Timeline of the Great Kesh War



The following is a timeline of major events during the Great Kesh War. Note this timeline focuses on the major fighting between the Alliance of the Twin Dragons Akiteiwa and Kodeshia against the Crown Concordant initially consisting of Selengeria, Alva, HCCK and later involving Tiperyn, Kaya and whoever else was in the Crown Concordant at the time.

July

 * July 1-7: Ündserkheg government of Selengeria compelled the much smaller fragile border states to conclude mutual assistance pacts which gave the Selengeria the right to establish military bases there. Following invasion by the Selengerian Army, Ündserkheg authorities compelled these governments to resign. Following illegal votes claiming they wanted to integrate with the Selengerian state. Kodeshi and Akitei government issue strong protests against these actions condemning them.
 * July 8: The Kodeshi and Akitei governments agree on issuing an ultimatum to Selengeria the following day.
 * July 10: The Akitei government orders a general mobilization of its forces.
 * July 11: The Imperial Kodeshi Army begins its general mobilization.
 * July 27: Ündserkheg government of Selengeria declares war on Kodeshia and closes it border and begins a full scale invasion of Kodeshia

October

 * October 24-31: HCCL forces invade Kodeshia attacking along the Meisho River and lowland basin plains but encounter stiff resistance from Kodeshi forces.
 * October 30-31: Selengeria forces invades Kodeshia with a three-pronged operation aimed at the cities of Xuanchun, Xijin, and Jiankang. Invading forces encountered hastily setup trenches, barbed wire, and minefields along the border. However, these positions were poorly defended, and in some areas incomplete and were overrun in the first few hours.

November

 * November 3-8: Kodeshi air defences shoot down nine Selengerian aircraft. Several tank battles took place, and Selengerian troops encountered fierce resistance, and it took them several days to gain control of the border regions. As Kodeshi conduct an orderly retreat.
 * November 9: Facing a dire situation as the front begins to collapse along the south-eastern sectors, Kodeshia begins scorched earth policies against the invading Selengerian forces. Kodeshi military forces set fire to hundreds of oil wells along oil-filled low-lying areas, such as oil lakes and fire trenches, as part of a scorched earth policy while retreating from invading Selengerian forces.
 * November 12: Heavy smoke and fumes delay invading forces, as a Selengerian air transport crashed due to heavy smoke plumes from the oil fires.
 * November 17: The Altis Skirmish occurs between Alvak and Kodeshi forces as Kodeshi reinforcements accidentally cross the Alvak-Kodeshi border. Alvak forces win.
 * November 20: Chancellor Armaan Stahlberg of Alvakalia declares war on Kodeshia
 * November 22: Kodeshia starts a counter-attack against the Selengerian near Xianchun in Changbei province.
 * November 28: The smoke screens created by the oil fires allowed Kodeshi armour forces to achieve the element of surprise and successful stall advances in the first battle of Xianchun along with increasing the general fog of war.
 * November 18-30: HCCK forces offensive along the Meisho river fails and Kodeshi counter-attack pushes them back across the border, Kodeshi attempt to push into HCCK territory are quickly bogged down as the battle turns into a stalemate. Despite Kodeshi air support and river boats the operates only makes modest gains against HCCK forces guerrilla tactics.

December

 * December 4-12: The Alvak and Kodeshi forces battle in the Beifu region. Alvak forces win modest tactical victory as Kodeshi forces withdraw to more defensible positions.

January

 * January 8: By the end of the initial Selengerian opening offensive major oil fields, cities and provinces on the border were capture along with heavy losses on Kodeshi military equipment and lives.
 * January 9: First major Kodeshi counter offensive begins as the Kodeshi forces engage along the whole front.
 * January 14: The oil fires burned out of control because of the dangers of sending in firefighting crews during the war. Kodeshi forces had been placed land mines in areas around the oil wells and military demining was necessary before the fires could be put out.
 * January 3-27: The Alvak forces face harsh weather conditions and guerrilla tactics from Kodeshi forces in the Beifu region. Alvak forces facing supply shortages forced to retreat and suffers heavy casualties and loses most of its equipment as Kodeshi forces engage the retreat forces.

February

 * February 15: Battle of the Jade Sea begins as Selengerian Naval forces attempt to break out of their blockade and clash with Akitei and Kodeshi naval units. This is the start of a series of naval engagements between the two sides that will last several weeks.

March

 * March 21: Siege of Songhari begins with Selengerian forces attempting to capture the captial as the people of Kodeshia rallied around their country and boosted troop numbers.

May

 * May 4: Alvak Kriegsplan Gelb (War Plan Yellow) is activated. Troops on the flanking sides of the mountain front advance, leaving the safety of the White Line and into enemy territory. The northern troop regiments attempted to link up with Selengerian forces and relieve the stress put onto them by the large Kodeshi invasion force, but was prevented due to the distance of which Selengerian forces were pushed back, and the late attack caused by poor weather. However, they did accomplish one objective; disrupt enemy forces. The White Line would continue to upgrade itself, even after the mostly failed attack.
 * May 5: Due to poor weather the northern Alvak regiments begin the attack today. They achieve some significant gains along the front, albeit mostly uninhabited mountainous areas. They do not reach and link up with Selengerian forces.
 * May 8: Kodeshi mountain forces finally engage Alvak troops along the White Line at the Battle of the Kujing Pass. The battle ends in a Kodeshi victory. Alvak forces are forced to dig in.

September

 * September 9: The last of the oil fires had been extinguished after causing massive loss of income to the Kodeshi economy and widespread pollution to the area but crucially delaying Selengerian forces by some ten months and denying them the oil.

December

 * December 21: Combined operations operations between Beifang and Kodeshia were threatened as new offensive by Selengeria pushed forwards as weather conditions with the oil fires extinguished.

January

 * January 11: Selengerian forces are repulsed and the offensive halted after heavy losses on both sides.

February

 * August 15: As Selengerian forces counter-attacked with armoured forces Kodeshi aircraft destroyed most of the incoming columns and repulsed the counter-attack. This operation was a victory with Kodeshi forces allowing them to retake most of Dazhong province.
 * June 12: Kodeshia's next major offensive involved a combined air and land attack with the first major use of helicopters and aircraft to surprise Selengerian forces and destroy their artillery. Special forces were able to take units from the rear and then the main ground forces were able to break their frontlines though they took heavy losses.

March

 * March 26: Tiperyn tested its first nuclear weapon as plans were carried for how and where to launch it.

April

 * April 2: The first round of peace talks between Kodeshia and Alva break down. An attempt to recover the situation fails, and talks are not restarted until May 1958.
 * April 4: Kodeshia launches air campaigns against Alva in the hopes of reaching a settlement.
 * April 24: The first Kodeshi Xinyang Raid occurs. A Kodeshi bomber squadron bombs Alvastadt. The Bundestag is burnt down in the ensuing fire.

May

 * May 16: Alvak forces conduct the Kleinteufel Raid in retaliation of the bombing of Alvastadt by Kodeshi forces. Songhari is bombed.

June

 * June 30: Minor border skirmishes maintained on the Eastern front.
 * June 31: After steady air campaigns between Alva and Kodeshia, both sides agree to hold discussions regarding a truce, armistice, non-aggression pact or peace terms.

July

 * July 4: The Battle of Longshan occurs between Alvak Bergtruppe, Selengerian special forces mountaineers, Kodeshi reserve forces. The battle was the site of the only successful meet-up of Alvak and Selengerian troops. However, both were split apart using repeated Haigao 6 rocket bomb barrages (in Alvak war inventories, captured Haigao 6s were designated as the Raketenbombe Kodeschien 1 or RbK-1) ending in a Kodeshi victory. The Alvak slang term for the Haigao 6 rocket bombs was coined here and was named Stottern (Stutter).

August

 * August 16: In preparation for their next offensive Kodeshia had begun a massive campaign of air raids against Selengerian air bases giving them air superiority over the battlefield and allowing them to closely monitor troop movements.
 * August 17-25: Masses of northern units begin arriving on the Eastern Front reinforcing Kodeshia position.
 * August 27: Thanks to the transfer of troops this allows Kodeshia to begin a massive new offensive with Akiteiwa, also free of the threat of a two-front war.
 * August 30: Kodeshi ground forces conduct probing operations along the front but territory remains under control of Selengeria.

September

 * September 22: The siege of Songhari is finally broken, when a counter-attack by fresh Kodeshi units from the east forced the Selengerian army to withdraw. The battle was a turning point in the war, as it marked the end of Selengerian advances in Kodeshia and the beginning of Kodeshi counter-offensives. The siege which lasted for more than two years, although Kodeshi forces had managed to open a sea corridor to the city, the Kodeshi army defended the city with fierce resistance.

October

 * October 4: Although plans were made by Selengeria to renew the attack on Songhari poor weather conditions bogged down units and renewed attacks by Kodeshi forces in the south took the initiative.

November

 * November 15: Kodeshi generals wanted to launch an all-out attack on along the whole border. But that was rejected as being unfeasible. Instead a plan is for Kodeshi army group south would recapture the northern provinces of the city of Jiankang and Kodeshi army group north would focus on liberating the city of Xianchun.

December

 * December 17: Kodeshi the ground forces continued with sporadic attacks between Xiabei and Beishan and in the north into Selengeria.

January

 * January 17: In response to the failing ground campaign by Selengeria its ally Tiperyn deploy massive naval operations within the Tethys ocean

February

 * February 19: Tiperyn bombers carry out a series of bombing raids in preparation for the nuclear strike.
 * February 20: With most of its territory recapture Kodeshi shifted towards a new air campaign operating from Dabei and within Beifang launching bombing and missile attacking at Selengeria industrial sectors hoping to destroy its means of fighting.

March

 * March 2: Selengerian forces fail to push back Kodeshi forces in the northern provinces of Dabei and Changbei. But they began heavy shelling of the area. forcing a retreat by Kodeshi forces ending the offensive in failure.
 * March 28: The appearance of the new PsF Mamba tanks shocked Kodeshi forces at the Battle of Taishan

April

 * April 5: Akiteiwa achieves limited gains in the north against Selengeria.

May

 * May 26: The prolonged battle of Jiankang resulted in hundreds dead and heavy house to house fighting. Although ultimately the offensive stalled and was unable to breakthrough despite smaller advances along the front.

July

 * July 4: Shift in bombing campaigns over Selengeria to full scale attacks on all targets by Kodeshia.
 * July 5: Selengerian forces begin a renewed attacks towards Zhongbin as Tiperyn conducts aerial bombardment via Asharistan over neutral Alvakalian controlled Yueshan province. These attacks are minimal but cause great concern for Kodeshia forcing it to divert more forces to patrolling its previously considered impenetrable northeastern corners. This greatly reduces its air campaigns over Selengeria.

October

 * October 26: Selengerian forces begin a renewed attacks towards Zhongbin as Tiperyn conducts aerial bombardment via Asharistan over neutral Alvakalian controlled Yueshan province. These attacks are minimal but cause great concern for Kodeshia forcing it to divert more forces to patrolling its previously considered impenetrable northeastern corners. This greatly reduces its air campaigns over Selengeria.
 * October 27: Ground counter-offensive by Kodeshi forces push back the Selengerian advances into Zhongbin allowing a push into Xiabei province and the begining of the Battle of Yuhang.

December

 * December 26: Tiperyn led Crown navy task force forces begin operations in the Tethys Ocean.

January

 * January 5: First small engagement between the navies of Dragon Pact and Tiperyn led Crown Concordant naval taskforce.
 * January 22: End of the Battle of Yuhang.
 * January 23: Success in the previous battles encourages Kodeshi which push deep into Xiabei and liberate the province with a massive air and ground operation. Tiperyn naval forces quickly launch retaliatory strikes on the captured territory nearly wiping out the ground units. Allowing a counter-offensive by Selengerian forces to advanced but follow up helicopter attack inserted reserve Kodeshi troops to reinforce the beleaguered units.
 * January 25-31: The Battle of Komishima begins Tiperyn leads combined Crown Concordant naval task force into the Tethys Ocean, aiming secure a foothold in Kesh and lift the blockade against Selengeria. The combined Akitei-Kodeshi fleet faces the Crown Concordant task force in one of the largest naval engagements in history. The result is a devastating lost for the Dragon Pact as Tiperyn led Crown Concordant forces achieve naval supremacy in the Tethys Ocean and prepare for their invasion of Komishima. Remaining Kodeshi naval forces withdraw to defend the Yuhai islands and coastline.

February

 * February 1-27: The Battle of Komishima comes to a close as Tiperyn leads combined Crown Concordant naval amphibious assault on the Komishima islands they face fierce resistance from Akitei defenders inflicting heavy casualties but they are unable to stop Tiperyn forces from securing a foothold on the islands. In a series of brutal skirmishes Tiperyn forces are able to capture most of the islands in a decisive but costly victory for the Crown Concordant.

March

 * March 31: Crown Concordant forces led by Tiperyn begin an aerial strategic bombing campaign against Akiteiwa and Kodeshia in the hopes of reducing their fighting capacity from their new air bases within Komishima islands.

April

 * April 26: Kodeshi forces put onto the defensive as Tiperyn launches aerial strategic bombing campaign attacks on the Kodeshia coast, leading to redeployment of forces from the frontline with Selengeria. This allows Selengerian forces to relaunch a new offensive retaking parts of Dazhong province.

May

 * May 20: Selengerian force begin new offensive attacking along a wider front with air and naval support by Tiperyn forces.

August

 * August 2: The attacks failed to weaken the support for the Selengerian regime and instead they railed around it. Still the Kodeshi offensive had nearly secured all of its former lost territory while parts of Changbei, Beishan, Anbei and Dabei remained in enemy control the majority of it was recaptured and now Kodeshi forces attempted to consolidate and reinforces its gains before push forward again.

November

 * November 19: Crown Concordant forces issues a warning and terms of a surrender which is ignored. After a massive air battle Tiperyn bombers drop an atomic bomb on Wujin, a major city and industrial centre in north west Kodeshia, killing hundreds of thousands of people and destroying most of the city. The bombing was a shock to Kodeshia and its ally Akiteiwa, as well as to the rest of the world, as it marked the first use of nuclear weapons.
 * November 27: To avoid further escalation and destruction, Akiteiwa and Kodeshia offered a ceasefire to Selengeria and Tiperyn, which was accepted by both sides. The armistice agreement was signed on 27 November 1959, ending the hostilities and establishing a new line of control and a demilitarized zone between Kodeshia and Selengeria. The agreement also stipulated the exchange of prisoners of war, the withdrawal of foreign troops, and the establishment of a peace conference to negotiate a final settlement.