Seran Secessionist War

The Seran Secessionist War
Date November 29th, 1920 - July 22nd, 1926 (5 years and 235 days) Location Unified Sera, Adula Result The United States of Sera victory Dissolution of the Union of Secessionist States Territorial integrity preserved Increase in federal authority Monarchal authority solidified
Belligerents
The United States of Sera	The Union of Secessionist States
Commanders and leaders
Queen Zuri Tu'Aruc General Kobe Zawadi	President Takumbo ya Mbaku  General Toure Amin ya Mbaku
Strength
2,200,000 698,000 (peak)	750,000–1,000,000
Casualties and losses
110,000+ KIA/MIA/DOW 230,000+ accident/disease deaths 365,000+ total dead 282,000+ wounded 181,193 captured Total: 828,000+ casualties	94,000+ KIA/MIA//DOW 26,000–31,000 died in Union prisons 290,000+ total dead 137,000+ wounded 436,658 captured Total: 864,000+ casualties
50,000 civilians dead Total: 616,222

The flag of the United States of Sera

The flag of the Union of Secessionist States

Status of the states, 1920

   Federal Monarchists (United States of Sera)

   Secessionists (Union of Secessionist States)

The Seran Secessionist War, Secessionist War, Civil War, and "The War" was an armed conflict between the United States of Sera (or the Federation) and the Union of Secessionist States (also known as the Separatists) fought between November 29th, 1920 to July 22nd, 1926 with the capture of President Takumbo and Master-General Toure Amin. The central cause of the war was the belief that the federal government was garnering too much power over the states and was unduly taxing the eastern-most states to fund projects and development programs in the west. Moreover, the population living in the eastern states believed that the west trampled on traditions held by the Mbaku and Sakhile and did not respect the ancestral customs practiced by their respective tribes. This belief deeply troubled The Mbaku Party and The Sakhile Party as both parties desired a federal government that was small in size and could not exert much control over the states themselves, and because the two parties held tradition and custom in the highest regard.

Although then-Queen Zuri Tu'Aruc attempted to make certain concessions to the two parties by adjusting taxation on the states in question and making promises to address the ongoing modernization of the nation, eleven states came together and passed a formal intent to secede from the federation and submitted the form to Parliament. Shortly thereafter, each of the eleven states made their own declarations of secession and began to take steps to solidify the split from the federation. Despite attempting to secede peacefully, Parliament (which at this point only consisted of the remaining twelve states and the self-governing territory of Xanthus) declared that there was no provision in the Articles of Federation that gave the states the ability to secede without the entirety of parliament agreeing to the motion. In the same proclamation, Parliament declared that President Takumbo and the governors of the separatist states were rebels and would be charged with treason.

The war would officially begin on November 29th, 1920 after Separatist forces stormed federal buildings in the Secessionist States and arrested federal officials.

At the onset of the war, the Federalist forces were led by the Prime Minister Quinton Hargreaves and the Department of Military Affairs. At the beginning of the war, Mr. Hargreaves as the acting Prime Minister was in command of Federalist forces in the country. However, repeated tactical blunders and humiliating defeats would lead to the U.S.S. Parliament in vesting all powers into the Monarch Queen Zuri, citing extreme circumstances. As High Chanceller, Queen Zuri would make sweeping reforms [the military and economy in a bid to adopt an early form of total war.] Her efforts, alothough extremely controversal, would ensure total Federal victory and reunification.

Background

With the ascension of Queen Queen Zuri Tu'Aruc in 1919, the United States of Sera saw itself in the position to enact radical change for domestic and international policies. With the nation increasingly becoming left behind by foreign powers in most realms, Queen Zuri saw it necessary to increase federal authority in order to kick-start development and progress in Sera's otherwise stagnant states. To this end, Queen Zuri alongside her Prime Minister and a solid majority in Parliament began to pass laws that hindered, limited, or removed state authority in place of federal officials appointed by the federal government or directly voted into position by the states wherein which they will be living.

During this time, state governors saw their power quickly diminishing with each law passed through Parliament despite consistent attempts by Mbaku and Sakhile held states to oppose them. The turning point would come when Queen Zuri rose taxes across the nation dependent upon the state GDP to raise funds for the national military and urban programs and began to attack eastern policies that directly disenfranchised casteless citizens in May of 1919. These urban programs and attacks on the discriminatory laws - despite being well-intentioned - overwhelmingly benefitted the more urbanized areas in Sera which in turn meant that most of the revenue and focus of these programs would fall upon the western states. Very little of this money would go towards the eastern states comparatively which did not slip past the gaze of the Sakhile or Mbaku parties. The Sakhile and Mbaku railed against the programs calling them "deceptive" and "extortionist" as the east was being forced to pay the tax regardless of where the money was actually going.

A full seven months would go by where the Sakhile and Mbaku held states would repeatedly send letters to the monarchy and Prime Minister and have their own senators and representatives in Parliament try to rally support for their cause of adjusting the tax. These attempts would all fail to garner support from their audience and would culminate in a deep division between the east and west. This division would eventually run so deep between the states and federal government those rumblings would eventually reach Queen Zuri about the possibility of secession.

In December of 1919, Queen Zuri tried to placate the east by adjusting the tax code and reducing the burden felt by the eastern states, while also promising a slower increase in civil rights for casteless citizens. The motion was contentious in Parliament as the west felt that the east was not "paying its fair share" which caused a near-party line vote. This vote was so contentious that a fight nearly broke out between Mbaku and Latinius senators that required the Royal guard to step in and break up the two groups. It was in that moment that the east felt that the differences between the east and west were too deep and that the only solution to avoid violence and bloodshed would be to secede from the federation.

On New Years Eve of 1919, the Mbaku and Sakhile parties held a conference wherein which Governor Takumbo of Mansa and General Toure Amin of the US Army pitched the notion of secession to the other governors and senators gathered at the conference. Later, they would form the Secessionist Coalition which would spearhead the crafting of documents that would allow for the separation of the states in what they believed would be an amicable way. However, the states began to quietly raise their own militias and remove federal officers from the army bases in their states. Their quiet consolidation of power over the armed forces in their states allowed for a near domination of Sera's most decorated and well-trained military regiments and divisions. When they submitted the declarations of secession to Parliament, Parliament replied with labeling the council and the newly formed Union of Secessionist States as traitors. The UoSS issued an ultimatum to the remaining federal authorities in their states to leave or face prosecution.

The war would start in earnest when the Union of Secessionist States began to forcibly remove, arrest, and imprison federal authorities that still remained in the states in December 1920.

Causes of secession

Taxation

A photographic portrait of Prime Minister Hargreaves, 1917

Taxation was a major contributing factor that kickstarted the war as at the time, the Union of Secessionist States felt that the government in Unified Sera was imposing excessive taxes on their states, and that these taxes were not being used in a way that benefited the USS. They believed that the federal government was not respecting their sovereignty and was not giving their states a fair share of the tax revenue.

Growth of Federal Authority

When Mr. Quinton Hargreaves came into power in 1917, the federal government had very little authority over the states themselves. Except for certain circumstances, in a lot of ways the local and state governmental laws would supersede federal law. Federal agents also found themselves routinely hamstringed by local authorities and laws could (and did) vary wildly on a state-by-state basis. However, when Queen Zuri entered rulership in 1919 this would take a dramatic turn as she began to pressure not only parliament but the executive's office as well to pass laws to grant more power and authority to the monarch. These laws would lay the foundation for what Sera will become in later years, but at the time it was seen as a direct attack on state power and autonomy.

Sectionalism

A poster created by the defunct Office of Military Affairs for the war effort, 1919

Sectionalism resulted from the different economies, social structure, customs, and political values of the central states and the coastal states. Regional tensions came to a head in the early 1900s during the Zanjana War, resulting in the humiliating defeat, the signing of the Hamidi Convention and the crippling of the Seran economy, and the loss of the previously occupied islands in the Emmirian sea, which manifested the centrist states' dissatisfaction with the federal government and their perception of the incompetent nature of the union and compounded by anger towards new taxation policies set in place by the federal government and backed by the monarchy.

National Honor

Repeated governmental blunders would isolate the Mbaku and Sakhile controlled states. Historically, the Mbaku and Sakhile leaning individuals in the country are more traditionalist and usually carry a sense of "national honor" why they pass down to their descendants. This would become very prevalent when the national government "dishonors" the country by "allowing" repeated failures in the theatre of war and the economy.

Outbreak of War

A Federation war poster in 1921 created to boost recruitment in the wake of overwhelming Secessionist manpower. In English the text reads: "Your friends are fighting for the Union, Why aren't you?"

The Union of Secessionist States - after feelings of undue mistreatment - penned a letter to Parliament declaring their intent to secede from the federation.

Declaration of Secession

"It is with a heavy heart and deep conviction that we, the Union of Secessionist States, come before this esteemed assembly to declare our intention to secede from the United States of Sera. The decision to take this step has not been taken lightly, but it has become increasingly clear that our fundamental rights and liberties have been eroded by the central government's policies.

First and foremost, we have been subjected to a system of unfair taxation, which has been used to fund projects and programs that do not benefit our region. This has had a devastating impact on our economy, leading to financial hardship and widespread discontent. Despite our repeated appeals, the central government has refused to address this issue, demonstrating a lack of respect for our concerns.

Moreover, our international standing has been severely compromised due to the actions of the central government. We have been humiliated on the world stage, with our requests for support and recognition often being ignored. This has left us vulnerable to external threats and has undermined our ability to protect our people and our way of life.

Finally, we are deeply concerned about the growing power of the federal authorities, which we believe poses a significant threat to our liberty and autonomy. We fear that our ability to govern ourselves and make decisions that reflect our unique needs and values will be increasingly curtailed by the central government's policies.

In light of these challenges, we have no choice but to secede from the Union and form our own independent state. We are committed to negotiating the terms of our departure in good faith, and we hope that this process will be conducted with respect and dignity for all parties involved.

We recognize that this decision will have far-reaching consequences, both for our people and for the United States of Sera as a whole. However, we believe that it is the only way to ensure that our region can flourish and develop in a way that reflects our unique needs and values.

We understand that there may be disagreements and difficulties in the negotiations that will follow, but we remain committed to engaging in a constructive and respectful dialogue with the central government. We are confident that, with good will on all sides, we can find a way to peacefully and amicably separate from the Union.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the many positive aspects of our time as part of the United States of Sera. We recognize the many contributions that our fellow citizens from other regions have made to our society, and we hope that our departure will not be seen as a rejection of the Union's broader ideals and values.

Ultimately, we believe that the decision to secede is the best way to secure a brighter future for our people, and we remain committed to building a prosperous, peaceful, and democratic society in the years to come.

In conclusion, we call upon this honorable assembly to recognize our right to self-determination and to support our efforts to build a more just and equitable society that reflects the values of our people.

Sincerely,

Aman Tokumbo, President of the Union of Secessionist States, 1920"

Further, all 18 senators representing the states voted unanimously to secede from the nation.

• Leroy Johnson
• Ethel Davis
• Roosevelt Davis
• Eugene Mitchell
• Gladys Turner
• James Taylor
• Josephine Hill
• Calvin Wright
• Frederick Clarke
• Lloyd King
• Calvin Baker
• Henry Johnson
• Aurthur Amin
• Elizabeth Thompson
• Charles Williams
• Sarah Brown
• Mary Wilson
• Anne Lewis