Winter Solstice Crisis
| Winter Solstice Crisis | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vehicles of the 6th Mechanized Division in Čiragrad in the counter-coup | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Karadsević government Razarian National Armed Forces |
 National Invigoration Organization | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Radodan Karadsević † Vukašin Branislavić |
Djuro Jezdić  | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
8,000 in Čiragrad (Initial coup) 42,000 (counter-coup) Reportedly 112,000 mobilized to suppress rebellion attempts | 21,000 in Čiragrad, 20,000 in nationwide uprising | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1,322 killed, 4,443 injured | 6,370 killed, 1,300 executed in aftermath | ||||||
| 844 civilians killed | |||||||
The Winter Solstice Crisis (Razarian: Ⰽⱃⰰⱅⰽⱁⰴⱀⰵⰲⰻⱌⰵ ⰻⰸⰳⱃⰵⰴ Kratkodnevice izgred) was a period of political crisis in Razaria in December 1979, which began with a coup d'etat attempt by the National Invigoration Organization assisted by mutineering military units, which succeeded in taking control of Čiragrad and caused the death of Vrhovnik Radodan Karadsević in the fighting, but was subsequently suppressed in a counter-coup led by Vukašin Branislavić who appointed himself Vrhovnik after defeating the coup and an attempt at nationwide rebellion by the Invigorators.
Background
The National Invigoration Organization, established in 1960 amidst the Rectification and Lustration Campaigns as an instrument for popular political violence by the Razarian government to persecute its opponents, unexpectedly expanded its power as the Lustrations intensified, taking over local authority in areas where governors were removed from power. Svetoslav Jastrebović initiated the Jastrebovian restoration which reorganized politics in Razaria significantly, but failed to dislodge the NIO from its now powerful position. After the Restoration, it competed continuously with the military and clergy promoted by Jastrebović, which only intensified on his death in 1975 and the inauguration of Radodan Karadsević as Vrhovnik.
Karadsević, a little-known cleric promoted by Jastrebović amidst the Lustrations to create a new trusted circle, was a fierce champion of the Restoration, believing the NIO's continued power had hindered its complete implementation, and recognized its threat to Restoration ideals. By the time Karadsević came to power, the NIO ran social services and a large number of businesses, and possessed entrenched popularity in southeastern Razaria and other parts of the country, while its original leaders formed a clique competing and opposing the forces that ascended thanks to the Restoration. He enacted a gradual reduction in NIO power, first transferring its commercial activities to military control, then deposing local leaders under 'anti-corruption investigations'. The matured political clergy and military also began speaking out against the NIO's authority, and one major publication denounced them as 'hot-headed students' in 1977.
Sensing its position being threatened, the NIO's leadership, the most prominent of whom was Djuro Jezdić, acted in response, plotting to undermine and eventually overthrow the Karadsević government. The NIO expanded its connections and influence in the military and across society, and also instigated incidents to reduce confidence in Karadsević beginning in 1977, such as organizing strikes and supposedly staging bombings. In response, the crackdown on the NIO intensified, with many leaders and functionaries imprisoned and its subsidiaries dissolved. However, preparations were already fully made to overthrow Karadsević by this time.
Karadsević's crackdowns paused and lessened in 1978 due to these pressures, thus there was discussion to drop the plans among the NIO. However, they resumed in 1979, and after the highly publicized execution of former NIO leaders for corruption and subversion, the NIO chose to act, exploiting extensive connections with military units stationed in western and southeastern Razaria. Initially the coup was to take place in July, but due to the renewed crackdowns pressure in the country was high and so the NIO chose to let the atmosphere recede somewhat while seemingly compromising with Karadsević, hopefully gaining the advantage of surprise by striking when least expected.
Coup in Čiragrad
On 18 December 1979, elements of the 10th Motor Rifle Division stationed near Belgorica mutinied, seizing its weapons depots and distributing small arms to Invigorators who quickly arrived at the barracks upon these news. This was followed by another mutiny of elements of the 2nd Motor Rifle Division stationed near Grabovica. The Invigorators and mutineers numbered 21,000, of which 12,000 were Invigorators, and advanced on Čiragrad after distributing the weapons, from two directions. The forces who did not mutiny failed to respond as their commanders were imprisoned upon the mutiny, and were not made aware until the advance on Čiragrad had began, and were informed that it was to suppress a 'subversive uprising'.
The perimeter of Čiragrad was defended by 8,000 soldiers of the 4th Motor Rifle Division, who were not at full strength as it was peacetime. The coup troops asked the 4th to lay down arms, which was refused, and heavy fighting followed in the outskirts in the night where mechanized infantry were deployed. Assaulted from two directions by numerically superior mutineers, the 4th division was overwhelmed, retreating into the city on the 20th while organizing evacuation of the national leadership. The mutineers began deploying artillery, shelling the city with mortars and field guns, while advancing into the city initiating urban warfare. The 4th division put up fierce resistance, and mobilized police and militia in the city to fight back, but would again and again be pushed to the centre of the city as the mutineers and Invigorators closed in.
On December 21, Radodan Karadsević was killed by an artillery barrage which hit the truck he was on during an evacuation. Numerous other important officials were killed as well. News of this was not reported to the country or even the city's defenders, but the resistance crumbled regardless as the Invigorators overwhelmed the defenders. At 19:03, the commander of the 4th division announced surrender and was immediately imprisoned along with all remaining members of the division. Led by Jezdić, the NIO leadership arrived in the city at midnight while a NIO-controlled provisional government was hastily established.
The 4th division suffered heavy losses in the brutal fighting, with about 920 killed in total. However, the Invigorators were not as well-equipped or competent, and the coup forces sustained 1,942 killed. All fallen of the 4th were posthumously commended for their 'heroic stand' after the crisis's conclusion.
Military counter-coup
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The military already received news of the coup attempt on December 19 when suburban fighting raged. As the entire National Fortification Command was held imprisoned or had been killed, including the general staff, there was no authority to coordinate a response. However, Vukašin Branislavić, military anti-NIO hardliner, seized the initiative, coordinating with fellow hardliners to secure control of the rest of Razaria, and mobilizing police and militia to put down NIO uprisings. After rallying forces under his and his allies' command, Branislavić decided to crush the coup by marching into Čiragrad.
In the first hours of December 24, Branislavić's forces, comprising the full-strength elite 6th mechanized and 17th tank divisions, elements of the 10th and 2nd divisions, and mobilized Territorial Defense militiamen, with a total of 42,000, advanced on Čiragrad. Although the resistance was significant, the military outnumbered and outgunned the coupists, pushing steadily into the city, while sustaining low casualties. By noon the outskirts had been completely secured while the coupists suffered tremendous losses with about one thousand killed.
In the night, the military began to fight the NIO and mutineers in downtown Čiragrad, and met considerably more difficulty in attempting to achieve victory. The urban combat again became brutal, but by daybreak of December 25 the coupists' positions had collapsed and resistance became insubstantial. In chaotic succession the NIO and mutineers surrendered unit by unit. Afterwards, the military massacred many remaining coup forces, with an estimated 2,200 of them, mainly NIO cadres, killed after major fighting had stopped. Jezdić and other coup leaders were arrested.
The countercoupists suffered 384 killed while 4,306 coupists were killed.
As the former Vrhovnik was killed along with much of the National Fortification Command's seniors, Branislavić first declared himself provisional dictator, and was then appointed the new Vrhovnik by the survivors of the leadership election conclave, beginning the Branislavić administration.