Offeat Troubles

Offeat Troubles
Aftermath of the July 3 bombing of the Vogoci People's Plaza by the Offeat Commonwealth Army paramilitary force, which took the lives of 12 civilians.
Date 1934-1936 Location Saint Offeat, Arenoran Isles Result Signing of the Vogoci Agreement Offeat is partitioned into Saint Offeat and Northern Offeat Withdrawal of Arenoran and C.C.S forces Disarmament of paramilitary forces
Participants
Federalist paramilitaries Offeat Commonwealth Army Offeat Liberation Front Supported by: Commonwealth of Arenor (de facto) State security forces Royal Offeat Army Supported by: C.O.P.U	Independence/royalist paramilitaries Royal Volunteer Forces Offeat People's Liberation Army

The Offeat Troubles, also referred to as the Offeat Standoff and Offeat Civil War was a period of heightened nationalist and political unrest in the Kingdom of Offeat that broke out in 1934 amid the concurrent Federation of Arenor, when the four other Arenoran nations pursued closer economic, political and military ties under a common government.

The conflict was centered primarily around the question of Offeat's future; either integrating into the newly formed Commonwealth of Arenor or pursuing a path of political and economic independence as a sovereign nation. The federation of Saint Offeat in 1934 kickstarted tensions, as vigorous public support for both causes culminated in violent protests and clashes. Both sides began to establish volunteer forces and paramilitaries in anticipation of a worsening military conflict. The conflict became increasingly geographically oriented with the north part of the island heavily pro-federation and the south pro-independence. Sporadic violence became commonplace in major cities like Vogoci and Barotek where numerous bombings and shootings led to civilian casualties. The worsening situation led to the deployment of Coalition Offeat Peacekeeping Unit forces and several demilitarized zones were introduced. The conflict came to an end following the signing of the Vogoci Agreement which divided the Offeat island into two new nations; the sovereign nation of Saint Offeat and the Commonwealth member of Northern Offeat. Though much of the fighting came to an end, sporadic incidents did occur along the newly formed border.

The Offeat Troubles had a profound political, cultural and economic impact throughout the Arenoran Isles. The conflict left the Offeat island heavily divided, suffering from poverty, unemployment and high crime rates, all of which became the center of contemporary music and political discourse. Calls for the re-unification of Offeat have been ongoing since the conflict's end, though no framework or plan is in place to implement this. As a result, many continue to believe the Troubles did not actually end, but is a frozen conflict awaiting resolution.

Background

A map of states and major cities in Saint Offeat.

The topic of unifying the five Arenoran countries under a common government has been heavily debated throughout the course of history by Arenoran philosphers, legislators and writers. Though notions towards unification has always been perceived positively by the majority of Arenorans, especially in the centuries since Arren the Great united the five islands under a stratocracy to repel a foreign invasion. The Arenoran Question had been asked, but not answered as many believed it impossible to unite the major political and economic dominators like Republic of Arenland and Kingdom of Oritanth under a system where they would be equal to the smaller nations such as Schaltenkuut and Galdsilten.

Discussion of federation came around after the end of the Fifth Arenland-Oritanth War in 1924 which left the Isles devestated. In keeping with an agreement made during the war, newly crowned King Jhon Federene of Oritanth agreed to the Arenkau Pact as a means to deter further wars, establish a common customs and free trade union and establish a framework of what would become the federal government. The Pact was meant to expire after ten years as a means to allow the five nations to determine whether the agreement was mutually beneficial, and to allow them to exit the Pact if they believed it not.

The signing of the Pact had a massive positive impact on the course of Arenoran history and the Isles experienced a sharp rise in economic growth and prosperity. Even before the expiry of the treaty, calls to federate became increasingly numerous in each of the national legislatures. On 19 November 1933, Arenland hosted the 1933 Great Arenoran Exhibition where each of the five nations convened to discuss matters of government, economy, defence and mutual responsibilities. In an iconic address, Arenlandic President Haius Ultamon and King Jhon Federene of Oritanth officially pledged to commit their nations to a federation and called upon the remaining three nations to do the same. In the Union of Schaltenkuut, a 14 January referendum on the matter saw the nation commit to federation, followed closely by the Galdsilten on 29 January. The official Federation of Arenor was scheduled for the last week of July that year, the month the Arenkau Pact was due to expire.

1934

First clashes

On November 13th, the Offeat government authorized forces to counter protestors in major cities across the country, including the capital of Vogoci. Prime Minister Melvia Gabbard ordered the soldiers to "not fire unless fired upon", and that the goal was to prevent civilian and non-protestor harm. The following day on the 14th, the protests in Vogoci grew larger and more irritable. Protestors began throwing bricks and rocks at the riot-squads, and the squads hit back with batons and shields. At one point, a protestor threw a flaming bottle into the dispatch of soldiers, causing many injuries and burns. Another protestor fired a gun into the air, resulting in the soldiers unleashing a hail of bullets. 16 people were killed and dozens more injured in what became known as the Walsin Street Massacre.

Popular culture

The Troubles spawned numerous works across various forms of media in both Saint Offeat and the Arenoran Isles, including the 1992 film Day in Vogoci, which centered around two young adults caught up in the violence of November 14th, 1934.