Soltenish Civil War

Soltenish Civil War
Clockwise from top left: Socialist troops cross a river during the Retreat from Irassia; Republic troops wade ashore near Vitris in December 1970; Republic armor advances through a marsh; Representatives of various rebel factions officially form the Soltenish Provisional Government in June 1970; Socialist fighter lands on the carrier Carez 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 Soltenia Result Provisional Government Victory Dissolution of the Socialist Union Socialist troops pardoned, Socialist leaders imprisoned or executed Free elections held in 1980 under new constitution Secession of Culmia Beginning of the Interior Insurgency
Commanders and leaders
	Venceslao La Torre
Strength
Provisionals ~1,500,000 ~500,000 ~400,000 ~400,000 ~60,000 ~100,000 ~60,000 Secessionists~90,000 Total: 1,610,000	Regular Army ~950,000 National Guard ~300,000 Militias ~200,000 ~200,000 ~50,000 ~50,000 Total: 1,750,000
Casualties and losses
Combined Provisional Provisionals 182,000 killed 284,000 wounded 13,000 missing Secessionists Culmia 14,000 killed 20,000 wounded 2,500 missing Total: 203,000 killed 304,000 wounded 35,000 missing	Regular Army Socialists 180,000 killed 273,000 wounded 14,000 missing National Guard National Guard 16,000 killed 20,000 wounded 4,000 missing Militias 18,000 killed 23,000 wounded 21,000 missing Total: 214,000 killed 316,000 wounded 39,000 missing
Civilian Casualties: 82,000 killed 210,000 wounded 17,000 missing Total Casualties: 499,000 killed 830,000 wounded 91,000 missing

The Soltenish Civil War (Soltenish: Guerra Civile Soltenica, February 12, 1969 – October 3, 1971) was a civil war in modern Soltenia fought between the rebel "Provisional Government (called the Provisionals) and the socialist Union of Socialist Soltenish Republics (called the Socialists). The central cause of the war was years of economic stagnation and shortages, especially since the late 1950s to early 1960s.

Conflict came after the unpopular Vittorio Tronella, 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 Defense refused to open fire on a group of protestors, a month after Guzzos's assassination. Additional southern civil defense organizations 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 defensemen in these militias 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. The 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. The widespread and size of the war led to a variety of units being deployed. The mainland saw conflict between the Socialist "Regular Army" and various civil defense groups (filling the role usually filled by the National Guard) against rebel militias united under the Provisional banner. Conflict in Irassia and Culmia was primarily militia groups against the Socialist "National Guard", which served to support the Regular Army. 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.