Ionian Rebel Alliance

Flag of the Ionian Rebel Alliance, according to some dubious sources

Several Ionian rebels in 1904

The **Ionian Rebel Alliance** was a confederation established by the Ionian Revolution which overthrow the Despotate of Ionia.

Shared oppression and trauma incentivized populist rebel groups to work together in establishing a confederal, anti-monarchist state on the territory of the former Despotate. However, this new polity lacked a strong central government, which made it vulnerable. It was occupied by Monarcho-Westist forces seeking a route into Airolia in 1906.

After the occupation, nationalistic sentiments drove the rebel groups apart. They established separate, ethnically distinct governments, such as the Republic of Kokinos, Republic of Kanoria, Kherfiyyan Rebel Alliance and others. A few of these governments claimed the Ionian heritage.

There were proposals for a more centralized and federalized Ionian nation, but these never went anywhere.

## History

*Main article: Conquest of Ionia*

Although Ionia had a large amount of infantry, they were unable to match their rivals such as The Kingdom of Polmaria who would invade them in 1906, in a pitched battle. This was due to Ionia's lack of tanks and completely absent air defense, leaving them vulnerable in an open battle. However Ionia was covered by large jungles and swamps, this proved to be the perfect environment for guerilla warfare tactics.

Ionia would surrender to Westist Polmaria in 1906 after the Battle of Laron River demonstrated Polmaria's might, in addition to the Holy Monarchy of the First Son creating a new front which the Ionians wouldn't be able to sustain. These occupiers would commit horrendous atrocities upon the Ionian people, which along with the Cataclysm and Lespian invasion, led to the near extinction of Ionians and to Kokinans becoming the majority population of former Ionia

## Government

Ionia had no central government or standing military. Instead, militias, paramilitaries and rebel groups would form loose Rebel Alliances with other groups in the same region. These small rebel alliances made up the greater Ionian Rebel Alliance. The rebel groups were free to operate and rule the lands under their control however they may like. This lack of coordination was one of the reasons why Ionia fell to the Monarcho-Westist invasion in 1906

## Magic

Ionia was perhaps most famous for its magic, which is one of the few verifiable elements of this long gone nation. Polmarian veterans recall Ionian guerilla fighters often having mages in their ranks, and their magic proved to be a headache for invading and occupying Monarcho-Westist forces. In retaliation, magic practitioners and those suspected of being magic practitioners were tortured and executed as part of the Ionian Genocide, contributing to the extinction of Ionian Magecraft. The subsequent Cataclysm, Lespian invasion and SRK rule further destroyed artifacts, records and knowledge of magic, and the SRK has outlawed the use of magic ever since its creation. By now, Ionian magecraft is believed to be fully extinct

## Significant figures

### Rebels

"Rebels" refers to the leaders and commanders of guerillas and militias that fought against the despot until 1900.

#### Kokinans

* Nestoras Spereas
* Spiro Floros
* Nasos Comas
* Ioannis Pratinas
* Markos Siantos
* Paschalis Palakos
* David Baratos
* Myron Raptallis
* Petros Vendos
* Hadrianos Gabrelis
* Adam Dionysios
* Omiros Tripakis
* Nicolos Lyinikós

### Intellectuals

'Intellectuals" refers to writers who lived in exile writing and promoting the Rebels' struggle against the despot, but never participated in the actual rebellions on the ground

#### Kokinans

* Gianni Iordanou
* Vasco Antonis
* Elias Perilis
* Alexis Matelis