The Jefferson War

The Californian-Cascadian War, also known as Operation: Shasta, or the Jefferson War, was a military action in the Pacific Northwest, waged by United Californian Forces against local Cascadian Forces in the Cascadian territory of Jefferson, formerly Northern California. The conflict was brief, only lasting over the later six months of 2033, but also the first, and one of the bloodiest non-US military conflicts in North America, in the Post-American West. The Jefferson War was one of the most heavily-streamed modern conflicts by both parties, with local inhabitants actively streaming engagements, as well as embedded Californian reporters, for the international community to view. Ending with Cascadia victorious, it would reshape the future of California’s military evolution, and bring Cascadia to the bargaining table as an independent trading party in the region.

## Background

While the international community’s attention was focused on the American Crisis, and United States military power had withdrawn from the American West, civil conflict had boiled out of control. Radical Christian extremists had been gaining influence over local populations. A brutal New Dominion was establishing itself in the Pacific Northwest, and counter-insurgents had gained traction in California to the point of near-peer conflict, between radicalized police and refugee militia forces.

In 2027, a capable counteroffensive was staged in Oregon and Washington against the occupying Cascades Dominion, by the Cascadian People’s Army. The rising pseudo-communist network of guerillas and pledged military forces had begun organized resistance against the fledgling regime, and would begin a long insurgency in the Cascades. Brutal woodland and mountain combat would plague the Dominion and force them from their strongholds. By the end of the Summer of 2028, CPA had adequately routed the Fundy forces out of the Pacific Northwest, into Corporate Idaho and LDS Utah.

At the same time in California, the local revolution would also become fully realized as the Second Bear Flag Revolt. Refugees from across the United States had fled to the West to escape the worst of the civil violence, and banded together in organized left-wing militias to defend the final safe harbor from the rising Christo-fascist threat. Lengthy engagements between grassroots populist militias would route fundies from most major population centers, and route them into LDS Utah, or further into the Mojave and Sonoran Wastelands. Seizing the isolated capital after US forces had withdrawn, the United California Republics would establish itself as the new order in the West.

With US Federal Authority absent, and cohesive intelligence limited, it was now time for the new UCR government to gain a proper census of their resources and new territory. Unbeknownst to most standing authorities, Northern California had seceded from the United States with Cascadia during their conflict, as the State of Jefferson. This was unclear to fledgling intelligence networks in California, who were still under the assumption that Dominion holdouts were still present in the Pacific Northwest. A plan to field their new military forces in the region was put in place, and the scope of an organized liberation conflict was commenced as Operation: Shasta.

Operation Shasta was originally planned as a Rapid Strike Invasion, to use Shock & Awe tactics and seize vital objectives and strongholds before a local counterattack could be executed. Air and Naval strikes would neutralize suspected Fundy defenses, and Army mechanized armor would roll across Interstate 5 to secure vital roadways and logistics centers. From there, volunteer National Guard contingents would march into Redding, California, where intelligence had suggested that the Cascades Dominion had established itself for local administration.

After initial UCR strikes, it was originally thought that Californian forces would be welcomed by the local populace as their liberators. However, general xenophobia from former Californians and Cascadians was the sentiment against government forces of any kind. The situation would rapidly escalate into a hostile engagement with the first wave of ground forces. Local counter-strikes of mortar teams scattered infantry forces, who were suppressed into kill-boxes on narrow streets and neutralized with concentrated sniper fire. As support was desperately called out on UCR comms, the full scope of the initial conflict was still not realized. Under the assumption that UCR was engaging with Dominion holdouts, the fuse was lit, and a powder keg had blown into what would become known as The Jefferson War.

## Timeline

### June

Almost immediately during initial engagements, tanks were found to be too big for town streets, and generally ineffective for the local mountainous terrain. Heavy tracked armored vehicles are a generally impotent resource in the Cascades. As this was realized, Californian Ground Command shifted the tactics for their forces, and infantry was ordered to clear towns house-by-house. In these operations, it became common for Californians to be abducted and lynched by locals in isolated incidents. This further hampered the future goodwill missions in townships.

### July

California shifts its combat posture, and UCR air-mobile troops are deployed into combat via helicopter, with close air support deployed to soften enemy targets. The conflict now becomes intense guerilla warfare in the heavily wooded and mountainous Cascades. Initially, the abductions and subsequent murder of uniformed personnel made UCR intelligence wrongfully suspect they were engaging with Dominion holdout insurgents. Slowly, intelligence gathered that the Cascades Dominion was routed by the local populace years ago. This revelation that local Cascadians were responsible for the attacks further demoralizes UCR troops. To make matters worse, no cohesive governing body of Cascadia made talks for deescalation near impossible.

### August

UCR diplomats attempt to establish relations with officials in Portland and Seattle, to find a peaceful solution in Cascadia. Talks unravel when the power dynamic is realized. The Cascadia Movement, as a whole, had largely segregated itself from the city-states, and only served to further stall diplomacy. Further, PsyOps had proven to be ineffective in the region, and UCR had already branded its own reputation as an alien occupying force.

UCR troops are forced to seek diplomacy at the local level. Attempts to speak with town elders and councils for peaceful reintegration are ineffective, when military leaders are targeted in so-called neutral meetings.

### September

UCR deploys their SPEC FOR assets into the Cascades for Tier-One missions. These teams have better success than main forces for a limited time in late Summer. Eventually, these teams are also ambushed by near-peer Cascadian forces. It’s discovered that Cascadia has their own high-value special operations teams, in the form of Cascadian Rangers. Their equipment and tactics heavily imply that these forces are largely former US Army Rangers from 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Pitted commando warfare is the climax of the conflict. On virtually all other fronts, occupation forces were routed by militias and partisans. Unable to seek any diplomatic solution, UCR escalates military operations, deploying commando teams to seek out and neutralize militia leaders

### October

Despite limited success, new powers were quick to fill the vacuum of lost leadership. No objectives are achieved, and the only goal discovered, in regards to the populace, is that Cascadia only wants UCR out of Jefferson. Military resources are siphoned from the conflict, and UCR Army forces are fixed into a rhythm of operating from isolated mountain fire-bases, resupplied by military pack mules. The tactics are more effective than most of their advanced technology has been, and draws less attention from the local populace.

### November

UCR decides to withdraw all troops before Winter rolls in. Operation: Shasta is deemed a colossal military failure. Harsh but informative lessons are learned, and UCR reorganizes its military. Diplomatic talks start again at the local level, with California desperate for water imports.

### December

The Cascadian Demilitarized Zone is established on the UCR/Jefferson Border.

The border is mined and guarded to partition the new territorial boundaries. For Californian national security, the border is impassable by civil means, and the only authorized traffic are heavily-inspected truck trailers and freight rail carrying water shipments and other vital imports exchanged between the two nations..

## Belligerents

### Strength

At the time, California’s military (pre-Republic Defense Force) was largely composed of former provisional US forces and recently incorporated militias into its National Guard. The operation originally mustered a volunteer assault force of 6,000 troops, consisting of air and ground forces, with an additional 10,000 support personnel. The majority was drawn from the Army and National Guard, with a provisional battalion of California Marines to bolster offensive capabilities. The initial shock and losses incentivized the UCR Senate Offense Committee to reinforce an additional 4,000 troops. The entirety of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was also deployed to the California Cascades.

In the middle of the conflict, Cascadia began deploying near-peer special operations teams to counter UCR Special Forces, in the form of Cascadian Rangers. Judging by their reported equipment and tactics, it was assumed that these war-fighters were formerly members of 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, likely abandoned or voluntarily stayed behind when the US withdrew.

### Casualties and Losses

UCR accounted for 1,856 killed, 2,001 wounded, with roughly 1,465 Cascadian killed, 1,581 wounded, over the six-month long conflict.

## Aftermath

UCR saw the tactical blunder of using slow-moving vehicles in a rapidly-shifting conflict zone, and made the move to decommission its Main Battle Tanks. United States military combat doctrine had already been proven ineffective in the years preceding California’s revolution, but the Jefferson War was the final incentive to reorganize a modern military for a modern nation. The California Army would be reorganized into the California Republic Ground Defense Force. The GDF would invest in better and faster Light Armor Vehicles with superior optics and maneuverability in multiple environments, reflecting a leaner twenty-first century fighting force.

### Impact

The Cascadian Confederation would be recognized as an individual power in the Pacific Northwest, and buy itself overwhelming bargaining power over its Southern neighbor. This also had the unanticipated impact of undermining the previous majority profit holders in the Pacific Northwest: Corporate Idaho and the Pacifica Collective. Cascadia had cornered the market on major resources such as agriculture, water, energy, and ethically-sourced lumber. The industrial power in Cascadia had been disseminated among the populace, creating a broader economic wealth among the people. This gives Cascadia unique collective bargaining power, at the cost of an alien economic doctrine that makes foreign trade lucrative, but difficult to translate with other economies.