Zimbaya War
| Zimbaya War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kathic HC-44 picking up troops in the Zourfas Mountains | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kathia State of Zimbaya (1964-1977) |
 Provisional Democratic Republic of Zimbaya | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Acathe ce Vera Kavau Vouresz Gustava Curivan-Mauriszal Illic Bouriszal Hycathe ce Vydau Amir Rayyan Imen El-Kaj |
Khalid Ajam Fadil Naajani Kareem El-Yil | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
200,000-300,000 wounded |
231,000 wounded | ||||||
| 480,000 civilians killed or wounded | |||||||
The Zimbaya War also known as the Zimbayan War of Independence was a war between Kathia and later the State of Zimbaya against the Communist forces of the Provisional Democratic Republic of Zimbaya between 12 April 1955 and the fall of Al-Kaas on 3 May 1977. An important decolonization war, the war had lasting impacts on Kathic and Zimbayan society, including a rising distrust in the government in Kathia. The war was long and complex, with various groups fighting along side the Kathic forces and later the State of Zimbaya which served as the official transitional government from 1964 through 1977.
The war started when members of the People's Liberation Front and the Internal Liberation Forces of Zimbaya attacked a Kathic military instillation on 12 April 1955, and declared that a free Zimbaya would rule the territory currently administered by Kathia under the name the Democratic Republic of Zimbaya. Kathic forces retaliated with attacks on groups suspected of hiding out in the El-Maan hills. The force Kathic troops used failed to win over the Zimbayan population, and seeing any sort of attempt at keeping the land as part of Kathia as a futile effort, the nation gained nominal independence in 1964 as the State of Zimbaya. The State of Zimbaya gained full independence later that year and established its own armed forces. Groups who were assisting Kathic troops were grouped into the newly formed National Defense Forces of Zimbaya.
Peace negotiations began in the Spring of 1967 after the war had become an effective stalemate, however any solution was killed when PDRZ leaders left the Veranium Conference in 1968, further dragging out the war. The war had grown long and was becoming expensive. And as Kathic casualties mounted, those who opposed the war became more vocal. Anti-War activists became more vocal following the death of Prime Minister Acathe ce Vera in 1970, and when a report by the Vydau Dispatch released a report detailing how the government had covered up Kathic war crimes committed against Zimbayans. Gustava Curivan-Mauirszal won the 1972 election under the promise to pull Kathia out of the war gradually, and in early 1976 had fulfilled his promise. Byt this time, NDFZ forces had been losing ground, the communist forces were nearing the capital of Al-Kaas. Finally, PDRZ forces captured the city and the war came to an end.
Kathia continued its occupation of the Bir Talil islands and refused to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Zimbaya. The State of Zimbaya continued to survive on the islands in exile until 1986. The war ended up destabilizing and demoralizing the Zimbayan population, many who fled the nation to avoid reeducation camps. This came to a head when Khalid Ajam died in an apparent aircraft crash in 1981. Anti-communist forces subsequently started a 6 year long guerrilla war until the Democratic Republic of Zimbaya finally capitulated in the Spring Offensive in 1986.
Background
The Kathic Conquest of Zimbaya began in 1756 with the conquest of the Bir Talil islands. Expansion into mainland Zimbaya continued in 1829 with the conquest of the port city of El-Amiid. And by 1872 all of modern Zimbaya was under Kathic rule along with surrounding lands in Dihara. Kathia regarded Zimbaya as an integral part of its Empire, and even created a province along the north coast of Zimbaya and divided it up into counties. Bir Talil was directly annexed into Kathia proper in 1853 and administered as a province as well. Important military facilities were constructed in Zimbaya, such as a naval base in Al-Kaas and on Bir Talil.
Zimbayans were conscripted into the Kathic army during the First World and fought alongside native Kathics on the front line. During the second World War while Provisional Government of the Kathic Kingdom was based in Al-Kaas, Zimbayans were given equal rights.
However, rising nationalism following the war lead to unrest in Zimbaya, and the first attacks by Zimbayan Nationalists were carried out in Al-Kass in 1951. Attacks by the nationalists increased until 1955, when the communist party broke away from the Kathic Communist Party and formed the Zimbayan Socialist Unity Party and declared Zimbaya an independent state under their leader Khalid Ajam.
Kathic Period
The war began with the declaration of the Provisional Democratic Republic of Zimbaya on 12 April, 1955 and a series of raids carried out by the Army of the Democratic Republic of Zimbya (ADRZ) on Kathic positions that same day. The war was seen in the first few years as a "civil war" by the ce Vera government as Zimbaya was considered to be an overseas province of Kathia.
Rayyan Takes Power
Seeing any attempt at keeping Zimbaya as a directly ruled province as futile, Zimbaya was granted nominal independence on the 1 March, 1964 as a province with a lot of autonomy and with the promise of full independence as an associated state later that year once a constitution was written. Zimbaya was granted full independence as the State of Zimbaya on the 31 December, 1964. Its government and foreign affairs were heavily linked to Kathia, and it was still considered part of the Kathic Empire.
Rayyan instantly set about crating a military to take on the communist insurgents who were holed up in the far east of the nation and in the mountainous areas on the nation. The result was the National Defense Forces of Zimbaya (NDFZ). The Air Force (National Defense Air Forces) received fighter jets from Kathia, namly older aircraft such as K-2 Panther and the K-3 Eagle. By the 1970s the air force was a formidable force with K-10 Kestrel I aircraft forming the front line and being used as fighter bombers.
The leaders of the Provisional Democratic Republic of Zimbaya almost instantly declared the State of Zimbaya to be the false representative of Zimbaya and called on Zimbayan Citizens to pledge allegiance to the PDRZ. However, many Zimbayans, mostly in the west, supported the democratic State of Zimbaya and many yound Zimbayans signed up for the armed forces. A large contingent of the new armed forces came from Zimbayans who were already fighting alongside the Kathic Army and were mostly used in guerrilla style raids against communist forces.
By the spring of 1965, PDRZ forces were gaining ground, and seized the port city of Bourmid, allowing for aid from friendly nations to flow through their occupied territory. By the end of the year, the eastern quarter of Zimbaya was under their control, which forced Kathic and West Zimbayan representatives to agree to a ceasefire and temporary division where the front lines lay.
Ceasefire and Temporary Division
Boundaries were drawn tentatively, and were not set to former provincial or internal boundaries but to where the front line was. What was to come after the ceasefire remained uncertain. However, Kathic and West Zimbayan leaders were certain that they would eventually come out of the war victorious. Leaders of East Zimbaya, a name it had become known by, used the opportunity to form a professional army supplied by allied nations.
The ceasefire was meant as a temporary measure until a full settlement was to be had, and how long it was to remain in place remained uncertain. However, the following year in February 1966 PDRZ forces violated the ceasefire by launching an offensive war into West Zimbayan territory.
The War Resumes
PDRZ forces crossed the Zimbayan Demilitarized Zone on the 5 February, 1966 at 05:30. Newly acquired tanks were used for the first time by PDRZ for time to rapidly advance and capture West Zimbayan territory and villages. NDFZ and Kathic forces quickly mobilized in response and both scrambled fighter squadrons to decimate ADRZ forces, but were met with resistance from East Zimbayan fighter jets.
East Zimbayan forces made headway for 3 days before coming to a stalemate and resistance from Kathic and West Zimbayan forces.