[Forum Game] - World in Revolution: 1861

[Suirantes]

We condemn the Bolivian use of quicklime against our brave soldiers, I propose that we ban the use of Quicklime on the International scale as we could clearly see, the effects of it are brutal and inhumane.

[KeldoniaSkylar]

The United Kingdoms of Sweden, Norway, and Finland condemn the use of quicklime in battle and hope that its use is restricted in future conflicts.

[MastahCheef117]

Kingdom of Manchuria

Manchuria would like to agree that quicklime, as demonstrated on the fields in Bolivia, is a terribly inhumane weapon, and will condemn the Bolivian government for its use on the field of battle.

We would also like to protest the Kingdom of Spain's plans for a Naval Treaty as a noble but simply impossible cause to limit the navies of the world and their nation's sovereignty. There will almost certainly be several major powers that are unwilling to sign the document, and they will be destined to rule over those that have limited themselves (albeit with the intentions of peace) into such a weakened position on the seas of the Earth.

[Seek75]

Staatpresident Marthinus Pretorius van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek

I find the proposal to ban quicklime silly and pointless. Simply agreeing that no one should use quicklime will not stop anyone from using quicklime, nor any other toxin or gas or what have you. Furthermore, war, by its very nature, is brutal and inhumane. Quicklime is simply another weapon, like guns or pistols or cannons.

[Shock3r]

The Republic of Italy congratulates the mighty Bolivian army on their victory and hopes that quicklime is used on every last Chilean soldier in Bolivia.

[Thandros]

The Sultan of Morocco Feels that Quicklime in itself is a horrific weapon maiming the people it inflicts. However What it represents may not be. Should Chemical weapons Technology advance sufficiently Weapons of this nature could kill quicker and less painfully than the Rifles many armies use today. However for such a weapon to be ethical it must be lethal enough in high doses to kill quickly and painlessly and harmless in low concentrations so it doesn't cause casualties in civilian populations located nearby. However he feels that the ability to do this is decades off and the use of Chemical substances in warfare will likely always be controversial subject.

[Jean Pierre]

The Oriental Republic of Uruguay firmly condemns the Bolivian atrocities in war, only compared to the inhuman and ignoble slaughter of sleeping and defenseless Paraguayan troops by the Brazilian cavalry. Battles are to be fought with honor and bravery in the battlefield, and surrendered and defenseless men and women are to be taken prisoners, not simply slaughtered.

We firmly believe a fundamental difference between the civilized nations and the barbarians is that we still have our sense of humanity and honor. We would like to request an international condemnation of this practices before they degrade to cannibalism, scalping, disrespecting the holy days such as Christmas, or otherwise following heathen customs.

[reis91]

The Kingdom of Spain condemns the use of quicklime as a savage weapon hardly befitting a civilized conflict, and, once again, calls for the Bolivian and Chilean governments to enter negotiations towards a settlement of the conflict, to prevent further destruction and mayhem which is bound to happen, due to the lower level of civility in the conflict brought upon by the use of quicklime upon enemy forces.

[misiame]

While the use of quicklime by Bolivia was brutal, it was used as a last resort. Notice how they rolled boulders and burning logs before they resorted to using this devastating weapon. It is horrible that the Chilean soldiers suffered this, but the Bolivians held back on using it until it was necessary for their survival.

What I would like to call into question is the Chilean brutality against the local population in and around Arica. Killing men, women, and children who aren't even fighting regardless if they are from the enemy country is inhumane and sick.

[Edzako]

War against Persian Despot

Citizens of Ottoman Empire. You saw our patience, when we offered 6 month time for Persian Monarch to step down. Not only he did not heed our words of wisdom, in his pride he decided to cross the border and attack our Mesopotamia province. Unwise and costly decision on his part.

Almost 30 000 of 65 000 men that crossed Karun river lie dead, wounded or captured. Persian infantry is famed for their discipline, but what good it does, if close ranks are perfect target for breech loaded artillery. Persian men are no cowards and does not break easily, but what good it does, if they fell before they can't close to their muskets range. In the end broke and ran, pursued by second and fifth regiments of our cavalry force. Three Hurrahs for first class private Soner Tuncay who managed to capture two regimental flags from fleeing foe !

HURRAH !

HURRAH !!

HURRAH !!!

The Fifth Regiment of Imperial Ottoman Army.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Our foe is not yet defeated. Persian power base is located on the other side of Zagros mountains, posing considerable challenge for any army trying to cross it. That's why we address oppressed people of Persian Empire - Azeri, Lur, Kurds and Gilaki. Help us and you will gain autonomy not unlike our European provinces. You will get modern infrastructure and protection from any foes that will dare to face us.


Signed, Sultan Abdülmecid

[Congo]

Once again Brazil has shown it's true colours, murdering soldiers while they where taking a bath, yet even with everything in their favour, they managed to loose 500 soldiers in what it was a surprise attack on unarmed soldiers. If they where shot by some of our soldiers who were quick to grab a rifle, or by their own troops in their reckless savagery will remain unknown.

Yet god favours the brave and good-hearted, Brazilian Navy, once the pride of the Emperor himself, now rots in the bottom of the sea. An example of what free people are able to do when tyranny threatens them. Will the Brazilian Emperor stop this madness? Only the Devil may tell.

In the case of the Chile-Bolivia war, the use of quicklime shows once again the lack of civilized manner by some combatants, in stead of the aiming rifle or the cutting sword, they adopted a weapon that melt flesh to the bone, Chilean soldier reaction to this against the civilian population, though brutal, seems equal in terms of Bolivian one. A reaction to the brutality of Bolivia.

[Duke of Britain]

Once again Brazil has shown it's true colours, murdering soldiers while they where taking a bath, yet even with everything in their favour, they managed to loose 500 soldiers in what it was a surprise attack on unarmed soldiers. If they where shot by some of our soldiers who were quick to grab a rifle, or by their own troops in their reckless savagery will remain unknown.

OOC : AFAIK the 500 losses and 1000 were the complete losses of ALL minor skimirshes that happened, not just this one.

[reis91]

OOC: Yep, it says a squadron of Cavalry butchered a company of Paraguayan infantry. Dunno how many men make up a company in your army, but nothing close to 1000...

[Jean Pierre]

OOC : AFAIK the 500 losses and 1000 were the complete losses of ALL minor skimirshes that happened, not just this one.

OoC: Please say that In Character. Cut the OoC.

[Mr. Santiago]

Remembering the words of Rousseau, that good institutions for Poland can only be the work of Poles, the representatives of the Provisional Government of Poland, after a long and thoughtful debate, have finalized the new Supreme law that will shape the destiny of our new, young, democracy. As we now march into battle against a formidable foe, let us use the light of law to guide ourselves towards victory.

Part I - On the Citizens

Any Polish citizen has the following rights, all within the boundaries of the Law: to live, to teach and learn, to practice his industry, to enter and leave the territory at will, to trade, travel and sail; to practice his religion, to have his home and correspondence respected, to publish without censorship, to gather and express ideas, to associate with others, to have and use property, to vote and be elected to office, to be detained only when ordered by a competent judicial authority and to stand before said authority within a day of his detainment, to not testify against himself, to be given due process.
Any Polish citizen has the following duties, all within the boundaries of the Law: to uphold and defend the Law, to take up arms in defense of Poland, to resist to foreign or internal enemies of the Constitution and people of Poland.
People's private actions, that don't offend a third party or public moral are left to themselves. Torture, slavery and serfdom are illegal and outlawed. Foreigners residing within the borders of Poland shall enjoy the same rights native citizens do. The rights and duties hereby specified don't deny the existence of others that may emanate from either natural law or convention.

Part II - On the Local Government

Poland is a Representative Republic.
For it's administration, Poland is divided into districts, each headed by a local Parliament or Sejmik and a Governor. Any male citizen older than 20 has the right to vote and to be elected to the Sejmik. General elections shall be held every 2 years to determine the Sejmik's composition, and every Poseł (delegate) can be elected up to four consecutive terms.
The Sejmik appoints a Governor by simple majority, who is in charge of running the administration and is liable for its actions to the former. It also appoints the Poseł that represent the district in the National Parliament.

Part III - On the National Government

The President is the head of State and Government, and is elected directly by all male citizens over 20 years old, with the possibility of being reelected once. He is in charge of Foreign Affairs, is the Supreme Commander of the Army and runs the general administration of the Country. He is assisted by Ministers, appointed by Him but subject to review by the Sejm and liable to a vote of no confidence by the later. Any citizen can be elected or appointed to hold office at a National level.
The Sejm is the Legislative Branch of the Government, made up by 200 Poseł. 150 of them are appointed by the Sejmiks after very general election. The 50 remainder are appointed for life by both the President and Sejm and are to be awarded to the great man of Poland from all fields, in reward of their service to the Nation
The High Court and other lower echelons of the Judiciary are appointed by the President with the Sejm's approval.

[DoomBunny]

The Invasion of Korea - The Battle for Seoul

As the second half on 1864 began in Korea, it was clear to all that the war would end soon. The Manchu forces had advanced successfully from the North, and the Japanese, despite heavy losses had secured a good portion of the south, and severely weakened the Korean forces against them.

As before, the Manchu moved before the Japanese. 200,000 soldiers were sent back to Manchuria, whilst the remaining 200,000 were split into 4 armies of 50,000 men. Leaving 50,000 men in Pyongyang as a reserve, the remaining forces marched out in 3 columns, heading in the direction of Seoul, hoping to carve the heart out of the Korean resistance and secure their victory. The Manchu forces were harried on their march to the capital, suffering repeated attacks from Korean peasant militias, who blocked roads with trees, burnt bridges and set up ambushes for the Manchu troops. This slowed the Manchu advance considerably, and although soldiers were under orders to treat the populace humanely, they often disobeyed these and took out their frustration of innocent locals. On many occasions, officers joined in and took an active part in the brutalities. Meanwhile, a similar picture had been seen in the South, where Japanese troops, again under orders to keep brutalities to a minimum, took our their frustration at the guerillas on the local populace. This turned the local populace even further against the Japanese, and they quickly found that the guerillas were growing stronger by the day. many Korean peasants fled to Seoul, attempting to escape the wrath of the invading armies. Both forces arrived at Seoul at around the same time, beginning to construct siege lines and shell the city with their artillery. The Koreans meanwhile, had armed as many of the refugees and people of Seoul as they could, going so far as to tear down buildings in an effort to find wood for makeshift spears. The Koreans were not the only side to receive reinforcements however, as an extra 150,000 Japanese soldiers arrived to bolster the attacking forces.[-4,000 Regulars from Manchu, -4,000 Regulars from Japan, Korean population angry at Manchu and Japan, +90,000 Conscripts to Korea]

1. Map of the Japanese and Manchu positions on day 1 of the siege.

Key:
Light Grey - Various buildings
Brown - Important Roads, Squares and Bridges
Dark Grey - Important Buildings
Green - Parks and Gardens
Blue - Water
Black - Walls (Gates are areas with roads through the wall)
Red and Lime - Areas of invader control

Meanwhile, with their dominance of the seas complete, the Japanese and Manchu fleets also moved to support the siege. They set up a blockade outside the capital, cutting it off from any supply by the sea, and then sent a large part of their fleet up the river, in order to add the weight of their guns to any bombardment. The Japanese led the attack, with the more cautious Manchu forces forming the rear of the armada of ships which sailed up the Han river. Very soon, the Japanese leading the attack found themselves in difficulty. The Koreans had placed a huge wooden boom across the river, and as the Japanese ships advanced in 2 columns, the lead ships crashed straight into the boom, throwing several men overboard and knocking everyone else off their feet. As the other ships in the line swerved to avoid the same fate, the order of the Japanese fleet broke down and the Koreans, who had lined a considerable portion of their artillery in cover along the banks opened fire. Caught in a crossfire of shot, the Japanese suffered severe losses, and although they managed to return fire, the dug in Korean guns wrecked several ships and several others ran aground in their panic. Meanwhile, the more cautious Manchu elements, still someway up the river and out of the action put some of their men ashore, and then sailed to support the Japanese. The men on the shore quickly readied themselves for the action and advanced to take the gun batteries by land, whilst the fleet combined with the Japanese and added the weight of its guns to suppressing the defenders. Surprising the defenders with their assault, the sailors on the banks charged the Korean gun positions, capturing them and then turning the guns towards the city. They also sent a detail to deal with the boom, and this was hacked into pieces and allowed to float away downstream. [-5 Small Ships from Japan]

2. Map of the Japanese and Manchu positions on day 2 of the siege.

With the Japanese and Manchu fleets now having a clear advance to the city, they turned their guns towards it and began to pound its buildings to rubble. The intense firepower of the guns, combined with those on land, drove many Koreans insane, and destroyed 50% of the cities buildings. In the Palace, the Korean Emperor was killed when a shrapnel shell burst through the window of his dining room and exploded in the middle of the room. Many Koreans were killed by this bombardment, and many defensive positions were smashed to pieces. Unfortunately, the bombardment itself created a lot of new defensive positions amongst the rubble, and the Koreans dug in to the shattered ruins of barracks, warehouses and houses. [-10,000 Regulars from Korea, -45,000 Conscripts from Korea]

Finally, at the start of the 4th week of the siege, the guns fell silent and the infantry began to advance. The Japanese led the first assault, attempting to take the Palace complex and the Royal Barracks with their first assault. Advancing from the South, they quickly found themselves bogged down in house to house fighting. Stumbling over rubble and through crumbling buildings, unit cohesion fell apart and individual soldier fought individual soldier. Many Korean peasants aided their soldiers by throwing rocks from the roofs, and several times the Japanese were forced to desperately hold their ground against suicide charges of spear armed locals. After a day of fighting, they had made little real progress into the city. Meanwhile, to the North, the Manchu had also begun their advance into the city. Aiming to take the Warehouse District, Royal Gardens and Grand Temple, they faced the same problems as the Japanese, and by the end of the day had made little progress. Their advanced guard had reached the Grand Temple and the Royal Gardens, but had been worn down by successive waves of Korean attacks. At the Grand Temple in particular, the Manchu forces were severely bloodied by the Koreans, and hundreds died trying to climb the steps towards its doors, as Korean snipers picked off men and a pair of artillery guns, positioned at the top of the steps, covered the square in front of the Temple with grapeshot. [-10,000 Regulars from Korea, -20,000 Conscripts from Korea, -20,000 Regulars from Manchu, -40,000 Regulars from Japan]

3. Map of the Japanese and Manchu positions on day 28 of the siege.

On the 29th day of the siege, the sun rose after a night of fierce and savage counterattacks. Many Koreans had fallen in the night, trying to force the enemy away from his gains. They had succeeded in some places, but had sustained huge casualties in the attempt. The Japanese were the first to renew their assault, and with fresh troops brought up and the ammunition of the defenders running low, the managed to make more progress. By mid afternoon, they had pushed through and secured the South end of the largest bridge in the city. They had also secured several districts of residential housing, and had put the Royal Barracks and Palace under siege. The Manchu forces meanwhile, had been far more successful than the previous day. With the Koreans facing them running severely low on ammo, and the Manchu forces more than tripled in strength during the night, they threw all their strength into a push to secure their objectives. The fighting in the Royal Gardens was tough, and by the end of the day, the ground was carpeted with Cherry Blossom and blood. The Manchu troops managed to secure the Gardens however, and the walled complex that contained them was quickly fortified and turned into a strongpoint which blunted all counterattacks. Meanwhile, the Warehouse District had fallen after a terrifying amount of gunfire support from the Navy, coupled with the landing of several hundred sailors on the docks. With their positions quite literally crumbling to dust around them, and under assault from both sides, the defenders rallied and attempted to break out towards the East, and get across the river via bridges. They suffered horrendous losses as they broke out, an by late evening, Manchu forces had secured the Western end of the North bank. At the Grand Temple, the Koreans still held their ground, but they were now surrounded and beginning to run low on ammunition. One of the guns that had so terrorised the Manchu forces the day before had been knocked out, and the forces to their flanks had been driven off. [-20,000 Regulars from Korea, -20,000 Conscripts from Korea, -10,000 Regulars from Manchu, -20,000 Regulars from Japan]

4. Map of the Japanese and Manchu positions on day 29 of the siege.

On the 30th day of the siege, barely 15,000 Korean troops remained defending their city against the invading forces. They were concentrated at the Grand Temple, in the Palace Complex and Royal Barracks and along a thing strip of land along the banks of the river. It was clear to all viewing the situation that the siege was lost, and that soon, the city would fall to the besieging forces. The day began with an assault by Japanese forces across the river, in an effort to drive the Koreans away from the banks and force them into their final positions. The Manchu forces had a similar idea, and surged forward, taking the Northern bank of the river. Under pressure from both directions, almost all the Korean defenders fell back into the Palace and Royal Barracks, leaving behind many dead but still taking a heavy toll on the invader. Still, the Grand Temple held out against all assaults, although a small force of Manchu soldiers heroically fought their way up the steps and held their ground around the door, they did not possess the strength to force their way inside. The Palace and Royal Barracks also held out, the attackers unable to make their way inside the walled compound, which sat elevated above the rest of the city. [-2,500 Regulars from Korea, -5,000 Conscripts from Korea, -5,000 Regulars from Manchu, -10,000 Regulars from Japan]

5. Map of the Japanese and Manchu positions on day 30 of the siege.

As the 31st day of the siege began, it was clear to all that this would be the final day of the siege. Only 7,500 Korean troops remained, 500 still clinging on to the Grand Temple, as they had done since the first day of the siege, and the remainder dug in to the compounds and buildings of the Royal Barracks and Palace Complex. The day started with a massive artillery bombardment of the Palace and Barracks by every available gun that the invaders could bring to bear. Then, assault groups charged towards the gates and others moved to blow holes or scale the walls of the position. The Korean defenders, by this point down to their last few rounds, fought back fiercely, using whatever they could to hold back the tide of Japanese troops assaulting them. They were only men however, and by the second hour of the assault, the Rising Sun flew over many of the buildings, and Japanese troops were fighting room to room with bayonets, swords and clubs. Meanwhile, the Grand Temple was finally falling to a massive assault by 2,000 Manchu troops. Storming up the steps and into the building, they simply overwhelmed the Koreans with their numbers, and after a 3 hour meelee butchered the remaining Korean troops in the Grand Temple, raising their flag over the roof in triumph. By mid afternoon, Japanese troops had taken the majority of the Palace and had fully secured the Royal Barracks. After several hours more of bloody fighting against the fanatical defenders, Japanese troops reached the roof of the largest building in the complex. With the blood red sun setting over what had been a hard and bloody day, the Imperial flag was raised in triumph over the now secured city. [-7,500 Regulars from Korea, -1,000 Regulars from Manchu, -7,000 Regulars from Japan]

With the city secure, Japanese forces set up an occupation Government under Saigo Takamori. Manchu and Japanese soldiers then proceeded to commit what would become the crowning brutality of the war, going on 3 day pillaging spree through the capital. Coupled with the damage from the fighting, Seoul was left as a ruined city, stripped of nearly anything of value and struggling to cope with the loss of nearly 60% of her population. Meanwhile, Japanese and Manchu troops swept into the remaining areas of the country, setting up military Government. While still plagued by guerilla activity, there was noone who could deny that the invader had been victorious, albeit with heavy losses. [Korea secured by Japanese and Manchu troops, Seoul under military Government of Japanese, Seoul heavily damaged and depopulated]

OOC: A note on the map.

Just so you know what I'm talking about, the Warehouse District is the collection of important buildings in the West of the city, by the river. The Grand Temple is the important building surrounded by a square plaza, North of the River. The Royal Gardens are the Green shape with a wall round them, again North of the River. The Royal Barracks and Palace Complex sit next to each other, and are walled. They are South of the River. The Royal Barracks is the walled area with a plaza and a lot of buildings, the Palace Complex is the walled area with one large building, one smaller and a lot of green space.

[MastahCheef117]

OOC: God, that was a bloodbath. Maybe I shouldn't have redeployed so many troops o_O And also, people, please note that I ordered the troops to care for the populace humanely. Time for heads to roll, will post IC soon.

And damn, Japan nearly lost everything.

[DoomBunny]

OOC: Yah... you probably shouldn't have ordered that, seeing as how you sorta rolled a 1 on that order...

[Thandros]

The Sultan Of Morocco condemns the needless killing and Brutality of the Japanese and Manchu Forces against the Koreans and hopes that any surviving Soldiers who took part in such Brutality are punished.

OOC: Imagine what would have happened if the Koreans hadn't have lost 55,000 men from being hit by artillery for 4 weeks you may well have lost the battle altogether. That was around 40% of their Forces they lost in that Artillery barrage more than enough to have held the Line or at least inflicted so many losses you had to called off the assault on the city while waiting for reinforcements.

[123xyz8]

OOC: God damn it officers, I told you not to kill people! I love how I took the brunt of the casualties. Banzai charges ftw?