyatica, along with the Libertarian Empire of Cravan, the National Militocracy of Izistan, the Empire of Clandonia Prime, and the United States of Allanea declared war on British Londinium for the aforementioned breaches of basic human rights, as well as their aggressive imperialistic policies regarding other, small nations.

Surrender

As the allied nations began to mobilize their armed forces for an expected grand battle against British Londinium and their allies, the EVIL alliance, British Londinium unexpectedly surrendered to allied forces before the first strike had occured. Izistani and Whyatican orbital assets were preparing for a strike on Londinian satellites and warships, and other nations had previously engaged British Londinium in other theatres of combat.

Without consulting the other members of the coalition, Allanea issued a set of terms to British Londinium, demanding democratic elections and gold statues of national leaders to be sent to the Coalition. British Londinium accepted the terms, but subsequently held an election in which the former President was re-elected by an unlikely margin. The coalition threatened to renew the war, and the next day British Londinium desperately threatened nuclear attack to avert invasion. At this point, the Crown Commonwealth of Praetonia issued their own declaration of war and British Londinium surrendered once again.

Ambassador J.R. Cash of the Imperial Whyatican Corps of Diplomacy presented the President-elect Sinclair with a peace treaty which severely limited the activities of British Londinium, and President Sinclair signed the document, which would raise hopes of an extended peace in British Londinium.

The city of Kensington was occupied by an international force, and other major cities had a minimal Coalition presence, as it was not believed that there would be a serious uprising. Imperial Whyatican troops formed the largest portion of the coalition troops, with the Tenth Corps, made up of four infantry and two armoured divisions.

First Battle of Kensington

On December 31st, thousands of police officers rose up against the occupiers, driven by a police chief who wished to take personal revenge on the Coalition forces. Accompanying this rush of rebellion were thousands of Londiniumite reservists, who were fully armed, some with Challenger II tanks. An Izistani heavy tank brigade held one of the main streets against the assault, while Whyatican marines and regular army forces advanced against the police, suffering comparitively few casualties to the insurgents. The Praetonian army's Kensington headquarters, based at Kensington International Airport, was struck by several mortar bombs from Londiniumite reservists and was damaged, taking casualties, but the Praetonian force successfully fought off infantry assaults on the airport with little difficulty and slight casualties. Clandonian army forces encircled and captured the primary police HQ, while Izistani forces stormed their sectors police HQ in Kensington, cutting off any command and control they may have had. Cravanian forces also faced stiff resistance in some areas of the city, and were the first to be attacked by the insurgent forces.

The first of the attacks in the insurgency occured on London Avenue, in the Cravanian sector of the city. It is here that the EIA, Eurasian Independence Army, began its assault on coalition forces. Three roadside IEDs were detonated, destroying a convoy. Another convoy would be lost later in the battle for Kensington. This came mere minutes after a crazed former officer of the Brittanic military attacked coalition troops outside his window, killing both Cravanians and civilians alike.

Gradually, coalition troops carved their way through the city. As the last few police officers died or surrendered, the remaining reservists surrendered and the EIA stopped their attacks after a six hour battle. The Coalition suffered approximately 1,000 casualties across all of British Londinium, while civilian casualties among the Londiniumites were estimated at 18,000, mostly due in part due to a terrorist detonation of the Eurasian Broadcasting Corporation Headquarters. The body count for the Londinium military is unknown.

Coalition Military Authority Seizes Power

During the Battle of Kensington, a Praetonian armoured column advanced to Kensington Palace, and the Praetonian Royal liason officer, Colonel Sandra Gregory, informed President Sinclair that British Londinium (called Eurasia by the government) was now under coalition control in it's entirety.

Izistani forces withdrawing back to Izistan from Southeast Asia for rest and rearming were dispatched to British Londinium and arrived around this time. Initial landings and air born assault forces took control of the city of Davenport, the city serving as a springboard for the Izistani assault into the interior of the southern island.

In addition, Cravanian forces made a thrust for the northern mainland, landing outside Portsmouth and seizing the city with no resistance. Cravanian troops continue to expand outwards from the city, however no resistance has been encountered thusfar.

Imperial Whyatican marines made a landing at Buxley Island, encountering little resistance. After this, an Imperial marine division landed on Waddlington island, seizing it with few resistors.

The New Year Rising

On January 1st, 2007, when the news of the deposition of President Sinclair was announced by the Praetorian government, thousands of angry citizens, possibly riled by EIA extremists, tried to march on the Praetonian and Clandonian base of operations at Kensington International Airport and Praetonian troops at Kensington Palace in protest. A smaller group of citizens marched to the Imperial Whyatican headquarters, protesting the occupation of Eurasia by the Coalition powers. When they saw the Praetonian battalion lining the perimeter fence to protect the airport, they became enraged, and the crowd charged across the fortifications to attempt to kill Praetonian and Clandonian soldiers.

Praetonian soldiers were given the order to fire three rounds into the first line of protestors in rapid succession, who were mostly killed. Other protestors began hurling rocks at the Praetonian soldiers, and those civilians who had small arms tried to use them against the Praetonian infantry. The order was given to return fire, and after a brief firefight, the Eurasian civilians retreated. During the firefight, many Clandonian infantry opened fire without being fired upon, causing a brief reprisal to their commanding officer by General Raj-Singh, the Whyatican commanding officer.

Thousands of protestors also marched to the Kensington Palace, where a Praetonian infantry battalion had fortified and waited for a possible attack. The Praetonian infantry formed a solid bayonet wall, and the protestors there retreated with comparitvely few deaths.

It is estimated that 2,000 Eurasian civilians died, while upwards of 10,000 were injured. Coalition military casualties are unknown.

Nuclear War

Initial exchange

After a nuclear threat that the major Coalition powers believed to be unfounded, the nation of Nova Brittanica, one of the former Eurasian government's allies, launched twenty conventionally-armed ICBMs at every Coalition nation as a 'warning shot.' The various space-based forces of the Coalition, and their allies, such as Franberry, Steel and Fire, and No Endorse, detected the strike and destroyed the incoming ICBMs. The several Coalition nations, unable to determine the contents of these ICBMs in flight, assumed the worst, and returned fire with overwhelming force. Over fifty thousand warheads of a combined total yield of ninety three gigatons impacted the main areas of Nova Brittanica. The entire island nation was sunk below sea level beneath the weight of the strike, with over 300 million casualties of all types.

Nova Britannica's parting shot

Upon detecting the launch of numerous nuclear warheads from the Coalition nations, the government of Nova Britannica decided to launch every last missile in its reserves. While most of the estimated seventeen thousand ICBMs launched from Nova Britannica were destroyed, several managed to impact on their targets. One nuclear missile made it past the Steel & Fire defences in Clandonia Prime, killing three hundred thousand Clandonian civilians. Several nuclear missiles also impacted No Endorse, killing millions and devastating the cities of Old Heisen Bay and Lover's Leap. Multiple chemical and biological weapons impacted as well, most notably in the city of Stumpy Point, which had recently been ravaged by nor'easter Mary, severely injuring First Lady Violet Amner and killing hundreds more.

Immediate casualties in the coalition amount to over 50.3 million dead. Of these, 300 thousand were in Clandonia Prime, around 10 million in Cravan, and about 40 million in No endorse. It has been estimated that the direct effects of the weapon impacts killed or shortened the lifespans of as many as 100 million in No Endorse, and unknown numbers in the other nations effected. Unfortunately, it is impossible to calculate the number indirectly effected by the sum total of the entire nuclear incident around the world. Many other coalition nations, such as Allanea, successfully intercepted their share of ICBMs through use of large amounts of nuclear interceptors missiles.

Later attacks

For reasons that can only be deciphered by the government of Novacom, they ordered the firing of their high-energy laser system, Damocles, at the glass and wreckage of Nova Britannica, which devastated the remains and made much of it below sea level. Several days afterwards, Questarian Strategic Forces dropped ten 75 megaton test thermonuclear weapons on the remaining landmass.

Press coverage

Press coverage regarding the event has been widespread and, generally, negative regarding not only the massive nuclear response to Nova Brittanica by coalition forces, but the entire conflict itself.

Oceania

KBC reporter Henry Kirkson has become an instant celebrity for his hard-hitting questions to Whyatican emperor Paulus, which forced the country's leader to leave the press room during a conference.

Pacitalia

The Pacitalian Broadcasting Corporation has been providing blanket coverage of the devastation and the timeline of events, including an interview with Pacitalia's senior deputy prime minister Diego Zuna, who called the actions "barbaric" and "unexcusable overkill". The PBC's broadcast coverage included repetitive mention of the nuclear exchange on the network's international service radio division and its website. Pacitalian coverage of the flash war has been mostly critical.

Praetonia

In Praetonia, public opinion has primarily viewed the country's retaliation as a tragic but necessary evil to reduce the risk posed by a continued exchange from Nova Brittanica and to maintain a credible deterrent against future nuclear attacks. There have not, however, been any expressions of jubilation as many have perceived coming from some of the other involved parties, nor have there been any vehement condemnations of the act. Images of Praetonians dying from radiation sickness caused by contaminated wind coming over from nearby Haven state No Endorse dominated Praetonian news coverage for some weeks after the event, as have images of the Territorial Army closing down farms contaminated by radioactive salts and radiation-suited clean-up operatives trawling the South West coast trying to repair the damage.

Because of the damage inflicted by Nova Brittanica, public support for the war in British Londinium has strengthened to the point where a withdrawl is now no longer a conceivable outcome. The vast majority in Praetonia now feel that they have endured too much for the war to be aimless and that a withdrawl would be a grave stain on their national pride and indicate a lack of stoicism and determination that they traditionally associate with the Praetonian character.

See Also

• Forum Thread - Invasion of British Londinium
• Forum Thread - Whyatican Press Release regarding Nova Britannica
• PBC's international service news update, 3rd January, 2007