Vozhsk War of Independence
| Vozhsk War of Independence | |||||||
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| Part of the Voshan Wars | |||||||
 Battle of Driefontein | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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 Michaś Ivanavič Petr Piatrovič Danii Lukašenka † Drahan van Klif Ali Hamza Markovic †  Frederich Arnheim | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
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Atmoran: 348,000 Dominion/Colonial Forces: 235,000 |
Vozhsk National Army: 289,000 Islamic Republican Guard: 63,000 Aravean Expeditionary Forces 70,000 Foreign Volunteers: 2,743 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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37,900 killed 21,600 returned home sick or wounded 41,200 wounded 2,900 missing |
99,570 killed 83,750 wounded 11,950 missing 13,000 captured | ||||||
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Civilian casualties: 261,000 casualties 66,700 Vozhsk died in concentration camps 183,000 children taken to Atmoran mainland | |||||||
The Vozhsk War of Independence (Dutch: Voshaanse Vrijheidsoorlog; Vozhsk: Vajna za Niezaliežnasć Vozhska ), more commonly known in Atmora as the Second Voshan War (Dutch: Tweede Voshaanse Oorlog; Vozhsk: Druhaja Vozhskaja Vajna ) was the penultimate phase of the Vozhsk national liberation conflict. It was fought between the Atmoran Empire and the Vozhsk Democratic Federative Republic, backed by international allies. On the Vozhsk side, most combatants were members of underground republican militias, foreign volunteer legions, or expeditionary forces from foreign governments. Against them were the Atmoran Armed Forces, as well as the forces of Atmoran dominions and states in personal union, as well as loyalist Vozhsk constables of the Royal Voshan Police (KVPD). It was an escalation of the 'Smutny', the severe revolutionary nationalist unrest that characterised the period of 1883-1911.
In the summer of 1912, the Atmorans instituted a policy of concentration of the civilian population. Over 1.3 million people were interned during the war, of which nearly 67,000 would never return. In addition, nearly 200,000 Vozhsk children were seized from their parents and taken to orphanages in Atmora. Most would never return to Vozh.
In September of 1913, a ceasefire agreement was reached, in part due to the arrival of an Aravean expeditionary force the previous spring. The post-armistice negotiations eventually led to Treaty of Lechtenstad on November 18, ending the war. This officially ended Atmoran rule in Vozh, with only a handful of sovereign base areas (popularly referred to as 'Treaty Towns') remaining under Atmoran control. However, the young Vozhsk republic proved politically unstable, with an Atmoran prince being named as High King after a reactionary coup in 1916.
Background
In October 1904, Vozhsk republicans of the Peasant-Labour and National parties launched the Autumn Revolution against Atmoran rule. Although the revolutionaries managed to seize Mohilev and several major towns on the island of Luhan, the uprising was crushed within a fortnight. Despite its swift suppression, the rebellion and brutality of the Atmoran reprisal led to wider public support for the Republican cause. Later, the election of August 1910 led to a landslide victory for the newly formed National-Labour Party. After several National-Labour MPs were arrested in Koninginnewolde for refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Crown, nearly all Vozhsk Parliamentarians who supported independence refused to take their seats in the People's Council of Vosha (Volksraad) of the Estates of Vosha. These abstentionist MPs founded the Douma Vozha in February 1911. In its first act, it created the 'Vozhsk National Army', a paramilitary recruited from the notoriously labour-oriented peasants and mariners of Vozh.
Course of the war
Early War
The Vozhsk National Army was formed with the primary goal of liberating the region from the yoke of Atmoran rule and establishing an independent state. In its early weeks, the VNA engaged in daring raids on Royal Voshan Police and Voshan Army arsenals and barracks to acquire weapons and free imprisoned Republicans. Concurrently, the movement laid the groundwork for the creation of a state bureaucracy, which further bolstered its legitimacy and garnered public support.
However, tensions reached a boiling point in May, when the Atmoran authorities in the Voshan Council of State took drastic measures by outlawing both the Douma and the National-Labour Party, effectively criminalizing the VNA and its political affiliates. The ban on the NLP led to an upsurge in violent activities, with assassinations of Voshan Army officers becoming rampant. By the 31st of that month, an alarming 91 Atmoran commissioned officers had been reported dead or severely injured.
On the 3rd of June, the Douma Vozha declared the establishment of the independent Democratic Federative Republic of Vozh. This proclamation marked the official beginning of the Second Voshan War, signaling the outright rejection of Atmoran rule and the explicit push for sovereignty.
Mid War: Anarchy in the Countryside
By early 1912, Atmoran authority in the highlands of the Protectorate was crumbling under the relentless pressure from the VNA. In response, the civilian government was suspended, and a military governor was appointed in a desperate attempt to regain control. However, this only served to exacerbate the situation.
The conflict escalated dramatically when, on the 6th of February, Governor-General of Vosha, Willem Albert van Grysperre, fell victim to an assassination carried out by a suicide bomber near his estate outside Zelenov. The attack claimed the lives of several bodyguards and severely wounded the governor's chauffeur. In the aftermath, the Atmoran Army responded with brutal reprisals, leading to the massacre and summary execution of approximately 700 Vozhski.
The violence reached its zenith during the following week, with a series of bombings, shootings, and stabbings resulting in over 3,000 casualties among Atmoran officers, infantrymen, collaborators, and civilian support personnel. The Voshan Army's subsequent sacking and burning of Klietsk city center in March further intensified the conflict. It was this event that caused a public outrage in Aravea, with the Riksdag beginning deliberations on whether to intervene in the conflict.
Late War: Aravean Intervention
As the Vozh War raged on, a decisive turning point occurred in late August. The VNA received a significant boost when an allied expeditionary force of 70,000 Aravean soldiers arrived to offer their support. The arrival of these well-armed professional troops bolstered the VNA's ranks and provided crucial military assistance, tilting the balance in favor of the Democratic Federative Republic of Vozh.
With the increased military strength and morale of the VNA, the Atmoran authorities faced mounting pressure to seek a resolution to the conflict. Negotiations between the two sides resulted in an armistice, which came into effect on 18th September. The armistice marked a significant milestone in the Vozh War, bringing an end to the bloodshed and hostilities that had plagued the region for months.
The armistice also recognized the Democratic Federative Republic of Vozh as a sovereign and independent state, achieving the central goal of the Vozhsk republican movement. The VNA emerged victorious, and the new nation was recognized by the international community.
Armistice
Treaty of Lechtenstad
The Treaty of Lechtenstad was a pivotal diplomatic agreement that marked the end of the Vozh War and solidified the status of the Democratic Federative Republic of Vozh (DFRV) as a sovereign and independent state. The negotiations, which took place following the arrival of an expeditionary force of 70,000 Aravean soldiers, brought together representatives from the Douma Vozha and the Atmoran authorities. The treaty, signed on the 18th of September, established the framework for Vozh's future as a democratic and socialist nation, while addressing key territorial and political concerns.
One of the fundamental elements of the Treaty of Lechtenstad was the recognition of the Democratic Federative Republic of Vozh as both a democratic and communist state. The negotiators agreed to enshrine the principles of democracy and socialism in the nation's constitution, paving the way for a unique system that sought to promote collective ownership of resources and production while safeguarding national sovereignty.
The Treaty of Lechtenstad also officially abolished the Vosha Protectorate, severing all ties between Atmora and the newly independent Vozh. This move symbolized the complete emancipation of Vozh from Atmoran rule and acknowledged the nation's right to chart its own path as a sovereign state. While recognizing Vozh's independence, the treaty also addressed territorial issues concerning certain coastal areas. As part of the negotiated settlement, Atmora was granted the right to maintain 'Treaty Towns' or sovereign base areas in specific coastal regions of Vozh. These areas would remain under Atmoran control, but the DFRV retained full sovereignty over the rest of its territory. This continued occupation of Vozhsk territory led to tension between the two states for the next three decades.
Aftermath
Continued Conflict after 1913
Despite the signing of the Treaty, resentment by disenfranchised Atmoran colonists and continued interference by the Atmoran Confederation meant that nearly from the beginning the DFRV was plagued by instability and internal conflict. This period of unrest are known as the 'Boer Wars' in Vozh, eventually resulting in a reactionary coup that led to the abolition of the DFRV.