Third Insurrection

Third Insurrection
Workers occupy a plaza in Dinsmark during a strike.
Date 29 April 1919 - 1 April 1922 (Dejure) (2 years, 11 months, 3 weeks and 1 day) 10 April 1919 - 22 May 1923 (Defacto) (4 years, 1 month, 1 week and 5 days) Location Brumen Result Absolutist defeat Abolition of Brumen's absolute monarchy Establishment of a consitutional monarchy Beginning of the Second Reformation era
Belligerents
Absolutists House Fischer House Lehmann House Schäfer House Stauss GAR 1st Army GAR 5th Army	Constitutionalists House Hoffman House Zimmermann House Vogel House Braun GAR 2nd Army GAR 3rd Army GAR 4th Army GAR Navy	Syndicalists GSK VU KPvB AdSD VdB VFdBL VBA
Supported by Garima Under-Foresters Havari Militias	Supported by TBD	Supported by Beranists Wernerists
Commanders and leaders
Hannes II  † Klemens Pabst   Wendell Klein   Kasimir Walter   Maximilian Fabel   Ewald Larenz   William <X> Srav Kann  (POW)	Raban Hoffman Hellfried Kraus Ulrich Hoffman   Oda Siegel   Kilian Lorenz	Adelric Stein Eugene Neumann   Carla Pfeiffer
Strength
TBD	TBD	TBD
Casualties and losses
TBD

The Third Insurrection, also known as the April Insurrection, was a major civil war in Brumen that officially lasted from 29 April 1919 until 1 April 1922 and was fought between the Absolutists, Constitutionalists and Syndicalists. Informally however historians consider 10 April 1919 and 22 May 1923 as the historical start and end dates of the insurrection. The Absolutists fought to preserve Brumen's absolute monarchial system of government, the Constitutionalists wished to replace it with a constitutional monarchy whereas the Syndicalists intended to overthrow the monarchy completely and replace it with a left-wing state led by a council of workers. Historians generally agree that the conflict was by two major factors: the economic and social changes caused by the industrial revolution as well as political dissatisfaction between the monarchy and the noble houses of the Kingdom. The Third Insurrection began on 10 April 1919 initially as a series of loosely coordinated protests by members of various labor unions from armament factories in the city of Ankerplatz near the Drevstranese border where workers both walked out and occupied public areas, demanding better working conditions and higher wages. Local officials were confused by conflicting rumors and reports about the protests, with news describing the event as everything from a simple peaceful protest to a Drevstranese attack on Brumen's soil, led to a violent suppression of the protests by both law enforcement officials and a mobilization of the Grand Army of the Realm's (GAR) local garrisson which further enflamed the situation. As news of the protest and its violent suppression spread the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the largest association of labor, worker and trade unions in Brumen, organized a general strike at the city of Hafenstadt to protest the government response in Ankerplatz and demanded the same concessions. These striking workers however were shot upon by police officers and soldiers which resulted in non-members of the TUC alongside the general population attacked local army barracks and police stations to protect the striking workers. Hannes II the reigning monarch at the time issued a series of proclamations which included: making it illegal to become a member a trade union, the banning the use of public spaces to stage protests. These were swiftly followed by the signing of a Royal Decree that legalized Hannes II's proclamation, all of which were done without consulting the Oberhaus. The proclamation however was largely ignored by the nation's labor unions, and both members and non-members of labor unions walked out in solidarity and protest towards the monarch's decision.

Syndicalist movements affiliated with the TUC initiated an insurgency campaign in almost all realms across the nation. TUC strongholds include the realm of Bewahren where it had successfully taken over and controlled key government and military institutions. House Hoffman alongside Houses XX, XX and XX protested Hannes II unilateral decision to issue royal decrees without consulting the Oberhaus (House of Lords) and instead issued their own decree towards the monarch which labeled Hannes II proclamation to be null and avoid as it conflicts with the interests of the nation. In response Hannes II dissolved the Oberhaus and arrested Ulrich Hoffman, the head of House Hoffman, alongside his supporters. This led to the realm of Sudentor, the ancestral homeland of House Hoffman, to declare war upon the monarchy and demanded the abdication and exile of Hannes II, establishment of legislative and judicial bodies and the release of all prisoners. The faction led by House Hoffman becoming known as the Constitutionalists, those led by Hannes II were the Absolutists and the Syndicalists used as an umbrella term to describe the various left-wing and worker movements throughout the country. Officers and enlisted personnel of the Grand Army of the Realm (GAR) could be found in all three factions though a significant number of them sided with the Consitutionalists. Right from the start Absolutist forces found themselves fighting a war on two fronts, from the east Syndicalist insurrectionists were able to initially expand their area of control quickly with the cities of Endeheim, Gelddorf and Schonfurt falling under their control over the next three months. Constitutionalist forces were able to expel government and military officials loyal to the monarchy and began their slow conquest towards the east. Syndicalist uprisings in the west were also rampant but were quashed with considerable loss off life, though it prevented Syndicalist elements from establishing a firm foot-hold in Constitutionalist-held territories. By March 1921 all three factions had largely reached a stalemate, with no major gains by any faction for the next three months. Through various back channels the Constitutionalists and Syndicalists sought to establish an alliance to break the stalemate and decisively end the civil war. Intense behind the scene negotiations between the Constitutionalist and Syndicalists took place between July and September 1921 until a tentative agreement was reached as to how the country would be governed after Hannes II had been deposed. The death of Hannes II through an elaborate assassination plot on 20 March 1922 became a major turning point of the war as the ring leaders of the assassination the Absolutists conditionally surrendering to the Consitutionalist and Syndicalist factions. This would lead to a series of changes known as the Second Reformation, a constitution was ratified on 1 April 1922 which marks the dejure end of the Third Insurrection. The death of Hannes II however did not result in a decisive end to the conflict, with some Absolutist commanders splintering off and became warlords of small territories they controlled, vowing to continue the fight. These holdouts would not be completely defeated until 22 May 1923.

Causes

Internal factors

The industrial revolution in Brumen that began in the early 19th century led to rapid economic and societal changes and consequences in the Kingdom. A process of urbanization swept the country with people migrating from the nation's rural regions to its major cities and industrial centers. This influx of residents who were previoulsy unfamaliar with urban culture were quickly introduced to new lifestyles and urban culture and with better wages these influx of people disrupted the existing social order. Since the abolishment of feudalism in the 16th century Brumenese society was divided into three distinct orders. This social order had kept Brumenese society stable for nearly half a millenium but found itself incompatible with the changes brought upon by the nation's industrialization. Brumen's pre-existing social class is as follows:

• The first order: highest social class and consisted of Brumen's royal family.
• The second order: second highest social class and is comprised of members of Brumen's nobility, lesser monarchs who governed the realms of Brumen.
• The third order: often considered as the middle-class and consisted of wealthy merchants and business owners.
• The fourth order: lowest social class and consisted the working class such as laborers, tradesmans, artisans, craftmans, servants and peasants.

Discontent quickly grew amongst working class when their hopes for a better life through the nation's industrialization were quashed as they experienced severe overcrowded housing, poor sanitary conditions, long working hours, little to no working rights and/or protections and inadequate wages from their employers. These newly urbanized workers were also exposed to new ideas about political, economic and social orders which sparked conversations amongst them and was quickly disseminated through the fledgling press industry. Long standing grievences amongst workers and commoners include the disproportionate distribution of wealth and property rampant in the nation. By the mid 20th century the first, second and third orders of society controlled 85% and 95% of the nation's wealth and land respectively even though they only comprise 25% of Brumen's total population. This led to a slow but growing call for change in the country's economic and social order. Workers established associations with similarly minded workers to voice their opinions together which eventually led to the creation of the first unions in Brumen. By 1901 unions could be found in almost every city in the country. These unions generally had common goals: improve working conditions, obtain better benefits and wages, establish proper complaint procedures, develop rules governing the status of employees and increase the bargaining power of the union's members through collective bargaining.

Meanwhile politically members of the nobility had grown increasingly alienated by the monarch's disregard of the role of the House of Lords. For centuries the ruling monarchs of Brumen had ruled relatively unchallented, with no meaningful opposition ever able to successfully challenge the decisions of the monarch. The Oberhaus is often considered by historians as a proto-legislative body that was formed in the aftermath of the First Insurrection in the 16th century, whose puprose was to provide a forum of discussion between the monarchy and the great noble houses of Brumen. The Oberhaus however was not vested with formal powers to veto or stop Brumen's monarchs from taking action, even if members of the Oberhaus objected to it. While the monarch was undern o obligation to discuss every decision he or she intended to take with the Oberhaus, every monarch since Arndt I established the Oberhaus had done so since 1588, effectively establishing an informal convention for all monarchs to do so. This convention began to be ignored by Hannes I in 1860, which his successor Hannes II, ignored entirely by the time he was coronated in 1885. To appease members of the nobility, Hannes II offered them certain privilleges but some members of the nobility rejected Hannes II's offers and sought to ensure that the convention remained. Opponents of Hannes II's actions included Ulrich Hoffman, the head of House Hoffman, who found allies in Houses XX, XX and XX and began to quietly gather support to propose and enact reforms to limit the powers of the monarch. Combined with the nation's economic and social changes brought upon by industrialization, Brumen's political landscape was rife and ready for a revolution.

External factors

Main article: Drevstranese Civil War

Soldiers of the GAR arrive in An-Lushem in on January 1917.

Hannes II decision to involve Brumen in the Drevstranese Civil War is also considered as a supporting factor in the cause of the Third Insurrection. Brumen's government s trongly condemned the 12th of February coup initiated by Hortankh Bolsar and refused to recognized the Transitory Emergency State which served as Drevstran's interim government. Brumen instead recognized the Golden Columns led by Prince Farza of Kaposlovar as the legitimate successor state of the Tripple Crown. However due to geographical constraints most of Brumen's support was centered around the Marquisate of Yugstran led by Srav Kann, a supporter of Prince Farza. Initially Brumen refrained for direclty intervening in the war, offering instead financial, diplomatic support as well as the shipment of arms and equipment for the Royalist faction. Hannes II originally wanted to involve the GAR in the civil war but its commanders lobbied against it due to the Royalists precarious situation. However a large number of Havari, Lushyods who had settled around lake Bluhen from Drevstran, wished to support the Royalists though they lacked the means to do so effectively. Hannes II took advantage of this opportunity and established the Havari Regiment, a volunteer militia organization that would serve as an auxiliary unit to maintain internal security within Royalist controlled territories and assist local police officers. Members of the militia were trained by officers of the GAR and in total up to XXXX militia perosnnel was sent to territories controlled by the Marquisate by 1914. Hannes II had hoped that the use of the Havari would provide him with some degree of plausible deniability while at the same time allowing him to more directly assist the Marquisate. For Srav himself the presence of the Havari would help free up his more experienced professional solders to be deployed in combat. Brumen also provided material aid such as small arms, ammunition, helmets and so forth, alongside medical support and military training where soldiers loyal to Kann were sent to Brumen and trained by the GAR.

However by 1916 with Royalist forces unable to force a decisive end to the war Hannes II, against the advice of his military commanders, proclaimed the direct involvement of Brumen in the DCW on the side of the Royalists and and ordered the deployment of the GAR to support Srav Kann. Hannes II motivation to assist Kann was most likely driven out of his own desire to preserve Brumen's absolute monarchy and the need to what he perceived as the necessary containment of a domino effect of revolutions from Ostrozava and Drevstran from reaching Brumen's borders. Hannes II had also hoped that Brumen's participation in the war would help deflect public discontent from his own failings in managing the consequences of Brumen's industrialization and a victory in the war would help him regain legitimacy amongst both the nobility and commoners alike. While GAR involvement was able to temporarily tip the balance in Kann's favor, Vilvo Obraggar's renewed offensives in 1918 proved to be decisive enough to force Srav to consider surrendering. Once his intention to surrender was made public the GAR and Havari militia volunteers began to withdrew to Brumen's borders. The Royalists subsequent defeat in 1918 and significant loss of GAR personnel was seen as a major foreign policy failure with members of the nobility holding Hannes II personally responsible for it. Hannes II also effectively alienated GAR commanders as he had ignored their warnings to not directly involve the GAR. Civilians that had been conscripted returned home disillusioned with their purpose to unquestioningly serve a monarchy that they saw to be incapable whereas workers who had produced materiel for the war effort grew discontent as they endured grueling working conditions but the country was unable to emerge victorious. Across the Perliclean Ocean, the overthrowing of Yisrael's absolute monarchy in 1919 further drove home Hannes II's fears of a revolution in Brumen.

Factions

Absolutists

The Absolutists are a faction of the Brumenese government and GAR led by Hannes II that fought to preserve the nation's absolute monarchy. Hannes II

Syndicalists

Members of the Trade Union Congress during a conference in 1918.

The Syndicalists is an umbrella term used by historians to refer to left-wing factions that sought to overthrow the monarchy and establish a Syndicalist state in its place and were largely comprised of workers and commoners, people from Brumen's third order of society. These groups range from political parties, labor unions and defectors from the GAR itself who fought for the syndicalist cause. The syndicalist movement first began to appear in the mid 18th century as a result of nation's industrialization and initially began as labor unions that demanded better working conditions and wages from their employers through protests and strikes. Though large in scale they were relatively peaceful in nature and never turned violent. These efforts had mixed success and popularized the process of collective bargaining throughout the nation. The largest of these organizations and political movements includes confederations of various trade unions namely the Trade Union Congress (TUC/GSK), Transport Union (TU/VU), Association of Coal Miners (ACM/VdB) and the United Front of Miners & Farmers (UFMF/VFdBL). The TUC and TU are generally seen as the leading members of the Syndicalist faction throughout the insurrection, and were led by Leni Ziegler and Johna Hopfer. Members of the Syndicalist movement were comprised mostly of people from the fourth order of Brumenese society, namely those who performed manual labor or skilled trades. By the early 20th century this had expanded to include lawyers, artisans and doctors who embraced the advantages of establishing unions. The success of the Crimson Revolution in Ostrozava raised hopes amongst the Syndicalists that a transition into a left-wing nation was possible and concurrently raised concerns among the upper class and nobility who were worried that the revolution in Ostrozava might result in cascading domino effect. Further fueling this fear was the start of the Drevstranese Civil War (DCW), bringing the threat ever closer to home. Hannes II's decision to support the Royalist faction and later direct participation into the war was highly unpopular amongst workers and merchants alike. When it became apparent that the Royalists lacked the means to decisively end the DCW, Hannes II ordered the GAR to directly intervene in the civil war. A general mobilization was announced and a conscription enacted to fulfill additional manpower requirements of the GAR. Workers were not consripted were required to work longer to support the larger war effort which only further antagonized the population.

Course of the war

General Strike of 1919

Police officers fire upon protestors at Gartenstrasse, Anfang, 29 April 1919.

On 10 April 1919 factory workers who worked in armament factories at the city of Ankerplatz walked out and occupied public areas, demanding better working conditions and higher wages from their employers. Ankerplatz is located just XX kilometers from the Drevstranese borders and city officials as well as the local GAR garrison had been on edge of a potential Drevstranese retaliation against Brumen for its involvement in the Drevstranese Civil War. the lack of a formal peace treaty to end Brumen's involvement in the Drevstranese Civil War cast a cloud of uncertainty as to whether Drevstran would retaliate against Brumen. The strikes were organized by various labor unions that were affiliated with the larger Trade Union Congress. Strikes and walkouts had been a common scene throughout Brumen since its industrialization but this was the first coordinated mass walk out in a major city. Local officials were confused by conflicting rumors and reports about the protests, with news describing the event as everything from a simple peaceful protest to a Drevstranese attack on Brumen's soil, led to a violent suppression of the protests by both law enforcement officials and a mobilization of the GAR's local garrison by the realm's Duke which further inflamed the situation. Hundreds of people were arrested and detained with many more hospitalized, though none were killed and no shots were fired by law enforcement officials. News of the protest and violent suppression reached the TUC which prompted the organization to organize a larger strike in the city of Hafenstadt to protest the government response in Ankerplatz, demanding the same concessions and an apology for its violent suppression. Hannes II was informed of the situation in Ankerplatz and issued a royal decree that made it illegal for large groups of people to assemble and voice their opinions in public places. The strikes in Hafenstadt began on 15 April 1919 and in an attempt to circumvent the royal decree, protesters instead staged rallies and protests inside their factories. Factory owners barricaded themselves in offices or warehouses to avoid the workers and called for help from law enforcement officials who were prevented from entering the premises by the striking workers. The strikes went on for two days with police unable to disperse the workers unless their demands were fulfilled. A fire eventually broke out in a factory that produced ammunition and small arms which led to an explosion. Police officers in the factory then immediately fired upon the striking workers, thinking they were under attack which led to the deaths of dozens of workers. This quickly spiraled out of control when information about the explosion and gunshots was spread, resulting in both police officers and protestors attacking each other which led to an escalating spiral of violence.

By 18 April the local GAR barracks and police stations were overrun by protestors and members of the general public who had grown disillusioned with the government. In response Hannes II issued a new royal decree that made it illegal to establish trade union and branded all existing trade unions to disband themselves within the next three days which was signed into law on 19 April which only further galvanized efforts by trade unions to resist the government efforts. The royal decrees were published and circulated without consultation with the Oberhaus which only brewed more animosity from the nobility towards Hannes II. Ulrich Hoffman, the leader of a coalition of disgruntled noble houses, sought for an audience with Hannes II and informed the monarch of his concerns which only fell to deaf ears. As word of Hannes II's royal decree was circulated and announced throughout the nation mass demonstrations broke out in major cities such as Anfang, Dinsmark and Althaven. By 26 April almost every city in the nation was engulfed in demonstrations by workers, students and members of the general public who had grown disillusioned with Hannes II's reign. In response to the mass demonstrations on 28 April Hannes II issued another royal decree which imposed a 30-day ban on street protests. Law enforcement official were also given the authority to imprison anyone found in violation of the ban. On the morning of 29 April local police officers in Anfang arrested group of students whom the police suspected of heading towards a plaza where demonstrations were held. Two of the students managed to escape police custody and reported to their parents that they were tortured and assaulted by police. Parents of the victims came to the police station and demanded the release of the remaining students, but the parents in turn were attacked and detained the police. Word of their arrest and assault was quick spread by eye witness reports and a crowd quickly descended upon the police station, destroyed it and released the detainees. As the outnumbered police fled protesters began attacking other police stations throughout the city. Police reinforcements arrived but they proved unable disperse demonstrators through non-lethal means. In Gartenstrasse (Garden Street) a large crowd of demonstrators had congregated and began to march towards Anfang city hall. Police had created a barricade and demanded for the protestors to disperse. When the protestors refused to do so they were fired upon which resulted in the deaths of at least 150 people. Hannes II royal decrees and the police's heavy handed tactics to suppress the demonstrations only strengthened the protestor's resolve with the massacre in Gartenstrasse becoming a rallying call for the general public to riot.

Escalation into a civil war

Military situation on 8 May 1919.

GAR defectors fighting alongside syndicalist insurrectionists in Anfang.

With the civil unrest quickly spiraling into a full blown rebellion Hannes II ordered the deployment the GAR to quell the uprisings with orders to shoot on sight. Field Marshall Hellfried Kraus, chairperson of GAR High Command, was against this order and refused to issue the order to GAR personnel. On 1 May Hannes II ordered that Field Marshall Kraus come to the royal palace in Dinsmark where monarch again ordered Field Marshall Kraus to deploy the GAR against the protestors. When Kraus refused to do so Hannes II relieved him of his command and replaced him with Wendell Klein a well known loyalist to the monarchy. Field Marshall Klein ordered the deployment of the GAR but this only deepened an already existing rift between Hannes II and elements of the GAR who were unhappy with Hannes II's decision to involve the GAR in the Drevstranese Civil War. Orders were issued fo GAR garrison commanders to deploy troops to major cities but not all complied. There are reports of enlisted personnel who refused to fire upon protestors and was placed in military detention as well as officers who refused to comply with the order entirely and instead ordered their troops to remain within their barracks. Entire squads, platoons, companies, brigades and divisions of the GAR who, of their own volition, have been reported to defect and join the rising insurrectionist movement. With Hannes II's showing no signs of deescalating the ongoing civil turmoil leaders from the nation's largest trade unions, the Trade Union Congress, Transport Union, Association of Coal Miners and United Front of Miners & Farmers, agreed in an emergency convention where they agreed that the only way to end Hannes II's reign was through an armed struggle. Assisted by defectors from the GAR, Syndicalist insurrectionists were able to take over and control key government and military institutions in Brumen's eastern realms with the cities of Hafenstadt, Ankerplatz, Bergstadt, Verleihenheim and Endeheim firmly under the control of Syndicalist insurrectionists. On 3 May the leaders of the Trade Union Congress alongside its allies proclaimed the establishment of a new revolutionary state: the Union of Brumen, a syndicalist directorial republic led by a council of workers and designated the city of Hafenstadt as its provisional capital. This Union however was challenged by rival Syndicalist uprisings led by trade unions who were unaligned or were direct rivals of the Trade Union Congress. The Transport Union (TU) is often considered as the TUC's largest rival who had successfully taken control of the city of Schonfurt alongside a sizeable territory in the south east of Waldreich.

With almost half the nation in open rebellion against the crown and elements of the GAR either turning mutinous or refusing to implement the monarch's order on 5 May the Oberhaus, under Ulrich Hoffman's leadership, issued drafted and ratified a competing royal decree. As the Oberhaus was only a consultative body and not granted any authority to issue royal decrees, many saw this act as a symbolic gesture to show that not all within the ruling monarch's government agreed with Hannes II's actions. The Oberhaus's royal decree not only rescinded all royal decrees issued by Hannes II since the beginning of the strikes, but it also condemned monarch and demanded that Hannes II's immediate abdication and the ascendancy of a new monarch elected by the Oberhaus. Hannes II saw this as an act of disloyalty and betrayal, resulting in the execution of Ulrich Hoffman and the arrest of all members of the Oberhaus who supported his royal decree. As a result the remaining members of the nobility in the Oberhaus were those loyal to Hannes II. Raban Hoffman, son of Ulrich Hoffman, led a coalition of noble houses who were alienated by Hannes II demanded for his immediate abdication and an end to the monarch's unchecked powers. General Kraus, who still had the loyalty of the commanders of the GAR's 2nd, 3rd and 4th armies, met with Raban Hoffman, and pledged his support to rebel noble houses who historian would refer to as the Constitutionalist faction. Those who remained loyal to Hannes II were referred to as the Absolutists. Field Marshall Kraus's first priority was to establish a land bridge between Constitutionalist holdings in the east and those in the south. While the Constitutionalists had the loyalty of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th royal armies they were separated in two cluster of territories in the sout hand east of the kingdom. The 2nd and 4th armies were consolidated around the realm of Sudentor which was largely under Constitutionalist control. However the 3rd army was isolated around a small part of Ernte and the cities of Werfstein, Feierbach and Bertreten and large contingents of the 3rd army was tasked with suppressing Syndicalist uprisings in Feierbach and Bertreten. On 10 May Kraus ordered the deployment of the 22nd, 31st and 35th Combat Brigades from the 4th army, under the command of Brigadier General Liam Huber, to establish a land bridge to link up the 3rd army with the rest of the Constitutionalist forces. They were met with fierce resistance from the 8th and 19th Combat Brigades from the 1st royal army who were loyal to Hannes II and commanded by Brigadier General Clemens Kammerer. The two factions clashed in the Einsamkeit Forest where Constitutionalist forces fired upon Absolutists forces who were entrenched in preparation to lay siege to the city of Werfstein. Historians consider the Battle of Einsamkeit Forest to the first major battle of the insurrection as it involved a total of 12,000 troops and resulted in a victory for Constitutionalist forces. An estimated 10,000 Absolutist troops who were garrisoned in the city of Neue Markte were ordered to retreat from the city due to fears of the city being cut off by either Syndalist or Constitionalist forces, with the latter capturing the city after all Absolutist forces had retreated.

To the east GAR forces loyal to the monarchy continued to be harassed by Syndicalist insurgents with mass uprisings reported in almost all major cities held by Absolutists. The realm of Nordtor was firmly under Syndicalist control while footholds had been established in other major cities such as Flusstadt, Schonfurt and Sturmblut. Though Absolutists held control over large swathes of territory their forces were stretched and their counter-offensives against insurrectionists uncoordinated which blunted the effectiveness of their campaign to suppress the uprising. By 11 June an estimated 5,000 Absolutist troops surrendered near the XXX river, effectively surrendering the cities of Gelddorf and Endeheim to Syndicalist forces aligned with the Transport Union and Trade Union Congress respectively. These gains brought the two rival Syndicalist factions into direct contact with one another. The TU & TUC had competing views on how to govern with the TU advocating for a centralized system of government whereas the TUC sought to establish a decentralized government. Both factions were unable to resolve their differences which resulted military clashes between the TU & TUC. This prevented the Syndicalists from expanding further beyond their current territorial holdings. The city of Anfang continued to remain contested as Absolutist forces fought in a battle of attrition against Syndalicalist insurrectionists in the city and its outskirts. Hannes II committed additional troops to regain control of Anfang and was ultimately successful though at a cost. Syndicalist insurrectionists were driven out from Anfang but Hannes II's redeployment of troops had costed him other cities to the north such as Bergstadt which fell in July and Berggarten expected to fall by the end of the year. Absolutist-aligned militias comprised of former members of the Havari Regiment who participated in the Drevstranese Civil War were highly active in fighting against TUC and TU aligned insurgents in the cities of Schritte and Flusstadt. Indirectly led by Srav Kann, a former Drevstranese warlord from the Drevstranese Civil War, these militias were successful in harassing Syndicalist forces in the southern shores of Lake Bluhen and drove out pro-Syndicalist insurrectionists from Anfang and realm of Hoffnung. Constitutionalist forces in the west continued to press eastward along Brumen's southern coast, by September capturing the contested cities of Feierbach and Betreten from Syndicalist and Absolutist forces. By November Wendell Klein had established firm control over all remaining Absolutist force and organized the first effective counter-offensive, successfully retaking the cities of Vermogenwald by December 1919 and Handelstadt by February 1920. This led to the battle of XXX on March 1920 when Constitutionalist and Absolutists clashed for control over the city of Handelstadt. This however led to a stalemate with the Constitutionalists eastward push temporarily halted, providing the Absolutists a much needed reprieve.

Hannes II's escape to the north

The temporary stabilization of the frontlines allowed for Field Marshall Wendell Klein to reorganize his forces and assess the situation. Knowing that Dinsmark was vulnurable to a siege to the Absolutists stretched forces, Wendell ordered that the Hannes II should evacuate to the city of Althaven in the northern realm of Hoffnung where the 5th Royal Army remained loyal to the reigning monarch. The evacuation plan involved the use of what remained of the kingdom's rail network, travelling from Dinsmark and transitting briefly in Vermogenwald, the monarch's convoy would briefly pass through Syndicalist held territory in the outskirts of the city of Sturmblut before eventually reaching the Absolutist held city of Ruhewalde and continuing on to Althaven. Wendell mobilized 5,000 troops to the south of Sturmblut in an attempt to draw the Syndicalist's attention away from the east where Hannes II's train would pass through unscathed. Additionally the Field Marshall intentionally leaked information regarding a possible siege of Sturmblut to concentrate Syndicalist resources in protecting the city rather than the surrounding country side. The plan was a closely guarded secret, with Hannes II traveling in disguise. On 11pm 21 May 1920, Hannes II's train departed Dinsmark with a small entourage of aides and bodyguards, arriving in the city of Vermogenwald on 3.15am the following day. The train stopped for a 30 minutes to resupply before resuming its journey north on 3.45am. At around the same time a large number of Absolutist forces from fort XX, only XXkm away from Sturmblut, began to march towards the city as part of the planned diversion. Syndicalist scouts and informants notified their commanders of this troop movement and called for its patrols and garissons in the countryside to retreat and reinforce the city. By 4.20am Hannes II's train entered Syndicalist territory with no incident, successfully passed through by 5am and arrived at its final destination in Althaven by 9am. Hannes II's retreat to the north was not discovered until Constitutionalist and Syndicalist forces besieged Dinsmark later on September 1920. Field Marshall Wendell Klein had hoped that by keeping Hannes II's escape a secret, Constitutionalist and Syndicalist elements would disproportionately commit resources to capture Dinsmark while Absolutists could redeploy its forces to the north, and grind down the two opposing forces in a war of attrition. Meanwhile, Absolutists in the north would be able to regroup and eventually force the Constitutionalists to a reunification to fight against what Hannes II hoped was perceived as a existential crisis in the form of the Syndicalists. The plan almost worked with Absolutist forces taking fewer casualties in the first few months after Hannes II's escape while Constitutionalist and Syndicalists troops were forced to participate in grinding sieges.

Constitutionalist and Syndicalists alliance

As Hannes II consolidated his forces in the north, Constitutionalist forces were eventually able to achieve a breakthrough in the south western frontlines on May 1920 during the Battle of Widow's Creek. This opened a pathway for the Constitutionalist to quickly capture Vermogenwald and Handelstadt on June and July 1920 respectively. Similarly both the Transport Union and Trade Congress Union had captured large swatches of Waldreich's country side in the east, as well as the cities of Bergstadt and Berrgarten in the north east respectively. Long-standing differences in policies between the TU and TUC were temporarily put on hold during the initial start of the insurrection but were reignited during a Syndicalist conference of August 1920. The adhoc conference was an attempt by both Syndicalist factions to definitively resolve their differences and present a united front. However as the war dragged on it became clear that a decisive victory against both the Constitutionalist and Absolutists became highly unlikely as the Syndicalists lacked the expertise and manpower to defeat both through military means. As a result Adelric Stein, leader of the Trade Union Congress advocated to begin negotiations with the Constitutionalists who they believed could be negotiated with a reach a middiel ground. On the other hand Eugene Neumann, leader of the Transport Union, refused to do so and continued to assert that only a total victory against both monarchist factions is acceptable. Neumann had also publically and consistently advocated for a continuous revolution where a Syndicalist-led government of Brumen would support other Syndicalist uprisisngs amongst its immediate neighbors which alarmed the more moderate members of the Transport Union. As a result of this potential impasse Adelric Stein had secretly contacted Raban Hoffman, leader of the Constitutionalists, to negotiate an alliance between their two factions. A tentative agreement was reached prior to the start of the Syndicalist conference by both the TUC and Constitutionalists where any new government would incorporate aspects of Syndicalism such as the right to collective bargaining in its constitution, but at the same time the monarchy would be preserved under a constitutional monarchy. Adelric Stein had also reached out to Carla Pfeiffer, deputy leader of the TU, and a well known moderate within the Transport Union who was opposed towards Neumann's hardline policies and plotted a coup and take over of the Transport Union. On the second day of the conference Neumann alongside high ranking members of the TU continued to resist calls by the TUC to soften their position towards the Constitutionalists and instead continued to espouse the idea of an eternal struggle against all forms of non-Syndicalist aligned governments. Carla Pfeiffer, deputy leader of the TU, publically questioned the need for such a hardline stance. Due to the public nature of the conference which was attended by other Syndicalis, many attendees echoed her frustration. In a pre-arranged move Pfeiffer presented a document signed by 100 members of the TU and called for the immediate removal of Neumann from his position as leader of the Transport Union, declaring Neumann as mentally unfit to lead which would allow Pfeiffer to immediately replace him. Moments later security personnel of the TU came in to remove Neumann from the conference. At around the same time other known supporters of Neumann were similarly removed from their posts and placed under arrest. With Pfeiffer as leader of the TU the Syndicalists were able to present themselves as a united front and formally invited to Raban Hoffman to partake in official negotiations for a potential alliance which came into effect on September of 1920. Neumann was forced to return to Schonfurt though he would be assassinated by Pfeiffer through a false flag operation to ensure his silence.

War in the North 1921-1922

With the Constitutionalists and Syndicalists no longer fighting against one another resources could be redirected towards defeating Hannes II. The royal capital of Dinsmark was captured on October 1920 when its defenders capitulated. With winter approaching, plans to continue the war to the north were postponed. All three factions used the autumn and winter time to regroup and prepare for a renewed offensive when spring would come and the Absolutists dug renches in preparation for what they hoped was a long war of attrition. Long enough that it would force the opposing forces to offer a conditional peace. On March 1921 the long awaited northern offensives began with Constitutionalists attacking from the west and the Syndicalists pushing from the west. Resistance was fierce as Absolutists troops were well entrenched with no major breakthroughs achieved by all sides. Additionally prior to the start of the offensive Srav Kann, having officially taken over leadership of the Under-Forester network integrated the various Havari militias under his command structure and launched a guerilla campaign against the Constitutionalists and Syndicalists. Kann's efforts successfully harassed supply lines and key logistical centers of his opponents, striking from the forest before quickly melting away and regrouping. His reputation had earned him the nickname the white ghost. By August 1921 XX,XXX troops had perished in the northern war, far above the most pesimistic estimates. The situation continued up until September 1921 when Constitutionalist forces finally decided to initiate an aerial bombing campaign against the Constitutionalists though historians would refer to this as an early type of strategic bombing. The decision to do so was proposed by Field Marshall Hellfried Kraus in order to expedite the end of the war. As no conventional land nor tactical air strikes could dent Absolutists entrenched position, Hellfried Kraus hoped that a strategic bombing campaign against key targets such as factories, granaries and fuel depots would demoralize and ultimately force the Absolutists to capitulate. This proposal led to tensions amongst the leaders of the Constitutionalists who feared that such a campaign would alienate and turn their supporters against them as they would be seen as no better than Hannes II. The substantially high number of deaths however finally convinced Constitutionalist leadership to agree to Hellfried Kraus's campaign. Initially only small dedicated bombers operated by the Air Corps were used which had limited effectiveness as they were unable to carry large payloads. Absolutist supply lines, rather than stopped were only harassed by the constant bombing runs but were able to continue to operate normally. By October 2021 larger converted turbopop commercial airplanes were used allowing greater payload capacity, additionally major urban centers in the north such as Ruhewalde, Zeitfeld and Althaven were subjected to extended conventional and firebombing runs. Logistic and transport routes controlled by Absolutists were disrupted to the point some of them were rendered inoperable. Slowly but gradually the Absolutists retreated to rearrange their supply lines, allowing the Constitutionalists and Syndicalists to gradually advance. The harsh winter weather in the north compounded the supply issues experienced by Absolutists who found themselves unable to not only feed their soldiers, but also civilians who resided in their territories.

Coup against Hannes II

As the Absolutists were pushed back Hannes II grew increasingly paranoid, ordering his generals to doomed offensives and his advisors to implement non-nonsensical laws. Both the Constitutionalists and Syndicalists had offered a conditional surrender whereby Hannes II would be permitted to live in exile abroad if he chose to abdicate immediately. Hannes II's paranoia was further compounded by the remaining noble houses who were loyal to him, who urged the monarch to continue the war knowing that defeat would result in their likely expulsion and execution. This became a source of friction between the monarch and leadership elements within both the military and moderate members of his civilian government. On 10 November 1921 the monarch's closest advisors, including Field Marshall Wendell Klein, advised Hannes II to abdicate and escape the country which would allow a provisional civilian government to end the war without the death of Hannes II. This infuriated Hannes II who ordered the execution of Wendel Klein for treason which was reluctantly carried out by the military police. Wendel Klein's death alienated elements of the military and noble houses were loyal to the Absolutists cause. A coup was planned by these elements to forcibly remove Hannes II from the throne and end the war as quickly as possible. The coup was planned and led by four key individuals: General Kasimir Walter of the GAR Army and second-in-command of Wendel Klein, Lieutenant General Maximilian Fabel, Brigadier General Ewald Larenz and Klemens Pabst the Lord Chancellor of the Realm. The four plotted to use a contingency continuity-of-government plan drafted by Wendel Klein and approved by Hannes II, known as the Eternal Throne Act, which outlined the nation's order of succession in the event the monarch is incapacitated, died or killed. The act was first drafted in 18XX after the Second Insurrection which was caused by a succession crisis and prompted successive monarch's to outline a proper order of succession. The version of the plan held by Hannes II was the XXth version and was the first version to include the possibility of people outside the nobility to lead the nation. Three months worth of preparation was needed for the plot to come to fruition which required meticulous and precise planning. The first phase of the plot required that the lowest nobility members of the order of succession to be killed. This was done through intentionally leaking or exposing the target's positions/residence to Syndicalist saboteurs and assassins. The second part involved the incarceration of higher ranked members of the nobility, evidence that would highlight potential treasonous actions were planed in the homes and or persons of the nobility who were targeted which would provide justification for the military to arrest them. The arrest and conviction of any person under the Eternal Throne Act eliminates their eligibility to remain in the order of succession.

The third and final part of the plan was the most complicated and dangerous as it required the death of Hannes II and the heads of all noble houses simultaneously or within an extremely short period of time. The final phase was carried out on 20 March 1922, a monthly meeting between Hannes II and the heads of noble houses which would take place in the Winter Palace of Althaven. As Lord Chancellor of the Realm, Klemens Pabst was privy to Hannes II's schedule and appointments and therefore had foreknowledge of the monarch's movements. The plotters debated on how to best execute the plan. Options considered included contacting the Constitutionalists or Syndicalists through various back channels and arrange to have the monarch's death as part of a legitimate battle. However it was decided that there is no guarantee the intel their enemies receive would be treated as legitimate as it would sound too good to be true which leads to too much uncertainty for such a pivotal event. Ultimately the plotters arranged to have the deaths appear as collateral damage as part of a false flag attack. The monarch's agenda and appointments are a closely guarded secret, known only to the Lord Chancellor of the Realm and the Royal Guard knowing well in advance and the military only notified days prior. With ample warning from Klemens the plotters could arrange an elaborate plot to eliminate him, allowing them to plant loyal subordinates as part of their plan. This was done through subterfuge: the area of where the monarch's meeting would take place in church just outside the village of XX, fearing that a high level meeting the city during times of constant bombing would be too dangerous. The meeting location fell under the Area of Operation of the XXth Infantry Division and XXth Field Artillery Brigade, who was recently relocated there three weeks prior to date of the plot. Its members were comprised of soldiers loyal to Brigadier General Ewald Larenz. When all members of the meeting had been confirmed to be in attendance the plot was carried out. On 10:10 am scouts from the XXth reconnaissance platoon reported a potential sighting of a Constitutionalist incursion into the area and requested an artillery barrage for support. The artillery barrage however was targeted at the church struck at 10:13 am, with at least thirty shells fired within one minute. After receiving the all clear Captain XX from the XXth Infantry Company whose members had been handpicked by Ewald Larenz, arrived at the site on 10:15 am to search for survivors. Those that survived the barrage were summarily killed. On 10:40 am confirmation was received that Hannes II is confirmed to have been killed by the barrage and that there were no other survivors. Hannes II's death was publicly announced on 12:15 pm alongside the announcement as per the Eternal Throne Act that Klemens Pabst, as Lord Chancellor of the Realm, is next in line to lead the country.

Dissident Warlords period 1922 - 1923

Main article: Dissident warlords era

Acting quickly Klemens Pabst, now the official leader of the Absolutists, on 21 March 1922 reached out to the Constitutionalists and Syndicalists to inform them of the death of Hannes II alongside the highest members of the nobility who supported his war and signaled their intention to surrender and reunify the country. Peace talks were held in the royal capital of Dinsmark and would resulted in a series of agreements known as the Second Reformation. Under the peace treaty the Union of Brumen, a proto-state established by the Syndicalists, was officially dissolved and its territories reintegrated as part of the Kingdom of Brumen. Additionally the nation's constitution was amended to accommodate new elements concerning workers and citizen's rights. The Third Insurrection was officially declared ended on 1 April 1922 but armed conflict would continue until 1923. Klemens' order to Absolutist forces to stand down and cease all combat operations was not thoroughly carried out by some Absolutist commanders. While the Eternal Throne Act had provided clarity on the nation's order of succession, it had never been implemented up until Hannes II's death and its legitimacy was challenged by various political figures. The suspicious manner of Hannes II's death led to a small cadre of army officers to question the legitimacy of Klemens's claim. Of the XX army divisions who were loyal to the Absolutists, almost a third of them splintered and established independent domains with their commanders becoming warlords. Some notable warlords included XX of the XX, XX of the XX, XX of the XX and Srav Kann of the Under-Forresters. These warlords refused to surrender and continued a year-long guerilla campaign against the Absolutists, Constitutionalists and Syndicalists alike though a disproportionate amount of attacks were levied against Absolutists who were loyal to the key conspirators of the "artillerymen" plot. Notable actions of the warlords include the Under-Foresters march to Althaven who were led by Srav Kann. Srav denounced the death of Hannes II as a conspiracy and demanded that Klemens Pabst step down as Lord Chancellor. They were denied entry in the outskirts of the city by the city's garrison but forced their way in which triggered a battle for control over the city. Combat in the city was intense as Under-Forester and Absolutist troops were engaged in grueling house-to-house fighting before Absolutist reinforcements arrived and forced the Under-Forresters to retreat to the country side. Initially only thought to be minor fringe groups that posed little to no threat and thus the reconstituted Brumenese government did not dedicated significant amount of resources to pacify these dissident elements. The successful assassination of Lieutenant General Maximilian Fabel, one of the key ringleader of the artillerymen plot, by a joint operation between the Under-Forresters and the Dragon Brigade warlord factions highlighted the government's complacency and initiated a pacification campaign against the warlords. The campaign lasted for a year and resulted in a further XX,XXX military and civilian deaths as government and warlord forces clashed with one another for control over disputed cities as the warlords enclaves and territories were pacified. Srav Kann's Under-Forresters were amongst the holdouts who survived the longest before finally being pacified and dissolved in January 1923 during a skirmish in the outskirts of Eintrag. Srav himself was captured and extradited to Drevstran where he would face trial.

Aftermath

Second Reformation

The Second Reformation contained the following key changes:

1. Immediate abolishment of the absolute monarchy, replaced with a constitutional monarchy. This way the monarchy is preserved but its powers have been distributed to an elected civilian government. The monarch would only be Brumen's head of state and the nominal commander-in-chief of the GAR.
2. Establishment of clear separation of powers between the nation's legislative, executive and judiciary bodies.
3. Reformation of Brumen's administrative divisions from a unitary state into a federal state where some sovereigny is transferred back to the Realms.
4. Transformation of the Oberhaus from an advisory body into the Congress of the Realm, a bicameral legislative body whose members are directly elected by the electorate.
5. The office of Lord Chancellor of the Realm is reformed as the Chancellor of Brumen and now wields more powers. It is the head of government and would be nominated by the Congress of the Realm as the person who commands the confidence of parliament.
6. Establishment of the High Court of the Realm who would oversee all matters related to federal law and is the final court of appeals.
7. Inclusion in the nation's constitution the following items:
   • Commitment to promote and protect the economic and social well being of its citizens based upon the principles of equal opportunity and equittable distribution of wealth.
   • Commitment to uphold the right to equittable collective bargaining for all workers in the nation.
   • Modern day historians and economists classify this as one of the earliest instances of wellfare state codified in a nation-state's constitution.
8. That the state would take steps to curtail the worst aspects of capitalism, adopting a mixed-market economic system.