Everyone likes Walloons: Chapter 12
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Chapter Eleven: The Lion Versus the Bear
Chapter 12: Tooth and Claw
Our war is going well so far, we have taken control of our objectives and it just remains to force the Russians to concede. To further that objective our forces are advancing north in support of the British. The first days of november provides a minor distraction in our endeavour however;
It seems the tiny nation of Kutch to our south has been overrun by some sort of rebel movement claiming to represent the unity of all peoples of the Indian continent. As Sindh contains such peoples they have foolishly invaded our protectorate. Luckily the Natali Expedition is less than a week from landing;
And when it does the rebels are destroyed, even the man leading the rabble Jivraj Baro is brought in, charged and hanged. With that minor fight out of the way de Stassart swings his army North where they will soon be needed;
Early in December the British have engaged the Russians in Balkh, as they are outnumbered we are itching to come in and even the score. Our forces do not make it in time to assist in that fight however as the Russians, despite inflicting a terrible toll on the British army, break off and retreat;
It is a testament to the British army and it's leaders that they have come out of this with a victory and with their remaining men in good order, especially as many of these troops are raised from colonial rather than domestic volunteers. The British have also engaged an Army all the way from Krakow, the tiny city-state is loyal indeed to the autocrat of Russia it seems. Speaking of loyalty to Russa, did you know Krakow, Russia's staunchest ally, is ruled by liberals?
Bearing that in mind the first news of 1848, the reformation of the Senate, looks extremely suspicious;
Liberals continue to make gain after gain. Just what is their game? I suppose their lack of national pride and their "Laissez-faire"(translation: "Personal Profit") attitude makes them the easiest target for the Tsar's influence. There will plenty of time to deal with this later however for now we have more developments.
Prussia and Austria's second war has ended and Prussia once again comes out of it victorious and larger. It is Austria that actually suffers territorially, rather than one of it's allies. Perhaps that will put Austria off starting any more wars, it is obvious to the rest of the world that Prussia is the true master of the Germanic nations.
Soon after this, news from the front. One of our armies joins the British divisions taking on the retreating Russians;
de Stassart's Army has lost a significant number of men to desertion and attrition in this hot and hostile land but is backed up several british divisions totalling around thirty thousand men, giving our army a significant advantage in numbers for this battle. The Russians quickly break in early February but once charge a terrific price for the victory;
Even accounting for the difficulty in getting supplies in enemy territory, the unusual climate and other measures of attrition, the casulties seem overly high. Either the British leader here is a particularly bad one, or the Russian a particularly good one. Though if some good besides the victory can be found, it is that atleast that our own forces received very little of the losses.
There is better news though, we have taken control of some of former Afghanistan and the British have completed taking the Peshawar region;
And by February 19th, Wangermée's forces have taken control of the rest of Southern Afghanistan, freeing them for the fight.
They cannot come too soon though, as only two days later de Stassart and some of the British divisions chasing the Russian have caught them up, aswell as some more men from Krakow. This is the first time our people have ever fought such a campaign, until now we've been fighting either defensivly in familiar terrain or fighting people who still think a rifle is an instrument of black magic. Our men are good and brave, but their inexperience is starting to show.
This fight provides another victory however, and thankfully at much less a cost;
Once again the Russians break off from the fight, after giving better than they got but it's clear our people are learning. The margin is much reduced. The British and de Stassart give chase.
There is more good news as march arrives, on the 4th the world explodes. Britain announces that it intends to take control of Peshawar and Britain has many friends;
(OOC Note: After Britain added a war goal and called in it's allies, my screen was litterally FLOODED with messages, OKing the flood I lost the original announcement so I took this shot instead)
Among those friends, aswell as the Princely States of India are Portugal, and the Netherlands, where Russia had been trying to find a new ally. And of very interesting of course, Spain. Emperor Nicholas must be kicking himself now, I wish I could be in the room when he receives the news. It would be quite a sight. I'd also like to see what he says when he hears about this;
The British troops in Canada are taking control of Russia's North American colony of Alaska. I wonder if they'll end up in Bethel and meet our expedition.
On March the 13th I am distracted from the matters of the war by pleasant domestic developments;
Our studies into the medical sciences have lead to several new methods and techniques, many of which can applied in the field to assist our soldiers. We have also began building a proper medical establishment with the Royal Medical Association, to regulate Doctoring and take over the furthering of that field.
If our experiences in the field however have taught us anything, it is that primarily our army needs to see much improvement
Without the help of the British, it is quite likely this war would not have gone aswell as it has. It is my wish that one day Belgium and her small army can stand alone against vast hordes such as the Russians and come out victorious. To that end we begin.
On April the 1st, a year since we began our campaign our forces, aswell as those of the British we've been fighting with, once again close on the Russian army.
They have already been engaged by a British force that has been occupying some more of the russian colonies in the area and we are happy to bring reinforcements. The Russians don't stick around much longer after that;
Just one day later and we aquire yet another victory and one that finally goes entirely our way, constant defeat is certainly taking the bite out of the bear. Unfortunately de Stassarts army is approaching breaking point and Wangermée has yet to catch up so we do not follow the British into Kyzil Arvat, and stay behind to occupy Ashkhabad.
The fighting moves to Kyzil Arvat, and the russians have brought reinforcements enough to equal the British numbers, but by May Wangermée is just days away with nearly nine thousand Belgian reinforcements. It seems however that the situatuion is not as intense as it first seemed, on May the 4th the Russian are routed and it seems that Nicholas has finally had enough;
Facing the wrath of half of Europe, the hordes of the Princely states, his ports blockaded, his colonies occupied and his armies unable to secure a single victory the Tsar has given up any hope of winning and met all our demands. I have never had so much wine. Incidently in a move to further stick it to the russians, the treaty formalising our victory is to be signed in Bilbao, Spain.
I have to say the new atlases are going to look aesthetically pleasing and very satisfying. It's just a shame though that Russia caved before we could think of restoring the nation of Afghanistan;
The Baluchi people are now freed from Russian autocracy and the inhabitants of Bela can be reunited with their brethren in our newly established protectorate;
- Flag of the Belgian Protectorate of Baluchistan
Our foreign office has also been flooding with messages, mostly congratulatory but a significant number seek to establish better and more direct relations, it seems our triumph over the Russian Empire has caused the world to look at us in a new light. I can see a seat with our name on it taking a place at the table of power;
(OOC Note: I have Gonji's Music Add-On and mere seconds after this message Land of Hope and Glory played. Which was well cool : )
The World: May 1848
Next Episode:
Chapter Thirteen: The Calm Before