Syaran Succession Wars
The Syaran Successor Wars were a series of armed conflicts that arose between the Syaran Successor States following the dissolution of the Rioni Union as the four Syaran Realms battled one another for control over Syara. The wars lasted from 1714 and are considered to have ended in 1875 with the Unification of Syara.
The end of the Rioni Union brought an end to more than 2,000 years of Syaran unity. The resulting fragmentation of Syara into four distinct nations, the Kingdom of Makedon, the Kingdom of Galania, the Scitarian Commonwealth, and the Hayren Periphery, prompted immediate confrontation over which one would assume the mantle of leadership of Syara. Warfare between the states took many forms, from minor border skirmishes and raids to large scale campaigns and invasions. Galania, with its large population and agricultural base, originally enjoyed a major advantage over the other successor states. Retaining much of the infrastructure and civil institutions of the Rioni Union, of which it had been a principle member, Galanian fortunes began to falter in the 19th Century as increased industrialization in Makedon and Scitaria saw the balance of power swing away from Galania.
Makedon, with its highly professional army and access to trade along the Sundering Sea, quickly established itself as the premier military power of the Successor States, defeating both Scitaria and Galania in battle. The Makedonian-Galanian War of 1828-1831 effectively marked the end of Galanian dominance over the other states. Partly in response to this defeat, Galania pursued war with the neighboring Ruvelkan Imperium in the Galanian-Ruvelkan War, hoping to reclaim the historical region of Zemplen. Galania's defeat in the conflict highlighted the growing threat of Ruvelka to the Syaran states, which began to spur calls for Syaran unity.
The rise of the Ruvelkan Red Faction, followed by the Red War and the establishment of the Ruvelkan Socialist Republic only aggravated concerns of coming conflict with Ruvelka, which were validated upon the outbreak of the Ruvelkan-Makedonian War. The decisive defeat of the Ruvelkan Red Army by the hands of the Makedonian Royal Army demonstrated the need for unification to present a common front against the Ruvelkan communists, and in 1875 the Syaran successor states agreed to unite to form the Republic of Syara, ending the Succession Wars.