Audonia in the First Great War

Theobald Strauss, incumbent president of Audonia, played a vital role in ensuring Audonian neutrality during the war

Audonia's official policy during the First Great War was that of neutrality, guarenteed by its distance from the primary theatre of war and that it was surrounded by Coalition-aligned nations, including active participant Amandine. For much of the war, however, the Audonian military was held at a partially mobilised state in the event that the state was dragged into the conflict, occaisionally being raised to full mobilisation during times of crisis.

Despite its official policy, Audonia supplied and assisted the Galene League both openly and secretly, activities that often brought the state close to conflict with its neighbours, activites that often remain classified to the modern day. Historians often refer to Audonia's situation in the war as 'neutral in name only'.

Pre-war situation

Prior to the outbreak of the war, Audonia was considered by many to be an unofficial member of the Galene League. It held intensely close relations with many members of the League, particularly that of Tyrnica on account of its large Tyrnican-speaking population.

Initially spawned by Audonia's domination in the Rum Gulf following the Continental War in 1936, pre-existing groundwork had already been laid with Tyrnica's material assitance during both it's war of indepdence and the transfer of ownership of Nova Kovaria in 1854 from Tyrnica to Audonia cemented cooperation. Despite Audonia's defeat in the War of the Arabeilline Sea, the nation was considered to possess a still considerable army, which had dissuaded Albrennian and Amandine invasions of the Audonian mainland.

Resentment against the nation's defeat often saw the nation adopt stances contrary to those held by those that had defeated it, including falling in line with the League following its establishment in 1895 whilst much of Marcaeunia adopted pro-Coalition feelings. It was the close relationship that convinced the Tyrnican general staff that the Marcaeunian nations would not pose as great a threat in the war as Audonia and it's allied nations would tie them up before they could make a noticeable difference in the war. Indeed, Albrennian and Amandine war plans included strategies on how to defeat Audonia quickly should it join the war with the League.

The situation in Audonia, however, was one that differed greatly from the ideas of its allies. As early as the formation of the League, successive Audonian governments agreed that joining a Coaltion-League War would be disastrous for the nation, owing to the overwhelming presence of Coaliton-aligned neighbours and the combined weight of the Albrennian and Amandine fleets greatly outmatched that of Audonia's. A series of confidential wargames placed Audonia's best chances as surviving six months into the conflict before its fleet was destroyed to the worst estimates having it last for only two weeks. Though it was agreed the Audonian army was capable of defending the nation, the idea of hosting such a conflict and the projected material cost was not one that lawmakers wished to realise.

Additionally, many considered the fact that Audonia had made no official or vocal pledge to assist the League in any conflict as grounds enough not to participate should such a war break out, however it did not stop the Audonian Assembly from passing the Foreign Enlistment Act 1903, legalising Audonian citizens from enlisting within foreign militaries so long as it was not with nations deemed threatening to the nation.

The Act was generally ignored within the Rythenean portions of Audonia, however upwards of 2,000 Tyrnican Audonians departed Audonia and enlisted in the Tyrnican Armed Forces, the majority often travelling north to King Erich's Land and enlisting there. As a means of inducement, the Audunien Legion was founded in King Erich's Land, ensuring the Audonians remained together and maintained their indepedent culture. Throughout the war, it's thought at least 19,000 Audonian's served in the Legion, it's largest strength at 9,000 in 1910. The repatriation of these volunteers proved to be a diplomatic issue for the Audonian government later on.

Politics

At the onset of the war, the Audonian government was dominated by the Liberal Party, headed by Theobald Strauss, the nation's first ethnic Tyrnican president. Additionally, the Liberal Party was the most popular party amongst ethnic Tyrnicans due to both Strauss's leadership and its liberal platform, but also the expressed sympathies the party held for the League on all levels.

However, despite the sympathies of the party and the national favouring of the League, numerous polls showed that the nation exhibited no desire to join the war, even those taken within Friedland, with only hardcore chauvinists displaying any demand to be actively fighting. Indeed, numerous other issues in the nation preoccupied popular thought, such as growing demand to end child labour that was rife within inner cities whilst racial tensions regarding the recent influx of both the black Aussers but also immigrants originating from outside the traditional home countries of the nation's dominant ethnic groups. Indeed, the Aylos Race Riots had only occurred months prior to the outbreak of war, where white business owners fermented sentiment against a noticeably prosperous black neighbourhood and caused many workers to attack it.

With the National Reserves being called up to keep the peace in both Aylos and the surrounded region, some did consider joining the war as a means of redirecting attention away from issues at home to issues abroad. However, on the advice of Admiral of the Fleet Curtis Ellenby, Theobald Strauss publicly committed to having the nation remain openly neutral in the conflict. Sources have shown that the announcement caught many participants of the Great War by surprise, many of the General Staff of the League found most of their war plans in shambles with Audonia's absence and had to hastily construct new ones that included Albrennia's involvement. Likewise, the Rythenean President, Herbert Longford, is popularly believed to have quipped 'Well, that certainly makes this business simpler', whilst Marcaeunian allies found their transports to Coaltion nations far less impeded than they had anticipated and enabled them to deploy vital battleships elsewhere.

This, however, did not prevent Audonia from standing prepared should a Coalition nation infringe on them, with the military being called up to partial mobilisation, bringing 25,000 of it's 130,000 strong army to readiness whilst much of its Navy remained actively patrolling and enforcing its martime borders. Crucially for the League, Audonia did not join in the boycott of Tyrnican or allied goods, maintaining a vital link of survival for the alliance, both economically and materially.

Neutrality

Audonia's declaration of neutrality was, and remains, a unique moment in Audonian history. The Audonian Constitution makes no refernce to neutrality nor was it the stance of any previous government, whilst popular history displays Audonia as turning in on itself after its defeat in the Arabeilline Sea, however this is hardly the case. Much the opposite in fact, Audonia continued to work in drawing nations awway from the Albrennian-Amandine Axis that had formed following the war's conclusion, actively shaping the policy, both internal and foreign, of nations like Nova Kovaria through a series of unequal treaties. Indeed, the precdent of utilising other nation's to hide its activities in this period set the stage for how Audonia would assist the League. Of course, Audonia maintained its trade with Coalition nations so as to ensure their appearance as a neutral nation in the war, government ministers quicky acknowledging that trading solely with League members would make defending against accusations of being in league with the League impossible.

Violations

Despite its official policy, Audonia was not above floating its own rules to assist those it had considered its allies. Crucially, Audonian merchant vessels were often amongst the very few that reached the League just prior to the outbreak of the war, a role that they would continue to fulfil up until the Battle of Evverkäben in 1912 which forced a blockade on Tyrnica, however it was not uncommon for Audonian vessels to still attempt smuggling runs into the nation to ensure it continued its supply. For decades, it was believed that these shipments primarily consisted of foodstuffs and textiles, intended as a means to lessen the blow of the war on the civilian populace and for Audonia to ensure that much of their harvest foods did not go to waste in storage or effect prices at home too much due to a surplus.

Port Crisis

For more information, visit Audonian Port Crisis

The Audonian Port Crisis of 1909 is generally considered to have been the closest that the nation came to entering the war. The crisis was spawned in the western Hesperian Ocean, with the Tyrnican Vorherrschaft-class battleship, the Särpelgard, firing on a three ship Amandine convoy. At this stage of the war, concepts of the naval convoy had only just begun to be explored, however ideas still had the vessels still travelling in numbers not big enough to guarentee its safety. The Särpelgard fired on the convoy over the course of an hour and a half, succesfully sinking the SS Marie-Laurie and damaging the SS Cahun, however its hunt was interrupted by the arrival of a small Amandine battlegroup comprising of three Augustin-class destroyers and two République-class battleships. Initially deployed on patrol, the were rerouted when news of the Särpelgard's presence reached them. Over the course of thirty minutes, uninterrupted fire criticallydamaged thevessel and necessitated its retreat.

Finding the closest friendly port in Audonia, it travelled there, sending out emergency signals. Picking it up, a patrol of Audonian crusiers and destroyers arrived, granting the Särpelgard entry into Audonian waters and entering a stand off with the Amandine battlegroup. Warning shots by the Audonians were misinterpreted in resulted in a brief clash between the vessels, however incoming Audonian reinforcements, most worringly the arrival of the dreadnought ANS Warspite forced the Amandine vessels to withdraw.

Almost immediately after news broke, tensions between the nations exploded. Amandine immediately declared war upon Tyrnica, the attacks of the convoy proved to be the final straw following frequent attacks on Amandine shipping, and threatened to do the same to Audonia if they refused to release the Särpelgard, whilst League members applauded Audonia for their display of humanitarianism in allowing the stricken ship to take shelter in Audonia. In response to Amandine threats, Audonia initiated full mobilisation of its military, with plans of conscription being discussed if Audonia was forced to defend itself. Shipyards began to be pressed to finish their projects faster to enable more vessels for the Audonian navy to be constructed.

War seemed increasingly likely when Albrennia joined demands for the Särpelgard to be released from port, bringing its own battle group to arms. Audonia vessels began a tense standoff with the combined Albrennian-Amandine ships whilst telegrams and diplomats moved quickly in an attempt to prevent war from breaking off. Most famously, Theobald Strauss met the the Särpelgard's captain, Fregattenkapitän Laurenz Laufel, to negotiate a way to ensure the vessel did not fall under enemy hands and also ensure Audonia remained outside of the conflict. Returning to his vessel, Audonia was issued an ultimatum to hand the ship over or be fired upon, however the ultimatum never came to pass as Laufel ensured the scuttling of the Särpelgard. This action led to a quick deescalation between the nations involved and ensured Audonia's safety, however it had given the League yet another enemy to face. With the crew of the Särpelgard now confined within Audonia for the remainder of the war, the closeness with which Audonia came to war certainly alarmed both lawmakers and citizens, whilst the abrasiveness of Albrennian and Amandine ensured any acitivites undertaken to assist the League would be done far more secretly.

Funding

With the League directing much of its industrial output in fighting the Coalition, it left the members with very little room to ensure their economic security during the conflict, despite acts and decrees often limiting prices of raw materials and goods. The funding of the League also came from outside as well, primarily through loans granted to it by Audonia. Initially, these loans were undertaken by private banks in Audonia that were considered sympathetic to the League's cause, however it soon morphed into an unofficial policy to ensure these loans were successfully transferred.

However, after the Port Crisis, it became policy to direct these loans in an underhanded fashion that would enable Audonia to maintain distance from the money and to have plausible denialbility if they were to be discovered. It was then that Audonia utilised its unequal treaties with its neighbours to ensure they arrived. Particularly in the case of Nova Kovaria, Audonia would inject differing amounts of money into certain industries that would in turn pool the resources together and transfer them abroad. These funds eventually transformed into what was referred to as the Archipelago Investment Fund, which from the outside committed itself to repairing and constructing key pieces of infrastructure and supporting islander businesses, while in reality would funnel the funds through the islander economies into seperate League banks to ensure they remained economically viable.

Additionally, dealings would often occur on the King Erich's Land and Audonian border that often entailed the transfer of funds and materials to the Tyrnican colony that in turn would find their way to the mainland. These dealings and dubiously legal activities were considered operations of utmost importance and secrecy, many of the files remaining classified to this day and frequently denied to historians hoping to uncover more in regards to Audonia's role in the war. Indeed, so covert and kept under wraps was the operation that the reality of the AIF was only discovered in the mid 2000s, when relatives of those that had taken bonds from the fund had discovered them and begun to research it. Access to the files had been granted by the Nova Kovarian government before they realised how much it implicated both Audonia and Nova Kovarian politicians, leading to unlooked at files quickly being hidden under the excuse of state secrecy but certainly in response to Audonian pressure.

Aftermath

Controversies

Audonia's conduct in the war still remains controversial to this day, primarily amongst former Coalition members. For instance, whilst conducting research for his upcoming book exploring the effects of the naval blockade on Tyrnica, historian August Darren discovered hidden manifests that detailed the shipments contained vital munitions and weapons for Tyrnica that were manufactures in Audonia, licenses that Audonia had procured from Tyrnica prior to the outbreak of the war. Whilst the amont delivered certainly did not have an extreme effect on the outcome of the war, it was calculated it delivered enough to keep three gun batteries firing for three months whilst 3,000 rifles had been smuggled in four shipments. These numbers were based on only a handful of manifests, the true number remains uncertain. With the discovery of the news, Audonian authorities quickly had the documents classified as state secrets and confiscated them, however it did not prevent the news from leaking to the press and embroiling the nation in a resurgence of research into Audonia in the war, quickly eroding the idea that Audonia had been neutral in the war which it had maintained since the end of the war.