Tsukimotoan Independence War

### Result

Tsukimotoan victory - Republic of Tsukimoto gains independence from the Empire of Shingō

## Belligerents

**Pro-Independence Forces:**

Republic of Tsukimoto

**Imperial Forces:**

Empire of Shingō

## Commanders

**Pro-Independence Forces:**

Congressional Leader Kurou Otoharada

General Naritoshi Endou

Commander Sagong Dae

**Imperial Forces:**

Emperor Reigen

Prince Kawahire

Chancellor Kiyokuni Takeya

General Ken Miura

## Casualties

**Pro-Independence Forces:**

~42,000

**Imperial Forces:**

~40,000

The **Tsukimotoan Independence War** (117 - 135 G.E.), also known as the **Shingō-Tsukimoto War**, was a conflict fought between pro-independence forces of the Tsukimotoan Islands and the Empire of Shingō. The war was initiated by various clashes between local militias and members of the Imperial Military, the most notable of which occurred during the unveiling of an Imperial Shrine in the city of Amaiwa (modern-day Ikeda). The conflict was fought primarily over the issue of Tsukimotoan independence from the Shingōan Empire. Engagements and battles took place across the Tsukimotoan Islands and in the Bay of Amaiwa (now Bay of Ikeda).

## Historical Background

Just prior to the outbreak of the Three Decades War, the Kingdom of Tsukimoto (also known as the Kingdom of Su'ke) was invaded and conquered by the Kingdom of Windsor. Rebel groups within occupied Tsukimoto were supplied weapons by the Kingdom of Wei and the Empire of Shingō and frequently mounted armed rebellions against colonial forces in the region. After the beginning and subsequent entry of Wei and Shingō into the Three Decades War, the two countries enlisted the aid of Tsukimotoan rebel groups in fighting against Windsor, vowing to give them independence when the war ended.

However, once the war ended in 87 G.E. and Windsoran forces were driven out of Tsukimoto, the Empire of Shingō asserted control over the Tsukimotoan Islands under the pretense of aiding its reconstruction process. While protests and occasional riots by the region's native people were not uncommon during this period, the majority of the Tsukimotoan citizenry was indifferent to the Shingōan occupation. Since the end of the war, large numbers of Shingōans had moved to the Tsukimotoan Islands to establish or expand businesses, many of which were vital to the rebuilding of the Islands' economy.

Following the ascension of Emperor Reigen to the Imperial Shingōan Throne, several policies and royal decrees were enforced throughout the Tsukimotoan Islands, leading to public unrest and a reinvigorated desire for independence. Most notable of these policies were those of the "Shingōificiation Plan", which required all schools to teach exclusively in the Shingōan language and banned the public practice of indigenous Tsukimotoan religions. These tensions ultimately culminated in the November Riots of 109 G.E., which saw several violent clashes between local militias and the Imperial Shingōan Military.

The riots began in protest against the "Shingōification Plan" and the construction of an Imperial Shrine in Amaiwa which enshrined and deified members of the Shingōan Imperial Family. This shrine, and others of the Kamitomo religion, were surrounded, vandalized, and boycotted by members of the general public, leading the Imperial Government to send several military brigades to subdue the riots. After roughly 3 days of fighting, the protests were brought to a temporary end; 13 were left dead and 26 were arrested by the Imperial Military.

In 111 G.E., clashes reignited after private schools created in protest against the Imperial Government's policies were raided and subsequently shut down by military police. Throughout the first few months of the year, the conflicts that occurred between pro-independence forces and the Imperial Military were largely unorganized and exhibited characteristics of guerilla warfare. However, by the latter months these pro-independence forces had received several shipments of supplies from various arms-dealers and industrial conglomerates in the area, many of which were run by ethnically Shingōan individuals. The reason for these actions likely lies in the monetary opportunity these groups saw in the outbreak of full-scale conflict and the eventual formation of an independent Tsukimotoan state. Throughout the following years, arms manufacturers and large corporations would aid Tsukimotoan rebel groups by selling weapons and munitions, leading to an increase in the ferocity of conflicts and the deployment of larger numbers of Imperial troops.

## The Outbreak of War

War was officially declared by the "National Council of Tsukimoto" on 1 August 117 G.E. Many citizens of the Tsukimotoan Islands saw the declaration as a call to action and volunteered to fight in the newly-formed Tsukimoto Republican Army. The Imperial Shingōan Government publicly dismissed the declaration but sent six military divisions to engage and subdue pro-independence forces.

Throughout the duration of the war, the Tsukimoto Republican Army enlisted the help of the Moriguchi Syndicate—a union of criminal clans led by ethnically Shingōan elites—in procuring weapons and sabotaging enemy supply lines. Under the rule of the Shingōan Empire, the Moriguchi had been heavily regulated and fined for their activities, and they were eager to expand their political power by making deals with the Tsukimotoan rebels. Many of these deals were made by Kurou Otoharada (音原田 九郎), a member of the Moriguchi and the future first President of Tsukimoto.

Due to their use of guerilla warfare, the rebels were able to wage a war of attrition against the better-equipped soldiers of the Imperial Army. Soldiers of the Tsukimoto Republican Army often enlisted the help of villagers and average citizens of cities and towns in attacking Shingōan logistics facilities, a practice that led the Imperial Army to commit several violent acts against the citizenry in retaliation.

## Shingōan Domestic Reactions

By 126 G.E., the war had been waging for roughly nine years with no end in sight. The general population of Shingō had suffered from famines and critical supply shortages due to policies of the Imperial Government that were made to aid the war effort, and members of the regional nobility — known as *Hakushaku* — were additionally beginning to express their distaste at the direction of the war effort. In a letter addressed to the Imperial Court and the Chancellor, one *Hakushaku*, Lord Naomune Tadaoka, wrote,

> "I must convey in the most urgent manner my concern at current state of affairs regarding the conflict that rages across the isles of Tsukimoto. It is my earnest desire, and I believe that of my people as well, that this matter be dealt with swiftly so as to ensure that no unnecessary suffering may take place."
>
>

Tadaoka was soon followed by several other *Hakushaku*, who expressed more firmly their desire to see the war end. Some, such as Lord Koretoki Itakura, even openly asserted that they were prepared to oppose the Chancellor and the Imperial Government if they did not immediately end the war and restore shipments of rice and grain to their township.

These hostilities culminated in the march on Ōyama, in which members of the warrior class loyal to local lords traveled to the Imperial Palace to demand the abdication of the Chancellor and the Emperor. In response, Emperor Reigen repealed several unpopular policies relating to rice and grain seizures, but he still maintained his support for the war and encouraged regional lords to do so as well.

Concerns grew for the Emperor in 129 G.E. when a senior commander of the Imperial Army was discovered to have engaged in conversations with regional *Hakushaku* to undermine the Emperor. The commander was subsequently removed from his position, leading many soldiers to mutiny in protest. By the end of the year, the Imperial Army had suffered costly losses against the Tsukimoto Republican Army in the Battle of Saigane and the Battle of Steinerville. Seeing the strength of their army quickly deteriorate, several commanders pressured Prince Kawahire — the Imperial Chancellor and brother to Emperor Reigen — to begin the process of withdrawing troops from the Tsukimotoan Islands. Prince Kawahire reluctantly agreed and met with Emperor Reigen to describe the Imperial Family's predicament.

The Emperor initially remained steadfast in his desire to continue the war, infamously dismissing Prince Kawahire as Chancellor and appointing a pro-war member of the military to fill the position. However, by mid 134, the Emperor and the Imperial Court had effectively lost all administrative authority over the nation's prefectures, as local lords had begun to openly oppose orders from the Court. Thus, the Imperial Court reluctantly agreed to the demands of the *Hakushaku* and vowed to relinquish much of his political authority.

Following the inauguration of members of the newly-formed Shingōan Parliament, Sōsuke Koide was made Prime Minister of the country. Koide subsequently began engaging in peace talks with Tsukimotoan pro-independence officials and negotiated a peace treaty with Moriguchi official Kurou Otoharada. On the following day, 16 September 135, the Shingōan Parliament formally ratified the treaty and the Tsukimotoan Independence War officially ended.

## Impact of the War

The independent Republic of Tsukimoto was declared following the end of the war and the withdrawal of all Shingōan troops from the Tsukimotoan Islands. While many across the new nation were initially pleased by their nation's newfound independence, the assumption of power by various elites associated with the Moriguchi led many to question the integrity and legitimacy of the new government. Several protests, albeit quite smaller than those that occurred during and prior to the War for Independence, were launched in major cities across the nation following the inauguration of Kurou Otoharada as President of Tsukimoto. These tensions between the ethnically-Shingōan elite and the general population of Tsukimoto would ultimately culminate in the Tsukimotoan Revolution many years later.