Panzerian Civil War

The **Panzerian Civil War** was the war that followed the collapse of the Panzerian government around the year 177 BCE and lasted for seven years. The inciting incident was the apparent death of Daftpanzer VII Fox and the loss of precious artifacts that the nation had spent a wealth of resources building, impoverishing the nation. This, on top of the trade abuse of the White City, finally plummeted Panzeria into chaos. The conflict included several major powers of the time period, with the White City and Imperia invading parts of the empire for claimed peacekeeping purposes.

In the end, the civil war led to the abolition of the Panzerian monarchy in favor of a more democratic form of government and the integration of Hope Island into the Eastonian Federation. After a coalition of the Panzerian factions had pushed back the Vizar troops, the White City territories descended into an era of political instability known as the Black Collapse which would come to last several decades longer than the Panzerian Civil War itself.

## Panzerian factions

The war was characterized by its diplomatic chaos, as alliances remained unclear, especially during the initial battles. However, the factions involved were somewhat clear cut.

### The Iron Brotherhood

The Iron Brotherhood was largely made up of the former military. Believed to be backed by Reuselerria, although the existence of such a connection was never proven, they were fiercely patriotic but worryingly authoritarian. They had a hold on the capital of Panzerhaus from the early days of conflict, and would come to control other strategic military bases such as Fort Friendship.

### Aenys

Aenys, or 'Unity', was fighting for changes to society. Heavily influenced by radical forms of Peace and Love ideology, they distrusted all hierarchical power structures and believed in a redistribution of wealth to ensure economic equality.

### Traditionalists

The Traditionalists wanted a return to the former days and seeked the election of a new Daftpanzer. They held firm control over the southwestern provinces but lost ground as the war went on. Eastonia, while not providing any military aid, voiced support for the Traditionalists in the early stages of the war but would later come to take a more neutral stance of non-intervention.

### Awakening Council

The Awakening Council was formed in the later stages of the civil war when soldiers of the Iron Brotherhood and Aenys factions came together to fight back Vizarian troops in the north. They called for unity among factions to repel foreign invasion, and were crucial in bringing internal conflict to an end as they led the coalition to end Vizar occupation and initiated negotiations for peace.

### Hope Island

Hope Island, being relatively isolated, remained outside much of the battles in the civil war. While initially a Traditionalist holdout, the island council issued a formal declaration of independence a few years into the war after a period of de facto independence. The island's population was heavily split on the issue of independence, with around 40% favoring integration with the Eastonia while others wanted full independence or to remain in union with Panzeria, continuing to support the Traditionalist faction.

Eventually, the pro-Eastonia faction won a referendum on joining the Eastonian Federation and Hope Island merged with the Eastonian Kylling Islands to form the state of Oceania in 171 BCE.

### Verdenhaus

In the west, the city of Verdenhaus became the power base for an independentist Traditionalist faction, seeking to establish a new western empire after Panzerhaus had fallen to the Iron Brotherhood.