Battle of Valkenburg

The **Battle of Valkenburg** (6th March - 26th March, 1933) was the Skogsmarkian invasion of Valkenburg and eventual capitulation of the latter, leading to the formation of the Skogsmarkian State of Valkenburg. In a surprise attack whilst their fleet was stationed in the far flung parts of the world, Skogsmark launched a large scale naval operation, landing in the north and taking Saint Lanuit before heading south. Although this was a separate war at the time, it is commonly listed under the category of the Second World War, hence the name.

In Operation Untergang, Skogsmarkian forces launched a surprise attack in the north. There they launched a decoy attack on the city of Dartan as the main force regrouped and struck at Valkyrie, forcing Valkenburg to surrender. The capitulation was signed on the 26th March by Ahabdul Ahad Assadin Ahlmehmed and thus, Valkenburg was scrubbed off the map.

## Background

### Valkenburg fleet movements

As the entire Valkenburg fleet was assigned for the Battle of West Adriatia, Skogsmark saw an opportunity to strike as the Valkenburg forces almost completely relied on their extensive navy to protect them from mainland invaders. There has been many international criticism of the decision to send off the entire home fleet, as the Imperial fleet would have sufficed and most ships would end up unused anyway. Historians label this as one of the butterfly effects, claiming without the Skogsmarkian invasion of Valkenburg, Armestis would not have betrayed Skogsmark and in turn, the World Coalition would not have invaded Skogsmark. Others argue that Skogsmark would have invaded any country regardless.

### Valkenburg-Skogsmark rivalry

As, during the Great War, Skogsmark was destroyed mostly due to the late entry of the fresh Valkenburg, Lutz had shown a deep resentment of Valkenburg considering them to be "cowardly fools". As his central position in the party usually allowed him to, this opinion was shared amongst almost the entire military high command and planning for the invasion started immediately after the departure of the home fleet. A seemingly over committed force of 11 divisions would eventually be assigned to the invasion, mostly to force the quick surrender he hoped for intimidating with their sheer numbers.

## Battle

### Week 1

#### Landings and Saint Lanuit

On the morning of 6th March, 1933, the first Skogsmark soldiers landed on the northern coast of Valkenburg after crossing the Juniper Strait. They were met with very little resistance in the form of the navy coast guard. After overpowering the minimal defence, they immediately consolidated a supply route in Saint Lanuit, using the town's port as a supply base. Skogsmarkian naval assets were given free reign of the seas for the duration of the battle as the Valkenburg fleet was absent, allowing them to make daring moves and later, handle operation Stormfront. Three days after the initial landings, Skogsmarkian armies, now numbering over one million, departed Saint Lanuit, looking to encircle Dartan.

#### Dartan

With very little time to prepare the defences, the 3rd Valkenburg Infantry division, prepared the town for a siege, destroying vital bridges as well as conscripting every grown man in the town, under orders of Ahad. However, whilst resisting frontal assaults, they found themselves surrounded, having cut off their own escape routes, they were forced to hold their ground against overwhelming odds and desperately plea for a relief force. Unfortunately, central command was more concerned with a mass defensive scheme, to throw off the invaders. They built their lines just a few dozens of miles south of Dartan, which significantly impacted morale. However, with great courage and sacrificing everything held dear, they managed to survive until the end of the week, when Skogsmark finally halted their attacks.

### Week 2

#### Feigned attacks

With Lutz losing patience on the Valkenburg frontier, as the invasion of Armestis was well underway and not wanting to dwell it down into prolonged trench warfare (as of course, the battle would be lost once the Valkenburg fleet arrived to disrupt the omnipresent supply chain), he devised a brutal new plan, one to sacrifice tens of thousands of his own men to secure peace on the island. Gathering a large force of half a million, he assaulted a thinly defended position on the half constructed Valkenburg lines, pulling out even though they could have easily steamrolled through. This, as hoped, enticed the Valkenburg forces into a false sense of security in their lines, transferring many forces towards the Dartan area of fighting, many miles north from the capital. Although Skogsmark could easily pull back out forces that were vulnerable across the river, they were ordered to set up a two way encirclement and to be expected to be encircled themselves. With the attention drawn to Dartan, many men were boarded once again into the landing crafts and circled their way towards the southern end of the island which was completely unprotected. Valkenburg reconnaissance suggested that perhaps retreated back to mainland Europe to defened against a possible Armestis-World Coalition push.

### Week 3

#### Operation Stormfront

With the entire Valkenburg army successfully tied up in the north, Skogsmark soldiers made a quick scramble towards the capital, expecting Ahad to surrender before they arrive. However, Ahad, convinced that there was still a chance, expanded his recruiting policies and conscripted a large percent of the city's population. It is rumoured many of these orders were transmitted as he was in a submarine, about to escape, but this is unproven. Eventually, when faced with a deal that would leave him in charge of a puppeted Valkenburg, Ahad finally ordered all Valkenburg soldiers to lay down their arms and signed the surrender.