Secularist Revolt

The Secularist Revolt, also known colloquially as "The Insurrection", the "Civil War", and in Teutonic as "Der Albtraum Sommer" (Anglic: "The Nightmare Summer"), was a nationwide revolution against the Republic of Lestykhol. The conflict lasted from June 6th to November 14th, 1966. It began over civil resistance against perceived corruption, increasing influence of the Svogda Patriarchate, human rights concerns, and the overall cost of Kholak involvement in the Kesh War, a war seen as taxing and unnecessary. Contrary to popular belief, the term "Secularist" was never officially used by rebels but is instead a colloquialism coined many years later. The conflict did not begin violently but as student protests. Failure to raise awareness through peaceful means and the overall leaderless nature would spur more violent actions such as riots and eventually full-scale rebellion.

Civilians began small-scale uprisings throughout the country, the largest taking place in the industrial city of Belaya. Key locations throughout the city such as the Army barracks and armory, train station, police headquarters, city hall and other government facilities were captured in a matter of weeks. The mass demobilization of the Kholak military meant that resistance and morale were low, causing great concern within the government. A force of reserves numbering xx,000 was quickly assembled and deployed to affected areas. A lack of preparedness for urban combat and low morale led to the loss of many lives. As a last resort, the government in Kholdnareka sought help from their new allies in Alvakalia.

The government of Alvakalia agreed to deploy units from the elite Ostkorps to Lestykhol, who were accepted and transported with great haste. Once arrived, they were pressed into combat with Secularist rebels, struggling due to the cold weather and strained logistics. However, the arrival of such an elite force inspired the National Ground Forces troops to increase their own efforts. In a matter of months, the insurrectionists in the countryside were subdued, but major metropolitan areas proved challenging.

A joint operation between the Kholak armed forces and Ostkorps troops, codenamed Operation Quadruped, succeeded in putting Belaya, the last major stronghold, under siege. The siege lasted until November 14th, when the last of the rebel garrison surrendered at the Belaya City Hall. Low-level insurrections continued for another few weeks. The surviving leaders of the Secularists were tried in the first televised trial in Lestykhol's history from February to June 1967. Status of leaders is yet to be revealed. Some maybe executed and turned into martyrs, maybe prison, who knows?

As a result of the brutality of the fighting, the people of Lestykhol were left stricken, seeking reforms in the name of reunification. The Duma, after much deliberation and debate, introduced a series of reforms that proved controversial. The issue and impact of the revolt and its reforms are still highly contested today.

Prelude
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Civil Unrest
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Political Repression
Deets

Building Conflict
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Early Rebellion
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First Shots and Martial Law
And here

Alvakalia
Alvak involvement began days after fighting broke out in June 1966. Alvakalia, who Lestykhol had supported during its brief stint in the Kesh War, shipped over the Ostkorps, a well-trained and experienced expeditionary force which consisted of powerful land, air, and armoured units to assist the Loyalists. The war provided combat experience with the latest technology for the Alvak military. However, the intervention also posed the risk of escalating into a larger regional war for which the Alvaks were not ready.

Arriving in the small port of Sarokhov, the force attempted to move to Kholdnareka. Although the Ostkorps did make it to Kholdnareka by July 3rd, it was engaged in guerilla combat from Secularist forces. The largest of these skirmishes were on the Beloredrinsk-Chernorovsk Road on June 30th.

From July 4th to August 28th, the Ostkorps took up positions in and around Kholdnareka, setting up roadside checkpoints on the outskirts, acting as the city security, as well as training recruits and conscripts.

From August 29th to November 14th, the Ostkorps was involved in the recapture of Greater Belaya Area and Belaya itself. The largest of the Secularist counteroffensives against the Ostkorps occurred in September 21st, in the Battle of Zheleznopol District.

Alvakalia's actions included the furthering of development of the multitasking Ostkorps, a unit composed of volunteers from the Luftwaffe and the Alvak Army (Bundesheer) from the start of involvement in June 1966 to its end in November of the same year. The Ostkorps proved to be especially useful in the Battle of Reuvodsk in the leadup to Operation Quadruped and the following retaking of Belaya. Alvak operations slowly expanded to include strike targets, most notably—and controversially—the bombing of Belaya which, in September 1966, killed 150 to 250 civilians.

The cold climate of Lestykhol did not make combat easy for Ostkorps troops, who were used to the hot desert climate of Alvakalia. However, as it was summer by the time the Ostkorps arrived, the temperature problem was slightly relieved.

Interlude
More stuff here, whoop-de-doo.

Rebel Decline
Secularists run out of steam.

Last Stand in Belaya
The revolt takes a turn for the worse.

Operation Quadruped
Operation Quadruped (Teuton: Unternehmen Vierfüßler) (Yarovan: Операция четвероногая) (Thalassian: Επιχείρηση τετράποδο) (Arabic: تضاعفت العملية أربع مرات) was the codename for the 1966 joint Alvak-Kholak offensive against Secularist forces to recapture Belaya using both National Defence Force troops and Ostkorps forces.

Aftermath
Lesty is shook, and so are the other three countries that care.

Lestykhol
Limited reforms, leaders hanged, a sombre day for all.

Alvakalia
They lost some good men. They get medals from Lestykhol, but it's a hollow victory.

The rest of the world
"Wait, that place exists?" "Who cares?"

Commemoration
Some monuments and shite, a national holiday for mourning is established, yadda yadda yadda.