Rictuvian Revolution

Combatants|  Rictuvian National Government* Multi-cultural insurgents

The **Rictuvian Revolution** was a revolt in the Verdictine-controlled land of the former Rictuvian Kingdom that lasted for 5 years and two months mainly between the Provisional Government of Rictuvia and the Verdictine Empire led by King Edlund I.

The conflict started because of two reasons: The over-imposition of taxes and the forced conscription of young and able-bodied men with Rictuvian nationalities.

Many Rictuvians from various provinces protested. The protests and demonstrations grew more and more each day whilst the number of conscripts also grew. On October to December 1757, the protest steadily escalated, prompting governors to quell the commotions with their garrisons. Many protests often end up with violence between the demonstrators and the soldiers.

## Origin

In 1742, Rictuvia was conquered by the Verdictine Empire and was made a part of its lands on 1745. Many Rictuvians resisted their invasion, but failed. The kingdom's last king, Bartłomiej II was defeated and killed. On January 5, 1758, the first rebellion started, the January Rebellion of 1758. The current king was Edwick VII. The rebellion was quickly crushed early in April of 1759. Another rebellion rose, the February Uprising, but also lost against the superior Verdicts in 1764. It tired out the hope of the hope of the Rictuvian people and exhausted their resources for starting another rebellion.

### Formation of a Congress

6 years after, the heat of the people's revolt eventually subsided. A few Rictuvians, peasants and insurgents began to fight their invaders and destroy the peace. They were branded as brigands, thieves and criminals, becoming the enemies of the society. In the death of King Edwick VII, his successor, young king Edlund I succeeded the Verdictine throne.

On June 15, 1771, an accomplished law man and an experienced militiaman named Henrisse Latz arranged the meeting of a new resistance. With ideas of forming a congress and a government to declare the independence of Rictuvia. The peasants continued fighting and marched to fight against a fully-armed infantry in the Swynes, where the peasants retreated and were defeated, causing 21 wounded and 53 more killed in the encounter. Edlund never took the matter seriously. On August 2, 1771, Latz met with Colonel Zygmunt Kieroklawski and his 506 men and officers.They communicated with the resistance, prepared the insurgents, placed command on experienced officers and formed an underground government. The Rictuvians were being pushed to the limit, never wanting to serve the foreign power's army. With more and more Rictuvians replacing Verdictine troops in Rictuvia day by day and finally, after a year, the revolution began.

## The War Begins

> "*The year is 1772. After tensions arise in Verdictine Rictuvia, the flames of war has spread throughout the country. With a strong aim to regain independence, Rictuvians march to fight for the freedom they desire.*"
>
>
>

The preparations took a year to finish. Many plans were made. Yet, the biggest problem was the shortage of weaponry for the resistance. Latz and Kieroklawski unveiled the Great Congress of Rictuvia and the National Provisional Government of Rictuvia. The resistance secretly planned to attack on the night of April 12, 1772 and strike to acquire several pieces of firearms for the ill-equipped army. The attack on Godlind fort failed and backfired, resulting in the deaths of 20 men and 16 wounded. The insurgents retreated back to the outskirts of Racilia, in Golbe Hill on April 13. Shortly after the event, the other insurgents led by Zygmunt Kieroklawski attacked the city of Racilia, defeating and capturing its garrisons at the eve of April 16. The National Government established Racilia as its headquarters and capital. After declaring war on the Verdictine Empire, Kieroklawski began campaigning to start the liberation of the central Rictuvian region, starting from Arenwell. Latz administered the placement of defenses and fortifications around Racilia with Winshelm Oddovitz.

The insurgents tried to capture firearms and ammunition four times on April and June 1772, but most were often rebuffed. The National Army's strength began to level the enemy due to Rictuvian nationalism and desire to fight against the Verdicts. Kieroklawski and his army marched into Aragosk to capture it on May 6, 1772 but was ambushed along the way. Kieroklawski escaped the attack and his army regrouped in Niercki, where the Verdict troops chased down the insurgents. After hours of battle, Kieroklawski issued a retreat away from the losing battle. On July 21, 1772, the Kingdom of Yrvaincais announced the sending of soldiers to help quell the rebellion.

Almost 2,000 young men volunteered to fight the Verdicts in the Battle of Lagrawinska on August 1772. The growing strength also required many arms to use, in which 85% of the National Army's strength are unarmed. The Battle of Nieldich on August 24, led by Baron Erris Porschel, defeated the Verdicts. By October 1772, the insurgents lost several battles in Aragosk and Nieldich. In the Battle of Citałwka that took place in noon of November 22, 1772, 300 men led by Colonel Oddovitz attacked the town of Citałwka. The town was defended by an Verdictine garrison. The National army attacked the town three times but had to retreat after losing 29 men. The town remained in Verdictine hands.

The insurgents commanded by Laurencjusz Kasowski initiated the Battle of Gruka-Molyanszka on December 1772, which resulted into a Insurgent victory. The Battle of Alpinowpz took place on December 30-31, 1772. A Rictuvian army, led by James Vandelheim, fought the Verdictine army in pursuit in the village of Alpinowpz after the Battle of Skagansków. Rictuvian insurgents under Andrij Kobylanski fought in the Battle of Cheyląc, where Kobylanski took advantage of the forest of Cheyląc to defeat the Verdictine army.

After a disaster in that ended in the Battle of Basazina on March 1773, the Rictuvians needed another victory to continue in the war. General Frederich Szaltsa gave a crippling blow to General Koviritch Dankov's forces in the north, winning in a series of battles and liberating the whole northern Rictuvia on October 1773. In central Rictuvia, the National Army won the Battle of Kędzietów under Jason Vandelheim. On September 1773, Strigott caught word of Yrvaincais and Yabolov forces attempting to attack Sacnezva during the Sacnezva campaign. He, along with Szaltsa and Kasowski, fought the foreign troops back, which ended with a Rictuvian marginal victory. Mid-October 1773, Kobylanski was sent to Mirvania to ask for assistance. Mirvania, reluctant to disturb the peace for an international conflict was eventually persuaded to enter the war by Kobylanski after revealing Mologian logistical assistance in the war.

In the west, General Kazys Glogowski relied on tactical advances and victories to defeat the Verdicts. He lost the Battle of Trycław on March 1774, and decided to retreat to back to Zabrzyche, one of the last Rictuvian footholds in the west. Glogowski won a marginal victory in the Battle of Kovorog, and managed to take back several towns from the enemy. Glogowski requested assistance in the west, but was rejected due to the growing threat in the central front after the Battle of Toruzów. He had put through the grim conditions in the west with only 5,800 men remaining.

In the south, Ledinsky put up a strong fight against the Verdicts, winning a series of skirmishes and the Battle of Łomlin. This allowed the Rictuvians to take Łomlin, Bartinowice, Arzychnina and Olzskogansk from Verdictine hands. On late May 1774, Ledinsky won the Battle of Vilne and its subsequent encounter on Luntrievieni. On July 24, 1774, Ledinsky famously won the Battle of Głębokie Żelazo, where the mines of the town became the defensive position for the National Army. His victories in the south gave him the nickname "*Sly Fox of the South*".

### Central Rictuvia (1774-1775)

In central Rictuvia, the veteran troops of the National Army were fielded to fight the Verdictine armies coming from all directions. The main Verdictine force was coming from the west, bypassing and defeating the National Army almost every battle. Kieroklawski planned to take Central Rictuvia as quick as possible while lowering any potential casualties in all operations. Kieroklawski attacked Lubzyn on March 20, 1774 but failed to take over the city. On April 3, Kieroklawski launched the Siege of Radołęka to free Winshelm Oddovitz and was successful in the attack. In the Battle of Mieruń, the Duke of Bozaknie's arrival defeated the Rictuvians and strengthened the Verdictine army in Central Rictuvia.

Bozaknie relentlessly attacked the Racilian line in the Battle of Arenwell on July 1774 and gave troubles to the Rictuvian army.

## Foreign Assistance

### Revolutionary Support

Mirvania gave the initial assistance of almost 1,000,000 firearms to be sent to Rictuvian revolutionaries. This was sent on steam ships traveling across the river of Břeva Vipovichy. The steam ships were to make it to Gandalsil before the battle, but was caught by Verdictine patrols by the river. This destroyed a fourth of the shipments. After the skirmish, the shipment was delivered on at the eve of March 5, 1774.

The Mirvanian assistance earned the animosity and anger of the other nations, especially Mologia and Yrvaincais. Despite this, Mirvanian King Hendon III pushed through the agreement to finally send Mirvanian troops to Rictuvia, aware of the consequences that are about to come. The Mirvanian troops entered Rictuvia on November 4, 1774. They immediately participated in the Battle of Wiedgreska and Niopolonowski against the Verdicts and Yrvaincais forces. The Mirvanian troops also participated in the Siege of Gaczynk.

Auxonz also gave logistical assisstance to the Rictuvians. Auxonz gave 300,000 firearms and other equipment and supplies. Foreign aid changed the tide to the Rictuvians in the war.

### Imperial Support

On the other side, Yrvaincais troops that aided in quelling the revolution numbered around 30,000 and were vital in helping Verdictine operations in the west, east, north and Central Rictuvia. 18,000 Yabolova-Kassel troops were also hired to assist in fighting the rebels, and were quite effective against the rebels during the early phases of the war. The hiring of troops further angered the Rictuvians and countered Yabolov troops with their own sharpshooter troops and other tactics.

## Notable Rictuvian Nationalists and Insurgents

* Henrisse Latz- led the war by creating the First Rictuvian Congress and the Provisional Government. He was elected as President of the Provisional Government.
* Zygmunt Kieroklawski- led most of the revolutionaries over the course of the war. He was the Rictuvian National Army's commander-in-chief.
* Andrij Kobylanski- famed writer and engineer, Kobylanski served as a diplomatic representative of Rictuvia. He also served in the frontlines as a field engineer.
* Baron Erris Porschel- Rictuvian nobleman and leader of the insurgents during the war. He participated in all battles until his death in the Battle of Nieldich. He also armed 2,300 young men at his own expense at the start of the revolution to fight the Verdicts.
* Romualdt Strigott- A Rictuvian patriot and general. Strigott contribued greatly to the revolution. He served as the Kieroklawski's second-in-command and fought in many major battles in the revolution.
* James Vandelheim- named as the "Young Hero of the Revolution". He escaped capture 3 times and also escaped being transported to Krion Prison. He was shot and killed by the Duke of Bozaknie in the Second Battle of Racilia.
* Jason Vandelheim- older brother of the younger Vandelheim. Jason also participated in the failed February Uprising. Before the revolution, he already had a high and distinguishable rank in the Verdictine army.
* Henry Ledinsky- another hero of the War. Ledinsky is feared and respected as the "Sly Fox of the South" as he escaped any dangerous situation. He was famously known in the Battles of *Vilne* and *Głębokie Żelazo*, where his low-ammunition army used the mine's equipment to defeat the Verdictine army.
* Arlov Schenawski- drafted into the army as lieutenant colonel of the National Army, Schenawski was proven to be an excellent and outstanding officer in the field. He was revealed to be a spy of the Verdictine Empire. He defected from the National Army and joined the Verdictine Army after the Battle of Talomiere's Point on February 9, 1775. After the war, he was trialed and imprisoned shortly, being released to fight for Rictuvia in the First Continental War.

## See also

* List of battles in the Rictuvian Revolution