Okkamidur War of 1866
| Okkamidur War | |||||||
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 The Battle of Abronia, the largest battle of the war. | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States of Balion |
 Sultanate of Okkamidur | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Hiram Barnett |
 Thomas Featherwick | ||||||
The Okkamidur War, often termed the Okkamidur War of 1866 to differentiate it from the later Okkamidur Affair, was a conflict fought between the Sultanate of Okkamidur and the United States of Balion. It was fought throughout the year of 1866 and followed slave unrest in the Balionic territory of South Salorka, a region of Prodava which had been annexed by Balion in 1848. A combination of Okkamiduri political interference, piracy operating out of Okkamidur and Essyria, and strong border tensions led to the breakout of war in February 1866. Though the steadily growing abolitionist movement fiercely opposed war and continued occupation of South Salorka was becoming unpopular, the economic benefits of Balionic-owned plantations in the territory skewed government thinking and there were serious allegations of corruption.
War was declared following the Battle of Karlania, in which Balionic troops fought off a Okkamiduri incursion into South Salorka. A second attempt at Fort Fairweather succeeded and Okkamiduri forces crossed the frontier into South Salorka and marched on Monroweville. The invasion was swift and a series of running battles at Point Silver, New Yellowburg, and Colewood Estate, saw the Balionic garrison forces pushed back towards Monroweville. When the two sides met at the Siege of Monroweville, a stubborn Balionic defence saw the invasion halted at the gates of the territory's capital.
Background
Okkamiduri Growth: 1822-1850
Okkamidur had been a nation for many centuries, appearing as a sultanate on Frankenlischian maps as early as 1080, and had established itself as a prominent power on the Prodavan coast in the mid 17th century in the War of the Four Sultans and the South Orion War. A series of jihads and counter-crusades between the Muslims of north-east Prodava and the Abrahamic peoples of Frankenlisch and Vionna had seen this power wane in the late 18th century but by the mid-19th century this power was returning swiftly. Wide-reaching administrative reforms during the reign of Abdul the Wise from 1790 to 1822 had overhauled the inefficient Okkamiduri government structure, created a modern civil service, and put an end to corruption and widespread nepotism in the Okkamiduri standing army, the Mansures. The Ghilanis however, Okkamidur's conscript army raised during wartime, remained in the pocket of landowners, noblemen, and foreign adventurers.
Abdul the Wise was succeeded by Mehmet X who ruled from 1822 to 1831 and was himself succeeded by his son Mehmet XI who ruled from 1831 to 1850. These two sultans presided over a combined thirty-eight years of stability and economic growth for Okkamidur. A close relationship was established with Vionna-Frankenlisch, sealed in 1844 by the marriage of Mehmet XI's eldest daughter Haide to the Marquess of Cresswick, the third son of King Edward II. Vionna-Frankenlischian investment in Okkamidur contributed to a significant economic boom in the late 1840s and slavery was outlawed in the Sultanate in 1850. In spite of considerable Imperial pressure, Okkamidur retained its independence and became a Vionna-Frankenlischian ally in its own right rather than a protectorate. Relations with Balion were generally cordial and trade between Okkamidur and South Salorka was free-flowing.
Suleiman: 1850-1856
Mehmet XI was succeeded by his son Suleiman who had begun his reign by continuing the reforms of the previous sultans. A modern legal code was instituted in 1852 replacing much of the old religious law. Between 1850 and 1856, Safiri, the Okkamiduri capital, was significantly modernised and the royal palace expanded. Relations with Vionna-Frankenlisch were harmed by Suleiman's refusal to send Okkamiduri troops to the War of the Vionnan Coalition but King Edward accepted the reasoning that the Mansures were not numerous or well-equipped enough to be a significant force in the war. Suleiman did, unprompted, order the sending of gold bullion to Vionna-Frankenlisch in early 1852 when the Imperial government experienced a credit crisis which threatened their war efforts. This gold was eventually returned to Okkamidur; a significant shipment of captured war materiel went with it in a gesture of gratitude. This shipment, arriving in full in 1854, included over 30,000 muskets and rifles and around 100 pieces of artillery. The improvements made to the Okkamiduri military as a result of the Imperial shipment began Suleiman's interest in military affairs and over the next decade he invested significant time and money in improving the Mansures, reforming the Ghilanis, and forming the elite Sultanate Guard - his personal brigade.
Though the economic growth experienced during the reigns of the Sultan's father and grandfather had died down, Okkamidur was still developing and the country's GDP improved by almost double between 1855 and 1866. Foreigners, mostly from Vionna-Frankenlisch or the Wolfswood, were employed on short, lucrative contracts to serve in the Okkamiduri army or civil service, bringing improvements and reform with them. The first commander of the Sultanate Guard, serving from May 1856 to June 1857 was the veteran Marquess of Tevetdale, a famous commander during the War of the Vionnan Coalition. The reformed Okkamiduri forces had their first test in 1860 during the Jihad for Gestoria when jihadists moving north from Trezonia confronted a brigade of the Mansures at the Battle of El-Sriccia. Expecting to be helped on their journey north to fight in the invasion, the jihadists were surprised to be barred entry to Okkamidur and the resulting battle ended in their complete rout. When informed of the engagement, King Edward II of Vionna-Frankenlisch gifted Suleiman the former Imperial Navy steam-powered sloop-of-war HMNS Elephant, which was converted into a royal yacht with the aid of Imperial shipbuilders.
Okkamidur in 1866
By 1866, the Okkamiduri economy was still growing yearly. Improvements in food production and the founding of the Okkamiduri Board of Hospitals by Suleiman and the Viscountess of Strettin had led to the start of a population boom. Okkamiduri families were growing healthier and infant mortalilty declined significantly. Government spending was at its highest in sixty years and the standing army numbered 70,000 troops. The formation of a professional police force in 1865 led to a decrease in the crime rate and took policing out of the hands of the military. Without a standing navy, however, the Okkamiduri coast was a hotbed of piracy. Though military raids and patrols were conducted along the coast, they were ineffective at dealing with the situation and did not enjoy the support of the coastal villages which were unwilling to incur the wrath of the pirates by betraying their hideouts. The primary targets of these pirates were merchant ships from Vionna-Frankenlisch and Balion. Balionic traders, in particular, were attacked frequently as they were often less heavily armed than Imperial ships and the small Balionic squadron based in South Salorka did not have permission to operate in Okkamiduri waters.