The Appalachian War

The Appalachian War was a multi-factional war over territory in the Appalachian Mountain region of North America that began in January, 901 NE.

## Combatants

* Appalachia
* Erie
* Ohio
* Tennessee
* Carolina
* Delaware
* Hudson

## Causes

As the countries of North America built new, electric powered militaries, the states of the Appalachian region looked toward the young country of Appalachia for potential expansion. The young country, along with Erie, had gained its independence from Ohio 45 years prior as a result of the Allegheny Revolution. Three separatist movements (one each in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Knoxville) coordinated a rebellion and successfully overthrew Ohioan authorities. While the Knoxville and Pittsburgh branches formed a tight alliance, the Cleveland branch chose to operate primarily independently. The foundation of weaker countries in the region, along with the diminishing of Ohio's power, led neighbors to look toward picking apart Appalachia.

Initially, Tennessee and Carolina agreed to a pact for capturing Chattanooga and Knoxville, respectively. Delaware, hearing of the pact, proposed that Carolina and Delaware each advance to the Ohio border, with Carolina taking Roanoke, Blacksburg, Charleston, and Huntington, while Delaware took Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling, and Altoona. It was expected that Pittsburgh would withdraw its support from the war and join the country of Erie, providing a better balance against a potentially resurgent Ohio. Ohio, having caught wind of the plot, approached Hudson with a proposal that Hudson capture everything between State College and Wheeling (including the valuable city of Pittsburgh) while Ohio battled south to Knoxville. They expected that if they launched an attack fast enough, they could discourage other regional powers from acting. Hudson was looking to gain an advantage over southern neighbor Delaware, with the ultimate goal of advancing southward to Delaware Bay. Erie, also hearing of the coming plots, warned Appalachia a day before the invasion was set to begin, and promised aid.

## Course of the War

### Battle of State College

* On January 2nd, Hudson's **III Corps** launched an assault with air support against Appalachia's **I Corps** at the small border towns of Lock Haven and Lewisburg. By the end of the following day, elements of the 28th Cavalry Regiment had reached the outskirts of the small city of State College. A counterattack by Appalachia's 2nd Mechanized Infantry Regiment, however, cut off the 28th Cavalry Regiment, and it was forced to fight its way out, taking nearly 500 casualties in the process. **III Corps** withdrew to their positions in Lock Haven.
* On January 4th, Appalachia's **I Corps** launched a full-scale counterattack against **III Corps**, attempting to dislodge them from the western side of the Susquehanna. The attack failed miserably, and **I Corps** was turned back with heavy casualties.
* With Delaware's **IV Corps** approaching from the south, **I Corps** was forced to withdraw west toward the small town of DuBois on January 6th. From there, they moved south to the town of Indiana, abandoning Altoona and State College.
* On January 7th, **IV Corps** established control over State College. Delaware, individually outmatched by Hudson, chose not to engage Hudson's weakened **III Corps** for control of Lock Haven and Lewisburg, and instead established a zone of occupation around State College and Altoona.
* Total casualties:
	+ Appalachia: 5,560
	+ Hudson: 4,331

### Early January Advances

* Delaware's **I Corps** secured the town of Cumberland on January 3rd and continued advancing toward undefended Morgantown.
* Carolina's **IV Corps** occupied Roanoke and Blacksburg on January 2nd and had captured the town of Beckley by January 7th.
* Carolina's **III Corps** captured Johnson City on January 2nd and Kingsport and Bristol on January 3rd. By the 7th, they had extended their line to the southern Ohio border.
* Tennessee's **II Corps** captured Chattanooga on January 3rd and the towns of Cleveland and Dalton on January 6th. Appalachia's **II Corps** became trapped between Carolinian and Tennessee forces.
* Ohio's **II Corps** captured the town of Ashland on January 2nd and the city of Huntington on January 3rd, and entered the Appalachian capital of Charleston on January 7th. There they faced brief skirmishes with resistance fighters, taking 17 casualties.
* Ohio's **III Corps** captured Wheeling on January 2nd and the town of Washington, just outside of Pittsburgh, on January 5th. Erie's **I Corps**, however, surprised Ohio by cutting off their supply route at the village of Cambridge. **III Corps** was forced to turn around and engage **I Corps** at Wheeling.

### Battle of Knoxville

* With Appalachia's **II Corps** trapped between Carolina's **III Corps** and Tennessee's **II Corps**, Knoxville was cut off from the rest of Appalachia on January 6th.
* January 7th, a joint assault was launched by Tennessee from the south and Carolina from the north.
	+ In the south, Tennessee failed to dislodge Appalachian forces from their initial positions, sustaining 1,086 casualties while inflicting 1,287.
	+ In the north, Carolina also failed to dislodge Appalachian forces, incurring 1,022 casualties to Appalachia's 1,026.
* January 9th, a second join assault was launched.
	+ In the south, Tennessee pushed Appalachian forces into the city, taking 1,046 casualties to Appalachia's 1,176.
	+ In the north, Carolina pushed Appalachian forces into the city, taking 821 casualties to Appalachia's 1,122.
* Once the Appalachian forces were pushed into the city on the 9th, an urban battle ensued. By January 12th, Tennessee forces had routed the southern detachment of Appalachia's **II Corps**, including their 14th Cavalry Regiment, 16th Infantry Regiment, 17th Infantry Regiment, 21st Infantry Regiment, and 22nd Light Infantry Regiment. In the urban fighting, Tennessee forces took 826 casualties to Appalachia's 1,346. Carolina's forces, on the other hand, struggled. From the 9th to the 12th they continued to take more casualties than their Appalachian opponents. This trend continued in intense fighting on the 13th, when Carolina took 926 casualties to Appalachia's 787. On the 14th, the tide began to turn, but Appalachia's forces proved especially stubborn.
* Finally, in a decisive battle on the 17th, Carolina's **III Corps** completed their capture of Knoxville, at high cost.
* Total casualties:
	+ Appalachia: 12,812
	+ Carolina: 6,888
	+ Tennessee: 2,958

### Battle of Wheeling

* Trapped between Pittsburgh and Erie's **I Corps**, Ohio's **III Corps** was forced to engage. They suffered a resounding defeat on January 10th, taking 3,246 casualties to Erie's 2,117. A counterattack by Erie, however, went the way of Ohio, causing a stalemate on the Ohio River. A second Erie attack on January 14th, supported by Appalachian air power, went equally poorly. Another Ohio counterattack on the 16th proved unfruitful as well. On the 16th, most of Ohio's **III Corps** was replaced by units from Ohio's **II Corps**, which had been occupying central Appalachia. The replaced **III Corps** units took over occupation duties. The influx of fresh troops proved decisive, and Ohio's forces repelled the battered **I Corps**, securing the Wheeling area on the 21st of January.
* Total casualties:
	+ Erie: 11,411
	+ Ohio: 12,379

### Mid-January Advances

* On January 14th, Delaware's **I Corps** occupied Morgantown
* On January 18th, Erie's **II Corps** reached the city of Dayton, a major population center between Columbus and Cincinnati. The deployment of Ohio's **III Corps** left the city undefended; Ohio's **1st Wing** was forced to hastily abandon the city. Erie forces raided weapons stores and destroyed multiple factories.
* By January 19th, Ohio's **I Corps** had arrived in Cincinnati from the town of Lafayette on the Michigan border.
* The arrival of Ohioan forces to defend Cincinnati and the defeat of Erie's **I Corps** to the east caused Erie to withdraw its **II Corps** from Dayton and seek a peace deal.

## Peace Deal

On January 23rd, only 21 days after the war began, Appalachia elected to pursue a peace deal. They had been abandoned by their ally, Erie, and had only light defenses prepared around the city of Pittsburgh with superior Delaware forces approaching. Appalachian forces surrendered to prevent further bloodshed.

### Spoils

* Tennessee was awarded the city of Chattanooga, along with the nearby towns of Dalton and Cleveland.
* Carolina was awarded the city of Knoxville and its suburbs, along with the towns of Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, Roanoke, and Blacksburg.
* Ohio was awarded the towns of Charleston, Parkersburg, Huntington, and Wheeling, but forced to recognize Erie as a sovereign state.
* Hudson received a minor extension of its border across the Susquehanna River, including the villages of Lewisburg and Lock Haven.
* Delaware received the largest spoils of war, acquiring Appalachia's largest city, Pittsburgh, as well as the towns of Johnstown, Altoona, State College, Cumberland, and Morgantown.
* Overall, about 100,000 Appalachia residents fled to Erie as refugees. Roughly 2.5 million became citizens of Delaware, who hadn't fired a shot in the war. 0.5 million were incorporated back into Ohio, 1 million were incorporated into Carolina, and the remaining 750,000 became citizens of Tennessee.

### Casualties

* Appalachia suffered 18,372 military and 6,783 civilian casualties.
* Carolina suffered 6,888 military casualties.
* Delaware took 0 casualties, although some police forces were forced deal with bouts of violence after the war.
* Erie suffered 11,411 military casualties.
* Hudson suffered 4,331 military casualties
* Ohio suffered 12,396 military and 2,126 civilian casualties.
* Tennessee suffered 2,958 military casualties.
* Total counts:
	+ Soldiers: 56,356
	+ Civilians: 8,909