War of the Triple Alliance

War of the Triple Alliance
Marolev-Estmerish battle
Date 24 May 1852 - 17 December 1855 (3 years, 6 months and 23 days) Location Northern Euclea Result Congress of Torrazza
Belligerents
Werania Estmere Buckland Hennish revolutionaries	Triple Alliance Empire of Gaullica Swetania Marolevia
Commanders and leaders
Sigismund Ulrich von Bayrhoffer Karl von Littitz Adolf von Hoetzsch Grand Duke Albrecht Ludwig Hartenstein William I Count Snowden Viscount Hillsborough Lord President Hadleigh Hardwin Graeme TBA	Evelin TBA Constantine Alexander Inozemtsev
Strength
435,500 TBA TBA	TBA TBA 652,300
Casualties and losses
146,532 12,637 killed in action; 15,486 died of wounds; 75,822 died of disease 42,587 wounded TBA TBA killed in action; TBA died of wounds; TBA died of disease TBA wounded	TBA TBA killed in action; TBA died of wounds; TBA died of disease TBA wounded TBA TBA killed in action; TBA died of wounds; TBA died of disease TBA wounded TBA 23,544 killed in action; 16,556 died of wounds; 102,220 died of disease 58,966 wounded

The War of the Triple Alliance was a major conflict fought in northern Euclea between the Triple Alliance of Gaullica, Marolevia and Swetania against the forces of Werania and Estmere from 1852 to the armistice of Aimargues in 1855. Fought mainly in Vredlandia, Werania and later northern Gaullica, the war started due to Weranic ambitions to unify the Weranic people's into a single state, something up until that point the Kingdom of Cislania had been able to perform. Werania, a parliamentary monarchy dominated by liberal-nationalists intent on overturning the reactionary post-Pereramonic order in Euclea, constituted an existential threat to the regimes in Gaullica and Marolevia, who were content in maintaining their hegemonic positions in eastern and western Euclea respectively. During this period to Gaullica was contending with Estmere in a fierce colonial rivalry, leading to many in Euclea to perceive Werania's aggressive foreign policy in forcibly annexing smaller states in pursuit of pan-Weranic goals as attempting to angle itself as a great power on the continent.

In 1852 the Weranic Kaiser Sigismund issued an ultimatum to Swetania demanding the Swetanian state unify into Werania on the basis of its large Weranic speaking population, an ultimatum Swetania rejected leading to a Weranic declaration of war. Werania would quickly overrun the Swetanian army in much of the north of the country before marching southwards to Elsbridge with the intent of sieging the city and forcing the government to capitulate. These quick military victories alarmed Gaullica who intending to support their ally declared war on Werania in August 1852. Shortly afterwards Marolevia, upholding a prior pact with Gaullica, joined the war against Werania as well with the three anti-Weranic states forming the Triple Alliance (Triplice; Dreibund; Тройственный союз). Marolev and Gaullican reinforcements halted the Weranic advance into Swetania before pushing them back throughout 1853, whilst Gaullica extensively planned a large scale naval invasion in Werania's main port Bürchaft. By late 1853 Werania had suffered deliberating defeats at x, x and Bürchaft with Triple Alliance forces advancing in the north and southwest of the country, near the capital of Westbrücken.

Due to the advance of Triple Alliance forces and fearful of Gaullican domination of the continent the then-neutral Kingdom of Estmere in March 1854 declared war on the Triple Alliance hoping to prevent a Gaullican victory against Werania. Estmerish forces were able to advance into northern Gaullica at the battles of x and x aided by Hennish nationalists as well as bolster Weranic forces who were able to push back Triple Alliance forces. The Battle of Trierberg in modern-day Ruttland saw the Marolevic armies led by General Alexander Inozemtsev decisively routed by Weranic-Estmerish forces with the retreating army being again defeated at the siege of x. The practical defeat of the Marolev army led to the Marolev government who was facing domestic pressure to end the war to sue for a separate peace, de facto ending the Triple Alliance and heralding the withdrawal of Marolevia from the conflict. Fighting between Gaullica and Swetania against Werania and Estmere continued at a stalemate for the rest of 1855 with the battles of x and x failing to provide either side with a decisive victory.

By December 1855 both alliances were facing increasing economic difficulties incurred by war debts, pressure from peace activists, exhaustion within the armies and a lack of progress made. With both sides believing the enemy possessed the means to win the war before the other an armistice was declared following the unsuccessful siege of Aimargues, leading to the neutral nation of Etruria to host the Congress of Torrazza which decided the terms of the peace between the warring powers. The nation of Hennehouwe was created as a buffer state between Gaullica and Estmere whilst Werania was awarded Ruttland from Swetania, with all nations being privy to reparations between each other. Werania was also forbidden to launch further wars of aggression against its neighbours.

The war quickly attained an infamous reputation of brutality, being one of the first wars to be documented within its warring nations with constant newspaper and photographic coverage. It also saw a greater use of newer technology such as explosive naval shells, railways, and telegraphs as well as early instances of trench warfare and blind artillery fire. It's inconclusive peace had a dramatic result for the Euclean geopolitical system - the Triple Alliance who had been some of the dominant powers on the continent since the Pereramonic wars saw their ties weaken. Swetania perceiving its role in the alliance system to lead it to greater risk became more detached from firm alliances; Marolevia meanwhile was shown to its citizens to be far weaker than was thought, leading to [internal stuff]. Gaullica was able to maintain its large standing army and its prestige, but was more diplomatically isolated with Gaullican nationalists blaming politicians for suing for peace rather than fighting (the so-called "la légende du coup de poignard") with the loss of Hennehouwe also leading to a longstanding feeling of revanchism. Werania whilst proving itself to be a significant military power and attaining territory was unable to secure its objective of unifying Weranic speaking lands; the war had also shown the country to be diplomatically isolated and that its military was not invincible, leading to the state to pursue a more diplomatic foreign policy. Estmere emerged from the war with great prestige; it not only demonstrated the effectiveness of its army but also was able to solve standing tensions with Werania and diplomatically isolate Gaullica from Euclean affairs.