Casanares-Seldonia Relations

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The Republic of Casanares and Seldonia despite being geographical neighbours have been historical enemies for centuries. Both nations have engaged militarily over a dozen times, starting with the Battle of the Thousand Swords in 1341 in antiquity and the Zorian Wars of 1876 and 1931 in modern times being the highlight of this complex and often fiery relationship.

Historians have never been able to agree on the nature of the disagreements both nations have had but differences along ethnic and linguistic lines have been defined as the "historically original reason for conflict". It is true that during the Greek and Roman invasions of eastern Alba-Laettana, ethnic Seldons were displaced and it was only in 1301 that their rights were restored under the rule of Pagan King Bal-Sammoth by the proclamation of the Cartis Libiris which also allowed pagan Seldons to assimilate into the emerging Laettan society. However beyond Alba-Laettana's eastern borders an exclusively Seldonian nation had began to take shape with the first notion of nationhood being proclaimed at Fortería by the Seldon tribal chief Lagacarius Oskimarriatze during a gathering of tribal chiefs and clan leaders. A new Seldonian nation was proclaimed in 1340 after years of carefully crafting the foundations of these new nation; the unification of the tribes and the organisation of the clans allowed an ailing Oskimarriatze to finally realise his dream of creating a new nation with its capital at Forchraighanetza (present day Fortería), the "historical motherland of Seldonia"; the problem was that this city had always been under Laettan control, and in order for it to become the new Seldon capital, Oskimarriatze would have to invade Alba-Laettana and take control of the city by force; thus in 1341, the Battle of the Thousand Swords took place just outside the city walls of Forchraighanetza. In the end the Laettan forces manages to end the siege on the city and declared victory three weeks after the battle started; the remaining Seldon forces retreated and Oskimarriatze was killed in combat, his head was paraded on a spear through the streets of a battered Forchraighanetza.

Over the coming centuries, many more battles and wars took place between the Laettans and the Seldons, many settlements in modern-day Zoria changed hands many times and borders were redrawn endlessly. In 1876 the first Zorian War took place. Only 60 years after Casanares and Alba-Laettana gained independence from the Spanish Empire, the then Emperor of Seldonia, Adame II sought to end the republican agendas of many in Seldonia, especially after its powerful neighbour had not only managed to defeat the Spanish at home, but it had also abolished the constitutional powers of its own monarchy and had established a president as its head of state under a democratically elected federal government. Adame II thought that by invading and incorporating the Laettan province of Zoria it would create a sentiment of national pride and would restore the credibility of the imperial family. It had always been the dream of every Seldon ruler, either tribal chief or emperor to "reclaim the historical motherland of the Seldons" in this case, the city of Fortería (after it was renamed by the Spanish in 1453), but in Adame II's case, he wanted to invade and incorporate the whole province of Zoria and not just the border city of Fortería.

A bloody war then erupted in April 15th 1876 which began with the invasion of the village of Olgazán and without prior warning. This meant that the Casanarean president, Valerio Tuscanatt, at this time based in the city of Santa Eufrasia in the South American part of the country was not informed of the invasion until 3 days after it had begun. As a result there was very little retribution against the 300,000 strong Seldonian army. Initially they made significant gains and captured a total of 26 cities, villages and other settlements while on their way to Fortería; on the fourth day of the invasion, a contingent 0f 17,000 Laettan soldiers were deployed from Albarán to protect the city of Fortería in order to hold off the invaders until more troops arrived as back up. By this time Tuscanatt set sail for Albarán in order to take control of the situation; he brought with him a further 40,000 troops from South America but it took them one month to arrive in Alba-Laettana and even then they would be outnumbered vastly.

Without enough troops to fight off the Seldonian Army, Tuscanatt assembled a guerrilla army of 120,000 previously untrained men who for the most part were peasant farmers but who were nevertheless prepared to defend their country. When the Seldonians finally took control of Fortería, their numbers had been significantly reduced and were low on supplies; this weakness allowed the Laettan guerrillas to regain control of Fortería and even managed to imprison 5,000 seldonian soldiers who were sentenced to death and executed after the war. It was this victory against Seldonia that proved to be a defining moment in the history of both countries as it established a clear goal for the Seldonians to achieve and a territory for the Casanareans to defend. The first Zorian War also meant that president Tuscanatt would go down in history as one of the greatest leaders in the history of the republic but it also meant the end for the imperial dynasty of Seldonia; it forced Adem II to abdicate in favour of his younger brother who would be useless at keeping the empire together. Seldonia, like Casanares, became a republic just 4 months after the First Zorian War and its imperial family exiled from the country; they were given political asylum by Casanares and their descendants and claimants to the throne of Seldonia still live in Casanares to this day.

Movement for the Emancipation of Zoria (Laettan: Emantsipatsion Liikumine de Tzoria) or ELT