The War to Change All Wars

*"I Promise.. this time it will be over before Harkelva"*

-Field Marshal Edwin Jenson, 19th Palmenian Grenadiers

## Setting the Stage

### "The Opera"

Political Stage in the early 1900s was defined by the major Harkegenia powers, who maintained a tenuous balance of power among themselves, known as **"Harkegenian Opera"**, this was a was a general consensus among the great powers of 19th-century Harkegen to maintain the balance of power, political boundaries, and spheres of influence in check. This was Never a perfect unity and was subject to disputes, border clashes, imperialistic ambitions and jockeying for positions of influence, the Opera was an extended period of relative peace and stability relatively Between 1877-1907, the Opera would see the creation of the "Arhën Convention." in 1889 also known as the **"Green Emerald Convention"** which saw the creation of an international Medical Corp and set basic rules that should be followed in the case of war by those who attended the conference, however no consequences for the violation of these rules would be established until the end of the War to Change All Wars.

### "The Beginning of the End"

On June 7th, 1905, the Wildian Principality declared war on the Kingdom of Atlas [1], a small island nation offshore from the Mainland, this declaration of imperialistic aggression was met with outrage from Stodland and Palmenia which were distressed that the Balance of Powers Between the 5 Major Powers was at Stake. None the less the Invasion went underway, with only diplomatic protests to constrain the Wildians, by December 1905, the Atlassian Government was forced to surrender and was absorbed by the Dual Monarchy, during the fighting trench warfare had been used in brutal clashes along the coastlines and well within the countryside, the Machinegun proved as a vital weapon to suppress herds of conscripts and in the end roughly left **13,408 dead** and **42,000 wounded**, the invasion of Atlas would only be a prelude of what was to come in two years.

## The Shot Heard Around the World

On the 29th of April 1907, In the city of Plitzelgraben, Wildia. The soon-to-be heir of the Dual Monarchy's Dominik Ferdinand, also known as the **Duke of Wildia**, was a pro Creteo rights advocate and popular figurehead among the Wildian People, During his speech that Morning, a young Creteo roughly around 32 years old, now known as Vuk Romanev, an Oridian Lienian Ultra Nationalist, shot the Duke point blank the end of his speech regarding the future of the Principality, Romanev would be soon beaten and taken into custody by the Royal Guards and Duke Dominik would be rushed to the hospital, however he would be declared dead at around 1pm that same day.

Vuk would be charged and sentenced to death later that week, but the damage had been done, outrage filled the Streets as a deep Anti Lienian sentiment grew, Prince Maximillian II of Wildia would use this to his advantage, rallying the people against the so called "Lienian Menace" Blaming Tzar Boris III behind the Assassination, although no evidence can be found to back up this claim. That same Week Donvillia would re-affirm its alliance and support for the Wildian Dual Principality in the now famous Zimmerman address, The Cardinal Power's would be Officially formed that same day of May 1st.

May 9th, 1907 General Mobilization begins as Diplomatic Relations between Wildia and Lienia are cut, that same night a Formal Declaration of War would arrive in Lienia's Melenki Embassy of Affairs at around 1am, the war to change all war's had begun.

## The War to Change All Wars (1907)

May 10th, The Cardinal Power's (Donvillia and Wildia) would begin border Skirmishes along the *Wollerdorf mountains* bordering both nations, seeing limited Progress, these attacks served as a distraction from the main force that would take place in Operation **Beleuchtungskrieg**, the Operation although ambitious hoped to End the war by Harkelava of 1907.

May 12th, **Plan Leuchtender-Sieg,** Also known as "The Alps Campaign" has seen relative success, with the villages of Vyšný Lánec being captured by Donvillian Jagers,

May 13th, the dutchy of Vinland declares War upon the Cardinal Powers and joins in the side of the Tzardom of Lienia.

May 18th, the Port City of Ruzesi is taken by the Cardinal Powers, Lienian Losses begin mounting in the Alpine Region.

May 22nd, Operation **Beleuchtungskrieg** Begins, Two Donvillian Sturmwache Divisions supported by Wildian Artillery and Armored Cars storm across the Stanmorian Border, Palmenian Naval Assets in Port Leoville are scuttled, Outrage sparks across the public as Parliament debates whether the Empire is ready for war, with Wildo-Donvillian Forces Pushing as far as the Mouese River, Stanmore.

May 23rd, Palmenia Declares War on Donvillia and Wildia and issues a Rampant Mobilization, Stodland Declares Neutrality to focus on its ongoing colonial issue in Oyersia. Roughly 8,000 Palmenian and Stanmorerian Soldiers had been captured by this point.

May 24th, Stanmoreian Troops Manage to Delay the Cardinal's Advance at the CIty of Joilet, buying time for Reinforcements to pour in from the Mainland.

June 4th, the First Battle of Smiths Point takes place, Heavy Losses are taken by the Stanmorerian Defense Force and the city of Joilet falls, However the Cardinal Powers are unable to Break through into the Capital City. Meanwhile in the East, Lienia is pushed back all the way to the outskirts of Orsa , during this time the Donvillian Navy and Lienian Navy would face off in the **Dunva Straight**, with the Donvillian Navy coming victorious.

June 10th, Kataria joins the War on the Side of Lienia after persuasion from King Oliver IV of Palmenia, The Consortium Alliance would be formed on the 11th, A General Mobilization begins and troops rush for the frontlines

June 13th, A Lieno-Katarian Force would face off against the Donvillian 12th Army at Orsa, this would be one of the most iconic battles of the War, where at least 53,000 men lost their lives, the Donvillian Army would come victorious with only losing 13,000 men, while the Lienians took the heaviest loss, 30,000 according to records from the time, it was a disastrous defeat for the Consortium Alliance causing moral to plummet within the ranks.

July 1st, The Frontline's start to Solidify in Stanmore, with the Donvillain's unable to break through the Defenses at Smiths Point, Palmenian Reinforcements began arriving in masses.

September 6th, Katarian Forces are able to Hold they key Railhub of Lepsha, a failed counterattack by the Lienian 164th Light Infantry would follow in a disastrous loss of life.

November, Both Armies begin to dig in for the winter, fighting begins to calm down in most sectors as the harsh winds from the north makes any major operations a unwarranted risk.

## A Truce to Remember

December 15th, 1907, **Harkelva.**

It was a cold morning across the Front, Many had died or froze to death that winter, the trenches had been filled with ice after the harsh November rains and the Extreme cold that followed, life was miserable on both sides, One night along the Stanmorian Lines, Donvillian Soldiers Began singing "Quiet Harke", a popular Harkelva song, the Palmenian 3rd Guards would begin to play songs in return, what started as a attempt to outdo one another soon turned into a combined harmony.

Historians Debate who was the first brave soul to Step out of the Trenches, but across the lines reports of soldiers stepping out into No Man's Land spread, Soldiers would meet beyond the wire, shake hands, share rations, and discuss. In Most sectors Officers would arrange temporary Cease Fires for the Holidays and to Retrieve the Dead and Wounded, arrange burials and allow the troops to get a good nights sleep, however few sectors would take the opportunity to attack and take their enemy of guard.

By Nightfall, Soldiers on both sides would write in their journals about the calm and quiet frontline, the fear of death for once out of their minds, as Private Thomas Edwin Truemane Wrote.

> "On that eve we were shouting across the wire ‘Merry Harkelva!’ The Donvillians shouted, ‘Don’t shoot till New Year’s Jenkins!’ the morning the weather was foggy yet there was no firing. We started wandering over toward the Donvillian lines, The Cold December air was hard to miss, me and the lads spent all day picking up after the dead, it was exhausting work.
>
>
> You just kept digging graves for the poor blokes that didn't make it but the Donnies were there to help us, so we helped them pick up their dead as well, they were like us, young and impressionable men, too scared to die in some war no one understood, by sundown we exchanged gifts and even played kickball. That night I can tell you, for once I could close my eyes and not fear I wouldn't wake up. I like to think them boys across the wire felt the exact same way. This truely was a Truce to Remember."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -Thomas Edwin Truemane, Palmerian 3rd Guards Division
>
>