First Anthorian War

The First Anthorian War was an armed conflict between the Anthorian Empire and the nations of the Moya Pact: the Cloister of the Spirits and the Antares Confederacy lasting from 294 AL to 309 AL. The war ended in a stalemate, with the Cloister ceding a border star system to the Anthorians, but the unresolved issues were a factor contributing to the outbrake of the Second Anthorian War in 323 AL.

## First Anthorian War

### Location

Antares Confederacy, Anthorian Empire, Cloister of the Spirits

## Major Battles

Since the first contact between the two nations, the Cloister of the Spirits and the Anthorian Empire have been rivals. The authoritarian Anthorians were at odds with the egalitarian ideology of the Pneumoi, and their fanatical militarism forced the Cloister to strenghen it's ties with the Antares Confederacy, concluding in the formation of the Moya Pact military alliance between the two in 274 AL. In 285 AL, the Anthorian Empire declared the Cloister it's rival, in response the Antares Parliament voted to sever it's diplomatic ties to the Anthorians, bringing the relations between the Empire and the Moya Pact to an all-time low.

The tensions finally escalted into war in 294 AL, with the Cloister issuing the declaration of war first. Antares voted to declare war on the Empire as well, though the public opinion on that matter has been greatly divided. Many believed that this was not a just war, and that Antares should not involve themselves in a war in which it stood nothing to gain. In the end, the Prime Minister decided to limit the Confederate Fleet to defensive operations, protecting the borders of the Cloister but refusing to engage in any offensive operations. This move satisfied no one, pacifists were outraged that the Confederacy was involved in the conflict in any way, while miltitarists accused the government of abandoning their Cloister allies.

Without the support of their ally, the initial Cloister offensive into the Anthorian territory met with disaster when their fleet was defeated during the Battle of Evarym System in 296 AL. With half of their fleet lost, any hope of a quick conclusion to the conflict was lost. The war turned into a series of back-and-forth protracted offensives and counteroffensives with neither side gaining the upper hand. Noteworthy events include the Second Battle of Yval System in 301 AL, the biggest battle between Antares and Anthorian forces, when two Confederate fleets manage to defend the Cloister territory from Anthorian invasion.

In 301 AL, hoping to relieve some pressure from the southern front, the Anthorians launched an invasion of northern Antares territory. Capturing several star-systems and threating the colony world of Samsara, the arrival of reinforced Antares fleets nevertheless forced the Anthorians to retreat.

The declaration of war on the Moya Pact by the Beldross Empire in 306 AL forced the Cloister and Confederacy to actively seek peace with the Anthorians, as they would have been unable to fight war on two fronts.

Peace was finally achieved in 309 AL, after 14 years and 6 months of conflict. The only notable outcome was the loss of a single border star system by the Cloister. Other then that, the borders remained in the pre-war state. The tensions remained, however, and unresolved issues contributed to the joined Kelarr-Anthorian invasion of the Moya Pact in 323 AL. The war itself was greatly unpopular within the Antares Confederacy, with some politicians calling for terminating the alliance with the Cloister. Although such opinions would not be taken seriously until after the conclusion of the Beldross War, the protracted and costly First Anthorian War contributed to the Confederate withdrawal from the alliance in 341 AL.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilFiZgFTSIg&t=203s
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/168\_fZ7iaCo4EAd7pVwDkRedsckQI-0fRmVgRgPXUMnY/edit#gid=1893784483