Battle Of 2019

"The center of the Saepic Army under King Cathorii X at the Battle of 2019" by Claude Francis

### Outcome

Livic Victory
 • Capitulation of Whitbrien

## Combatants

 Livic Empire
 Saepic Confederacy

## Commanders

 Ronald V
 Markus Sherwood
 Ross Hause
 Peter Rupel
 Tanner Egerton

 Cathorii X 🏳️
 Louis
Drebyu 🏳️
 Maclain Larence †

## Strength

85,000 - 89,000 men289 cannon

94,000 - 96,000 men243 cannon

## Casualties

2,000-3,000 killed or wounded
18,000 killed or wounded25,000 captured

The Battle Of 2019, also known as the Battle Of St. Mary's village, was a major engagement between the Imperial and Saepic armies near the village of St. Mary. The battle resulted in the Saepic army being routed, and led to the end of the Campaign of Whitbrien.

It led to the capitulation of Whitbrien, after which the Saepic Confederacy was officially dissolved, and Livic rule was established in its territories. The battle is widely considered to be General Ronald's masterpiece, and one of his greatest victories.

## Background

Around 4 days prior to the battle, the right wing of the Saepic army under Prince Drebyu was defeated in the Battle of Henyes by Lieutenant General Archduke Mark, forcing King Cathorii to retreat the army to the east. General Prince Ronald V ordered the Imperial army to cut off his retreat.

Upon taking council with his generals, King Cathorii decided that continuing to retreat would yield too much ground to the Imperial army, and so decided to turn and give battle near St. Mary's village.

## Battle

The armies stopped near the vast fields of St. Mary's, with the Saepic army positioned on a shallow valley, and the Imperial army on a flat field. The Imperial army had around 88,000 men, with its center under Prince Ronald V, the left wing under Duke Ross, and the right wing under Archduke Mark. The Saepic army was around 96,000 strong, with its center commanded by King Cathorii, its left wing under Bishop Larence and its right wing under Prince Drebyu.

Bishop Larence ordered many redoubts and stone walls to be constructed near key points of the field, but they weren't well built due to a lack of engineers. The battle began at around 8 AM, when Prince Ronald moved his light infantry forward, with the flat grass fields providing good camouflage to the troops, as they kept moving forward. King Cathorii ordered his light cavalry to quickly defeat the light infantry. General Ronald responded by sending the heavy infantry forward. The Saepic light cavalry attacked the infantry, but they were surrounded by Lieutenant General Mark's dragoons, and were forced to pull back.

Prince Drebyu decided to attack Lieutenant General Mark's wing, as he had now seen it lacked heavy cavalry, and moved his heavy infantry and cavalry forward. Archduke Mark responded by forming squares with his infantry, and ordered Brigadier General Rupel's artillery forward. His wing resisted Prince Drebyu's attacks. Bishop Larence also tried to attack the right wing, commanded by Major General Ross. The attacks failed due to Brigadier General Egerton's continuous counter attacks, which rendered further attacks futile.

At around 3PM, the Saepic forces were beginning to exhaust themselves, with the infantry starting to run out of bullets, forcing them to attack at bayonet point. All of the Saepic lines were under pressure. Archduke Mark decided this would be the time to launch a final assault, and formed a massive cavalry line, with cavalrymen from all of the wings, stretching out to the entire length of the Imperial army. He led them forth in a massive cavalry assault that broke through the Saepic center, causing the troops to panic, and retreat. Prince Drebyu was wounded in the fight, and was captured alive. Bishop Larence was killed in a fight against an Imperial hussar. King Cathorii was compelled by his aides to leave, and decided to escape from the battlefield. He was later captured by hussar scouts after the battle ended.

## Aftermath

The battle is cited as a masterpiece by many, and Prince Ronald considered the battle as one of his greatest accomplishments. It was a final stand and a last ditch effort by the exhausted Saepic army to defeat the Imperials. Though the Saepic army outnumbered the Imperial army, it was exhausted and had lost all of it's previous engagements with the Imperial army. Afterwards, the capitulation of Whitbrien took place, with King Cathorii having no choice but to accept all of the terms, which led to the Confederacy's dissolving and the annexing of all of its territories by the Imperials. The King later committed suicide by slitting his own throat with a pocket blade.

After the battle, The Empire became the most dominant power of the region, but there was much political strife at the homelands, and much work was yet to be done by Prince Ronald and his generals. Upon his return to Priom'h, there were mass celebrations and partying by the citizens and troops, and the High Council convened and unanimously decided to confer Prince Ronald with the newly created rank of Field Marshal, and the title of King of the Empire. It is said that at that point, King Ronald was the most powerful man in the region's entire history.