Refusal War

Refusal War
Wardens during the Battle of Tren Krom Break
Date 15 December 1983 - 4 October 1987 Location Syara
Belligerents
Wardens Supported by: Æþurheim Cacerta Quenmin Tennai	Royalists Supported by: Mansuriyyah Ossoria Ruvelka Acrea
Commanders and leaders
Saša Mlinarić Marin Josipović Keghart Pashian Taniel Kasajian	Sivo Hadjiev Zlatko Bogdanov Veton Spegelj Naso Dinev Dusko Trcpevski
Strength
3.5 million (peak)	1.9 million (peak)
Casualties and losses
822,491 killed 1,849,121 wounded	695,601 killed 1,713,459 wounded

The Refusal War, known commonly as the Syaran Civil War, is the name given to the civil war that took place in Syara between 1983 to 1987. The war pitted the nationalist, Zobethos fundamentalist Wardens against the conservative monarchists known collectively as the Royalists after the Warden dominated Syaran government attempted to strip the royal families of Makedon and Galania of their titles and estates. The refusal of the Royal Families to recognize the authority of the Syaran government that had convened after the death of President Krunislav Mircevski in late October 1983 led to the conflict being known in Syara as the Refusal War, whereas it is more commonly recognized internationally as the Syaran Civil War.

The war was the culmination of decades long strife between the nationalist, fundamentalist Wardens, so called due to their ideology being derived from the Warden Way, a treatsie on political and social affiars by author and philosopher Serovpe Boyajian, and the conservative monarchist tendencies common in Galania and Makedon. The Wardens, who had grown in power throughout the Broken Years, sought to undermine and overthrow the control of the Royal dynasties of Makedon and Galania, which they held as responsible for Syara's defeat and subsequent decline following the Siduri War. Based primarily in Scitaria and Hayreniky, the Wardens steadily grew to control the Senate of the Republic of Syara and many of the Realm's political office. Rising tensions between the Wardens and the Royalists led to a series of attempted constituional reforms intended to limit the power of the Royalists, which President Mircevski attempted to mediate. His sudden death in an automobile accident in October 1983 led to accusations of assasination, and the convening of the Warden dominated Senate led to the formation of a new federal government without input from the Royalists. The Realm Governments of Makedon and Galania refused to recognize the new government and seized control of the Senate House in Zovahr, which resulted in the outbreak of fighting between Warden and Royalist supporters on 15 December, 1983, which is generally held to mark the beginning of the war.

Both sides mobilized large conscript and volunteer armies in, and intense combat resulted in the deaths of nearly 2.5 million Syarans. The war ended with the surrender of the Monarchist armies at Zildejov. The surviving members of the Makedonian and Galanian royal families fled the country shortly thereafter. The Republic of Syara was officially abolished and replaced with the Commonality in 1987. The philosophy of the Warden Way became Syara’s de facto ideology as the national religion of Zobethos came to wield greater influence in Syaran politics and society. The Warden philosophy continued to dominate Syara until it’s defeat in the Zemplen War.

Background

Syaran history had been strongly influenced by the royal families of Makedon and Galania dating back as far as the Makedonian Empire. Although it had endured numerous trials and problems, the Kineasan Dynasty still held the throne in the Makedonian Realm, and had forged strong ties with it's Galanian counterparts the Baligov Dyansty. Together the two Monarchist factions had played significant roles in Syaran history after the fall of the Arkoennite Empire, leading two separate wars against Ruvelka. The Monarchists generally approved of the Conference of Pella in 1875 which officially created the Republic of Syara, under the auspice that their influence in Syaran politics would remain constant. As Syara modernized and industrialized in the late 19th and early 20th Century the royal families maintained a singificant degree of influence within Syaran politics, and were strong supporters of Syaran nationalism. The outbreak of the Divide War, and the Desopya Campaign itself which occurred entirely on Makedonian soil, was a major component in the nationalist imagery portrayed by the Monarchists. Syara's unexpected victory in the conflict led to a surge of Syaran national prestige, and propped up by a rapidly growing economy Syara's armed forces rapidly expanded. By 1933 Syara boated the largest army in Tyran, and the third largest navy by number of ships (4th by total tonnage).

Although officially a representative democracy the royal families prominent role in Syaran politics led to their common identificaiton with Syara, and their imagery and likeness was often used to represent Syara in art and commentary. Encouraged in part by King Antonij of Makedon and King Kaloyan of Galania, Syara began gathering support for the newly founded Inner Sphere, intended to be a pan-Siduri alliance against external imperialist powers (namely Cacerta. Most other states however identified the effort as principally a way for Syara to expand it's influence at the expense of others, and in the end only Fascist Allamunnika ultimately joined. In 1934 the two states invaded Ruvelka, sparking the Siduri War. As had been the case before the war, the likeness of the Makedonian and to a lesser extent, Galanian royal families, were used heavily in propaganda by both sides. Common Axis propaganda in particular highlighted the notion of Syara wars of conquest were continuations of centuries old imperialist efforts, which often struck a cord with former subjects of the Makedonian Empire including Quenminese and Ruvelkan forces-in-exile.

Syara's decisive defeat in the Siduri War saw it burdered with massive reparations, in turn stunted the Syaran economy in the post war years. Psychologically the war was a massive blow to Syaran national pride and prestige, leading to what has been termed the Broken Years, the post-war period between the 1940s-50s that saw Syara flounder amid economic recession and uncertainty. Some relief was had in 1955 when Cacerta and Syara signed the Transactional Credit Agreement, which alleviated some Syaran economic woes by opening up Syara to Cacertian loans and investments, in exchange for some debt relief. As Syara slowly rebounded in the 1950s and 60s however national attention turned away from economic concerns to matters of politics and national identify. The Transactional Credit Agreement had been widely unpopular with the Royal families of Makedon and Galania, largely due to the liquidation and transfer of large sums of Syara's gold reserves to Cacerta; most of Syara's gold reserves had effectively been the personal property of the royal families. Tensions between the Monarchist factions of the government began steadily increasing in the 1960s following the publication of the Warden Way by author and philosopher Serovpe Boyajian. Although mainly concerned with economic and ecological matters, the Warden Way had offered sharp criticism against the royal families, accusing them of subverting Syaran national interests for their own gain.

The anti-Monarchist sentiment within the Warden Way found widespread popularity among Syaran youths and veterans who were frustrated by the grandoise inequality between Monarchist affiliates and commoners. In particular Zobethos fundamentalists and revolutionary nationalists found themselves at odds with the conservative Monarchists who favored a weaker central government and greater autonomy for Syara's Realms, whereas most Wardens favored a strong central government and subservience of the Realms. It's perhaps no surprise that support for the Wardens was strongest amid Syara's younger, non-royalist realms Scitaria and the Clans, against traditionalist hotbeds in Galania and Makedon. By the 1970s a major cultural war was ongoing in Syara between the nationalist Wardens and the conservative Monarchists. While not officially part of any political party, both Wardens and Monarchists were represented by various political parties within the Senate. As time passed however popular sentiment increasingly favored the nationalist Warden cause, and by 1980 it was clear a major paradigm shift had occured within Syaran society and political atmosphere.

Complicating the domestic situation was the Republic's long running territorial dispute with neighboring Ruvelka, resulting in the decades long Granika Border War. Although the conflict remained largely low-intensity for most of its 17 year duration, fighting had flared up twice into major confrontations, with the Seven Day War in 1969 and the Hayren War (1974-1980), the latter which resulted in a brief struggle for regional control between 1979 and 1980 before an armistice was signed. The Hayren War in particular highlighted the growing divide within Syara; many Syaran Hayren who embraced Zobethos fundamentalism saw the destruction of holy sites and temples as an outrage. This view was not shared by the more conservative aristocracy of Makedon and Galania, who had opposed armed intervention into the conflict.

Prelude

The 1982 Syaran Senate elections saw widespread gains for the pro-Warden National Unity Party, tipping the balance of political power firmly into the Warden sphere of influence. The election results were viewed with significant alarm in pro-Royalist areas of the country, who feared that the Senate would move to strip the Royal Families of Makedon and Galania of much of their power and wealth. Not long after the election these concerns were validated; in September 1982 members of the Warden Caucus led by Senator Dino Markušić declared an intention to strip mentions of Royalty from the Syaran Constitution. While Markušić publicly insisted that the move was largely superficial since it carried little legal weight, many Royalists saw the act as part of a subversive campaign to steadily remove any remaining legal protection for the Royal Families.

Scandals further stoked the flames of political divide. In November 1982 Prince Dako, fourth son of Galanian King Dimitar, was arrested in Durova for public intoxication and released a few hours later. His fifth arrest in three years, the failure of the Galanian Court System to reccomend a harsher sentence than the three months of probation he recieved caused an uproar among Wardens, who cited the event as proof of the double legal standards reserved for members of the Royal Families. Just a few weeks after the story broke, pro-Warden members of the National Unity Party announced their intention to bring forth legislation that would strip Royal Family members and associates of their titles and estates if found guilty in a court of law. Royalists decried the act as politically motivated and a breach of government oversight.

The annual celebration of the Winter Solstice did little to alleviate national tensions between the two sides. Speaking in Zovahr during the celebration, Senator Yeghya Gulbenkian openly chastised the Royalists for their failure to support the Syaran faith of Zobethos, accusing the Monarchists of placing "themselves and their estates above worship of the All-Mother". The elaborate celebrations held in the Royal Estates of both royal families compared to many Syarans who were struggling through the aftermath of a recession following the Hayren War further inflamed resentment and contributed to the brewing political and social gap as the country entered 1983.

President Krunislav Mircevski, in his New Years Address, urged the Syaran people to heal the divide and embrace "selfless citizenry". Entering his seventh year as President, Mircevski had become increasingly isolated as his more moderate stances aliented him from Wardens and Royalists alike. Future Executive of Syara Saša Mlinarić was quoted as saying "[Mircevski] was like a lost prophet, trying in vain to be heard above the chorus of souting that surrounded him". Mircevski's warnings that Syara would face ruin if the political and social divide wasn't healed would indeed prove prophetic, but in early 1983 the President faced an increasingly unstable political environment. Events in 1983 would only further damage the increasingly fragile peace the Republic was operating under.

On 8 March 1983 Senator Florijan Požgaj of Iani suffered a stroke and died foru days later. Požgaj, a moderate member of the National Unity Party, was replaced by Viceroy Ivo Butković with Warden hardliner Zoran Kolonić. The turn of events startled the pro-Royalist Free Realm League, as the National Unity Party was just one Senator short of a supermajority. Fears that the Wardens would attempt use a supermajority to pass radical legislation led members of the League to close ranks and attempt to consolidate their power as the opposition in the Senate while urging moderates across the aisle. Further disaster struck the Royalist cause in July when Senator Senko Yankov Tsvetanov became embroiled in a tax evasion scandal that forced his resignation, leaving a gap in his home province of Korzhany.

Per Syaran law, it fell to Viceroy Ljupco Varnaliev of Makedon to appoint an interim Senator until elections were held. Varnaliev, originally seen as a moderate, had become much more of a hardline Warden by 1983. News that Tsvetanov stunned the Royalists, who realized they were in danger of being forced under a Warden supermajority in the Senate. Various legal actions were taken by the Royalists to attempt to impede the appointment of Stoile Uzunovski, Tsvetanov's likely succesor. Ultimately it was Makedonian legal procedure that proved the most significant; on 20 July King Vasko of Makedon refused to grant permission for Uzunovski to assume the position of Senator.

The refusal of Vasko to grant his blessing kicked off a massive legal debate within Syara. Wardens immediately claimed the Makedonian King was operating outside legal protocol and insisted that the Royal Blessing typically bestowed on government appointments was purely ceremonial. Royalists countered by pointing out the Royal Blessing was written into Makedon's constitution, which had been accepted as legal when Makedon joined the Republic during the Unification of Syara. Protests broke out in the streets of major cities across Syara both in favor of and against King Vasko, some of which devolved into violence. On 26 July Uzunovski attempted to gain entry into the Chambers of the Senate in Zovahr, but local Makedonian law enforcement denied him entry. A fistfight nearly broke out on the Senate floor in response, forcing the chamber to close early and many Senators to leave the city.

Amid an increasingly unstable political environment, President Mircevski attempted to handle relations between the two increasingly discordant sides. Early efforts to achieve some kind of settlement with Tsvetanov's replacement, such as a more moderate appointment, were met with rebuke from Wardens and Viceroy Varnaliev who accused the President of attempting to interfere with Senatorial affairs. Mircevski's assurances to the Royalists that he would not support efforts to strip them of their status did little to reassure the Royal Families of either Galania or Makedon. In August Mircevski finally took a more firm stance, stating that King Vasko did not have the authority to prevent the appointment of a Senator by a Viceroy. However the President also stated his opposition of any abolishment of Monarchy by the national government, insisting that the matter was the affairs of the individual Realms.

The solution satisfied neither party fully. Uzunovski assumed office on 10 August and the pro-Warden elements of the Senate immediately set upon calling for the abolishment of the Royal estates and their powers. In order to do so the Wardens needed to request a Senatorial Constitutional Referendum, which could only be authorized by the President. Mircevski refused, but heavy pressure from pro-Warden elements within the Senate and the Syaran government began to harass Mircevski at every opportunity; the President's private home in Galania was picketed by Warden and Royalist supporters leading to clashes and fights.

Foreign involvement

Both sides of the conflict received support from various nations across Tyran. Support varied considerably between nations, with some providing directly military support in the form of airpower or ground forces, while others provided supplies in the form of food, fuel, medical equipment, or spare parts for machinery.

Support for the Wardens

Cacerta

Main article: Cacertian Intervention in the Refusal War

Cacerta's involvement during the Refusal War was initially dictated by the administration of Prime Minister Piero Naldi. Although the Unitarian government under Naldi primarily focused on domestic affairs, internal pressure from the Ultranationalist Party—who saw the conflict in Syara as an opportunity to open bilateral ties in western Siduri—resulted in the first shipments of food and medical supplies to the Wardens. In mid-March 1984, flights carrying resources from Cacerta's JOC, Andria began making routine trips to Warden-controlled Kylacky. These flights would continue throughout 1984, but Cacerta did not initially plan to expand its participation in the Refusal War.

Following Cacerta's general elections in September 1984 which resulted in a more globalist Marana Tierno being appointed as Prime Minister as well as other internal political changes, the Kingdom's foreign policy regarding Syara and the Refusal War began to shift greatly. Under Tierno, Cacerta broadened its support of the Wardens and suspended flights in favor of larger shipments of supplies via sea. The introduction of Ossorian and Acrean support for the Royalists resulted in fear that the supplies to the Wardens could potentially be targeted and a large naval flet was assembled under the advice of General Alessandra Quintilian to defend the supply convoy. Task Force Aspis sailed from Andria in mid-October 1984 and consisted of GC-VII and SC-XI.

Cacerta's backing of the Wardens was later expanded to full military support beginning in December 1984 with the dispatch and later arrival of a carrier strike group to assist in an anticipated Warden offensive.

Support for the Royalists

Ossoria

High King Nevan III quickly declared Ossorian support for the Royalists and initially offered to support their efforts with military supplies as well as logistical support. Over time, however, this support escalated and elements of the Eighth Fleet were deployed to expand Ossorian involvement in the conflict to providing air and naval support. Deploying units of the Royal Ossorian Army to Syara was occasionally discussed within the Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as with the wider Privy Council, but no such deployments occurred, though unconfirmed reports that elements of the Fianna, Ossorian special forces, were deployed to the conflict have persisted over the years.

Following the collapse of the Royalist cause in Syara, the Royal Families of Makedon and Galania and their supporters were evacuated to Ossoria aboard the carrier LR Tiomanta of the Second Fleet.

Ruvelka

Ruvelkan Support of the Royalists was restricted primarily to accepting and housing Royalist refugees displaced by the conflict. Both Chancellor Maia Sabauri and the majority of the Federal Assembly had no desire to involve the Imperial Armed Forces in Syara's civil conflict, given the tenuous relationship between the two states. Units of the Imperial Army and Territorial Defense Forces were deployed to the border to ensure the conflict didn't spill over into the Principality, but no shots were exchanged between the Wardens and the Ruvelkans.