Crisis of 2565

The **Crisis of 2565** was a political crisis in Azure City triggered by the assassination of the leaders of the Azure Order by unknown assailants through a bombing of the Vault on 27 November. It lead to the rapid escalation of tensions within the city, causing the Azurean Civil War.

## Background

Democracy in the city was suspended after the elections of 2547, due to the need for a stable government during the colonisation of Alizarinburg, with the promise that it would be restored as soon as Alizarinburg became a self-sufficient settlement. This decision was approved by an overwhelming majority in the Council of Elders, with only the Populists dissenting. Ironically, this decision further destabilised the city and inflamed partisan tensions within the government, further weakening it.

In the 2550s, Azurean politics experienced severe radicalisation, most notably in the Just Future party, which transformed from an egalitarian social-democratic party to a hardline socialist party with an accompanying paramilitary organisation. The result of the city's fractured politics was that the government became severely ineffective, crippling the country's progress throughout the early 2560s, and leading to popular dissent against the government.

### The bombing site

During the construction of Kasstein district, it was decided that Kasstein Ave should run at the height of the ground level of eastern side of the city, which was then several meters higher than the level of the connecting roads on the western border of the district and in the center of the district itself. The road was therefore built several meters above ground level, with the space under the road blocked off to the public, before descending on the western side of the district to meet June 2nd Avenue. This empty space below Kasstein Ave was therefore taken advantage of by the attackers, who planted an explosive device within this space in the night of 26 November, with the intention that the bomb would cause the ceiling of the Vault below to collapse for maximum damage.

## The bombing

At 8:09am on 27 November, the bomb exploded directly above the High Elder's seat in the Council room, killing 16 of the 27 members of the Council instantly. All Just Future and Populist elders survived, along with the Reformist representatives for Redding and Emerald City, as well as the Conservatives for the Old Town, City Outskirts and one proportional representative.

Due to widespread confusion within the city amid rumours of a military coup, the news was only communicated to the outside world around noon. By this time, the political parties within the city had been operating in full crisis mode, with the major parties having been decapitated. This confusion led to further escalation in the following days.

## Escalation

On 29 November, the Populist faction organised a rally on Bunker Hill, marked by several provocative and inflammatory speeches, resulting in sporadic clashes beginning throughout the city in the hours following the end of the rally. The government attempted to impose a curfew the following day, but soon realised it was powerless to enforce it without further inflaming the situation.

A state of emergency was declared on 1 December, essentially imposing martial law over the city, yet clashes continued as the army remained unable to bring the situation under control due to the political influence of various factions in the national army. The crisis continued to worsen throughout the week of 2 December, as factions began constructing roadblocks and barricades to protect their own strongholds.

An extraordinary Reformist meeting in the temporary party headquarters in Ceiriosen on Friday afternoon (6 Dec) came to the conclusion that the city had largely turned against the government, and recommended the government be evacuated to Emerald City. This process was carried out over the weekend, and Emerald City was declared the temporary capital of the Azure Order at midnight on Monday, 9 December.

Meanwhile in Azure City, the Conservatives undertook the construction of a full barrier enclosing the Old Town and the City Hall as well as the metro tunnels connecting these two areas on 12 and 13 December, renaming themselves the Loyalists on 14 December.

## Aftermath

The reorganised Loyalists now advanced into Kasstein and Bunker Hill from the Old Town on 16 December, in order to defeat the "Populist menace". This is generally considered the official start of the Azurean Civil War.