Seven-Day War
| Seven-Day War | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Eastern Conflicts | ||||||||
 Seabersian paratroopers prepare to embark on Operation Archangel. |
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| Combatants | ||||||||
 Platacia | Seabersia
Supported by: |
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
 Bradley Lister Gordon Johnson Royle Braddock |  Espodito Siciliano Olaf Mazzanti | Verard Duttler |
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| Strength | ||||||||
| 150,000 troops 800 tanks 1,500 combat aircraft | 210,000 troops 1,300 tanks 750 combat aircraft | 320,000 troops 1,350 tanks 650 combat aircraft |
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| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| 1,257 killed 4,254 wounded 12 captured 65 tanks destroyed | 8,471 killed 16,521 wounded 284 tanks destroyed | 20,963 killed over 40,000 wounded 20,000 captured 432 tanks destroyed |
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The Seven-Day War (Platacian: Kystkrig, "Kysten War"; Seabersian: Södra kriget, "Southern War"), also known as the Seabersian War, Kysten War or Kyrsten War, was fought between March 2 and 9, 2027, by Seabersia, Platacia, Ironcastle and several other nations.
Relations between Seabersia and Platacia had not recovered since the Seabersian Civil War. In 2026, Platacia invaded the Kysten region of Seabersia, its stated goal as being the reclamation of territory lost in the collapse of the Second Empire. In response, Ironcastle held negotiations between Platacia and the victors of the Seabersian Civil War, led by Verard Duttler. The treaty removed both Platacian and Seabersian troops from the territory and created an autonomous government under Ironcastle, protected by Ironian peacekeepers.
Tensions had been rising between Seabersia and Platacia for several months prior to the war. On the 28th of February, 2027, nine Seabersian nationals killed two dozen Platacians in the city of Gravida. Platacia blamed the Seabersian government, calling it "an act of war", and moved troops into Kysten. In response, Seabersia declared war on Platacia and attacked the Kysten region. During this, several Ironian outposts came under attack as well. As such, Ironcastle declared war on Seabersia.
The initial Seabersian advance was swift, pushing Platacian troops out of Kysten entirely. On the Ironian border, Seabersia launched the largest airborne assault since the Second Great War in Operation Archangel. However, entrenched Ironian defenders and a lack of Seabersian air supremacy quickly turned the assault into one of the largest disasters in military history. Over ninety percent of the attacking force was killed or captured, over thirty thousand men in total.
Following Operation Archangel, Ironian and Platacian forces began pressing into Seabersia. Operation Steel Dawn saw Ironian troops move twenty kilometres into Seabersia in twenty-four hours. Following significant gains by Ironian forces, Ironcastle called for a ceasefire.
The Treaty of Aelcrest saw Kysten officially transferred to Platacia in perpetuity, with Seabersia renouncing all claims on the territory. In addition, Seabersia was forced to pay hundreds of billions of dollars in reparations to both Ironcastle and Platacia.
Background
The war was part of the Eastern Conflicts, a series of wars, interventions and skirmishes between Platacia and Seabersia which ended in late 2028. During the Seabersian Civil War of 2024-2026, Platacia had invaded the region of Seabersia known as Kysten (Kyrsten in Seabersia), fighting both the government and rebels. However, after the defeat of the Vazir government in Seabersia, the new government led by Verard Duttler agreed to sit down with Platacia in Aelcrest to negotiate over the status of Kysten. After several days of negotiations mediated by Ironcastle, it was agreed that Kysten would become an autonomous demilitarised zone administered by Ironcastle. While neither side was pleased with the outcome, both Platacia and Seabersia accepted it nonetheless.
Soon after the end of the Seabersian Civil War, Platacia became involved in the War of Honour against the Youthsville Pact. Its navy lost several ships in the fighting, but the nation was unscathed. Platacia's performance in the war had emboldened its military, and increased its favour with the Emperor. Polls showed that public opinion of the parliament led by Prime Minister Vikoren enjoyed widespread support.
By comparison, Seabersia had less success since the end of its civil war. Despite investment from outside sources, its economy was struggling. Militia groups were still being integrated into the national military, which itself utilised a mixture of foreign-supplied weaponry and equipment developed by the Vazir government. Following the loss of the Kysten region during the civil war, there were demands that the Duttler government send forces into the demilitarised region. However, these demands were initially rebuked, with the President refusing to draw Ironcastle into a war.
Three weeks before the war began, Seabersian intelligence services both covertly and publicly assassinated several individuals believed to be Ironian spies. Despite the insistence by the Seabersian government that the Ironian nationals were spies, several nations including Ironcastle, Platacia, Banana Federation and Scuro placed sanctions on Seabersia in response.
On the 28th of February, nine Seabersian nationals, part of the terrorist organisation "Valkyrie", attacked Gravida. During the several-hour long engagement with Platacian police and paramilitary units, 26 Platacians were killed, in addition to all nine terrorists. Before the attack had ended, Platacian Emperor Espodito Siciliano went on television and blamed the incident directly on the Seabersian government. Several other governments across Moneylania shared the view, including every member of MATO and several members of the Youthsville Pact. Despite the protests of the Seabersian government, sanctions were applied by the accusing states, and several nations issued travel bans.
Immediately following the terrorist attack, Seabersian, Platacian and Ironian forces had begun moving toward their respective borders. The Youthsville Pact offered to mediate negotiations between Platacia and Seabersia, but both sides refused. At 10:05 p.m. the 1st of March, Platacian forces began moving into Kysten. The small Ironian garrison in the region offered no resistance to Platacian forces. Several accounts indicate that some Ironian soldiers assisted Platacians in dismantling roadblocks and fortifications. Two hours after the Platacian incursion into Kysten, a multitude of anti-Platacian and -Ironian videos were posted on the internet, allegedly showing human rights violations by the respective governments. Five hours after that, at 5:00 a.m. on the 2nd of March, Seabersian forces began shelling Ironian positions in Kysten, while simultaneously declaring war on Platacia.
Fighting Fronts
Kysten
Ironcastle
Three hours after the shelling of Ironian peacekeepers in Kysten began, Ironcastle declared war on Seabersia, citing the attacking of its forces as casus belli. The morality of declaring war on Seabersia and not Platacia, who initially invaded Kysten, has been debated since the beginning of the war. Nevertheless, Ironian Air Force aircraft began attacking critical infrastructure and airbases close to the border immediately following the declaration of war. Approximately sixty Seabersian aircraft were destroyed in the initial attack. Following the air attacks, the Seabersian 12th and 15th Infantry Divisions were given orders to immediately attack Ironian positions across the border. Heavy fighting ensued, but the attack was repelled. An Ironian counter-assault by the 2nd Armoured Division gained ground, but retreated after the arrival of additional Seabersian forces and the need to hold fortifications inside Ironcastle.
The first day of fighting initially saw repeated attacks by Seabersian forces against fortified Ironian positions, all of which were rebuffed. After several failed attacks, Seabersian General Augustus Van Hassen was relieved of command and replaced with General Patrick Arkes. Seabersian attacks ceased for a time. Meanwhile, Ironian forces had begun probing attacks into Seabersian lines. Simultaneous to the beginning of the ground war, Ironcastle had begun moving the Excalibur Orbital Strike System (EOSS) from over Free Wolf to Seabersia. In response, Seabersia launched a barrage of anti-satellite missiles at the EOSS. While the missiles did not impact the satellite, Ironian command decided against risking Excalibur and moved it out of range of Seabersian missiles.
Spurred on by victories in Kysten, three divisions of the Seabersian Second Army attacked the Ironian 3rd Mechanised Brigade, 4th Infantry Division near the town of Metfield. The 3rd Mechanised Brigade held its ground long enough for reinforcements to arrive in what is known as the "Battle of Metfield". Despite the demoralising defeat on the Ironian border, Seabersian forces continued to press the attack.
The third day of the conflict saw little fighting on the Ironian border. This was due to the buildup of Seabersian parachute units in preparation for Operation Archangel. Three divisions were selected - the 5th, 8th and 13th Infantry Divisions - for the attack. At 6:30 p.m., Seabersian planes began taking off from airfields across the border. The objective of Operation Archangel was to land behind Ironian lines and harass them long enough to allow the main Seabersian armoured forces to punch a hole and advance straight to the capital of the Eastern Territories. However, the plan went wrong almost immediately. A significant number of Seabersian SEAD aircraft failed to destroy their assigned objectives, and Ironian special forces in Seabersia had reported a buildup of aerial assets. As such, there were over two hundred anti-aircraft guns and missile launchers on the border, ten times the number anticipated by Seabersian planners.
Despite the failure of the Seabersian Air Force, General Arkes opted to continue the attack, as over thirty thousand troops were airborne. As the transports crossed the border, escorted by A-26 Skyhawk fighters. Almost immediately, they were intercepted by patrolling Ironian fighters. all across the front lines, both sides engaged each other, with Ironian aircraft supported by anti-air fire from ground units. Despite the efforts of Seabersian forces, approximately twenty percent of the transport fleet was shot down before it could reach its designtated landing area. Behind schedule, Seabersian paratroopers began dropping out of their aircraft, under heavy fire from Ironian anti-aircraft guns, fighter aircraft and ground units. With the lack of accurate positioning systems for Seabersian forces, they were forced to rely on older, less accurate methods of target finding. As such, the majority of Seabersian troops failed to hit their assigned landing zones. In addition, almost all of the Seabersian paratroopers had no experience with parachutes.
Seabersian forces began landing just after midnight on the 5th. Almost immediately they came under fire from Ironian rear guard units of the 8th and 9th Infantry Divisions, in addition to several Civil Defense units. The operation had begun to resemble a Second Great War parachute jump rather than a modern airborne assault. As Seabersian airborne units were landing, Ironian forces at the border launched a preemptive strike on Seabersian units, disorganising them and preventing the anticipated armoured assault.
