Alsland in the Great War

Valduvian Workers' Army soldiers near the Witepoarte during the Battle of Yndyk

Despite a precedence of neutrality which had been enforced since the July Crisis, Alsland was invaded by Gaullica from occupied Estmere on 15 August 1929, the invasion was justified by [Gaullican General] who claimed the invasion was necessary to: "protect Dellish Neutrality by violating Dellish neutrality". For a period of five days Alslandic Ferdigeningskrêft soldiers were able to successfully hold defensive positions in the Neeves until they were forced to retreat alongside upwards of 100,000 refugees. The retreat from the Neeves coupled with a desire to prevent any widescale civilian casualties saw the government adopt a similar policy to the position it took during the July crisis by ordering local police forces, civilian militias and the armed forces to stand down in an effort to protect the civilian population. On 21 August, Weranian and remaining Estmerish soldiers entered the country from the north to prevent the entire country from falling to Gaullica. On the following day Gaullican forces entered Wottested and Yndyk. [Gaullican General] met with President Mario Alver to sign a formal ceasefire which allowed the government in Alsland to continue civilian operations albeit as a de facto protectorate of Gaullica for the course of the war. A faction of the government led predominantly by Villem Mand and the Alslandic Section of the Workers' International denounced the ceasefire agreement and formed a rival government in Werania on 31 December 1929.

The cooperationist system lasted until 12 December 1932 when faced with mounting resistance due to worsening living conditions as well as Grand Alliance air raids and Gaullican military pressures the government was dismissed and Alsland was placed under full military occupation which lasted until the complete liberation of Alsland. During the military occupation resistance grew and an estimated 2/5ths of the total population were active members of the resistance although was fairly limited to small-scale acts of sabotage, poster and flyer distribution as well as smuggling refugees and councilists out of the occupied zone and into the Weranian occupied Cleeves or Valduvia. Alsland was largely liberated by Valduvia during the Dellish Offensive although both Yndyk and Wottested were practically destroyed in some of the worst battles of the war, after the Battle of Wottested Gaullica largely withdrew from Alsland.

Approximately 3.2% of Alsland's total pre-war population of 8.7 million were killed either as a direct result of the war or from starvation, exposure or disease largely during the liberation and military occupation.

Background

Neutrality

• Immediate declaration of neutrality
• Border defences
• Estmerish refugees

Plan Mast

• Communications Minister Alof Mast
• Government fearing a Weranian invasion and spending significant resources defending northern border
• Closer ties to Valduvia

Gaullican invasion

Neeves campaign

• Initial invasion
• Neeves defence
• Retreat from the Neeves
• Weranian army enters Alsland & occupies Holsteen & Cleeves
• Capture of Yndyk/Wottested & other cities
• Refugee crisis
• Alver-X agreement & govt split

Gaullican occupation

Civilian administration

• Tsjalf Wybenga government
• 'Neutral State of Delland'
• Cooperationist system

Collaboration

• Functionalist movements
• Armed forces participation

Military occupation

• Benefits of civilian admin start to become more negligible as the war progresses
• Worsening living conditions
• Brutal crushing of a strike by metal workers
• Resistance on the up, government placed under house arrest and X takes over to lead a military administration
• Pretty brutal military campaign, more executions & even worse living conditions
• Growth of resistance

Resistance

• Councilist resistance
• Acts of sabotage
• Resistance acts
• Assassinations during military occupation

Alslandic government in exile

• Mand's government
• Disagreements with Werania
• Sidelined

Liberation

• Valduvian involvement
• Opposion campaigns to get through Alsland

Dellish campaign

• Battle of Yndyk
• Valduvian advance towards Wottested
• Linking up with resistance cells
• Battle of Wottested
• Surrender of Gaullicans in Alsland

Casualties

• Casualties
• Liberation casualties

Post-war

• Attempts to get reparations
• Closer ties to Valduvia
• Lanwjuk trials (Collaborationists basically get off lightly because they were "defending neutrality" and "tried to protect civilians from the Gaullicans" and were "really opposed to the whole thing the entire time")