South Atura Border War

Location
 Result
Recognition of Aturan Socialist Commonwealth by Novolucia.
Recognition of Novolucian Colonies by Velikon Union.
Coup d'etat in Novolucia overthrows President Leonidovich, establishes Provisional Military Council.
 Novolucia • South Atura • Vostatura
Artelonia
 Deltaria
 Grangal
 • Victor Leonidovich
• Vikashev Pavlovich
• Lubomir Petrov

The **South Atura Border War**, was a military conflict which occurred in Southern Atura between the **Novolucian Republic** and the **Velikon Union**. The conflict began officially on the 2nd November 1898 when **Novolucian troops** crossed the **River Voldo** in **South Atura** and attacked the Union Garrison.

## Background

When the Velikon Civil War ended with the abdication of the Tsar and the collapse of the **Velikon Empire** on the 22nd November 1889, **Vladimir Illyich** and **Boris Mikhailović** signed the Pavlegrad Treaty, in which the Novolucian Republic accepted the North Velikon declaration of independence in exchange for the forming of a joint military and economic supranational organisation, the **Velikon Confederation**. The treaty included military and economic cooperation, as well as free movement between the two States.

However, after the **Prakov Stock Exchange Bombing** by the Far-Left Militant organisation, **People's Will**, and growing interest in the media concerning the growth of the banned **Novolucian Communist Party**, public resentment for the treaty grew as people feared radicalisation by their Socialist northern Neighbour. This fear was spurred on by the **National Action Party** and its leader **Victor Leonidovich**. Leonidovich blamed the growth in Far-Left terror on the free movement policies of the Velikon Confederation and called on Novolucia to leave it.

The growth in resentment put pressure on the **Republican** **President**, **Illyich**, who after the disappointing 1892 elections; in which the National Action Party secured 50 seats; was forced to exert added pressure on the Communist Party.

When the **August Uprising** in Prakov occurred, the Republican-Liberal Democratic Government was caught off guard, leading to a prolonged siege and the deaths of an estimated 10,000 civilians. Illyich, as soon as the Uprising was crushed, suffered several votes of no confidence within the **National Assembly**, all which were narrowing voted down. This attack on his Presidency led Illyich to call for an early election in order to secure the mandate needed to keep down his attackers. This strategy backfired, and National Action won the election, handing Victor Leonidovich the presidency.

Soon after securing the presidency, Leonidovich consolidated his control by declaring a **Third Republic**. The new constitution prohibited suspected Communists from voting in elections and ended the semi-presidential nature of the executive, making Leonidovich both Head of State and Head of Government. It also barred North Velikons from entering the Novolucian Republic, effectively ending the Velikon Confederation, which Novolucia de jure left two months later.

Throughout the years following the election, increased colonisation of the Aturan continent led to borders forming between the Novolucian colony of **South Atura** and the **Aturan Socialist Commonwealth**, a partially recognised State allied to the **Velikon Union**. In February 1896, Border Skirmishes began to occur between Novolucian troops along the **River Voldo**, and Aturan native tribes. In September 1897, a gunfight erupted across the river. President Illyich blamed the Velikon Union for the attacks, declaring that the tribesmen were armed and funded by the North Velikon government, a claim the Union virulently denied.

The **South Aturan Convention** was convened in North Velikon in a perceived last ditch attempt to prevent conflict. However, the Novolucian Foreign Minister **Antipov Afanasiev** condemned the North Velikon Government, leading to a stalemate.

## Novolucian Invasion

On the 2nd November 1898, Novolucian soldiers of the 2nd Guard Corps crossed the River Voldo at the town of Voldograd, taking the Velikon garrison completely by surprise. Over the course of the day several other landings occurred, and a beachhead was secured on the Northern Bank of the Eastern Voldo, with the support of artillery strikes from the Southern Bank.

Soon after the declaration, several small naval engagements occurred in the Velikon Channel, however no ships were lost.

## Deltarian Invasion

 Deltaria joined the war mainly as an opportunity to claim more land and to diminish the influence of socialism on Atura. The Internationale had been held in Rhossakis and the Deltarian Monarchy had become nervous of the growing influence the ideology had.

A Deltarian Force of 12,000 Troops crossed over into Velikon Colonial Territory under the Command of Stephanus Galerus. They were given permission to pass unopposed by Grangal authorities. They advanced a few kilometers before settling down to wait for an expected intervention of Grangal. When Grangal joined the conflict, the two armies worked together to attack the Velikon Forces. After the Grangal Hennenburg Offensive failed , the Galerus offensive was launched by Deltarian troops which did not achieve any significant breakthroughs and resulted in mass casualties due to Velikon Machine Gun posts and fortifications.

A renewed offensive under Vah'n Kommenos achieved some success with the application of new tactics though at the cost of many lives. Deltaria subsequently withdrew from the war signing the "Treaty of Pavlegrad" on the 29th of October 1899 which essentially restored the pre-war situation.

## Grangal Invasion

Grangal initially allowed Deltarian troops to pass before sending its own army to join the invasion. They occupied the no man's land between the Grangal and Velikon Territories and incorporated them into their own colonial administration. Their Hennenburg offensive failed with mass casualties.

## Stalemate

The war eventually began to grind to a halt on all fronts as military advances led to massive casualties. Novolucian troops on the Southern flank gradually began losing moral and succumbing to fatigue. Several cases of disobedience and defections followed major engagements. Eventually the scale of the conflict disheartened the military command at the front, most importantly General Dimitri Kornolovich. The military gradually began plotting the overthrow of the National Action government, and began secret negotiations with the Velikon Union in a bid to sue for peace.

## Coup, Armistice and Peace Treaty

On the 6th February 1900, soldiers loyal to General Kornolovich stormed the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly Building in Prakov, after a short firefight with Republican Guardsmen. Leonidovich was arrested and placed under house arrest.

The Provisional Military Council and the government of North Velikon declared an armistice on the 7th February 1900, officially bringing an end to fighting on the front. Two months later the Novolucian and North Velikon governments signed an official peace treaty, which established a white peace and guaranteed each other's colonial territory as well as recognised the Aturan Socialist Commonwealth.