War of The Thousand Flowers
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| War of The Thousand Flowers Meikakuna Michi Campaign | |||||||||
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| Part of Project Shinkei | |||||||||
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Expeditionary forces
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Coalition's members
Ten Kingdoms' forces
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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 PiO Cyneheard Beckette  Commander Walter Gerstg † Lord Gaufrid Duran
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| Strength | |||||||||
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(Most of the force are from Drussel, Rafusie and Dragonica Legium's armies) | ||||||||
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The War of The Thousand Flowers (Nihongo: 千の花戦争, Liedish: Krieg der Tausend Blumen), also known as Meikakuna Michi Campaign (Nihongo: 明確な道運動, Liedish: Klarer-Weg-Kampagne), was a military conflict between the Nihonjin Expedition Army and the Thousand Flowers Coalition. When the Nihonjin first occupied the village of Masaqui, the nine kingdoms on Liedtsch Island (modern-day Jūmin-ryōiki Island) formed the Thousand Flowers Coalition, temporarily ending the rivalry between the kingdoms to focus on the Nihonjin threats. The Nihonjin combined arms approach and significantly more modern technologies, alongside the Kingdom of Leiden's help in intel and information, the Nihonjin began the war with the newly established coalition.
The Nihonjin began militarizing the Kingdom of Leiden when it became a puppet of the Nihonjin after a series of debt-ridden treaties. The Nihonjin sent over futuristic weapons to fortify Nihonjin territories, compared to the magical properties and medieval weapons of the natives of Liedtsch Island. Both sides took heavy measures against each other's moves to assert influence. The Nihonjin began executing the first phase of the Meikakuna Michi Campaign after news broke out of the Coalition mobilization.
The war was the result of the Nihonjin policies of expansions for Project Shinkei and Operation Zenshō to expand its influence politically and militarily to secure territories for military usage, scientific research, and a planned observation site dedicated to the social changes of Sparkalia. In November of 1544, Leiden went under military occupation by the Nihonjin forces shortly after the monarch of Leiden signed a treaty that gave the Nihonjin full control over the kingdom; many historians cite this event as the beginning of the war. Months after the occupation, the Nihonjin and Coalition started to skirmish in small, localized engagements, so-called "incidents".
Shortly after a raid launched by the Rafusian Civil Army on the Nihonjin forces on the outskirt of Leiden, the Nihonjin forces undertook rapid dominace operations and maneuver warfare against the coalition forces. The Nihonjin forces scored major victories in the first few months of the war, capturing Drussel in March of 1545 and pushing back a coalition-led offensive in July of the same year. In November 1545, the Nihonjin forces launched a large-scale winter offensive, reaching deep within the island's center. During the same time, the Seige of Poppyville against the Kingdom of Algunia began, Mount Hardeen was captured by the Nihonjin forces, and the Strategic Hamlet Operation started.
The Strategic Hamlet Operation greatly combated the loyalist insurgencies by pacifying the occupied territories and reducing the influence of the enemies among the defenseless population. The Nihonjin forces would continue a series of offensive operations throughout 1546. The year saw the side-switching of Derzekai and its Gran Derzekai Army, the fall of Poppyville, the beginning of air dominace and airborne forces deployment from the Nihonjin Air Force, and the start of a series of Nihonjin forces' infiltrations in the East side of the island.
By December 1546, the Coalition was severely weakened. The only leading force still able to fight was the Dragonica Imperial Army and the low morale armies of Libe, Nazura, and Dodokai. By February 1547, Libe and Nazura surrendered to the Nihonjin forces, the commander of the Coalition, Walter Gerstg, was killed, and the Nihonjin Expeditionary Navy began a naval blockade of Dragonica Legium. Emperor Balasar Fenkenkabradon was forced to surrender when the Nihonjin navy began bombarding Dragonica Legium port cities and when the Nihonjin began using hybrid weapons.
The war ended with an overwhelming victory for the Nihonjin forces, its allies, and puppets. The victory was marked by a full-scale military occupation of Liedtsch Island and the signing of the Treaty of The Ten Kingdoms. After the treaty was signed, the Shinkei Declaration was released. The Shinkei Declaration formed the modern Organization of Shinkei and the Federation of Ten Kingdoms.
The war was one of the few military conflicts fought on Jūmin-ryōiki Island during the Era of Blemish, the other two being the 1575 Rafusian coup and the ongoing military occupation of Dragonica Legium.
Background
Before the arrival of the Nihonjin, the ten kingdoms on the Jūmin-ryōiki Island were in constant conflicts over lands and power, but everything came to a halt when the Kingdom of Leiden, one of the two human kingdoms on the island, came under the control of the Nihonjin forces. A coalition between the Empire of Dragonica Legium, the Kingdom of Rafusie, and the Holy Order of Drussel was formed to counterbalance the upcoming power of the Nihonjin. Despite the Coalition, the Nihonjin forces militarized the Kingdom of Leiden with advanced weaponry, as well as delivering troops of the Nihonjin Expeditionary Army onto the island.
The Coalition was then expanded to the five other kingdoms before the Grand Kingdom of Derzekai officially joined to proclaim the Thousand Flowers Coalition. The Coalition was the only time that the nine kingdoms were able to set their rivalry aside to face a much stronger force. In November 1544, the Kingdom of Leiden officially became a colony of the Nihonjin forces after the Treaty of Vonderburg. Leiden, unable to repay their debt from all of their weapons and modern equipment purchases, was forced to lease more land, expand the colony of Masaqui and give the Nihonjin forces full control of the kingdom's military.
The sudden treaty caused a massive outcry from native Leidish and other natives in other kingdoms, prompting the Thousand Flowers Coalition to mobilize their armies near the border of Leiden to prevent the Nihonjin from advancing further into the island. The mobilization of the Coalition's armies angered the Nihonjin forces and was also opposed by the Grand Kingdom of Derzekai. In response, the Nihonjin began fortifying and militarizing Leiden with futuristic weapons at their disposal. The Kingdom of Leiden's military then went through multiple chains of command before the Leiden Royal Army's General of the Army was replaced by marshal Hayao Kinugasa of the Nihonjin Expeditionary Army.
As soon as Hayao was put in charge of the LRA, he ordered a full mobilization on the borders of Leiden, with around 23,000 personnel from the Nihonjin Expedition Army and 59,000 troops from Leiden Royal Army spreading across the border. The Nihonjin Expeditionary Air Force and Navy were also mobilized. The Air Force was given direct orders from General Takashi Ri to oversee the operation of air dominance over the island. Meanwhile, the Navy was given directions by Admiral Kazuyoshi Tanaka, a Nihonjin veteran back in the homeworld.
The mobilization was organized into a bigger campaign, codenamed as "Clear Road Campaign" (Meikakuna Michi Campaign), and began operation when a small group of Dragonican soldiers attacked a small western command of the Leiden Royal Army, sparking the "Rosettia Incident". The Rosettia Incident was followed by other countless small skirmishes, often won by the Nihonjin-supplied Liedish forces.
The war officially started on the 11 of January 1545, when a platoon of the Rafusian Civil Army, led by officer Gorwin Nerineiros, launched an offensive in one of Nihonjin's main battle commands, resulting in the Battle of Koania. Despite having the larger manpower, the platoon was decimated by the firepower of the Nihonjin forces, in the process, killing the first major military official of the Coalition. The Coalition leaders were shocked at the death of Gorwin, resulting in the official declaration of war against the Nihonjin forces and Leiden.
Nihonjin offensives
As the declaration of war was announced, General Susumu Katō granted the Ground Force, Navy, and Air Force orders to employ immediate shock and awe attacks on the Coalition's forces using the technologically-advanced mechanized forces. Over 400 tanks, 1,200 armored vehicles, and a handful of aircraft were deployed onto the proposed battlefield. With heavy fortification already in place, the Leiden Royal Army was able to safely counter attacks from the Coalition's forces without the support of the main Nihonjin forces.
The NEA was split into three main army groups, the Western Command, the Northwestern Command, and the Northern Command. The three groups have their separate infantry, armored and airborne divisions that worked intertwined with each other during operations. The decision to split up the commands was crucial due to the Nihonjin planned tactics of divide and conquer and the effective maneuver warfare strategy that the Nihonjin forces were similar with.
Conquest of Drussel
The Holy Order of Drussel was situated between Leiden and the Grand Kingdom of Derzekai, the Holy Order was an exclave and military order formed by high elves of the island. The Holy Order was the oldest military order to exist on the island, active to keep the belief system of The Light of Order in place, the main religion system on the island. The Holy Order and the Light of Order had spread propaganda regarding the Nihonjin, portraying them as "banished monsters from another realm". The propaganda proved to be effective among the populace, resulting in massive outcry and heavy resistance from the allied Leiden's citizens and occupied settlers.
The Nihonjin forces believed that once the Holy Order is captured, the religion's decision makers would fall into the hands of the forces. Due to the small size of the army defending the Order, the Western Command was instructed to only decimate the army while avoiding collateral damage. To proceed with the needed operation, the Ground Force sent the 1st and the 4th Platoon of the Special Forces Group to face the Order.
Both the 1st and the 4th Platoon of the Special Forces Groups specialized in urban warfare, making the two the best operators for the attack on Drussel. The two platoons were given a handful of LAVs and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles to carry out the attacks. The Western Command also permitted the usage of chemical weapons, specifically blood agents that were developed back in the homeworld.
The knights and titled paladins that protect the Light of Order were experts at close combat fighting but when compared to the Nihonjin forces, they were extremely inferior. The knights' and paladins' armors are heavy, making movement for them almost improbable. Their vision and stamina are weakened by their helmet as well. Other factors also add up to their almost inability to counter ranged weapons from the Nihonjin forces.
On the 26th of February, the 1st Platoon was parachuted into Drussel in the cover of darkness and thick forest. The 4th Platoon soon followed on the morning of the 27th with military vehicles. The 1st Platoon was able to establish a temporary communication line with the 4th Platoon in the captured village of Hanau. Within hours of the operation, the Nihonjin forces pushed the Leidish-Drusselian border back tens of kilometers.
Undefended villages were rushed by the platoons and then occupied by troops of the Western Commands, as planned by the Ground Force for a swift victory. Several areas were protected by knights but the knights that were outside the capital city were less experienced, resulting in overwhelming victories for the platoons. The usage of blood agents proved to be effective against the defending army Royal Drusselian Army's knights. The knights' armor made the wearers lack proper ventilation, helping the agents easily kill them.
Within weeks of fighting and constant invasions made by the Western Command, the Holy Order was reduced to a few cities and its capital city of Norsiden. The Nihonjin forces wanted to minimize damage made to infrastructure, civilians, and religious figures. The Order exploited the tactics by moving all of their yet-to-be-captured civilians and religious figures to big cities where important institutes and infrastructures to avoid confrontations with the Nihonjin forces, thus stalling time for reinforcement from the Coalition.
But the plan did not go well when the 4th Platoon began a series of victories through their experiences with urban fighting. Cities after cities were "liberated" by the Nihonjin forces. Civilian casualties were almost non-existent, infrastructures were all left intact, and all of the Drusselian knights and paladins were captured while the Platoon suffered no major casualties. The capital of Norsiden was captured on the 15th of March, just 17 days after the start of the invasion, after an intense battle with the main force of Drussel. Over the course of the conquest, a total of 1,200 knights and paladins were killed and around 3,000 more were captured, unlike the Nihonjin forces, suffering only 3 death and around 50 injured troops.
The Holy Order of Drussel was then reorganized into the Free Territories of Drussel (自由領土ドルッセル, Freie Territorien von Drussel), controlled mainly by autocratic elves that accepted the terms proposed by the Nihonjin forces. Shortly after the reorganization, the Light of Order began to propagandize the religious populace into having a favorable view of the Nihonjins, which somewhat proved to be effective. Drussel would be a "Free Territories" until the signing of the Treaty of The Ten Kingdoms, which finally returned the former territories into the Order, with many modifications. Drusselian elves were also forbidden from participating in political and military service without the acceptance of the Nihonjin forces, rendering the knights and paladins useless until the end of the war.