Great Dovani War

[EEL123]

you're using the opinion of one player to support this argument

OOC: That's an opinion that sums it up nicely; if this does not constitute sufficient 'proof' to you, you can have more if you like.

to simply discard it because it doesn't suit your "vision" of uber-power Zardugal seems a bit unfair

Yeah, Jelbania has six thousand nukes, including a 70MT nuke, and they're near the bottomg of the GDP table. Very convincing. And anyway, there are a large number (probably a majority) of nations that don't follow the economics aspect very closely. OK, high debt is bad, low military spending means a weak military - but the rest is really discarded generally, and not just by us.

I think is otherwise a well planned and organized RP

I would be inclined to think that a well-planned RP should be 'legal', if you will.

facing the might of Indrala for what, two years

Funnily enough, Indrala was played by its own players as fairly weak. If you object to that and think that we should have taken a better (or worse, depending on your perspective) battering, you should have come a little earlier.

you should be struggling - certainly not dominating - in Dovani

See above. And also, we have anti-Indralan rebels on our side. And apart from Dovani, the colonial war is mainly Luthori's problem.

it borders on a violation of Pax Cynica Section 4

We can let the mods deal with that.

If you're the "USA," who spends only 4.7% despite at least one war

You're not complaining about Jelbania. And anyway, the US is in a minor war. We have been invaded by one country, and are fighting another on a different front. And we're stuck in the colonies too. Even 15% military spending would be reasonable.

OK. That's enough. We should get back to RP now, instead of some OOC debate

[Farsun]

Okay, I thought you guys would sort it all out and come to conclusion, now it's my turn.

EEL, Zardugal is not the United States. It never will be, because the United States doesn't exist. Military wise? You spend way too much of your GDP and your nation would likely hate the administration; I'm sorry but that's realism. You are fighting a three front war realistically. One in Dovani, One in Jelbania and one on the home front. Your troops would be beyond war exhaustion and would likely be thinking about turning home and just giving it up. Your forces are spread across the globe and are spread too thin. Jelbanian troops would be fresh and prepared, likely having at least a hint at an attack by you. Therefore your invasion into Jelbania probably would have yielded minimal ground and the Jelbanians would be matched well against your drafted army.

Sorry, your military isn't the greatest in the entire world.

[EEL123]

Sorry, your military isn't the greatest in the entire world.

OOC: Yeah, I know. Waiting for Luthori to do something.

You spend way too much of your GDP and your nation would likely hate the administration.

We have a war on. We are being invaded. In WWII, the US, which was never invaded, was spending 42% of GDP on defence. Our spending is positively low given that enemy troops are marching on our soil.

[EEL123]

Zardugal retreats
Zardic troops put up brave resistance on the beaches as the invading forces of Telamon landed. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the invader*, and it took them from dawn to early afternoon to get a foothold. Unfortunately, the defences failed to stay strong throughout the day, and enemy forces are now advancing inland. However, there is some good news - the Zardic Navy managed to break the Telamonese blockade, and is now fighting hard to keep sea lanes open.
As a result of the successful invasion, martial law has been declared in Zardugal, with many civil liberties suspended. The Interior Minister asked the Zardic people to

Accept that special measures must be taken to ensure that the enemy has as much trouble as possible in their attempts to occupy the Zardic homeland. I am sure that you are willing to put up with martial law for the sake of our country.

In a heated discussion between cabinet members and military commanders, the Zardic government, in light of its deteriorating position, has decided to pull back from northern Endirhad, conceding that territory to the invading armies. In the face of opposition from many members of the cabinet, Defence Minister Matthew Brugh stated that

We're stuck in an untenable position. We have the Jelbanians in the north, and the Tela in the south. We simply can't hold our ground against that. We have to pull back and regroup.

Foreign Minister Eve Shehan disagreed vehemently:

We have allies who will come and help us. I've already asked for help from Luthori and Dorvik. We'll undermine our credibility worse than we ever have before if we just give up and run away like a bunch of gutless cowards.

However, the Defence Minister gained the all-important support of the Prime Minister after pointing out that

Do you want to lose Endirahad, or do you want to lose our army and then lose Endirahad anyway? Cause with our current situation, that's our choice.

Zardic troops slipped out of their defensive positions at night and the borders were abandoned. Rearguards were sacrifice in a largely successful attempt to win enough time to set up another defensive line where it is more defensible.

Zardic rearguard troops attempting to slow down the enemy
Residents of the evacuated area were taken to unoccupied zones further south, while any strategically important infrastructure such as railways, factories and bridges were demolished in a attempt to slow and inconvenience the enemy advance.
Meanwhile, to remove the Zardic government from danger, its offices have moved away from Belgae. Convoys of trucks, and freight planes, removed files, equipment and personnel and took them to a top secret location in Kalvere. However, Belgae remains the official capital.

A truck is loaded with files from the Finance Ministry
The Zardic Prime Minister, Darren Nicholson, spoke on live television to the nation, exhorting them to resist the enemy and encouraging them in this time of darkness:

We are faced with the greatest national crisis in our history. There has not been a greater trial of our strength and solidarity for centuries. Rarely has Zardugal been compelled to toil through such an ordeal and struggle as this. We have been invaded by forces hostile to Zardugal and to everything that we stand for - freedom, equality and liberty.
The struggle to expel these invaders will be long and hard, but this government, a government of the people unlike that of Telamon, will not fail you. Already, we are mustering forces, not just Zardic forces but the armies of friendly nations, to resist the invasion. The armies of Zardugal will fight with all their might.
It is not in our national spirit to give up; we must resist and fight the enemy wherever they appear. Rise up against them with your patriotism and your righteous rage against them. Surrender is not an option, for it will mean that the bright flame of Zardugal will forever be extinguished. Whatever the cost we must bear, whatever the difficulties we must surmount, we cannot lay down our arms. Even if we are defeated here in Zardugal, we will not give up. We will continue to fight this war from abroad, from the havens of our allies.
There are only two things that we have to look forwards to. The first is death, both physical death and oppression, the slow and torturous death by a thousand cuts at the hands of the enemy. The second is victory, liberation, a new Zardugal forged in the furnace of war, carrying a torch of freedom higher and brighter than ever before. It is by the efforts of you, the people of Zardugal, that history will choose our fate.
Today, we must be fully conscious of the great weight of responsibility that rests upon us - our responsibility to ourselves, our nation, our forefathers, our children, and our ideals. We must be conscious also of what is at stake here, and how much we have to whole-heartedly devote to our fight for victory and liberty.
This will surely go down in history as a most monumental battle, a clash of titans and of the noble ideals of liberty and the dark and menacing spectre of oppression. The Zardic people shall be judged by posterity by how they were able to fight through adversity and suffering. I am sure that the forces of liberty will prevail. Let us in this historical moment not be judged lacking.

*OOC: Amphibious landings always inflict heavy casualties. Zardugal has been screwed up quite a few times doing them too. So don't complain.

[Polites]

South Dovani Armies Begin Counteroffensive
September 3351

Taking advantage of the arrival of the monsoon season, and of diminishing Zardic troops following the invasion of Zardugal itself, the Indralan and allied armies have begun a counteroffensive against Zardugal's invading forces. Until now, the armies defending the South Dovani colonies were on the defensive, using hit-and-run tactics to inflict as many casualties on the Zardic forces, while at the same time avoiding direct military engagements.


Indralan soldiers using the South Dovani jungles to their advantage

Anti-Indralan Rebels are Zardic Agents
9th month of the 11th year of the Xin Era (September 3351)

The terrorists that have taken arms against the independent South Dovani states and the liberating armies are nothing but imperialist agents of the Zardic devils. These traitors want to forfeit the hard won independence of their peoples, and want to return to foreign rule. But do not be misled by Zardugal's lies. There so-called rebels are fighting our glorious armies in exchange for bribes and lies, and will soon be crushed by the might of South Dovani.

[Zanz]

-snip-

OOC: EEL123, I apologize, I think my plans were misunderstood. If they weren't clear, I am sorry. There were no landing troops attached to the naval forces that bombarded your shoreline; it was simply that, a bombardment and a blockade (since I know, as you point out, that naval landings are costly). My ground forces are committed to the Jelbanian front where the hope is that our combined might can overwhelm your line as my navy cuts off your supplies/reinforcements. I leave the next move there to colonelvesica. I am headed out for the day, and will be online later tonight to see what's new. Other than this small misunderstanding, good post I'm looking forward to seeing how this RP progresses!

[colonelvesica]

Operation Patriot

Early last night, in coordination with Telamone strikes across the line, Jelbanian forces launched Operation Patriot. The Fifth and Third Army, under newly minted General Lance Patten retook all territory they lost and have been pushing steadfastly into northern Unkassa towards the sea to cut off Endirahad from the rest of the country, while General Wright in the north with the First and Second Armies are moving to take down the entire state. In the deep south General Drake's Third Army Group is holding the flank while superior allied artillery and air power pounds Zardic positions. Rumors that Jelbanian special forces are penetrating various parts of the line and causing havoc has spread fear amongst the Zardic forces who are currently in dissarray from the combined allied offensive.

At sea elements of the Jelbanian Navy moved to assist the Telamone Navy in their blockade of Zardugal while the of tif he rest of the Navy protects the East Coast.

OOC: I'll be more in depth if you'd rather

[EEL123]

Zardugal retreats (again)
As Jelbanian and Telmonese forces began to advance over the border in Unkassa, Zardic forces were ordered to retreat by the Prime Minister, who concurred with the Defence Minister in that it was better to retreat than to be completely defeated. Civilians, as well as soldiers, have been hastily evacuated; Endirahad and northern Unkassa have been completely abandoned, and, once again, Zardic forces have been dynamiting infrastructure which might prove useful for the enemy. Two armies held the line against the enemy in northern Unkassa for five days, before they began retreating, having inflicted heavy casualties, but suffered the same as well. While technically a defeat, this brave delaying action allowed the near-flawless evacuation of millions of troops and civilians - the largest mass-movement of people in Zardic history.
Further south, the Zardic troops have fared better against the First and Second Armies, with only minimal losses of territory, given the strength of the defences they have spent months setting up. By the end of the first week, they had retreated just ten kilometres. Just as fighting was vicious on the ground, the war in the air was hardly uncontested, with the powerful Federal Air Force flying to engage the enemy. Although the operation could not be described as a success, it took the heat off the troops on the ground - you can't bomb and strafe troops when your enemy is trying to shoot you down.
There was, however, a bright spot in what was otherwise a week of failures or half-successes at best. While the enemy Fifth and Third Armies were able to advance with relatively low opposition except for the first few days, the First and Second were moving comparatively slowly. One Zardic division was able to break through the emerging gap, which was relatively undefended, compelling the enemy troops to retreat a little.
Meanwhile, in the colonies, Zardic troops have retreated to Jinlian along with massive numbers of civilians. Again, this is in an attempt to set up a more defensible front line, and also to gain breathing room. The Zardic government is considering a complete evacuation of Jinlian if the Indralan forces break through.
OOC: LOL, that's a BIG misunderstanding. So should we pretend that the landing happened according to our narrative, or pretend that it didn't, according to yours?

[EEL123]

WMDs debate in Cabinet meeting
In a Cabinet meeting yesterday, a vicious fracas broke out, with the President and Prime Minister hurling profanities at each other over whether Zardugal should use its weapons of mass destruction. A source claiming to be present at the meeting stated that it resembled a schoolyard argument more than a meeting of national leaders. The meeting began with the President ordering the use of nuclear weapons against Telamon and Jelbania.

President:

We have a national emergency here. It's not a war, it's a struggle for survival. We've got to him them first, and hit them hard - cities, ports, transport hubs, everything. We'll blow them into oblivion.

Prime Minister:

You know Jelbania's got a massive nuclear arsenal, right? Who's to say that they won't use it against us if we use it against them.

Foreign Minister:

If we lose this war without slaughtering civilians, we are going to get support getting back on our feet. If we nuke them, they'll hit us back, and nobody will feel sorry for us. I'm telling you that we don't want to end up living in a pariah state - not to mention a nuclear wasteland.

President:

We have not other choice.

Prime Minister:

Nuking them isn't much of a choice, is it?

President:

I'm sure it is.

Prime Minister:

We may be defeated now, but we don't want to get nuked.

President:

What about our chemical and biological weapons?

Foreign Minister:

Are you really so short-sighted. It's not just winning the war that matters. We can and will recover from defeat. We cannot and will not recover from annihilation. You're trying to start a goddamn nuclear war for nothing?

Finance Minister:

We'll have nothing left. Absolutely nothing.

President:

We'll go down with a bit of pride, damnit! You know, with a bang. Not with a pathetic little whimper.

Prime Minister:

I cannot allow that.

President:

I'm going out right now to tell the whole bloody world that we're going to nuke the crap out of them if they don't agree to a ceasefire or a withdrawal. I don't give a shit about what you gutless morons think. I don't care! You can do your stupid 'pacifist' hippy thing, but I'm going to fight for my country.

Prime Minister:

Stop being so reckless! Don't you see the consquences? Are you mentally retarded or what?

President:

I'm the President, damnit! Don't talk to me like that.

Prime Minister:

You're going to get us all killed. All of us! And by that I mean the whole country. I am not going to let you go out and make your stupid announcement. No, never.

President:

F*** this shit! That's bull-f***ing-shit! Whose side are you on?

Prime Minister:

I'm not on your side, you bloody lunatic! I will tell you that if you threaten to nuke them, we will get nuked!

President:

You're a traitor! A dirty, treacherous rat! Go die in hell!

Prime Minister:

You're doing this for your vanity. Your stupid little brain is telling you that you're the best in the world, and that you can get away with anything. You're not and you can't. You're a stupid, f***ing moron who just can't live with the fact that you're not some sort of all-powerful god!

President:

Shut up!

Prime Minister:

No, goddamnit! You are not going to threaten to use nukes under any circumstances.

President:

I'm the bloody President and I'll do whatever I damn well want.

Prime Minister:

We'll I'm the Prime Minister and I say no! I'll get you impeached if you try to do anything stupid.

President:

You're pulling your little tricks out of your bag, are you? You dirty bastard!

To prevent an actual punch-up, the other ministers present had to restrain the President and Prime Minister and pin them to their seats as they shouted incoherently at each other. The meeting was dissolved shortly after, and resumed in the afternoon, with the President conspicuously absent. However, the Prime Minister was in a celebratory mood, having prevented a nuclear holocaust.

[Zanz]

OOC: LOL, that's a BIG misunderstanding. So should we pretend that the landing happened according to our narrative, or pretend that it didn't, according to yours?

OOC: I prefer we stick with my narrative simply because while the Telamonese army is inexperienced, I doubt they'd make such a tactical error as to force a costly beach assault when they have a perfectly good front in Jelbania to utilize. We'll go with that it was a naval blockade and bombardment, albeit a relatively ineffective one

For the record, I want to commend you on your last several posts here. You seem a lot more willing to work with us now, and I'm happy to hear with it, because I'm willing to work with you, as well .

IC post incoming either tonight or tomorrow. Working on some conflict maps