Audonia in the First Great War

Theobald Strauss, incumbent president of Audonia, played a vital role in ensuring Audonian neutrality during the war

Audonia's official policy during the First Great War was that of neutrality, guarenteed by its distance from the primary theatre of war and that it was surrounded by Coalition-aligned nations, including active participant Amandine. For much of the war, however, the Audonian military was held at a partially mobilised state in the event that the state was dragged into the conflict, occaisionally being raised to full mobilisation during times of crisis.

Despite its official policy, Audonia supplied and assisted the Galene League both openly and secretly, activities that often brought the state close to conflict with its neighbours, activites that often remain classified to the modern day. Historians often refer to Audonia's situation in the war as 'neutral in name only'.

Pre-war situation

Prior to the outbreak of the war, Audonia was considered by many to be an unofficial member of the Galene League. It held intensely close relations with many members of the League, particularly that of Tyrnica on account of its large Tyrnican-speaking population.

Initially spawned by Audonia's domination in the Rum Gulf following the Continental War in 1936, pre-existing groundwork had already been laid with Tyrnica's material assitance during both it's war of indepdence and the transfer of ownership of Nova Kovaria in 1854 from Tyrnica to Audonia cemented cooperation. Despite Audonia's defeat in the War of the Arabeilline Sea, the nation was considered to possess a still considerable army, which had dissuaded Albrennian and Amandine invasions of the Audonian mainland.

Resentment against the nation's defeat often saw the nation adopt stances contrary to those held by those that had defeated it, including falling in line with the League following its establishment in 1895 whilst much of Marcaeunia adopted pro-Coalition feelings. It was the close relationship that convinced the Tyrnican general staff that the Marcaeunian nations would not pose as great a threat in the war as Audonia and it's allied nations would tie them up before they could make a noticeable difference in the war. Indeed, Albrennian and Amandine war plans included strategies on how to defeat Audonia quickly should it join the war with the League.

The situation in Audonia, however, was one that differed greatly from the ideas of its allies. As early as the formation of the League, successive Audonian governments agreed that joining a Coaltion-League War would be disastrous for the nation, owing to the overwhelming presence of Coaliton-aligned neighbours and the combined weight of the Albrennian and Amandine fleets greatly outmatched that of Audonia's. A series of confidential wargames placed Audonia's best chances as surviving six months into the conflict before its fleet was destroyed to the worst estimates having it last for only two weeks. Though it was agreed the Audonian army was capable of defending the nation, the idea of hosting such a conflict and the projected material cost was not one that lawmakers wished to realise.

Additionally, many considered the fact that Audonia had made no official or vocal pledge to assist the League in any conflict as grounds enough not to participate should such a war break out, however it did not stop the Audonian Assembly from passing the Foreign Enlistment Act 1903, legalising Audonian citizens from enlisting within foreign militaries so long as it was not with nations deemed threatening to the nation.

The Act was generally ignored within the Rythenean portions of Audonia, however upwards of 2,000 Tyrnican Audonians departed Audonia and enlisted in the Tyrnican Armed Forces, the majority often travelling north to King Erich's Land and enlisting there. As a means of inducement, the Audunien Legion was founded in King Erich's Land, ensuring the Audonians remained together and maintained their indepedent culture. Throughout the war, it's thought at least 19,000 Audonian's served in the Legion, it's largest strength at 9,000 in 1910. The repatriation of these volunteers proved to be a diplomatic issue for the Audonian government later on.

Politics

At the onset of the war, the Audonian government was dominated by the Liberal Party, headed by Theobald Strauss, the nation's first ethnic Tyrnican president. Additionally, the Liberal Party was the most popular party amongst ethnic Tyrnicans due to both Strauss's leadership and its liberal platform, but also the expressed sympathies the party held for the League on all levels.

However, despite the sympathies of the party and the national favouring of the League, numerous polls showed that the nation exhibited no desire to join the war, even those taken within Friedland, with only hardcore chauvinists displaying any demand to be actively fighting. Indeed, numerous other issues in the nation preoccupied popular thought, such as growing demand to end child labour that was rife within inner cities whilst racial tensions regarding the recent influx of both the black Aussers but also immigrants originating from outside the traditional home countries of the nation's dominant ethnic groups. Indeed, the Aylos Race Riots had only occurred months prior to the outbreak of war, where white business owners fermented sentiment against a noticeably prosperous black neighbourhood and caused many workers to attack it.

With the National Reserves being called up to keep the peace in both Aylos and the surrounded region, some did consider joining the war as a means of redirecting attention away from issues at home to issues abroad. However, on the advice of Admiral of the Fleet Curtis Ellenby, Theobald Strauss publicly committed to having the nation remain openly neutral in the conflict. Sources have shown that the announcement caught many participants of the Great War by surprise, many of the General Staff of the League found most of their war plans in shambles with Audonia's absence and had to hastily construct new ones that included Albrennia's involvement. Likewise, the Rythenean President, Herbert Longford, is popularly believed to have quipped 'Well, that certainly makes this business simpler', whilst Marcaeunian allies found their transports to Coaltion nations far less impeded than they had anticipated and enabled them to deploy vital battleships elsewhere.

This, however, did not prevent Audonia from standing prepared should a Coalition nation infringe on them, with the military being called up to partial mobilisation, bringing 25,000 of it's 130,000 strong army to readiness whilst much of its Navy remained actively patrolling and enforcing its martime borders. Crucially for the League, Audonia did not join in the boycott of Tyrnican or allied goods, maintaining a vital link of survival for the alliance, both economically and materially.

Neutrality

Audonia's declaration of neutrality was, and remains, a unique moment in Audonian history. The Audonian Constitution makes no refernce to neutrality nor was it the stance of any previous government, whilst popular history displays Audonia as turning in on itself after its defeat in the Arabeilline Sea, however this is hardly the case. Much the opposite in fact, Audonia continued to work in drawing nations awway from the Albrennian-Amandine Axis that had formed following the war's conclusion, actively shaping the policy, both internal and foreign, of nations like Nova Kovaria through a series of unequal treaties. Indeed, the precdent of utilising other nation's to hide its activities in this period set the stage for how Audonia would assist the League.

Violations

Despite its official policy, Audonia was not above floating its own rules to assist those it had considered its allies. Crucially, Audonian merchant vessels were often amongst the very few that reached the League just prior to the outbreak of the war, a role that they would continue to fulfil up until the Battle of Evverkäben in 1912 which forced a blockade on Tyrnica, however it was not uncommon for Audonian vessels to still attempt smuggling runs into the nation to ensure it continued its supply. For decades, it was believed that these shipments primarily consisted of foodstuffs and textiles, intended as a means to lessen the blow of the war on the civilian populace and for Audonia to ensure that much of their harvest foods did not go to waste in storage or effect prices at home too much due to a surplus.

Aftermath

Controversies

Audonia's conduct in the war still remains controversial to this day, primarily amongst former Coalition members. For instance, whilst conducting research for his upcoming book exploring the effects of the naval blockade on Tyrnica, historian August Darren discovered hidden manifests that detailed the shipments contained vital munitions and weapons for Tyrnica that were manufactures in Audonia, licenses that Audonia had procured from Tyrnica prior to the outbreak of the war. Whilst the amont delivered certainly did not have an extreme effect on the outcome of the war, it was calculated it delivered enough to keep three gun batteries firing for three months whilst 3,000 rifles had been smuggled in. With the discovery of the news, Audonian authorities quickly had the documents classified as state secrets and confiscated them, however it did not prevent the news from leaking to the press and embroiling the nation in a resurgence of research into Audonia in the war, quickly eroding the idea that Audonia had been neutral in the war which it had maintained since the end of the war.