Arcadian Civil War (Anteria)

Arcadian Civil War
Clockwise from top left: Socialist troops cross a river during the Retreat from Irassia; Provisional troops wade ashore near Vitris in December 1970; Provisional armor advances through a marsh; Representatives of various rebel factions officially form the Arcadian Provisional Government in June 1970; Socialist fighter lands on the carrier Vitris on 2 September 1969, two days before she is sunk.
Date Feburary 12, 1969-October 3, 1971 (2 years, 7 months and 3 weeks) Location Arcadia Result Provisional Government Victory Dissolution of the Arcadian Socialist Republic Socialist troops pardoned, Socialist leaders imprisoned or executed Free elections held in 1974 under new constitution Secession of Irassia Secession of Culmia Beginning of the Interior Insurgency
Belligerents
Provisionals (1970-71) Irassia (1970) Culmia (1970) All miltias: (1969-1970) Ad Novas Milita Porta Libera Milita Zarasia Miltia Aestas Liberty Council Northern Alliance Defectors Army (1970) Supported by: Vescarium Aeternio Hoterallia	Socialists National Guard Vitris Civil Defense Phraxos Civil Group Rhaedestus Miltia Southern League Supported by: Anyone?
Commanders and leaders
Quintumvirate Aurelio Di Cesare Dimido Robeli Iacopone Arace Cristoforo Nello Omar Pase Secessionist Leaders Sebastiano Meci Andrin Bazzell Militia Leaders Caio Michelini Atanasio Primo Settimio Carrieri Galileo Evangelista Neopolo Mirro Ottaviano Gulino	TBD
Strength
1,500,000	1,750,000
Casualties and losses
190,000 killed 262,000 wounded 11,000 missing	156,000 killed 201,000 wounded 7,200 missing
82,000 civilians dead 210,000 wounded 17,000 missing Total Casualties: 428,000 killed 673,000 wounded 35,200 missing

The Arcadian Civil War (February 12, 1969 – October 3, 1971) was a civil war in modern Arcadia fought between a pro-democracy "Provisional Government (called the Provisionals) and the socialist Arcadian Socialist Republic (called the Socialists). The central cause of the war was years of economic stagnation and shortages, especially since the early 1960s.

Conflict came after popular reformer Alfonso Guzzo, widely considered a candidate for the post of General Secretary, was shot and killed on 12 January, 1969. An initial round of rioting, concentrated in southern coastal cities and Irassia, began later that month. After some rioting forces seized numerous forts and weapons caches, efforts at putting down the riot became more and more violent. Fighting broke out on February 12, 1969 when the Ad Novas Civil Militia refused to open fire on a group of protestors, a month after Guzzos's assassination. Additional militias refused to open fire, and some even defected to newly formed "citizen's militias", forming large, if untrained, combat formations. The presence of the civil militiamen in these groups allowed access to training and decent quality, if aged, military equipment.

The Provisionals grew to control at least a majority of territory in on the southern coast of the country, which had historically been the most discontent with the Socialist Republic. The Socialists had assumed that other countries would not intervene, however the conflict soon became a flash point in global affairs. The Provisional Government was never recognized as anything more than a “anti-revolutionary organization” by the government of the Socialist Republic. However, several other countries recognized the Provisional Government as a legitimate entity and lobbied for support on the international stage. Large volunteer and conscription armies were raised; two and a half years of intense combat, mostly along the coast ensued.

During 1969 and the first half of 1970, conflict was concentrated in the war's Southern Theater, where rebel forces inflicted heavy losses despite several major defeats, particularly in the Fall of Zarasia. Thee sinking of the carrier Vitris served as a major morale boost for rebel forces. Rebel troops were primarily underequipped, using surplus equipment from the 1950s, and were equipped with less artillery and armor than Socialist troops. Relief came in March of 1970, where uprisings in Irassia and Culmia pulled troops away from the Socialst frontlines. Despite having nearly one out of four soldiers pulled out of the front line, the Socialist army advanced on Ad Novas but was defeated in a tenacious defense by rebel forces. In June of 1970, various rebel factions declared a new Provisional Government, which made absolute revolution a war goal. To the west, Socialist naval and marine officers mutinied at Áteio, seizing much needed supplies for the Provisionals. The “Defectors Army” advanced north and captured Rhaedestus. The successful Provisional siege of Zarasia solidified support for the new and untested government. In the latter half of 1970, Provisional forces began incursions north, ending at with a naval landing and capture of Vitris in the Battle of Vitris. Western and Southern successes led to Socialist forces retreating into the interior portions of the country, where it had been most popular. The last significant battles raged around Artenghi and Phraxos, two major interior cities.

The war effectively ended on October 3, 1971, when Socialist General Di Lizzi surrendered to Provisional General Granelli outside of Rafizi, after abandoning the city. Lower officers for the Socialists followed suit throughout the country, with the last surrender on land occurring on December 1. At the end of the war, much of the southern coast’s infrastructure and the coastal highway was damaged, but the the railroads were mostly intact. The Socialist Republic collapsed, the Provisional Government declared a two year transition, and troops were deployed to maintain order. The war-torn nation then entered the Rebuilding Era in an eventually successful attempt to modernize and grow the economy, end Socialist insurgents in the interior, and institute a democratic capitalist regime.