East Vitanio War

The **East Vitanio War** (May 1st, 764 BSD - May 12th, 763 BSD) (Giantish: *Lonjvetanë Tojat*, Litarri: *Eswic Kran dor Vitanjo*) was a conflict between the Cyorsian Empire and the Litarri Admiralty in the aftermath of the Culmination War. East Vitanio, previously held by the Cyorsian Empire, was ceded to the Litarri Admiralty after the Cyorsian Empire's defeat. The Cyorsian Army, having returned from combat in the Cyorsian-Giant Border War, were ordered to take back East Vitanio. The war ended with Cyorsian victory, and East Vitanio was reincorporated into the empire.

East Vitanio was the only part of Vitanio that had held a majority Litarri population as part of the Cyorsian Empire. Around 1.5 million Litarri lived in East Vitanio, and due to this, and the historical claim by the Litarri Admiralty, the area was given to them after the Culmination War. The war and subsequent annexation of East Vitanio lead to the mass migration of Litarri into the Litarri Admiralty. An estimated 800,000 fled. Today, only 300,000 Litarri remain in East Vitanio, in the state of Vitanio.

## Background

Vitanio, a region that compromises most of the states of West Vitanio and East Vitanio, has been an important region to the Littari people. Seen as their ancestral homeland, there has often been attempts to regain the territory following the crucial Third Cyorsian-Litarri War in -684. The following treaty of Borsokin settled the border between the Cyorsian Empire and the Litarri Admiralty. The area of West Vitanio, as well as the Litarri-held areas in Kolatronda, were annexed.

### Date

May 1st, 764 BSD - December 12th, 763 BSD (8 months, 11 days)

### Territorial changes

East Vitanio Annexed by the Cyorsian Empire
 Establishment of Vitanio Governorate
 Disputed border between the Cyorsian Empire and Litarri Admiralty

## Belligerents

### Commanders and leaders

Emp. Vänoj
 Imp. Gen. Moläsib Ghevit
 Vic. Mshl. Jolaná Kupog

### Casualties and losses

2,952 dead, 4,910 wounded
 108 captured
 20 missing

## Belligerents -

### Belligerents-

Litarri Admiralty
 Siralli KingdomSupported by: Giant Republic

### Commanders and leaders-

Adm. Mannis Vertuon
 Gen. Valletin Bornat

### Casualties and losses-

4,586 dead
 7,161 wounded
 513 captured
 68 missing

The Cyorsian Empire declared war on the Litarri Admiralty in -8, where they lead the Vitanio Campaign from early spring of -8 until late winter of -7. Cyorsian forces successfully lead to the surrender of Litarri forces in East Vitanio. This forced the Litarri Admiralty the pull out of the war after the Treaty of Enstörnh. The Cyorsian Army held Vitanio until the end of the Culmination War in the year 0. The pre-war border was restored, giving the Litarri Admiralty all of East Vitanio.

During peace negotiations at the signing of the Treaty of Estörnh, the Cyorsians would allow the Litarri language to remain the official spoken language, whilst Giantish would be the working language. They also demanded that the current Lord Baron of Vitanio, Henout Baskiq, would be ousted and replaced by a Cyorsian-friendly Lord Baron. The Litarri leaders were unhappy with such demands and challenged the decision. The Cyorsians, displeased by the several days of waiting, installed a new Lord Baron, Makqun Tirvasit. Outrage spread across Vitanio on the decision to install their own without a vote by the people. The Litarri challenged this decision once again, and this time searched around East Vitanio's royal houses to find one capable of serving as Lord Baron. The Cyorsians were given three potential barons to choose from. Barnjel Ilvousta, a baron from the House of Etanjat, was chosen as Lord Baron and Makqun Tirvasit was removed from the post, and Barnjel installed.

The Etanjat family continued to reign as Lord Baron of Vitanio until the year -2, where they were ousted by revolutionaries from the Litarri Revolution. The revolution began in the capital of the Litarri Admiralty, where it then spread throughout the country. The revolutionaries reached Vitanio, where they would take over the area and overthrow the Lord Baron Antijon. They proclaimed that Vitanio was once more a part of the Litarri Admiralty. Upon the Cyorsian emperor Möjnink VII finding out about this, he ordered 50,000 soldiers to march into Vitanio. This started the Summer Campaign, ending with Cyorsian victory. Vitanios borders were further reduced, and the self-governing region was not allowed those rights anymore. It was fully absorbed into the Cyorsian Empire as a province. The loss of Vitanio was seen as a turning point for the Litarri people.

However, fighting would not stop in Vitanio. Litarri-government funded rebels continued fighting at the border and, due to technically not having signed official peace negotiations, this counted as active combat, and thus, at the Congress of Gianar, it was decided that the region of East Vitanio would be ceded to the Litarri Admiralty. The loss of the region dealt a heavy blow to the newly formed Cyorsian Federation, as the area provided a natural, deep-water port. On April 28th, 34, the Cyorsian emperor Vänoj ordered 68,000 troops to march to the Cyorsian-Litarri border. War upon the Litarri declaration was declared on May 1st.

## Events

### May

On May 1st, the initial invasion force broke down the border wall on the eastern shore. They managed to take the beach and nearby port-town Malinjarb, before alerting Litarri forces to their presence. Intense artillery fire took place during the first battle, the Battle of Malinjarb. Cyorsian forces successfully repelled the Litarri troops and continued onward, taking over more nearby villages. On May 3rd, another invasion force met up with the 13th Invasion Division. There, they began assaulting Tornav Castle, where Litarri forces held strong. With the walls falling apart from days of artillery strikes, the forces inside were encircled and surrendered. Now that the Litarri leadership had heard of the attack, they began sending out troops to the border. The Cyorsians, now having taken control of the border, began going deeper into the area. With East Vitanio's distinct plains and hills, combat became slow, and as such, trenches were built at mounds and hills, where forces would often remain for several weeks. The Cyorsians, during the course of the May campaign, would employ strategies that hastened their advance. By May 25th, the Cyorsians would take the city of Niniao.

### June-July

The Battle of the Ajontam was the beginning of the June campaign. Cyorsian forces had caught the Litarri Army at the Ajontam River, where a week long battle began. Litarri forces began driving the Cyorsian Forces back from the river, and recaptured Niniao by June 10th. Naval support for the Cyorsian troops came from Byzzria, where 10 landing ships made landfall, and the Cyorsian marines would capture the central coastline. They would continue onwards and meet up with the 16th Infantry Regiment, and began besieging the major city Capotin. Both forces eventually linked up with the fatigued 80th Core Division, and retook Niniao by June 28th.

With Niniao now under Cyorsian control, the Litarri had one major city under their own control. Major General Luswin of the Litarri Army began his famous nation-round campaign. Luswin faced the Cyorsian troops outside of Capotin, where his 10,000 man army defeated the Cyorsians' 21,000 man army. He reclaimed the western foothills, and killed the Cyorsian general Mäljtob Natgrokuji. By July 21st, he had recaptured most of the northern coast.

### August

With the northern coast now lost, the Cyorsian military generals met at their base at the southern coast. They drew a new tactic, ordering their 52,000 men to swiftly march through the central plains and towards Niniao. They would also employ the use of scorched earth, burning supplies, towns, and other valuable things as to not give the enemy an advantage. While this would cost millions of garvaj in reparations, it would ultimately speed up the war. As Cyorsian forces approached Niniao, the city endured days of artillery fire. As infrastructure collapsed, and as thousands of residents fled, Luswin surrendered himself to the Cyorsians on August 12th. The northern coast had been recaptured, and the Cyorsians focused on capturing the rest of the central plains. This would be achieved by August 28th.

### September

September became the beginning of naval battles in the Gulf of Vitanio. Cyorsian ironclad warships engaged Litarri ironclad warships donated by the Siralli Kingdom throughout the 20's. The initial naval battle was the Battle of Morstut, off the island of Morstut. 4 Cyorsian warships engaged in battle with 2 Litarri warships. The fog on that day made it almost impossible to see the other ship, but after some hours of combat, one of the Litarri ships, the LWS Majtob, was sunk. The other ship, the LWS King Andrew, sustained major damage.

Glust, a city located north-east of Niniao, was besieged and occupied by Cyorsian forces. After Glust's fall, the Cyorsian forces successfully besieged Tamshov, Kustemt, and would move to attack Guson when a united attack was ordered. For now, the Cyorsian troops either garrisoned at the edge of the Ksål (*Käsol*) river. Other forces marched to Basjtin.

### October

The naval base Irot was bombed by Cyorsian warships. The base was captured and subsequently used as the staging point to land on the beachhead near Samstin. Kupog's forces crossed the Ajontam river and met with the marine forces at Samstin. A three-day campaign destroyed the city. Irot and Morstut were rebuilt as naval bases for the Cyorsian forces in the Gulf of Vitanio where they could support defensive actions against further Siralli attacks.

A Giantish supply vessel was sunk as it passed Morstut. The attack was deemed a 'mistake' but Giantish forces began to send further arms to the Littari resistance through the Gravelcoast Republic. A diplomatic crisis between the two nations occurred as a result, with clashes at the border occurring in short bursts.

### November

With Manvou's recent fall, the forces that marched on Manvou came to the aid of their allies at Basjtin, one of the bloodiest battles in the war. Littari and Siralli volunteers held out inside the city for almost a week, with several hours passing of limited warfare to recollect the dead. What happened at Niniao would be repeated in Basjtin. As revolts were crushed and cities were further occupied, a massive force of Cyorsians stormed the city and destroyed everything inside, leaving almost nothing standing. Most of the city's citizens had either been killed or had fled.

Momentarily, Tamshov was retaken by Littari forces. They were pushed out again and their leaders killed en masse. Now, with every city west of the Ksål and Listkel rivers taken, the last thing to do was to push at Tulivou, the headquarters of the strongly armed forces of the Littari Admiratly and end the war.

Kanjoor was the first city that was attacked. Its attack was dealt swiftly by the soldiers that fought at Basjtin and Samstin. On November 20th, the coastal town Daniat was besieged by the Cyorsian navy. The town surrendered without bloodshed and Cyorsian soldiers moved through to support the trek towards the next city, Viljat. The city had held captive dozens of imprisoned Cyorsians and these soldiers were freed from capture, allowed to aid in the fight. The historic city was turned to ash as the Cyorsians wished to show the Littari Admiralty the price they had paid. Guson fell the same day and soon every soldier in this war would unite to attack Tulivou.

### December

The final days of the war were setting in. Most of the land east of the Ksål and Listkel rivers had now been occupied by the Cyorsian Empire. Leadership hoped they would not have to pass further than Tulivou as long treks into the marshy landscape was not something that they wished upon, as the Littari had shown prowess in the terrain of their homeland before, and they certainly were not going to have another Battle of Bivicozo.

The forces marched to Tulivou, standing outside the gates. The Cyorsian leaders moved inside and laid siege to the city. The last men in the standing Littari army were utterly crushed by the superior numbers of the Cyorsian forces. Seeing the destruction and slaughter that had occurred in other cities, the leading Littari general, Valletin Bornat considered surrender, though part of him also considered fleeing further to perhaps stall the Cyorsians for longer. He was not certain whether the attrition would cause a victory for the Littari, but he was not going to risk anything himself. The Littari Admiralty had already lost most of its standing military in this war. He blew the horn of peace and flew the flag of surrender. Surrounded by the masterminds behind the war, he confronted them on everything they had done. The war was over, but what was next? Was this all worth it? The answer was something that they had to think of very soon.

## Aftermath

The war had ended with Cyorsian victory. Despite their victories, they had broken the long-standing peace between themselves and the other major powers. The Siralli Kingdom had declared a state of emergency and placed its army on ready guard. It moved dozens of soldiers through the Siral Grand Duchy and Gravelcoast Republic for ease of access to Cyorsian land. The Giant Republic had declared the Cyorsian Empire an enemy of the state and sent soldiers out to the front.