3280 Confederate coup d'état

3280 Confederate coup d'état Operation Rejuvenation
Top: Odera Capital Establishment in ruins as rebel forces storm Capitol tower. Bottom: Confederate rebels arm themselves in preparation for an attack.
Date 5-29 October 3280 Location Confederation of Planets; most rebel activity on Oderra, New Longshore and Janith Result Rebels partly successful in coup Rebels take over the planet of Janith Rebel State of Janith declared Military junta takes over Janith Martial law declared over the Confederation Confederate Parliament disbanded Lord Minister Jackson assumes emergency total control over the Confederation
Belligerents
File:Confederation of Planets.pngConfederation of Planets	Confederate Rejuvenation Front
Commanders and leaders
Lord Minister Logan Jackson	Field Marshal Henry Julith
Units involved
CRS Odera CRS Rapid Destruction CRS Swift Interception CRS Jackson Samely Eight Samster-class frigates	CRS Hammer Brought Forth CRS Intrepid Seduction CRS Vast Remission
Strength
Total of 1.92 million personnel deployed 7225 tanks 15,221 AFVs 12 starships 1 dreadnought 3 heavy cruisers 8 frigates 9882 aircraft and spacecraft	Total of 720,288 personnel 220,117 soldiers 500,171 civilian rebels, partisans and insurgents 3298 tanks 8997 AFVs 3 starships 1 heavy cruiser 2 destroyers
Casualties and losses
112,159 killed 233,229 wounded 1 dreadnought destroyed 2 cruisers destroyed	100,922 killed 192,691 wounded 1 cruiser heavily damaged 1 destroyer destroyed
Around 220,000 - 360,220 civilians were killed or wounded

The 3280 Confederate coup d'etat was an attempted coup by a faction within the Oderran Confederation, known as the Confederation Rejuvenation Front in the hope of overthrowing the government, reorganise the nation into a military junta and reclaim the initiative against the winning Milky Way Alliance in the Great Intergalactic War. The coup was led by the then Commander of the Confederate Terrestrial Forces, Field Marshal Henry Julith. The coup was partly successful, with the CRF taking hold of one of the three major Confederation homeworlds, Janith, but the CRF was defeated by forces still loyal to the government in other areas, including the capital of the Confederation, Odera. The coup finally ended on 29 October.

Over 600,000 combatants of all sides were killed or wounded during the coup, while figures range from 220,000 to 360,220 civilians killed or wounded. The planets of Janith, New Longshore and Odera were devastated by the coup, with several cities across these planets suffering massive damage from aerial bombardments, ground fighting and orbital artillery strikes. The governmental buildings on Odera were one of the main targets of the coup and suffered extensive damage from the fighting; the personal residence of the Lord Minister of the Confederation, the Ministerial Palace, was almost reduced to rubble while the Confederate Parliament building was flattened by several airstrikes. The effects of the coup were far reaching and wide: almost immediately after the coup began, martial was declared all over the Confederation and Lord Minister Logan Jackson was given emergency all-out powers. He immediately dissolved the parliament and ordered anyone fighting against the government be executed on sight. The coup split apart an already divided nation and further weakened the Confederation's resolve to continue the war against the Interstellar Federation and used up valuable materiel for the war effort and also diverted manpower. Right after the end of the coup, the Interstellar Federation initiated the final major push against the exhausted Confederate defenders in the 3280 Halloween Offensive and the Confederation surrendered nearly a year later, on October 8th.

Background

Milky War Conflict

The main reason for the coup is often cited to be the failures of the Confederation against the Milky Way Alliance during the Milky Way Conflict. The Confederacy had been fighting for a war for 29 years that had seen no major Confederate successes in that time. Most of the Confederate populace had become disillusioned with the war, but few knew the actual severity and scale of the Confederation's failures and defeats due to constant propaganda and censorship by the Confederate government. By 3280, the Confederation was outnumbered 10:1 in terms of manpower, materiel and resources and most MWA commanders determined the Confederation would surrender in, at most, 2 years. Losses had plagued the Confederation as they sustained the destruction of thousands of starships and trillions of casualties from 29 years of constant fighting. Some of the Confederate military leadership themselves had been disillusioned with the prospect of winning the war and others believed that the political leadership had become incompetent at governing the nation.

Field Marshal Henry Julith was a firm of believer of the latter; he was commander of the terrestrial forces of the Confederacy and had become extremely disappointed in the government and especially its leader, Lord Minister Logan Jackson. The Confederate military had lost battle after battle and any hope for victory had dwindled in the chief command staff in the military. Julith believed that the current government was to blame for the disastrous losses the Confederate military had sustained and he was especially frustrated at the Oderran Navy, which had not won a single battle since 3572, during the Battle of Octavius Prime. This was further compounded by the fact that the Oderran Navy had the most influence within the Confederate government at the time, with the terrestrial forces being mostly neglected. Despite voicing his concerns and frustration at how the war was being fought, his reasoning had little sway in the Oderran government's chambers and was cast aside in favour of ramping up production of materiel.