Emerald War
| Emerald War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Battle of Lauvère, a decisive Pecarian victory | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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| Units involved | |||||||
| 7500 Lysians | 7000 Pecarians | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5265 casualties | 4904 casualties | ||||||
The Emerald War (also known as Guerre de l'Émeraude in Lysian) was a war fought between the Lysian colony of Côte d'Émeraude and the Kingdom of Pecario. This conflict occurs for the Pecarian control over the resources of the Lysian colony and to prevent a rival power from establishing a lasting presence around Manamana Bay. This conflict destroyed any future Lysian attempts to colonize the Manamana Bay.
Context
The colony of Côte d'Émeraude was founded in 1637 to the east of the Kingdom of Pecario. At the time, Pecario did not concern itself with the settlers, being too busy stabilizing and rebuilding the lands they had just conquered. The Lysian colony, taking advantage of this situation, expanded to reach a territory of 100,000 km2 (39,000 sq mi) by 1660. Despite its large size, the colony struggled to develop as it heavily relied on supplies brought by the Governorate of Florentia and was greatly outnumbered.
By 1680, Pecario had experienced exponential growth and undergone a significant demographic boom due to La Gran Peregrinación. The kingdom then began to seek expansion of its borders and looked eastward. Brief diplomatic exchanges were made between the Lysian governor and Pecarian diplomats, but nothing was officially signed, with the burning question of borders left unanswered.
In 1685, King Gilete de Orozco of Pecario, frustrated by the situation, issued an ultimatum to the colony: the Lysians must unconditionally cede a large part of their colony to the kingdom in order to hope for signing a non-aggression pact. Lysian Governor Charles de la Roncière formally refused, and the Kingdom of Pecario declared war on the colony in March 1687.
Course of the War
The precarious situation of the Lysian colony and the significant population difference with Pecario led Lysian Governor Charles de la Roncière to adopt a defensive position with the aim of awaiting potential external reinforcements or forcing the enemy to retreat.
Major battles
| Battle | Lysian numbers | Pecarian numbers | Lysian casualties | Pecarian casualties | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champlain | 250 | 700 | 15 | 60 | Lysian victory |
| Fort Gris | 1'000 | 5'000 | Unknown | 140 | Pecarian victory |
| Lauvère | 3'200 | 7,000 | 1'200 | Unknown | Pecarian victory |
| Besanciennes | 3,500 | 5,000 | 1,500 | Unknown | Pecarian victory |
| Grandport | 1,200 | 1,786 | 50 | 14 | Pecarian victory |
| Saint-Louis | 7'000 | 4'500 | 1,100 | 1'870 | Pecarian victory |
| Sainte-Anne | 1'000 | 1,500 | 30 | 700 | Lysian victory |
| Grandes-Chutes | 3,000 | 1,200 | 440 | 60 | Lysian victory |
| Grandport | 2,828 | 1,500 | 380 | 1'000 | Pecarian victory |
| Gentillac | 7'500 | 4'000 | 250 | 930 | Pecarian victory |
| Sainte-Anne | 900 | 3'000 | 300 | 130 | Pecarian victory |
1687
In April 1687, the Pecarian fleet established a blockade of the Lysian colony with the aim of preventing the Governorate of Florentia from resupplying Côte d'Émeraude. Simultaneously, the Pecarian army, under the command of General Antonio Ramirez, began the siege of Fort Gris, the main Lysian fortress in the north of the colony.
Reacting promptly, Lysian reinforcements led by Henri Martin were sent to prevent the fall of the fortress and secure the north of Côte d'Émeraude. The reinforcements arrived near Lauvère, where they fell into a Pecarian ambush on 20 June 1687. Sergeant Henri Martin was killed, and his surviving forces dispersed.
In August 1687, receiving no reinforcements and lacking supplies, Captain Antoine de Fougeraie capitulated with his forces, and Pecarian forces overran Fort Gris. The fall of Fort Gris was a decisive victory for the Pecarian army, opening the way to the south of the colony and its capital, Saint-Louis. In December 1687, Lysian Admiral Lucien Beauchamp attempted to break the Pecarian blockade, but without success. Messages were sent to Florentia requesting reinforcements, but they went unanswered.
1688
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Lysian forces attempted to halt the Pecarian advance on the capital during the Battle of Claire-Rivière in February 1688. Pierre Leclerc emerged victorious against the troops of Golarte de Villaquira, despite being outnumbered. However, this victory did not prevent the capture of the town of Châtions. In June 1688, Pecarian forces dangerously approached Saint-Louis, and Pierre Leclerc attempted once again to repel the enemy but was defeated at the Battle of Grandes-Chutes. Seriously wounded, he narrowly escaped capture with the help of his men, who carried him back to Saint-Louis. The defeat at Claires-Chutes allowed Antonio Ramirez's forces to begin besieging the city. Charles de la Roncière attempted negotiations, but Ramirez refused, demanding the unconditional surrender of the capital. The non-combatant population of Saint-Louis was redirected to the southernmost city in the colony, Gentillac.
In September 1688, Lucien Beauchamp made one last attempt to break the Pecarian blockade with what remained of the colonial fleet. However, the numerous galleons of Admiral Lucon de Alcaraz inflicted a costly defeat that dashed Beauchamp's last hopes.
On 29 October 1688, Charles de la Roncière organized a sortie to repel an imminent Pecarian assault. Despite initial successes in the battle, Lysian forces had to retreat within the city's walls. Taking advantage of the exhausted state of the Lysian troops, Antonio Ramirez ordered a charge into the city. Intense but futile fighting ensued, and the Lysians surrendered at dusk to avoid a massacre. Charles de la Roncière was taken prisoner in the occupied Saint-Louis, awaiting the capture or surrender of Gentillac.
Jean Dupont, stationed in Gentillac, upon learning of the capture of Saint-Louis, persisted in combat despite letters from the imprisoned Roncière urging him to surrender. Pecarian troops reached the city gates in late November 1688, having faced guerrilla tactics from the last pockets of Lysian resistance. Captain Duran Cañero pleaded with Dupont to negotiate to spare the civilians trapped in the city. After multiple fruitless discussions, Cañero made the decision to bombard the city. Pecarian cannonballs struck the powder reserve of Gentillac, causing a massive fire that the settlers struggled to control. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dupont surrendered to Pecarian forces on 4 December 1688.
Treaty of Saint-Louis
The conflict ended in early 1688, although some pockets of resistance continued to fight through guerrilla warfare. Once the last Lysian combatants surrendered or were eliminated, a treaty was proposed to Charles de la Roncière. The Treaty of Saint-Louis, named after the location where it was drafted, effectively resulted in the annexation of the entire colony of Côte d'Émeraude into the Kingdom of Pecario. Colonists were given the choice to either remain on their ancestral lands or leave the territory to try to reach Florentia. Most chose to leave the colony, but a minority opted to stay. They formed a small community of Lysians, centered around Saint-Louis (renamed after the conflict to San Luis), which still exists to this day.
