9 Day War (Hoosier-Ohioan War) (2032: Collapse)

## 9 Day War (Hoosier-Ohioan War of 2034)

### Result

Hoosier victory* Indiana occupies Dayton, Cincinnati, and Toledo before the end of the war
* Protests against the Mccarthy dictatorship break out, and escalate into the Ohioan Revolution of 2034

Organizations| Republic of Indiana* Republic of Michigan
* Texan Democratic Front (TDF)
* Armed Liberal Transition Front (ALTF)
* Russia
* Taiwan
* Texan Transitional Republic
* China

Commanders| Norman R. Harper(President of the Republic of Indiana)Gregory Howard(General)* Robert Dawson(President of the Republic of Michigan)
* Adam Robertson(Commander of the Texan Democratic Front)
* Taylor Anderson(Commander In-Chief of the Armed Liberal Transition Front)
* Yuferev Valeryevich(President of Russia)
* Shen Gengxin(President of Taiwan)
* Morgan Lawrence(Dictator of Texas)
* Zhang Xinyue(General Secretary of the CCP)

Casualties| 619-1,102 killed5,101 wounded119 captured

19 tanks destroyed14 aircraft destroyed | 5,000-10,000 killed or missing~10,000 wounded~500 captured

The **9-Day War**, also known as the **2034 Hoosier-Ohioan War**, **First Hoosier-Ohioan War**, or the **March War**, was a short yet bloody war fought between Indiana and Ohio in early to mid March 2034, with some military skirmishes between Indiana and Kentucky also occurring.

Relations between Indiana and Ohio were initially relatively stable and friendly after the collapse of the United States in 2032, especially with Indiana's vital assistance in the Ohioan War of Independence, however relations became strained after a series of diplomatic incidents between the two in late 2032 and early 2033, and the border between the two nations closed in October 2033 as tensions reached dangerous levels.

In January 2034, a series of border clashes over a span of two weeks between Hoosier and Ohioan forces became dubbed the "Hoosier-Ohioan War", although the clashes largely came to a close by the end of January. Ohio closed Indiana's access to the eastern branch of the Ohio River on February 17, and began partial mobilization on February 25. The Supreme Commander of the Ohioan Armed Forces, and de facto dictator of Ohio since 2032, Oscar Mccarthy, declared on March 2 that if "the Hoosiers were not to comply with future Ohioan needs, blood would be split".

On March 3, the Hoosier Armed Forces began mobilization, and began preparations for a Ohioan invasion, Norman R. Harper issued martial law on March 4, while plans to quickly and effectively eliminate the Ohioan Air Force as a threat were prepared. The Hoosier diplomat to Ohio was withdrawn on the evening of March 4, and phone lines between the two nations were cut shortly before midnight.

## March 5 (Day 1)

### Initial attack

Shortly after 3 am local time on March 5, the Ohioan Armed Forces launched a surprise attack near the small city of Woodburn, Indiana, overwhelming the small Hoosier garrison in the town, numbering 120, and capturing all but 1, who was shot dead. Not long later, Ohioan troops also advanced towards Decatur, Portland, and Richmond, capturing the latter with only minimal resistance. Hoosier forces captured the village of Union City, Ohio shortly before 6 am, while Ohioan troops were repelled from advancing into southeast Indiana at Hidden Valley in the Battle of Hidden Valley, which became a Hoosier victory.

### Hoosier air strikes

Around 7:30 am local time, the Hoosier Air Force launched a series of air strikes on dozens of Ohioan air strips, essentially eradicating the Ohioan Air Force within a few hours. A Ohioan air raid on Indianapolis was repulsed around 9 am, further reducing the Ohioan Air Force's ability to wage war. A friendly fire incident saw 1 Hoosier aircraft shot down south of Muncie, as the pilot reportedly confused the other aircraft for a Ohioan fighter. A second wave of Hoosier air strikes knocked out Ohioan nuclear facilities between 2 and 5 pm, followed by a third round targeting military facilities between 8 and 10 pm.

### Ohioan offensive westward

The Ohioan Armed Forces, despite having no air support, decided to attempt to continue their offensive west, capturing Redkey around 2 pm, and also attempting and failing to capture Dunkirk around 5 pm, 14 hours after initial fighting ensued. A particularly intense battle occurred between Hoosier and Ohioan forces in the town of Geneva, where the outnumbered Hoosier force successfully repelled the much larger Ohioan force. Ridgeville was captured without much resistance after sunset, while Ohioan forces settled down for the night. The initial day of battle operations was seen as a total failure from the Ohioan perspective, as Ohioan forces had failed to capture any of their targets (Angola, Fort Wayne, Muncie, Hartford City, and Rising Sun), and had also failed to cripple Indiana's trade routes with Michigan.

## March 6 (Day 2)

### Fighting in northeast Indiana

Shortly after sunrise on March 6, Ohioan troops resumed their offensive, capturing Hamilton without significant resistance around 9 am, with Ohioan forces now mere hours away from being able to capture the vital trade city of Angola. A Ohioan offensive toward Fort Wayne was repulsed early that afternoon, while a Hoosier counteroffensive liberated the city of Decatur, which had been captured the previous morning during the initial Ohioan offensive. A civilian revolt in the small city of Butler forced Ohioan troops to use "cruel means" to crack down on any resistance. Ohioan forces attempted to take Angola that evening, however were pushed back in a short yet fierce battle, the second deadliest of the war. Woodburn was liberated in a overnight counteroffensive by Hoosier forces, ending battle operations in northeast Indiana for the 6th.

### Fighting in east central Indiana

Ohioan forces managed to successfully take the cities of Albany and Dunkirk on the morning of the 6th, leaving the route to both Muncie and Hartford City, two of the primary cities in battle operations, virtually wide open. Winchester was taken by a Ohioan offensive during the early afternoon, although would switch hands several times during the day, ultimately returning to Hoosier control that evening. Hoosier forces were forced to evacuate Union City, Ohio as Ohioan forces closed in around them. Ohioan forces reached Muncie that evening, while they were stopped at Converse, southeast of Hartford City. The battle around the Muncie area would become the largest and bloodiest of the war, and the only to span several days, lasting into the late morning of the 7th. Ohioan paratroopers failed to take government buildings in Anderson overnight on the 6th, and were ultimately destroyed.

### Fighting in southeast Indiana and southwest Ohio

Hoosier forces captured the village of College Corner, Ohio on the morning of the 6th, and successfully captured both Harrison and Elizabethtown that afternoon. Encircled Ohioan forces near the community of Bright, Indiana were destroyed, while Hoosier forces began to threaten the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Oxford was taken by Hoosier forces late on the 6th, ending battle operations in the southern part of the front for March 6.