The Syrvanian Wake-Up Call

The Syrvanian Wake-Up Call, or the Leersog Revelation, refers to a supposed global shock at the results of the Second Leersog War. According the popular historical narrative, the success of the supposedly inferior Syrvanian army during the war, and Syrvania's unexpected, rapid victory over Hetland, prompted a worldwide re-evaluation of armor technology and doctrine, leading to the birth of modern combined arms warfare.

## Origins

During the outbreak of the Second Leersog War, many within the international community predicted that the conflict would be either a brief, inconsequential exchange, or a long and bloody stalemate. Although some had observed the effectiveness of Syrvanian mechanized exploitation forces during the Syrvanian Incursion, it was widely believed that these would yield only limited success without Commonwealth allies or intimate familiarity with the terrain.

In fact, the Independent Rapid Divisions of the Syrvanian army were not the same armored maneuver elements they were during the Chergarian invasion, and achieved greater successes than anticipated. Furthermore, amid communication difficulties, persisting professional rivalries, and being constantly kept off-balance, the level heads many expected to turn the tide for Hetland failed to manifest. With Syrvania able to occupy Leersog in four months, and the flight and death of King Zrykosi III, Hetland's leadership and cohesion continued to deteriorate. Even as predicted supply problems hampered the Syrvanians into that winter, Hetland officially surrendered just after the turning of the year, in stark contrast to even the most generous predictions. Naturally, much discourse ensued among those who had put forward initial predictions. The sheer amount of discussion, including multiple books and essays, gave the impression of a panic among politicians and military experts of the time.

The first usage of the term appeared within the Bressian press, following an article citing "a revelation made upon the verdant fields of Leersog, in which new machines might permit savage aggression to prevail over military professionalism". In the wake of the Second Leersog War, the "Leersog Revelation" would refer to the way technology could allow smaller nations to pose a threat to traditional continental powers. Near the end of the Westenlands Wars, the term would merge with the postwar discourse, and be used to refer to a supposed state of panic brought about by the Syrvanian victory, with the "Syrvanian Wake-Up Call" being popularized by more recent media.

## Misconceptions

Many historians consider the modern concept of the "Wake-Up Call" to be something of a misconception. While Syrvania was among the first to effectively utilize modern combined arms doctrine (though Akrovia had utilized it on a smaller scale during the Syrvanian Incursion before), it was not unknown to the rest of the world. Its viability had been examined in exercises and studies among military academics, but until then, no other country had the opportunity, ability, or need to put it into practice. Furthermore, communication had been a limiting factor until recent advancements in radio communications technology, as well as aviation elements having been previously limited by construction techniques and powerplants. Many foreign observers did take note of its effectiveness in Leersog, but it was widely concluded that its success was more due to circumstances than implementation.

Beyond that, the "Leersog Revelation" in the press at the time was focused more on how a numerically (or in some eyes, culturally) inferior force could use modern technology to gain an advantage or parity with traditionally dominant powers. In the east, the public narrative focused more on how counters to "Poor Man's Warfare" could be developed, while those in the west looked more at the shortcomings of Hetland's "stagnant traditionalism imposed by the neo-Imperial system".

While the "Syrvanian Wake-Up Call" did coincide with the roots of modern combined-arms warfare, Syrvania's role in its conception is often overstated. Although some lessons were taken from Syrvania's success in the Second Leersog War, it did not prompt the shift in doctrine as a whole.