The Pamelian Army, despite of the Emergency of the 3195 a.a.H with Anglasecuarnia that showed some problems in the organization of their armed forces, was ultimately unprepared for a modern war as fought against the Ruhenians: This soldier is largely equipped with remnants, weapons and supplies of the Pamelian Army of some fifty years before, from the times of the Anglasecuarnian Wars. The costly Pamelchristopherian War (3198-3201 a.a.H.), that become in a bloody stand-off, will be the end of the fantasies. Due costs and practicality, the Principality had to leave the more flashy uniforms.
The Pamelchristopherian War lasted from 3199 to january 3201, being a war between the aggressors of the Ruhenian people of Kingdom of Südchristophenia against the defending Principality of Pamelia. The results were the loss of Pamelian independence despite very spirited resistance, due to obsolete and inadequate military force. Lack of a sufficiently modern military made Pamelia vulnerable to attack from a secondary power in the first place, and turned the little State into an unwanted theatre of war, and cost the nation its independence.
Background[]
Second Wilzcroiser War[]
During the Second Wilzcroiser War that confronted the Kingdom of Ruhenia and the Republics of Slavkinia and Bazikstan against the Gastronomic Empire and the Caliphate of Anglasecuarnia, The Principality of Pamelia was left in a difficult situation due the revanchism of Anglasecuarnia, but tried to avoid entering in the war, secretly supporting Ruhenia during the hostilities:
Pamelia bows to Pressure[]
However, under pressure of the Gastronomic Empire of the Ignacios and Anglasecuarnia, the Pamelians were forced to cut off supplies and support to Ruhenia under treat of invasion -the so called Anglasecuarnian Emergency-. The Ruhenians felt betrayed. And while as result of the Second Wilzcroiser War, Ruhenia was annexed into the Gastronomic Empire at the end of the 3195 a.a.H., Ruhenian remnants that had fought in Slavkinia seized the Islands of Mercania, proclaiming the Kingdom of Südchristophenia.
Desire for Vengeance[]
Moved by vengeance, they wanted to liberate their homeland, needing to build up their forces and resources to face the empire. The Ruhenians faced the Empire, and anybody they felt betrayed them. Marcelooneo, who during the Second Wilzcroiser War in the Slavkinian Front allowed the pass of Ignacian forces of the Empire, was invaded and annexed to Südchristophenia at the 3198 a.a.H: meanwhile in Ruhenian, the Underground Royal Army of Ruhenia kept fighting a guerrilla warfare against the Ignacian invaders, and Südchristophenia wanted to support them:
Pamelia Caught in the Middle[]
the Imperial Province of Ruhenia, landlocked and surrounded by enemies, had as only viable supply route Pamelia. And so, the Südchristopherians demanded the pass of their forces across Pamelia.
Pamelia, isolated from the international alliances, was as well under pressure of the Gastronomic Empire, who warned them of supporting the Ruhenians.
Südchristopherian Ultimatum[]
However while the Pamelians, fearing the wrath of the Empire preferred to reject the Südchristopherian demands, the southern Ruhenians took into account the attrition of war the empire was suffering in the last, more brutal of the Ignacian Wars in the Ignacian Kagastan, between the Empire and Bazikstan: and so they made a gamble: to try to conquer with a quick strike Pamelia to reach Ruhenia, hoping that the Empire wouldn't be able -or wouldn't have the will- to enter in Pamelia.
Beginning of the War[]
Opening Invasion, Südchristopherian landing on Montdunan, Pamelian Capital[]
And so the Ruhenian navy of Südchristophenia sailed from the Mercanian islands to Pamelia, carrying along a landing force.
They arrived before the end of the Ultimatum, landing at the Pamelian capital, Montdunan, surprising the Pamelians, and the landing of the first forces was largely unopposed by the stunned coastal guard: but upon the invasion, the Princess Guard finally reacted, and the Amazons of Death, guard of the Princess, threw themselves against the landing grounds of the Ruhenians in the Battle of Montdunan.
Ruhenian Retreat and Reactions[]
In a brutal urban battle, Pamelians sacrificed the better of their forces to expel the Ruhenians, who were forced to re-embark: however, victory was only temporary: the Pamelian navy, and the Ruhenians had captured off-shore Pamelian islands where they built airfields-
The Ruhenians didn't expect such a brave resistance, but they weren't going to retreat so easily: the forces that left Montdunan landed again in southern Pamelia -in the region known as Rocher-au-Dame, largely unopposed, preparing a beach head to receive reinforcements and preparing to take Pamelia.
The War Escalates[]
Pamelian Counterattack[]
Without support from the neighbours -and the Gastronomic Empire only urging them to resist, without any promise to help-, Pamelians hastily mobilized their army to try to send back to the sea the Ruhenian landing forces:
They attacked the entrenched Ruhenians in Rocher-au-Dame: the Battle of Rocher-au-Dame was costly and the Pamelians suffered heavy casualties against the Ruhenian trenches and naval artillery, meanwhile in the sky the Pamelian princely air force lost its planes unsuccessfully: and as the airfields of the islands made by the Ruhenians were finished, they controlled the skies.
Stalemate[]
As more forces arrived from Südchristophenia -along with Ruhenian volunteers, escaped from the Gastronomic Empire-, the Pamelians built their own trenches in front of Rocher-au-Dame, while other defensive line was built to protect Montdunan: the Nannig Line.
For three months, the war was static in Rocher-au-Dame, as Südchristophenia continued to land materials, with unsuccessful attempts of the Pamelians to try to expel the Ruhenians, who launched some local offensives: meanwhile, the Ruhenian navy launched raids on the Pamelian shores.
Pamelian Defeat[]
The final Ruhenian offensive -along with naval landing on the rear of the Pamelian line of Rocher-au-Dame and landings of paratroopers platoons- showed the outdated defensive conception the Pamelians had used -basically fighting in the same type of trenches their grandparents used in the Anglasecuarnian Wars- and the line of Rocher-au-Dame collapsed, meaning a general retreat of the Pamelian Princely Army to the Nannig Line.
Pamelians at the Nannig Line[]
Learning from their mistakes, the Nannig Line was modernized and deepened just in time to face the Ruhenian attack, and it held: the Ruhenians sustained important casualties -that they couldn't afford for their ultimate goal-.
Winter of 3199-3200[]
With a cold winter over them, the war again became static, now in front of the Nannig Line during the winter 3199-3200 a.a.H, while both sides prepared for the operations of spring 3200.
Pamelia, that bought important supplies from Anglasecuarnia and Motzabili and received some support of the Gastronomic Empire -largely outdated weapons, handed over by the Anglasecuarnians as intermediary-, placed their hopes in a general offensive in spring:
Pamelian Retreat[]
Breaking of the Pamelian Line[]
However, this will be a catastrophe for the Pamelians as Ruhenians had too made their preparations, and they launched their own counter-offensive, breaking the Pamelian line.
Siege of Montdunan[]
However, this war was being lengthier and more costly than the Ruhenians expected -and could afford-, so they decided in principle to lay siege to the city -to make it surrender- rather than assault it, as Pamelian resistance had been always fiercer than expected: will begin the Siege of Montdunan, that will last nine months.
However, as by the summer of the year 3200, it was clear that the Pamelians weren't going to quickly capitulate on Montdunan, Ruhenians made new landings north of the city and around it, to try to completely cut it off, occupying larger extensions of the Principality, while the Pamelian Army -aside of the Montdunan garrison- retreated northward, to the mountains, to what they have called the Pamelian National Redoubt -Pamelïen Redúit National-
Conclusion of War[]
Diplomatic Efforts[]
The Pamelians were able to hold to the Redoubt and the Capital, but they understood the war was already lost and they began to try a diplomatic solution, and while some agreements seemed possible with the local military authorities of Südchristophena who had led the war, the maximalist positions of the Südchristopherian government barred any agreement.
Second Battle of Montdunan[]
Under pressure of the King, the Ruhenians launched an assault to Montdunan, which became a costly urban battle, meanwhile the underground royal army of Ruhenia was ordered to redirect their efforts of guerrilla they had been carrying against the Ignacians to face the Pamelian National Redoubt: However, this underground army, challenged in terms of supplies and manpower, lacked the offensive capabilities to launch a successful offensive, but tied the Pamelian forces in the National Redoubt during the Second Battle of Montdunan.
Aftermath[]
Montdunan finally fell in January 3201, when the princess did a conditional surrender: She was to remain Princess of Pamelia and Pamelia independent in their internal issues with some degree of limited self-rule, but it became a suzerainty of Südchristophenia, which was to control the foreign policy and international relations of Pamelia: this was written down in the Treaty of Montdunan, that formally ended the Pamelchristopherian war on 13 February 3201.
The National Redoubt however rejected these conditions, and instead they preferred to surrender their arms to Anglasecuarnia, who took over the northern mountains of Pamelia, therefore cutting the Südchristopherians from reaching Ignacian-occupied Ruhenia: this meant, ultimately, the südchristopherians didn't achieved their goals, and in what they expected to be a short, quick war they lost more recurses than expected and that they could afford: unwilling to face a modernized Anglasecuarnian army and to continue the war in Pamelia, they had to renounce to this objective: as well, the offensive ordered by the Ruhenians to the Underground Royal Army severly weakened it so much, that it crumbled and lost tactical importance in the Ruhenian resistence against Ignacian occupation -so instead, Südchristophenia shifted their aims to weaken the empire attacking it on it's Caritz sea colonies.-
Pamelia, that had already an economy largelly dependant of tourism, banking and the entertainment industry suffered severly from the war, and went to Bankruptcy. Under Ruhenian suzerainty, the Ruhenians tried to develope a Pamelian industry -specially, military industry, to boast their own goals.- However, Pamelian economy won't recover to it's pre-war situation until the to the late 3230s.
Südchristopherians, impressed by Pamelian resistence -and lacking needed manpower to face the Gastronomic Empire in future wars-, will extend it's mandatory military service to women. As well, this war demostrated the Südchristopherians some weakness on their armed forces: as result of this, Ruhenians will decide to build aircraft carriers, organize an Infantry of Marine force for landing operations and develope further their tactical bombing capabilities, along with their armored units.
Pamelia will remain occupied by Südchristophenia until the year 3224 a.a.H: As Ruhenia became again independent and was ensured the "Ruhenian Corridor", Pamelia will become independent, but remained closely allied and alligned with Ruhenia, allowing by treaties the presence of military bases and ports for the Ruhenian armed forces. Most of the territories annexed by Anglasecuarnia weren't returned by the time of the Pamelian independence.