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Alyeskan Independence War: Difference between revisions
From Roses, Tulips, & Liberty
integrated Tim's writeup, overwrote some of my generic stand-in texts
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The '''Alyeskan Independence War''' (Russian: Война за независимость Аляски) was a military conflict from
== Background ==
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Over time, Alyeskans developed a distinct identity, influenced by a blend of traditional Russian, indigenous, and American cultures. The shared experience of feeling neglected and exploited by the Russian government helped unite disparate communities across the region.
==== Political turmoil and democratic reforms in Russia ====
==== Novo-Arkhangelsk coup (March 1978) ====▼
The height of separatist sentiment came at a time of political turmoil in Russia, known as the [[Russian Lustrum]]. Throughout the early 1970s, Russia and its National Republican Party was prone to political infighting. All of this did not stop the increased calls for the democratization of Russia by the public, which eventually led to a referendum for democratic reforms, which was passed with overwhelming public support in 1976.
In early 1978, members of the Alyeskan National Militia led a coup in Novo-Arkhangelsk, declaring the nation's independence. Upon receiving news of the uprising, Sergey Gromov, the Chairman of the Russian National Republic, sought a diplomatic resolution and promptly dispatched a delegation to negotiate with the insurrectionists. However, these efforts were rebuffed when the coup's leader, Nikolaj Tryndin, held clandestine discussions with representatives from the ANAN, further straining relations.▼
These reforms would not be underestimated, as it occurred at a time when there was no transparency in Russia. Though the new political climate would still, compared to other European nations, be deemed reclusive, it was a significant change for Russia. Eventually, local elections were agreed to be held in the autonomous national republics (ANRs) as a semi-test stage for the larger democratization of Russia.
====
In September 1977, a Russian-sponsored democratic election was held. Despite being a positive change, two of the leaders allowed to run were pro-Russian candidates loyal to Russia's National Republican Party. This did not sit well with the Alyeskan populace, leading to widespread boycotts and very low voter turnout. Elisej Bespalov was proclaimed as the civilian leader of the Autonomous Republic of Alyeska on September 7, 1977. However, he was largely seen by the public as illegitimate and a puppet to Moscow.
In March 1978, ANAN publicly entered negotiations with Nikolaj Tryndin to facilitate Alyeska's accession to their bloc. This move was met with stern criticism from Sergey Gromov, who stated "a responsible member of the international community would recognize the folly of intruding into the sovereign affairs of others."▼
== Prelude to the war ==
Despite Gromov's rebuke, ANAN countered that Alyeska met the criteria for membership and, as a North American entity, had the right to join the alliance. On March 18, 1978, ANAN officially welcomed Alyeska as its eleventh member, asserting that Russia had no jurisdiction over American soil and over ANAN affairs. This declaration further escalated tensions between ANAN and the Russian National Republic.▼
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==== Alyeska's entry into ANAN (February 1978) ====
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▲Despite Gromov's rebuke, ANAN countered that Alyeska met the criteria for membership and, as a North American entity, had the right to join the alliance. On
All of this was followed rapidly by the now democratic Russian National Republic waging war against Alyeska, or rather, in their words “getting a wayward region back in line.” ANAN did not sit idle and immediately deployed troops to Alyeska.
== Course of the War ==
====
{{Blockquote|text=If I had to say anything about the first months of the war, it was simply put getting our shit together, the Russians hit us hard and unexpectedly we were scrambling to pull it all together.|author=Commander of the 53rd Slag Korps Lieutenant General Joost Wessink}}
The war began on the 8th of March 1978, when Russia launched an attack against ANAN forces that were moving into the newly independent Alyeska. The attack caught ANAN forces by surprise. There was initial confusion and disarray within ANAN intelligence during these first few days, especially within the Tussenland Directory of Intelligence. Tussenland expected a potential counterattack, but had miscalculated the date by 13 days. It was later revealed that both the Mexican and New Netherlander intelligence agencies had withheld critical information from Tussenland, which caused petty disputes within ANAN.
===== Russian objectives =====
Russia's initial objectives were simple: reclaim Alyeska for Russia and secure its borders. Russian leaders hoped that the swift nature of the attack, combined with the force, would lead ANAN political leadership to hesitate and thus withdraw, as engaging in a conflict would be too costly. This would, in turn, maintain the status quo, which was important to Russia since this was at a time of political uncertainty. Its military, while was still a power to be reckoned with, was suffering the effects of the political and civil disorder back in Moscow. It was thus considered important that the attack was swift.
===== Initial Russian successes =====
The initial Russian attack went well. Russian forces had successfully caught the ANAN forces, primarily units from [[New England]] and [[Mexico]], off-guard. They were pushed south over the next 2 months. Due to a combination of ANAN's initial disorganization and inability to mobilize its forces quickly, air power and surprise allowed the Russians to push ANAN forces out of the core Alyeskan territories.
=== ANAN counteroffensive (May 1978) ===
[[File:AW MAY1978.png|thumb|318x318px|Territory liberated by ANAN by end of May 1978. Shishkov Island is highlighted in dark red. Map shows general area of control and not the actual situation on the ground.]]
Within 2 months of the Russian offensive, ANAN was able to allocate its proper war-fighting potential, in the form of the 53rd Battle Corps (New Netherland) and the 92nd Corps (New England). These forces halted the Russian advance, slowed it down, and stabilized the front, with the Mexican navy and Tussenland air force maintaining operational air and sea supremacy in the areas of operation. ANAN forces were also supplemented by the expertise of indigenous American scouts.
By the end of May, ANAN forces had secured the western border regions with Tussenland and the southern areas of Alyeska, including the capital, Novo-Arkhangelsk. The Russians managed to hold on to the interior regions of Alyeska. Russian forces also maintained control of the heavily fortified Shishkov Island, south of Alyeska. This allowed Russian forces to launch constant attacks upon ANAN positions.
==== Capture of Shishkov Island (June 1978) ====
ANAN military planners saw Shishkov Island as the largest obstacle to the liberation of Alyeska. Thus, it was decided that before any further incursions into the Alyeskan interior would commence, Shishkov Island would need to be captured first. This was not something easy, as it was estimated that roughly 120,000 Russian soldiers were on the island. It was fortified with a vast bunker complex and had an advanced air defense network, and it was crucial to retaining Russian sea lines of communication. In June of 1978, after a month of the front lines stabilizing, ''Operation Boerswrak'' was launched, led by Lieutenant-General Joost Wessink.
==== ANAN control of the Alyeskan interior (July 1978) ====
[[File:AW JULY1978.jpg|thumb|322x322px|Situation by the end of July 1978]]
By July 1978, Russian forces found themselves pushed westward to coastal areas, yielding strategic positions in the Alyeskan interior, including Jakovlevsk, to advancing ANAN forces. By September 1978, ANAN had established dominance over the majority of Alyeskan territories, but encountered difficulty in controlling the Aleutian Islands, leading both ANAN and Russian forces to spend subsequent months fortifying their positions.
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