Seketese Civil War

Seketese Civil War
Part of the Seketese Revolution and the Revolutions of 1917–1923
Civilian buildings in outer Conelibek in 1920
Date October 13, 1919 – 1923 Location Seketan Result Kjedorate Victory Establishment of the Second Seketese Republic Wilskland federates into Seketan Continued Sosymet insurgency in mainland Ellinesa until 1929
Belligerents
Kjedorates Kjedorate Party Free Conelibek Supported by: United Kingdom After 1920	Sosymets Sosymet Party Seketese Communist Party (factions)	Regionalists Wilskland Tjebian Militias (1920-1922) Monarchist Militias (1921-1922) Allies United Kingdom Until 1920 French Third Republic Until 1920

The Seketese Civil War was a civil conflict fought in Seketan in the aftermath of the collapse of the Nelbec Empire during the Seketese revolutionary era. The war was fought principally between the Kjedorates and Sosymets, alongside regionalist factions, over the direction of an independent Seketan. It resulted in a Kjedorate republican victory, the establishment of a Seketese Republic, and the end of the Seketese Monarchy.

The civil war started with under the backdrop of instability within the Nelbec Empire due to their poor results in WWI. Discontent amoungst Seketese socialists and workers over the course of the war culminated in the Djenibek Uprising by the far-left Sosymet Party with the support of factions from the Seketese Communist Party. Sosymet ideolagy called for a ultranationalist socialist state, with non-Seketese ethnic groups like Fjeskans and Trjebians being viewed as "bougouis anti-social class". Opposing the Sosymets were the republican Kjedorates, the leading party in the Imperial Seketese parliament who advocated for a liberal democratic republic. Independent of these factions were several regionalist armies and militia's such as Wilskland and Trjebians.

Background

Seketan in the Nelbec Empire

Nelbec Empire on the eve of WWI, at its greatest extent

Since 1765 Seketan had been in a personal union with the Alquiyan crown after the death of King Fjedor III. In 1884 the two states were united into the Nelbec Empire with much protest from Seketese aristocrats and merchants, however the much stronger Alquiya was able to easily subdue unrest. For the next 30 years the Nelbec Empire was able to assert itself as a great power on the international stage, briefly occupying Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands and joining itself into Europe's tangled alliances.

Seketan at this time had been reduced to a constituent state of the Empire still with most of its political and royal institutions. The Hérvynsken gained democratic elections after the union for the first time, though this was limited primarily to the middle class and wealthy Seketese. The Crown of the Seketese Kingdom remained present in Seketese society, with its royal symbols being often used alongside Alquiyan ones in official capacities. Only the royal bank and Seketese Royal Army were dissolved and replaced with Nelbec institutions.

World War I

In 1889, the Nelbec Empire signed a military pact with the German Empire, drawing it into the Concert of Europe. In response Lormotia and , the Kingdom of New Svealand, feeling threatened by the expansionist Nelbecs, signed similar agreements with the Entente. Neither treaty however stipulated that if war broke out between the continental alliances that either nation would have to join. This meant that when hostilities sparked off WWI peace remained on the Nelborne Islands.

Since the establishment of the Nelbec Empire, territorial expansionism and Nelbec irredentism was a chief priority of the imperial government.

Warfare

Start of the war

Djenibek uprising

Main article: Battle of Djenibek

Sosymet soldiers in Djenibek

On October 13, 1919, Sosymet forces numbering around 13,000 covertly gathered in Djenibek began their uprising by seizing government offices, the post office, and key factories. Local Seketese Communist Party factions joined the uprising under Josef Þoran, boosting the Sosymet numbers. By October 15th they had control over the entire municipality and Sosymet leader Joseph Tinnerdam declared the Sosymet republic from the steps of the Djenibek City Hall, thus kickstarting the Civil War and War of Independence.

In response the Imperial Nelbec Army (INA) dispatched the 3rd Division to put down the uprising, however when the unit reached Walybek they mutinied, joining the Sosymet uprising. With control over Djenibek and Walybek secured, the Sosymet army started to expand their control Southward.

Continued Allied Offensive

Facing little resistance from the Nelbec Empire and support from the war-weary population, the Sosymets quickly captured villages while marching towards Fjedor and Sjon. Forces from the INA were stripped from the front line to halt the rebellion, weakening the Nelbec Empires ability to halt the continueing Allied Offensive. On October 30 Allied forces were able to take advantage of the weakened position and encircled INA forces north of Doduc.

By early November the Sosymets reached Fjedor and Sjon, capturing the latter with much resistance. The INA had sent a makeshift division to Fjedor, where they engaed with Sosymet forces for 4 days in the Battle of Fjedor. By November 7th however the imperial positions were overrun and Fjedor was under Sosymet control.

Fall of the Nelbec Empire

With the fall of Fjedor and the destruction of 2 INA divisions, the allied frontline collapses alongside Imperial control over their units. virtually all soldiers mutiny, with their Seketese commanders either ordering them to their bases in Bynan and around Lake Seketan, or to dissolve entirely. Without control over their front line units and further mutinies on the Lormont front, political confidence in the Nelbec government collapsed. On November 10th a group of officers attempted a coup of the civilian government, however the coup-ers orders for military units to return to their posts was met with deaf ears and the attempt to save the Empire had failed.