First Cross-Strait War
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| Cross-Strait War | |||||||
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 A clash between Daoan and Tsurushiman against Jin warships. | |||||||
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| Strength | |||||||
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 250,000 men | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
Daoan Casualties
Total: 11,105+ Casualties
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Shen casualties
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The First Cross-Strait War, also commonly referred to as the Daoan-Shen War, was an intense armed conflict fought between the Shenzhou Empire and an alliance between Daobac and Tsurushima from 6 July 1897 until 11 February 1898. It is also the first in a series of conflicts that the Daoans and Shen found themselves engaged with one another. The war was borne out of the Shenzhou Empire's expansionist and hegemonic policy to dominate the Kayatman and east Ochran regions through political and economic means. The imperial government viewed the subjugation and annexation of Daobac as a stepping stone to achieve Shen hegemony over the region, while at the same time control a strategic port of entry for international trade. The independence of Daobac in 1845 presented a new entry point for goods to enter and exist the Ozerosi and Kayatman seas. As a result many nations, Tsurushima and Shenzhou among them, sought to establish friendly relations with Daobac in order to cement access to trade with the new nation. Initially, the Shen had the upper hand in the war, to the point of being able to invade and occupy parts of Bautroi island in Daobac. However their decision to simultaneously attack, what they perceived to be a weakened nation in the wake of a revolution, Tsurushima proved to be a major factor in their defeat. The involvement of Tsurushima as an ally of Daobac has been largely credited with single handedly turning the tide of the war. On July 1897 all Shen armies that occupied Bautroi island had been routed, and by January 1898 Daobac and Tsurushima launched a concentrated amphibious landing in the Shenzhou Empire and eventually forced the Shen to surrender by occupying the city of Port Nangang.
Factions
Shenzhou Empire
Daobac
Daobac is an island nation comprised of the islands of Bautroi and Dammay and is located in the geopolitically strategic location of the Kayatman archipelago. The chain of islands that comprise the archipelago stretches all the way from Malaio to Ochran and, in a sense, forms a natural geographic barrier of sorts between the Ozerosi and Makrian oceans. In the ancient era the Kayatman archipelago has allowed archaic humanss to island hope between the two continents, spreading their population and culture. In the modern era, nation states who governed the archipelago are able to levy taxes from ships that enter their territorial waters and transform their ports and cities into major hubs of international, regional and local trade. In the classical era the Tahamajan Empire had complete hegemony over the archipelago, in the modern era this control was previously held by Kajera. However the independence of Daobac created a new entry point for goods and international trade. Daobac's strategic geopolitical location meant that many foreign powers attempted to exert their influence over the nascent nation in order to either gain access or control the strategic port and cities in Daobac. However this also meant that Daobac found itself in a position where it could leverage its location to extract concessions and various other favorable deals from foreign nations, in exchange for the goodwill of the Daoan government. As a result Daobac has done its best to maintain a free and active foreign policy, maintaining friendly relations with enough great powers but at the same time doing its best to not be anchored to one or more particular geopolitical bloc. The Daoan government was able to initiate and complete various public infrastructure construction projects and build up its armed forces from the assistance from many nations, though Tsurushima in particular invested heavily in both public infrastructure and defense of Daobac.
The war had a profund impact on how Daobac would view the importance of a modern and professional army, as well as its role in guaranteeing Daoan independence and sovereignty. The war firmly demonstrated that while a large standing army is not a guarantee of victory, an army that maintains modenr requipment and well coordinated is more than capable of defeating a larger opposing force. The war helped shape the Daobac Self-Defense Forces (DSDF) modern day doctrine and is commonly used as a justification to maintain a high level of government spending for the armned forces. In the late 20th century Daobac had only been independent for less than half a decade and the Daoan government was more primarily concerned with spending government funds on public infrastructure and social programs to stimulate economic development. While the armed forces received a decent amount of funding, it was not enough to the point that it met minimum essential force requirements to defend all of Daobac's territory. The armed forces, the navy especially, fielded equipment considered modern in the late 20th century provided primarily by Tsurushima. However they lacked the necessary manpower to defend both Bautroi and Dammay islands, in-depth defense analysis conducted by the armed forces consistently show that in the event of a war the armed forces would be unable to effectively defend both islands. This was proven to be true when commanders of the DSDF ordered a strategic retreat from the island of Bautroi in order to reinforce their defense strategy around the island of Dammay, leaving only a token garisson to coordinate a guerilla campaign against the Shen invaders. While the DSDF was unable to mount an effective counterattack until the arrival of Tsurushiman reinforcements, DSDF personnel who remained on Bautroi were able to mount an effective resistance against the Shen, while DSDF elements on Dammay were able to prevent a second amphibious invasion by the Shen.
Tsurushima
Background
Daobac's independence in 1845 resulted in a sudden geopolitical shift in the area as the island nation opened a new entry point into the Ozeros ocean through the Kayatman sea as it had been previously been controlled exclusively by Kajera. Many nations sought to establish friendly relations with Daobac in the hopes of allowing their goods to enter the diverse and rich Ozerosi market. Both Tsurushima and the Shenzhou Empire were quick to establish trade relations with Daobac and invested heavily in Daobac’s public infrastructure projects in the hopes to gain a favorable standing with the Daoan government. Tsurushima in particular helped develop not only Daobac’s infrastructure but also its armed forces. During this time, Daobac’s foreign policy was divided into three major factions within the Daoan Congress between those who wished closer relations with either: Tsurushima, the Shenzhou Empire or the Ozerosi countries. While Tsurushima, Ozerosi nations and the Shenzhou Empire engaged in covert lobbying to achieve favorable trade deals, those from the Shenzhou Empire wished to install pro-Shen politicians in the Daoan Congress to engage in subversion. Their ultimate goal was to initiate a general referendum within Daobac to become a province/colony of the Shenzhou Empire. Various pro-Shen political parties were funded by the Shenzhou Empire throughout 1850 - 1897 and were able to gain a foothold in the Daoan Congress. The primary concern of the Shenzhou government was the growing favoritism of Tsurushiman goods over those from the Shenzhou Empire. This was largely due to Tsurushima's willingness to offer various incentives, such as transfer of technology and knowledge agreements related to the military, to sweeten their offers. However the 1893 Daitoa Revolution saw a significant reduction in Tsurushiman participation in foreign affairs due to the internal strife that took place. This perceived withdrawal from international politics emboldened the Shenzhou government to take more decisive action to cement their position as the hegemon of the region. On 3 July 1897, a meeting between Shen agents and pro-Shen Daoan congressmen and businessmen was interrupted by Daoan Law Enforcement agents. This event would be referred to as the XXX Scandal. Documents and other evidence recovered from the meeting revealed that the Daoan congressmen and businessmen were offered various financial rewards to propose pro-Shen legislation in Congress. Both the Daoan congressmen and Shen agents were charged with espionage and imprisoned, an action which the Shen government strongly condemned and demanded the immediate release of their agents, claiming that they were not civilians, but ambassadors who have the rights of diplomatic immunity. Daobac rejected these claims and did not release the Shen agents.
Timeline
Outbreak of war
Under the impression that: (1) Tsurushima was still recovering and relatively disorganized from the 1893 Daitoa Revolution and (2) that an attack against Daobac would result in Tsurushiman involvement regardless if the latter was directly attacked or not, on 6 July, the Shenzhou Empire launched a punitive expedition against Daobac and attempted to implement a naval blockade against Tsurushima’s Kaihei islands. The Daoan government at the time, in spite of repeated warnings from the commanders of the DSDF and largely due to the influence of pro-Shen politicians within its own government, had been slow to respond to a potential hostile action. What preparations were made was only hastily done after the uncovering of the XXX Scandal. Due to this the Shen armies were able to land largely unopposed on the shores of Bautroi island with the DSDF arranging hastily organized defensive positions on the island. A large portion of the DSDF was evacuated to Dammay island in a large scale strategic retreat, leaving behind only token garrisons to initiate a guerilla campaign against the Shenzhou Empire. Though considered technologically inferior, the armies of the Shen had a large number of personnel and ships that were able to overwhelm any local resistance. The Daobac Self-Defense Forces stationed on Bautroi, caught off guard by the invasion, were only able to provide light resistance and initiated a guerilla campaign against the Shenzhou occupation force. The Shenzhou Imperial Navy was also able to impose a naval blockade against Tsurushima, for a time, largely due to the absence of a major Tsurushiman fleet in the Karaihe islands at the time. This however was largely done to prevent the Tsurushiman navy from assisting Daobac and keep them occupied throughout the remainder of the war.
Shen military leaders expected the expidition to only last less than one week and eventually on 9 July, under the belief they held the upper hand, the Shen presented the following terms for their withdrawal:
- Release of detained Shen agents.
- Daobac is to pay an annual tribute to the Shenzhou Empire.
- Sign and ratify preferential trade agreement with the Shenzhou Empire
- Provide the Shenzhou Empire exclusive access to Daoan ports and military facilities.
The Shenzhou government purposefully presented these unrealistic demands to Daobac in the hopes that the Daoan government would reject it. The rejection would then be used as a pretext by the Shen to occupy and eventually annex all Daoan territories. However by 112 July the Tsurushiman fleet had been assembled and engaged the Shen fleet in the battle of XXX which decimated the Shen fleet. Tsurushima subsequently sent reinforcements to Daobac to drive out the Shen from Bautroi island. As the coalition fleet was assembled, the DSDF utilized various types of small but agile ships such as torpedo boats and fast attack crafts to probe the defenses of the Shen fleet which also blockaded Bautroi island. Small numbers of the Daobac Armies were also gradually inserted to Bautroi island to bolster the island's guerila fighters om preparation for a counter attack.
Daoan-Tsurushiman counter-attack
On 1 August the Daoan and Tsurushiman navies launched a counterattack and was able to decimate the Shen fleet in the Battle of the Kayatman Sea. The battle also saw one of the largest scale naval engagements that involved major surface combatants, both sides utilized various types of protected cruisers, Ironclads and widespread use of smaller surface combatants such as torpedo and gunboats. The latter of which proved to be decisive factors in the battle as small but heavily armed and agile boats were able to harass the larger warhsips favored by the Shen, avoiding their large calliber guns and launch their torpedoes against them. The battle is often considered as a major turning point in the war as the Shen would be constantly on the defensive after this defeat. This victory gave the Daoan and Tsurushiman navies free reign over the seas in the region, the Shen navy having been relegated to largely coastal defense role. Reinforcements were deployed to Bautroi island to assist the Daoan defenders and rout all remaining Shen forces on the island. Though than half of Bautroi island was under Shen occupation, the loss of their naval fleet had significant consequences for the army's morale. With the prospect of escape no longer an option, some Shen soldiers surrendered enmasses though some continued to put up what resistance they could. The Daoan-Tsurushiman armies liberated each village in various offensives throughout Bautroi while sustaining relatively minimum casualties compared to the Shen, largely thanks to the more modern equipment used by them compared to those by the Shen. By 20 August all remaining Shen forces on Bautroi island had either been killed or captured. The Shen government however stubbornly refused to surrender and continued to deploy more military assets, including the bulk of its naval fleets into the conflict. Daoan and Tsurushiman naval fleets continued to engage against their Shen counterparts throughout the remainder of August. By September, the Shen naval capabilities had been worn down to coastal defense and patrols. The majority of their major surface combatants either sunk or too far away from the Kayatman ocean to make a difference. The Daoans declared Bautroi island liberated by 4 September 1897.
Invasion of the Shenzhou Empire
In spite of its string of military defeats the Shen government refused to end the conflict and vowed to fight on. Almost immediately after the liberation of Bautroi island XXX and XXX, the heads of state of both Daobac and Tsurushima alongside various government officials, held a three day conference in Congvat to determine the future course of the war. Both leaders agreed that before the war can be considered ended, the Shenzhou Empire must be made to surrender through either political or military means. Plans were made for an amphibious invasion of the mainland of the Shenzhou Empire, with the first phase of the invasion involved the occupation of key ports along the Shenshou Empire's southern ports to deprive them of their trade opportunites. The primary driving force of the invasion was that a successful invasion of the Shenzhou mainland would prompt dissident factions within the country to take action and distract the ruling Shenzhou government and force them to make peace with the Daoans and Tsurushimans. Througout September and until December the Daoan and Tsurushiman armies conducted joint drills and training in preparation for the invasion, creating, improving and enchancing their doctrine, strategy and tactics. In preparation of the invasion, Daoan and Tsurushiman warships regularly conducted raids against ports and naval bases on Shenzhou's eastern and southern coastlines throughout the same period of time as well. The constant shelling and bombardment largely hindered the Shen's efforts to reinforce their coastlines though some fortifictaions were successfully created.
Eventually on 20 January 1898 Daobac and Tsurushima initiated joint landings on key ports and cities on the Shenzhou Empire's southern coastline with an estimated total combined landing force of 40,000 Daoan troops from divisions in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd National Guard Corps led by Ân Tuấn Khải, General of the Daoan National Guard. The cities of Suicheng and Yangcheng were shelled by the naval forces of Daobac while the eastern cities of Yan, Ying and Andong were besieged by Tsurushiman naval forces in an attempt to tie down the Shen's military forces, forcing them to fight a war on two fronts. Due to the previous naval raids the Shen were able to only establish token garrisons for defense and the landings met little resistance. With beacheads firmly established the combined armies marched upon Basingse from the port city of Xi'hai, pillaging and raiding settlements throughout the countryside in retaliation of the occupation of Bautroi island. On 29 January 1898 the combined armies arrived at the outskirts of Basingse and the allied armies established camps to rest and conducted reconnaissance in preparation for what would be known as the Battle of Basingse. The battle began on 02 February and saw widespread use of artillery by the allies to pound the city defenders into submission. The objective of capturing Basingse was to deal a significant blow to the Shen's morale and psyche as the city is revered as a holy site and impenetrable location by the Shen. It was hoped that the city's capture and occupation would be enough to force the Shen to reconsider their hardline stance on surrender. By 07 February the Battle of Basingse finally ended.
End of the war
On 10 February 1898 the reigning monarch of the Shenzhou Empire finally announced the surrender of the Shen to the Daoan-Tsurushiman alliance, largely due to numerous internal factors that took place as a consequence of the invasion of the Shenzhou Empire's mainland and the capture of Basingse. FThe naval bombardments of the empire's port cities and subsequent successful amphibious invasion of its southern coast by foreign powers prompted the Shen population to question the legitimacy of the ruling caste. Various minority ethnic groups also sensed the vulnerability of their Shen overlords and small armed revolts sprang up across the country. These factors combined were the final decisive factors that prompted the Shen monarch to finally surrender and agree to the peace treaty of Hoabinh. Key provisions of the treaty were as follows:
- Recognition of Daoan territorial integrity and sovereignty by the Shenzhou Empire.
- Payment of indemnity in the form of gold as war reparations by the Shenzhou Empire to Daobac and Tsurushima
- Equivalent of 350 million Solidus in the exchange rate of the era.
- Reparations to be paid over a period of 40 years.
- Charged an interest rate of 3.5% per annum until the payment is amortized
- Division of the payment: 60% to Daobac and 40% to Tsurushima.
- The entire southern coast of the Shenzhou Empire is declared as a demilitarized zone for the next XX years.
- The Shenzhou Empire to sign a Non-Aggression Pact with both Daobac and Tsurushima.
Aftermath
Daoan Foreign & Defense Policy
The war had profound and long-lasting consequences for Daobac. It established the Shenzhou Empire as a primary threat to Daoan sovereignty and independence, and Daobac conferred to Tsurushima the status of a friendly and allied nation. The war demonstrated to the Daoans that without friends and allies in the international community it would become the target of conquest and subjugation by its neighbors. This resulted in the adoption of a free and active foreign policy that Daobac practices to date as a deterrence in the hopes that an attack on Daobac would trigger a response from its broad network of friendly nations. The Daoan government also saw the benefit and advantage of maintaining a small but professional and technologically sophistcated armed forces that is able to repel or at the very least resist the onslought of a larger but less coordinated opposing force. The war shaped the armed forces doctrine of:
- Maintaining a credible deterrence posture against potential hostilities.
- Embrace a decentralized approach in command and control practices.
- Daobac must ensure that it has no territorial ambitions beyond its current borders.
- To maintain a small standing army but with a large pool of well trained reservists that can be rapidly mobilized.
- The civilian population must be well versed in the knowledge of civil defense.
A professional military equipped with adequate detection and counter-attack capability was seen as a central pillar to the Daoan's defense policy. It also demonstrated to the Daoans that they cannot afford to sustain prolonged offensive operations against another nation, unless they were assisted by allied forces in doing so. This entrenched the firm belief that Daobac must never have any territorial ambitions beyond its current borders. Prior to the war there were discussions amongst right-wing figures to restore a Greater Daoan Republic which would have incorporated Kajera and the southern coasts of the Shenzhou Empire under a Daoan polity. These views were effectively rendered obsolete in the aftermath of the war.