The Xirniumite-Amestrian War of 1594-1597
| Xirno-Amestrian War | |
|---|---|
| |
| Date: | 1594 – 1597 |
| Locations: | Atlantic, North Sea, Norwegian Sea |
| Outcome: | Bitter Stalemate |
| Main Participants | |
| Amestria | Xirnium |
Also known as the War of the Oil Canvas (in both nations) and the War of the Black Sails (in contemporary Xirniumite circles), major European maritime conflict fought between the kingdoms of Amestria and Xirnium at the end of the sixteenth century.
Vastràlion I Noryän had been elected to the throne in 1578, and under his reign an ambitious foreign policy was adopted by the Xirniumite state. Pretensions toward the Arctic Ocean were one aspect of this bold new approach, as was an end to a century of armed neutrality. Grander still were aspirations to expand Xirniumite control of commerce into the Baltic Sea. If Xirnium could control the Baltic, with its abundant grain, iron, timber and copper, she could forge a truly great northern empire.
Considered as a whole, Vastràlion's early reign was not without its own successes. New profitable trade companies were established and overseas possessions added to the empire. Amestria might have seemed in hindsight a rather unlikely rival for Xirnium. She too, however, had adopted naval ambitions of her own. Xirniumite piracies against Amestrian commerce and possessions offered provocation to the Amestrian monarchy, as did the sponsoring of several wars conducted against Amestria by her Continental neighbours. A war between Xirnium and Amestria thus became inevitable.
It is said that the final outrage for Henri XI was news that Vastràlion had commissioned a great, fifteen foot painting that depicted the unceremonious sinking of the Amestrian flagship, and during one of his lavish, themed bals masqués displayed the painting prominently at court. Historians differ in their opinion as to how central the painting was in provoking Henri into war, what is undeniable, however, is that its existence was used at the time as justification for the hostilities.
Certainly Henri intended to teach 'that insufferable heathen braggart' a lesson, and an Amestrian fleet was promptly ordered to launch a dramatic surprise attack on Xirnium's northernmost metropolis, Teútabêth. The battle was a success, with the Amestrian fleet storming the bay's fabled formidable defences, although at not insignificant cost, and bombarding the city proper. Severe damage was done to Teútabêth's shipping and supplies. The Amestrians did not, however, capture or sack the city. Their fleet slunk away the next morning to the sound of mournfully tolling bells.
The psychological blow of the Teútabêth outrage is difficult to describe today. Xirnium's people felt the conflicting emotions of untold grief at the fact that one of their sublime metropolises had been touched by the ugliness of war and extreme fury at the wanton attitude of the perpetrators, vowing that misery would in turn come to be wrought upon Amestria. After the raid on Teútabêth, the Xirniumite fleets would hoist black mourning sails that would not be taken down and replaced until the end of the war.
Although buoyed by their accomplishment, the Amestrian fleets ultimately did not manage to capitalise on their success. The Xirniumite coasts boasted numerous shipwrights with the necessary experience, shipyards and stocks of raw material to start work immediately on the construction of a vast retaliatory fleet. A massive ship building programme began as soon as news of the defeat arrived, indeed on the very same day of the raid in Teútabêth. Xirniumite fleets successfully repelled a number of attempted Amestrian follow-up attacks that year.
The next year was one wherein the Amestrian fleets were systematically worn down and almost destroyed by the Xirniumite navy. In a string of hard fought battles, Amestria lost two thirds of her warships and her flagship was captured. In order to avoid the very real possibility of having her navy dwindled down to a level where it would no longer be able to operate effectively at sea, the Amestrians withdrew their fleet within the safety of their ports.
The final year of the war was one in which the Xirniumite navy operated with near impunity in north Amestrian waters. Havoc was wrought on sea commerce and the Xirniumites sought revenge for the outrage of Teútabêth by bombarding numerous towns up and down the coast of north Amestria and blockading trade ports. The Xirniumite fleets failed to draw out the mauled remnant of the Amestrian navy, however, and a number of probing raids against the heavily fortified major port cities wherein the Amestrian fleets had hidden, along with the damage done to Xirniumite commerce by Amestrian privateers, were enough to convince Xirniumite naval commanders of the extreme cost to be paid if they wished to seriously continue the war.
Wearied by war and unable to win a decisive victory the two sides made peace, ending the conflict in frustrating stalemate. Since Xirnium lacked the will and the means to do anything much more than continually harry Amestria's coastal towns, and Amestria realised that she would take too long to rebuild her fleets, it was agreed to cease hostilities with a return to the status quo ante bellum.
The Xirniumites finished the war still outraged, having failed in their minds to properly avenge the violation of Teútabêth. Nonetheless, they finished the war as masters of the North Sea and one of the strongest naval and trade powers of northwest Europe. The Amestrians finished the war with a mauled and severely reduced fleet. Henri's bid to make Amestria a naval power had failed.
