Bogoria War

Bogoria War
Part of Fall of Communism in Holynia
Location Socialist State of Bogoria, (then part of the Union of Holyn Socialist States) Spillover into Movargovina and Stesopol Result Treisberg Agreement Holyn forces withdraw from Bogoria Expulsion of Hornat and other non-Bogor civilians Holynia grants independence to Bogoria Territorial changes Borders of the Socialist State of Bogoria became the de-facto borders of the Republic of Bogoria
Belligerents
BLA Support: Federal States of Cusco (1997-1998) Stesopol Republic (1998-99)	Holyn Socialist Union (1997-98) Republic of Holynia (1998-2000) Holyn Kingdom (2000-01) Socialist Republic of Movargovina (1997-1998) Stesopol Democratic Republic (1997)
	Republic of Movargovina (1998-1999)
Commanders and leaders
Bartosz Korda Marceli Rostkowski Błażej Karlik †	1997-98: Vlastimil Prusík Gen. Army. Benedikt Jelínek 1998-2001: Jonáš Široký Jaromír Mach Gen. Army Klement Brož Alexandr IV 2001 Rafał Golas 1998-2001
Units involved
Bogorian Liberation Army Support: Centro de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional 1997-1998 Stesopol Armed Forces 1998-99	Holyn Armed Forces 1997-99 Holyn Defence Forces 1999-2001 Socialist Army of Bogor 1997-99 Army of Christ 1998-2001 Movargovina Armed Forces 1997-1998 Stesopol Armed Forces 1997
Strength
110,000–150,000 troops 95,000 rebels	710,000 regular troops (~100,000 troops in vicinity of Bogoria) 1,000,000+ reserves 31,000+ pro-Holyn militias
Casualties and losses
42,000+ troops and rebels killed 21,000 troops and rebels injured 17,913 civilians killed	7,313 troops killed 14,310 troops injured 4,087 civilians killed

The Bogoria War was an armed confict in Bogoria that began on 7 August 1997 and concluded on 19 June 2000. It was fought by the military of the Holyn Socialist Union, its succesors, the Republic of Holynia and briefly the Holyn Kingdom, and the Bogorian Liberation Army. Holynia controlled the territory of Bogoria prior to the outbreak of the war. The war formally concluded in June 2000 when the Treisburg Treaty was signed between the warring parties. This followed significant political upheaval and waining public approval of the conflict in Holynia after numerous terrorist attacks by Bogorian rebels.

Background

Holynia was formed by a union formed by the Duchy of Hornat and Duchy of Masovia. Bogoria was an independent state known as the Bogor Order. The Bogor Order was invaded by the Holyn Realm during the Catastrophe, a war between the Holyn Realm and several of its neighbors. In 1330, Holynia defeated the invaders and annexed Bogoria into the Holyn Realm. Violence erupted between the populace of Bogoria and the new Holyn rulers. This was tamed down by the 1400s as the economy began to improve. In 1611, the first national legislature of Holynia convened in Cizekporok. The Bogoria delegation was the smallest of all the constituent countries. As Holynia industrialised in the 1800s, Bogoria, home to warm water ports, became home to several shipyards. The transformation from a largely agrarian economy into an industrialised economy saw Bogoria gain prominence in the Holyn Kingdom. Despite this, Bogoria was still the poorest region of Holynia, with Hornatyia having an average income 3 times higher than Bogoria's average. In the early 20th century, the Holyn Workers' Party began to openly challenge the authority of the ruling Monarchy in Holynia. As the country descended into civil war in 1923, parts of Bogoria gained de-facto independence, forming the Bogor Republic. In 1924, communist troops and militias invaded the independent parts of Bogoria and defeated the Bogor Republic.

Volen Hajek was able to cool simmering ethnic rivalries in Holynia, especially in Bogoria. The strong, centralised authoritarian leadership of Hajek saw attempts at succession by Bogoria stamped out. State security forces deported thousands of Bogorian civilians to Hornatyia to work in coal mines. Hornat civilians migrated into Bogoria. The state schools only taught Hornatyian, not the Bogorian language. This, among other strategies, were to remove any nationalist feelings within Bogoria.

In 1957, Bogoria descended into violence as Bogor civilians were outraged at the death of 3 civilians at the hands of the state police forces. The government responded by opening fire at protestors in Utena. Bogoria was largely ignored by the massive infrastructure campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s. The economic disparity between Bogoria and the rest of Holynia became more apparent. In 1984, unrest again broke out as Bogorian civilians were outraged at the removal of popular Bogorian state leader Filip Sieja. Sieja, an ethnic Bogor, was removed as he disagreed with the economic policies being pursued in Cizekporok. The unrest was supressed after months of lockdowns and mass arrests of thousands of civilians. In September 1989, the Łuków Volcano erupted, devastating the River Chełm valley and killing roughly 11,000 civilians. Allegations of the central government prioritising rescue operations on the Hornatyian side of the valley led to protests in Utena. Kamil Sládek forced the Environment Minister and the Energy Minister to resign, with the former being imprisoned. Holynia's economy slid into recession by late 1989 and only emerged from this recession a year later.

Political and economic reforms

The sluggish national economy hit Bogoria particularly hard. Heavy industries and services began to be concentrated in other regions of Holynia. This resulted in Bogoria suffering rising unemployment throughout the 1990s. Kamil Sládek died and Vlastimil Prusík took over leadership of the country. Prusík hoped to reduce simmering ethnic tensions in Bogoria by introducing political and economic reforms. The political reforms introduced "one-party democracy" where multiple candidates would be elected to party seats. Sládek emphasised that party elections should be entirely free and allow multiple viewpoints. Heavy opposition from the conservative wing of the Workers' Party was defeated and the reforms went through.

Sládek's economic reforms initially increased industrial output and slowly increased the availability of consumer goods. However, the bueraucratic and top heavy state run industries were unable to effectively handle operating without 5 year plans, worsening availability of products. Empty shelves and food shortages became common by late 1995. In October 1995, the central government began distributing ration cards for the first time since the late 1940s.

Constitutional reforms were passed by the Narodna Rada. These reforms introduced new executive roles in the government. Both a national President and state Governor posts were created. The Govenors would wield significant power over their respective States. Prusík was elected to as President of Holynia. The power of the national Narodna Rada and by extension, the Workers' Party, would be curtailed. Bartosz Korda, a former army general who commanded the Bogorian military district from 1991 to 1995, was elected as Governor of Bogoria.

Communists lose control

The reforms had the unintended effect of weakening the power of the government in Cizekporok. This was by design as the Governors of Hornatyia and Masovia were both close allys of Prusík. Bogoria was the sole outlier as Korda was a nationalist. Despite a Constitutional requirement that all executive members of government be members of the Workers' Party, Korda resigned from the Party the day after he became Governor.

Prusik, as General Secretary and President, demanded Korda resign as Governor as he could no longer hold the office. Korda refused to resign and called the legitimacy of the Party sole right to rule into question. Members of the Bogorian state parliament followed suit and announced their resignation from the Workers' Party.

Prusik, initially indecisive, was reluctant to remove Korda by force. Korda was democratically elected within Party organs and removing him would likely delegitimize the electoral process. Prusik had to keep in mind that the civilian populace was suffering from a struggling national economy.

In February 1997, Korda announced the Bogorian government would begin to levy taxes against imports from the states of Holynia. Many members of the Bogorian government and legislature formed the Bogorian Independence Party in late February 1997.

In March 1997, the Constitutional Court sided with the Holyn government in Cizekporok that the Constitution demanded party membership to be a member of government. Despite this, Korda resisted efforts to either rejoin the party or resign.

On 8 May, Korda ordered the police forces under his control to search the state Workers' Party headquarters in Utena. An angry Prusik ordered the state security services and loyal national police to protect the Party headquarters.

Conflict

Preparing for war

In March 1997, the Bogorian state parliament passed legislation declaring state sovergienty where Bogorian laws would have supremacy over national Holyn laws. The central government in Cizekporok declared this act illegal and the issue was taken up by the Constitutional Court. Korda refused to allow Bogorian lawyers to appear in court, challenging the legitmacy of the court to rule on the matter. Despite the court siding with the Holyn government, Korda challenged the issue in the Bogorian state court. This court sided with the Bogorian side and declared the national constitution void in issues where the Bogorian constitution contradicted with the former.

In June 1997, Korda announced the formation of the Bogorian People's Defence Force. This force quickly grew in strength as several ethnic Bogor officers defected in late July. The government in Cizekporok deployed the Interior Army and National Police to Bogoria to seize control of the defecting barracks and prevent weaponry falling into the hands of the rebels.

The defecting officers brought along thousands of soldiers, along with weaponry and other equipment. Military barracks in southern Bogoria were left unguarded and looted throughout July. Central government forces attempted to prevent this but were hindered by poor knowledge on which units were loyal to the central government. On 2 August 1997, Korda announced his resignation from the Workers' Party and the state parliament banned the Workers' Party from operating in Bogoria. The state police leadership declared allegiance to Korda and arrested their political officers. On 4 August 1997, Prusík and the Politburo declared the actions by Korda illegal. The Prosecuter General issued arrest warrants for Korda and other leaders of the growing Bogorian independence movement.

The aftermath of the shelling of the Bogorian parliament.

A combined force of the State Security Service, Interior Army and the National Police entered Utena with the goal of carrying out the arrest warrants. They were supported by elements of the 3rd Guards Tank Army from Uhrov. Local police, defecting soldiers and protesters surronded the State Security Service headquarters in Utena. Meanwhile, other pro-independence forces took positions around the Bogorian parliament.

War breaks out

On the night of 6-7 August 1997, the central government forces attacked the State Parliament building in Utena. Fierce fighting broke out throughout the city as rebels attacked government convoys with seized weapons. The Holyn troops, not expecting such fierce fighting, were ill-equipped to counter and a significant portion withdrew. Rebelling soldiers in other parts of Bogoria began to seal off roads and take control of the state. On 10 August 1997, Korda oversaw the Bogorian Parliament as it declared indepdence from Holynia. The central government in Cizekporok responded by launching a second attack on the building, this time causing considerable damange.

On 12 August, Korda announced the formation of the Bogorian Liberation Army. Elements of the military, police and volunteers joined the BLA, bringing along weaponry with them. However, many conscripts soon deserted at the prospect of fighting for little to no pay.

The Bogorian Military District, essentially all the Holyn military units stationed in Bogoria, faced upwards of 75% of its force defecting to the independence movement. The collapse in the chain of command saw the situation in Bogoria rapidly deterioate. Korda and other senior indepdendence leaders moved from Utena to Gniewkowo. Gniewkowo was home to the 53rd Motor Rifle Division which had mostly defected. Most of the officers of this unit were ethnic Bogor and non-ethnic Bogor conscripts fled.

On 15 August, the Bogoria branch of the Holyn National Police, numbering roughly 9,500 officers declared allegiance to Korda. By this time, the BLA had a strength of roughly 30,000 officers, NCOs and conscripts that had defected and 5,000 volunteers, many of which had military experience. The disintegration of the security forces in Bogoria saw calls for the declaration of martial law.

Disorganization in Cizekporok led to a chaotic response to the crisis. The Politburo and Central Committee were at odds on how to handle the crisis. Hardliners demanded a quick, violent response with military units deployed, while reformers sought a measured response to avoid bloodshed. The reformers, led by Prusik, won out and limited the depolyment of forces to lightly armed internal army troops and police units.

Violence continued to escalate as pro-Holyn forces faced sophisticated weaponry fielded by the rebels. In November 1997, Defence Minister Jelínek authorised fully fledged military units to deploy into Bogoria. The 3rd Guards Tank Army and the 15th Guards Tank Army of the Central Military District were deployed into Bogoria.

Fighting escalates

December would see the largest escalation in fighting so far. Government forces took advantage of fairly mild December weather and launched a coordinated offensive under the codename Operation 1700. Operation 1700 included the 3rd Guards Tank Army, 5th Guards Tank Army, 9th Guards Tank Army and 15th Guards Tank Army, consisting of roughly 45,000 troops. Aviation and naval assets were to be used. The operation would be personally led by Defence Minister Benedikt Jelínek. The goal was to seize control of all major villages and recapture border crossings with Movargovina and Stesopol. Holynia activated the mutual defence clause of the Goranci Treaty. This saw Movargovina deploy military forces in support of Operation 1700. Stesopol assisted by allowing Holyn troops to deploy from within Stesopol.

On 12 December, Operation 1700 commenced. Holyn Air Force bombers attacked rebel positions in the Kłodawa kraj (region). This region had the heaviest concentration of BLA forces, with the de-facto headquarters of the BLA in Gniewkowo. BLA forces utilised captured air defence systems to shoot down several government aircraft. A force of roughly 6,000 Holyn troops moved into the town of Byczyna. Another major force of Movargovinian and Holyn troops attacked the rebel stronghold of Cieszyn.

Despite this massive use of force by the Holyn communist government, Operation 1700 soon became bogged down in house to house fighting. Air support came under intense anti-aircraft fire both by AA gun systems and shoulder launched SAMs. Prusík issued orders for Operation 1700 forces to prevent civilian casualties and limit destruction. However, BLA forces possesed large quantities of armour, resulting in the Holyn government forces responding with increasing destructive weaponry. MLRS systems devastated several towns in the Kłodawa region. As a result, civilian casualties began to mount.

Morale among the government forces participating in Operation 1700 was low. The economic situation at the time led to a rapid decline in the living standards of soldiers and officers alike. Compensation for conscripts, NCOs and officers had been cut drastically. Some of the units participating were the "elite" units of the Holyn military, while others were ordinary units. This resulted in varying morale, quality of equipment and training. The Movargovinian troops had extremely low morale, resulting in some even defecting to the BLA. Many of the government troops were disgruntled at being deployed and in some cases thought they were being deployed for training. In contrast, the BLA were largely highly motivated officers and soldiers that formerly served in the Holyn military or police. Many had combat experience and were fighting for a cause they believed in. However, they received little to no monetary compensation and units were disorganised.

The disorganized and chaotic mobilization of Holyn government forces led to high casualties of both civilian and government troops. By 19 December, Holyn forces had sustained over 1,000 casaulties. On 21 December, a column of Holyn military, police and security services troops was ambushed in Świdnica. This battle resulted in the death of Holyn Army Colonel General Tomáš Gábor, along with almost 500 Holyn soldiers. A counter attack by government forces saw almost 1,000 civilians and 300 BLA rebels killed.

The rising casaulty rate saw the first attempts at negotiation in Uhrov. The Bogor delegation wanted full independence for Bogoria, which was unnacceptable for the Holyn negotiators. The Politburo would not accept anything less than surrender of the BLA and limited autonomy for Bogoria. Public opinion in Holynia was also turning against both the war and the government. On 25 December, despite the failure of Operation 1700 to capture all the major cities and towns under BLA control, it did succeed in capturing all the border crossings. BLA rebels retreated to several major cities, including Gniewkowo, the de-facto capital of the seperatist Bogoria.

A new Holyn government offensive, titled Operation 2000, began on the 26 of December. This would see a midnight storming of Gniewkowo with the goal of disrupting BLA command and control. Massive air raids, consisting of almost 50 plus aircraft, were conducted throughout the night. This led to the near destruction of the city and civilian casaulties of around 2,000 within 24 hours. Poor visibility and lack of clear objectives meant aircraft simply dropped their weapons unguided. The ground force had trouble moving into the city as road signs had been removed and bridges had been destroyed.

Heavy urban fighting began in Gniewkowo with government forces having to fight building to building. Government armour sustained heavy losses as infantry failed to advance with tanks. A major snowstorm struck the Gniewkowo region on New Years Day. Logistical issues complicated the government advance. A force of almost 1,000 Holyn soldiers surrendered to BLA rebels after they ran out of ammunition. By 19 January, almost 3,000 Holyn troops had been killed in Gniewkowo alone, in addition to 10,000 civilian casaulties.

Public dissaproval of the war saw massive demonstrations against the war and the Workers' Party. Citizens rallied around Jonáš Široký who made a high profile speech during a Central Committee meeting broadcast live on TV. He displayed classified photos from the battle showing the immense human casualties of both civilians and soldiers. He called the Politburo inept and responsible for the "bloodbath" in Gniewkowo.

Široký resigned from the Workers' Party shortly after and began leading demonstrations against the government. As the political situation in Cizekporok began to deterioate, so did the situation in Bogoria. On 20 March 1998, the Communist government in Movargovina resigned as a result of the immense public outcry at the war and growing economic collapse. As a consequence, Holynia lost a major ally in the fight against the BLA. Despite this, Holynia continued to plan offensive operations.

On 30 March, Gniewkowo finally fell to the Holyn military and the BLA was routed into the countryside. Operation Storm commenced to recapture the remaining villages under BLA control. The BLA changed to insurgent tactics as the territory under their control dwindled.

During May 1998, demonstrations against the Holyn government again broke out. Anti-communist groups demanded an end to single party rule, meanwhile larger anti-war groups demanded an end to the war in Bogoria. Despite promises of both reform and peace, Prusík was forced to resign with the Politburo from the Workers' Party. Prusík temporarily remained Premier in a caretaker government with Široký as his Deputy. Široký wielded more power in this interim arrangement and began making significant changes to the military command.

On 2 June, a series of chemical attacks occurred in Ożarów. The city, under government control, descended into chaos as civilians began to evacuate in fear of further BLA attacks. During the confusion, a ship carrying 2,000 evacuees sank after striking a rock formation. Over 1,000 civilians died in this accident.

International intervention

Holynia's security services accussed the government of Cusco of aiding the BLA with weaponry and intelligence. Cusco's government soon affirmed they provideded defensive weaponry and shared satelite imagery with the BLA. The International Conference of Nations Security Council failed to take action as Holynia vetoed any action taken against it. The General Assembly condemned the war and escalating violence in a non-binding resolution.

In August 1998, Stesopol fell into civil war as the Communist government collapsed and ethnic rivalries boiled into conflict. Fighting from both the Bogorian conflict and Stesopol spilled over into each other. This allowed the BLA to recapture the border crossings with Stesopol and an alliance was formed with various rebel groups in Stesopol. By September, the Holyn government was on the defensive as the situation continued to deterioate in Bogoria. Cusco and the Spero Economic Council announced severe sanctions on the Holyn government and urged all sides to seek a ceasefire.

Elections were held in November 1998, with Široký's political party winning the majority of seats in the Narodna Rada. Široký was opposed to total independence for Bogoria, but agreed to limited autonomy. Široký, in favor of a negotiated settlement to the war sought a ceasefire. However the war began to escalate after several months of relative stability.

A Stesopol military aircraft bombing rebels was shot down by the Holyn military after it crossed the Holyn border. In response, Stesopol troops attacked Holyn military checkpoints. Stesopol's government declared support for Bogorian independence. Kroz and much of the BLA leadership crossed the border into Stesopol and began to coordinate operations with the Stesopol military.

General of the Army Klement Brož was appointed Commander of all Holyn government forces in Bogoria. In January 1999, Brož initiated Operation 2100. 45,000 Holyn troops were deployed into Bogoria with the aim of stabilising the security situation.

First ceasefire

The BLA, desperate to avoid an embarrasing defeat hoped to turn Holyn public opinion against the war. On 3 February 1999, several bombs exploded in Cizekprok, Bystrica and Uhrov, which the BLA took responsibility for. On 5 February 1999, a Holynavia flight from Cizekporok to Slestkost exploded midair, which the BLA was blamed but never took responsibility for.

As a result of the attacks on civilians, Stesopol expelled the BLA leadership and forced them back into Holynia. Błażej Karlik, a senior leader of the BLA, was killed in a Holyn military airstrike after he crossed the border back into Holynia.

In response, the BLA took 1,500 people hostage at a University in Byvrec, Hornatyia. The government operation to rescue the hostages failed after a bloody firefight in the main building of the University led to 300 civilian casaulties and several BLA rebels escaping.

Public outcry forced the government to seek a ceasefire in Bogoria. On 1 March 1999, a total ceasefire was declared. As a result of the ceasefire the Spero Economic Council agreed to ease sanctions on Holynia.

Ethnic violence

The ceasefire would be disrupted during June 1999 when ethnic Hornat militias massacred 700 ethnic Bogor civilians in Resko. The Resko massacre was blamed on the Army of Christ and other smaller Hornat militia groups. A refugee camp in Hornatyia was attacked by Army of Christ fighters resulting in another 200 deceased. Despite both Holyn and international condemnation, a renewed bombing campaign by the BLA caused hundreds of injuries and deaths to Hornat civilians. This caused the ceasefire to collapse as Holyn Air Force jets bombed BLA positions.

The growing casaulties in Bogoria and Hornatyia led to moves within the Narodna Rada, Holynia's parliament to force the government to reach a peace deal. A human chain of ethnic Hornat, Masov and Bogor civilians took place on 11 July 1999 in Cizekporok. The growing dissaproval of the war saw formal Spero Economic Council moderated negotiations between Siroky and BLA leader Korda in the city of Treisburg.

A second ceasefire was reached on 21 August 1999. Holynia agreed to an internationally observed referendum on Bogorian independence to be held solely in the state of Bogoria. Korda stated publicly that if the referendum was a majority against independence, the BLA would lay down its arms. On 21 November 1999, the referendum was held in Bogoria and in refugee camps throughout Holynia. Indepdence for Bogoria won with 72% of the votes cast. Despite attempts by Holyn nationalist groups to disrupt the vote and an assasination attempt on Siroky, a peace treaty was signed in Treisburg.

Bogoria would be granted full independence on 1 January 2000, with a orderly withdrawal of all Holyn military and government organs out of Bogoria.