Vojiskiy War

The Vojiskiy War (: Войский Война, : Війська Війський, : Войская вайна, : Vojiskiy rata, : Vojiskis karas, : Vojiskis karš), also referred to as the Second Yarovan Civil War (: Вторая яровская гражданская война), was a fought in the former Vojiskiy Empire between imperial and republican forces, with various ethnic separatist movements fighting on each side. The two largest forces in the conflict were of the Vojiskiy Imperial Army (Яровская Императорская Армия), formed mainly of rural farmers and monarchists loyal to the reigning Tsar Fridrik III, and the Republican Front (Республиканский фронт), primarily comprised of industrial workers and soldiers returning from the Grand Campaigns. Towards the end of the war, there were occurrences where certain factions were fighting both sides, such as the Union of Communists, Republic of Rovsnoska, and the Kartvelian National Army. The majority of the fighting took place in the south-western, north-western, and north-eastern fringes of the Vojiskiy Empire, where the republicans garnered sizeable support from separatists desiring independence. tactics were the most common form of combat until an organised fighting force could be assembled in late-1922 by the republican forces. After the capital was taken by republican forces, most imperial forces became concentrated in eastern Yarova Proper where they garnered the support of the navy, rural Yarovar farmers, and some eastern minorities such as, , and. The majority of imperial forces surrendered on 28 January 1926, just 15 days after the fall of the Imperial Palace. However, imperial loyalists would continue to fight in Yarova Proper up until 17 November 1926, when the fortified city of Pervouborg in Yadryshkina was finally seized by republicans. Kholak volunteers would continue clashing with Vojiskiy loyalists in the north until the spring of the following year. The remnants of the Vojiskiy Imperial Navy would  rule over Tolima until 1931, and the Rovsnoski Legion would continue organised resistance with isolated imperial loyalists in the United Provinces of Rovsnoska and Zaporizhia until the late 1930s.

Background
Signs of the sprawling Vojiskiy Empire's decay had been showing since the early 20th century, with the most significant of these being the defeat of the Imperial Army at the hands of rebels in Lestykhol's War of Independence in 1920. Whilst engaging in war with the Kholaks, the Vojiskiy Empire decreased its manpower considerably upon its entry into the Grand Campaigns on the side of Vallis. The challenging nature of both respective conflicts exerted tremendous strain on the empire's resources, causing their personnel to be highly under-equipped which proved a severe blow to morale. Unsurprisingly, the empire plummeted into a financial crisis and, in 1921, a famine had begun to sweep across the country, claiming the lives of over 70,000 people in a mere timeframe of six months. The acute shortages of food supplies also impacted soldiers on the frontlines in Western Artemia and resulted in increased taxation on the empire's crippled working class. The ever-widening wealth gaps in Yarovan society, along with the mounting death toll at home and abroad, gave the republican cause unprecedented traction. By mid-1921, republican and separatist movements had started to utilise small-scale guerrilla tactics, which prompted an unsparing crackdown by the empire. On 16 April 1922, more than 650 vocal republican advocates in the city of Yumarapol were executed by firing squad in an event now known as the Trials of Yumarapol. Notable radical republican leaders Nikita Dmitrievich and Gima Dadei, who were both largely responsible for the popularisation of their ideology, were among those who lost their lives during the trials. As a result, rioting broke out in several key locations across the empire against the imperial government and was formally declared on 14 April 1922. In accordance with this, Vojiskiy soldiers at war in Western Artemia were called home to counter the growing insurgency.

Formation of the Yarovan Republican Front
In late-1922, imperial forces were drawn out of Kryzhelovschina owing to an unrelenting onslaught of republican combatants. This decision cleared an area in which the republican forces could begin organising an army for a unified offensive against the imperialists. A substantial number of imperial soldiers who were captured during the Battle of Kirawsk began to join the ranks, a great many of whom fought in the Grand Campaigns. Vladimir Simakin, one of the first members of the republican inner-circle and a war veteran, was tasked with the formation and commandeering of the republican forces. The new army of the Yarovan republicans became known as the Republican Front, and commenced an active policy of conscription by late-1923. The Republican Front quickly gained the support of the Raudonasis Judėjimas in the north-west, the Rovski-Zaporizhian Revolutionary Army in the south, volunteers from Lestykhol, and the Kartvelian National Army with the promise of honouring Kartvelian nationalism, and out of this on 23 June signed the United Front Pact, guaranteeing each nation independence of their ethnic lands on the basis of that they fight alongside the Republicans against the imperialists. The Union of Communists fought alongside the republicans until their betrayal in 1924. Lestykhol was initially hesitant to support the Yarovan Republican Front, however, the prospect of being ceded additional territory, along with the reality of an Imperial Naval blockade, convinced the Kholaks to join the war in early-1924. The last and most deadly guerrilla incident was a bombing in the of Chaykoboksarsk on 24 February 1924, which claimed the lives of 53 people and injured hundreds more.

Unification of Imperial Forces and Operation Virgate
During the early stages of the conflict, the Imperial Armed Forces were awaiting the reinforcement of troops returning from the frontlines of Western Artemia before making any major assaults. However, this strategy would show to be ill-advised, allowing for the organisation and mobilisation of the republican forces. Another significant disadvantage for the Vojiskiy forces was the staging of a by far-reaching elements of the returning units, purportedly due to the inhumane conditions they were subjected to and the devastating impact of the famine on their families. General Mikhail Pleshkov, who described the fallout from the mutiny as a "hornet's nest", took the unforeseen decision to withdraw troops from southern Peremorovka, Leont'yevskaya, southern Khomustatskaya, and large areas of the Governorate of Rovsnoska. This plan of action was materialised with the undertaking of Operation Virgate (Операция Виргейт) on 5 September 1922, which included the posting of troops in hundreds of garrisons on the western frontier of the imperialist heartlands in central Yarova Proper, from Abramivka to Kubyshevsk. As imperial forces also pulled out of large areas of the Governorate of Rovsnoska, the Rovsnoski Legion, a Vojiskiy volunteer corps made up of Rovsnoskis, declared the Republic of Rovsnoska in the mountainous southwestern regions of Rovsnoska. The Vojiskiys saw this as an opportunity to gain a substantial fighting force that could weaken the Rovski-Zaporizhian communists that had been harassing their southern armies and promised independence if they fought the communist forces, of which they agreed. Operation Virgate is regarded by historians as having been both beneficial and disastrous, as it enabled the Imperial Armed Forces to secure a unified front and prevented isolated units from being overrun, but also opened up more territory for the Republican Front to continue to expand.

Maugorod Rebellion
On October 15, 1922 a large amount of naval forces stationed in the Vojiskiy territory of Tolima were ordered to return to mainland-Yarova in order to support the already extremely strained Vojiskiy Imperial Navy. The majority of the imperial forces in Tolima were extremely dedicated to the Vojisiky Empire, and from massive amounts of propaganda and misinformation believed that the Imperial Forces were already close to a victory. However many of the sailors stationed in Tolima were native Tolimans, of which had been seeking independence since the failed revolts of the 19th century. On October 16 at Port Maugorod, around 640 Toliman sailors mutinied against their Vojiskiy higher ups. Admiral Vladimir Igorevich, of which had given himself the title of "Supreme Commander" of naval forces ordered the rebellion to "be put down by any means necessary." The Imperial gunboats the Krasnoye Znamya and Rurik were recalled by Igorevich to assist the battleship Gangut in putting down the rebellion. By the time the gunboats arrived the few ships remaining except for the Gangut had been either captured or destroyed by the rebels of which had swollen to the size of around 2,600 fighters, including pro-republican Yarovars. On October 17 around 1,245 imperial naval marines launched an assault on the port along with the gunboats. By the 19th around the port had been recaptured. A large amount of the rebels fled to the countryside, and those who remained would either be executed or imprisoned. It has been reported by eye witnesses that Admiral Igorevich personally ordered the execution of the final defenders of the port.

Aukalnia and the Raudonasis Judėjimas
After declaring themselves independent from the Vojiskiy Empire the Raudonasis Judėjimas clashed with pro-Vojiskiy Gromykos across Aukalnia and Sartland, and would eventually join with the United Front against the Vojiskiy. With support from the Vojiskiy Navy, the Gromykos were able to retain a large amount of the Aukalnian coast and parts of the south east, but most importantly the capital of Ažytėnai. Multiple mass assaults were attempted by the Raudonasis Judėjimas on Ažytėnai, but most attempts were thwarted by the well equipped Gromykos and Imperial Marines. After multiple attacks the Raudonasis Judėjimas were only able to capture a small number of coastal fishing cities.

Autumn Uprising
On November 11, 1922 Zaporizhian communists rose up against the local imperial garrisons, first taking control of the major industrial city of Abargabelozov. Vladimir Kurchatov, an influential communist and officer that served in the Grand Campaigns, began organising these workers into a much more organised fighting force known at first as the Zaporizhian Revolutionary Army, and later the Rovski-Zaporizhian Revolutionary Army. The success of the uprising led to multiple like it across Zaporizhia and even parts of Rovsnoska. Imperial forces would retreat to the southern port cities of Sosnivika, Svetloyarsk, and the northern city of Balagnisk, of which held heavy anti-bolshevik sentiments. On November 20 Svetloyarsk would fall under attack from around 9,000 Zaporizhian revolutionaries. The initial assault resulted in heavy losses, with the Imperial garrison being extremely well equipped, even wielding 12 armored cars. By November 28 the imperial forces in Svetloyarsk surrendered. Soon the Rovski-Zaporizhian Revolutionary Army would begin its campaign to rid the rest of Rovsnoska and Zaporizhia from Imperial forces.

In December 1922 the Southern Volunteer Army, numbering some 9,000 men, along with the Rovsnoski Legion started their first campaign against the communists in Zaporizhia and Rovsnoska. The communist strongehold of Varažidin was encircled on 1 December and fell on the 3rd. In December heavy fighting took place around southern Rovsnoska and Zaporizhia between the Rovsnoski Legion and Southern Volunteer Army against Rovski-Zaporizhian fighters. On 13 December General Mijatović division captured Kvilia. By the beginning of 1923 the whole of Southern Rovsnoska and parts of Zaporizhia were controlled by the Republic of Rovsnoska.

Battle of Chaykoboksarsk
In early January Imperial forces, wishing to recapture the city of Chaykoboksarsk, of which had become a major railroad station for transporting Republican supplies and possible staging point for an attack on Shchyokhov. Republican and Kartvelian National forces had hastily captured the city while Imperial forces were still reorganising from Operation Virgate, making great use of cavalry and units which could swiftly encircle and cut down the retreating imperials. Around 160,000 Imperial soldiers under the command of General Mikhail Pleshkov along with the armored train "United Yarova" would assault the city from its weakly defended northern flank on January 22, quickly overwhelming the 75,000 Republican and Kartvelian defenders. By the 25th the majority of the city had fallen under Imperial control. On February 5 85,000 Republican soldiers counter attacked and were able to swiftly recapture the city, as many of the defenders along with General Pleshkov had been moved to the Southern Front to fight the Rovski-Zaporizhians. Soldiers of the Kartvelian National Army captured the city of Belotsk five days later, almost entirely encircling Shchyokhov.

Aftermath
The Vojiskiy Empire was dissolved after the war ended, and the United Federated Districts of Yarova was established. A large portion of the infrastructure was destroyed and millions of civilians were killed, wounded or left homeless. The newly-established Yarovan government went back on many of their promises of ceding land to the breakaway nation of Kartvelia and land claimed by Lestykhol.