Austral War
| The Austral War | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oil painting of a clash between the navies of Exponent and Cassonne | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Cassonne Cadenza |
 Empire of Exponent | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Charles Ferdinand Frédéric I David Quebodeaux Julien Reaume Gaston Amirault |
Titus VI Octavius Albus Marcellus Antonius Bracchus Tiberius Flavius | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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12,250 304 dead, 793 wounded |
15,780 | ||||||||
The Austral War was a conflict in the early nineteenth century which pitted the Empire of Exponent against the Seraphic Empire of Cassonne. The war was largely fought at sea and came to centre around possession of the island of Valle Crucis, first settled by Exponential colonists in the first millennium. Cassonnaise military strategists saw the eviction of Exponent from the island as essential to achieving dominion in southern Astyria and to enforcing their ongoing blockade of Berique.
Cassonne was aided in this war by its circumstantial ally the Republic of Cadenza, the expertise of whose commanders was vital in the conquest of the island.
Background
Settlement of Valle Crucis
Valle Crucis had first been settled by Exponential colonists in the early fourteenth century. Under the Principatus system that was utilized by the Empire of Exponent at the time, the settlers were granted near total autonomy on condition that they pay taxes to the imperial court and allow imperial warships to dock in their ports, and in return they would be entitled to Imperial military protection. It functioned thereafter effectively as an independent city-state. This arrangement was largely uncontested by any of the southern Teudallic maritime powers, excepting some unsuccessful attacks by Kelonnan forces in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. In 1614, the city-state of Monsa was attacked by Cadenza as part of the War of the Magpie and the Dragon, a tumultuous conflict between Cadenza. This, and the failure of Exponent to protect its colonies in Scottopia and Kamalbia, led to Monsa and Valle Crucis deciding to withhold taxes from the imperial exchequer. Relations between the colonial and imperial courts quickly deteriorated and, after some back-and-forth, in 1660 (unless this year doesn't suit) Valle Crucis was reoccupied by Exponent. Direct rule was forcibly imposed on the island, which was thereupon governed directly as a colony.
Bernadottic Wars
In 1798, the Bourbon dynasty was forced from Berique during the Beriquois Revolution. The royal family, along with a significant portion of the Beriquois Navy, resettled in Cassonne, and began preparing for a return. A key component of their plans was the severance of trade between Berique and the east, and the Cassonnais reached out to the Emperor Maximinius V of the Empire of Exponent, requesting that he join the embargo against Berique. Ruling over an empire still saddled with significant financial burdens, however, Maximinius refused, and continued trading with the Beriquois.
In March of 1812, the Emperor Maximinius V passed, with his son Titus VI inheriting the title of Emperor of Exponent. Almost immediately upon taking the throne, Titus VI made it clear that he had no intentions of pressing any attacks against Beriquois forces in Cote d'Cuivre - a decision seen as one of weakness by regional rivals. The Bourbons quickly sent a message to Titus, requesting that he halt trade, just as they had requested from his father. Titus, too, however, declined to sever trade with the Beriquois.
The ailing Cassonnais king Charles Ferdinand, therefore, decided that matters must be taken into his own hands, and believed that the elimination of Exponential control over Valle Crucis would sever the east-west trade routes and deny Exponential vessels from using their traditional layover port on their journey west. Additionally, it would also deny Beriquois vessels from a safe haven on their journeys too and from Kamalbia, Cote d'Cuivre, and beyond.
Course of the war
Hostilities commence
On July 23, a Cassonnais fleet of roughly 30 vessels approached the harbor of Valle Crucis, and Admiral David Quebodeaux issued a statement to the Exponential governor Marcellus Antonius Bracchus, demanding that the Cassonnais enter the harbor and commandeer or confiscate any Beriquois or Beriquois-bound ships. Bracchus replied that what Quebodeaux was requesting was an insult to the Empire of Exponent and tantamount to a declaration of war. In response, Quebodeaux ordered his vessels to commence a bombardment of the fortifications surrounding the port.
Unbeknownst to Quebodeaux, however, the Imperial navy had previously made the decision to reinforce the island's defenses by deploying an additional eight vessels to the island, bolstering the 24-strong fleet that was typically assigned to the location. The two fleets met on the morning of evening of July 23, and - supported by cannon fire from the fortifications on the island - the Exponential fleet was able to drive the Cassonnais away from the island.
Death of Charles Ferdinand
Charles Ferdinand dies of cancer, leaving his young son, Frédéric I, to take control of the Cassonnais mission. Many doubted Frédéric's ability to wage the war.
The news that Valle Crucis had come under attack sent shockwaves through Paradise City, and the Imperial government swiftly dispatched additional vessels to support the island.
For the next two years, these vessels engaged in a long series of inconclusive battles across the South Astyrian Sea, culminating in the Second Battle of Valle Crucis, in which Cassonnais forces and Cadenzan privateers were able to decisvely defeat the Imperial Navy off the coast of Valle Crucis. Following this, the Imperial government decided to sue for peace.
Aftermath
Following the peace treaty ending the Austral War, Valle Crucis fell under the control of Cassonne, thus ending Exponential control over the island and severing the important Beriquois trade routes to the east.