The Frontier War

Kuthor, Tanit II, is no stranger to conflict. Even today, armed conflict between its city-states over territory and resources aren't unknown, and the System Wars affected everyone in the Tanit System. But the Frontier War is unique in that it is the only full-scale conventional war that has been waged on the surface of Tanit II between two of its major powers.

The Conflict

Prelude

The development of the conflict was, in hindsight, inevitable. Old Dar es Salaamand Jin Ning were both hungry for resources in the aftermath of the Great Stellar War and their previously friendly rivalry had given way to a more hostile one under the pressures of the era. Both sides accused the other of espionage, sabotage, and piracy. To varying degrees, both sides were guilty, but in the survival mentality both sides were deep into, that didn't matter.   Things came to a head in early 105 TE, with the destruction of a Jin Ning fishing fleet in the Bahari ya Nyota by the fledgling DeS Navy. Communications flew, and war was declared.

Deployment

Jin Ning, with its more industrial focused economy, was able to seize the initiative and invade New Zanzibar, rapidly deploying conventional troops and forces into the operation. Old Dar es Salaams smaller military force activated militia units to conduct the initial defenses, taking terrible casualties but giving the main forces time to shake out and get into the fight.   The conflict would be notable for its fluid frontline conditions and the rapid mobility of troops on both sides.

Battlefield

The plains, mountains, and seas surrounding New Zanzibar.

Conditions

The material conditions of frontline and echelon troops on both sides were austere at best and unflinchingly awful at worst. Drones, artillery, airstrikes, guerilla warfare, and raids were the norm of life, and neither side had the resources to both properly maintain their troops in the field AND keep their civilian populations happy, and the decisions on this topic both sides made would ultimately decide the outcome of the conflict.

The Engagement

All the engagements in the conflict were limited to in-atmosphere operations. In the declaration of war process, both sides mutually agreed that orbital assets were off the table, and that otillery and other orbital weapons were likewise prohibited. Both sides recognized the logic behind this, and as a result, orbital military resources spent the conflict looking outwards and dealing with other issues.

Outcome

Both sides effectively exhausted their supplies and easily accessible resources in an effort to win, resulting in rationing, shortages, and civil unrest. Dar es Salaam had elected to keep their civilian populace happy over properly supplying their military forces, resulting in mutinies and limiting their effectiveness in the field. Jin Ning opted to fully supply their troops as best they could, pushing their civilians into deep rationing. This necessitated the deployment of security forces to repress civilian revolts, repressions that ultimately failed and led to the fall of the Jin Ning government in late 110 TE.   In 111 TE, both sides met and signed an armistice, which was in turn followed by peace talks and the end of the war. The cost on both sides had been too high, especially as more far flung settlements started limiting trade to preserve their own populations. Neither side admitted defeat, with Jin ning claiming they had seized land and access to resources they needed, and Dar es Salaam claimingthey stopped the advance of the JNEF and had preserved the bulk of their lands and resources.

Aftermath

On NewZanzibar, new boundaries were drawn up to reflect land and sea claims, and a spirit of "frenemy" cooperation developed between the states. Unfortunnately, it was also the start of a long term insurgency in the surrendered sections of New Zanzibar that lasted for over three decaded until it to came to an end.   The horror and bloodshed of the conflict was a major impetus to the city-states and independent settlements to move forward with unification as a confederation under the Kuthor Planetary Confederation.

Historical Significance

Jin Ning successfully pushed over 300km inland before the the DeS army and ICM forces were able to hold them. The JNEF (Jin Ning Expeditionary Force) was more agile and well equipped, but were unprepared for the combination of conventional and asymmetric warfare that the DeSAF (Dar es Salaam Armed Forces) brought to the table. JNEF troops were able to continue to advance, but the costs were increasingly high, until the follow-on mission arrived and began to engage in agriculture and light industry on New Zanzibar, greatly shortening their supply lines.   The leadership in DeSAF launched multiple counter-attacks, but their gereatest successes came from guerilla warfare operations behind the main battle lines. The JNEF continued pushing inland the entire conflict, with areas near the coast being the most secure and areas deeper inland becoming increasingly dangerous because of the asymmetric threat. As casualties mounted, both sides committed atrocities.   Prior to the 110 TE overthrow of the Jin Ning government, a rough stalemate had developed. Despite their technological and training advantages, the JNEF was unable to advance further and the DeSAF was rapidly maturing and catching up as their larger population and potential industrial base slowly came to bear. The new government in Jin Ning, through secret envoys, established the framework for an armistice, allowing both sides to come to the table for real peace talks.

Legacy

The primary legacies of the conflict are the Kuthor Planetary Confederation and the current political boundaries between Old Dar es Salaam and Jin Ning. Secondary legacies include the military development arcs on both sides, with Jin Nings preference for professional military forces and the preference for mobile militia units in Old Dar es Salaam.

In Literature

Books upon books have been written about this conflict, ranging from highly regarded and historically accurate academic papers to the trashiest novels and media series. The six year conflict was rife with material that continues to be mined by writers of all levels and walks.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Planetary
Start Date
105 TE
Ending Date
111 TE
Conflict Result
Draw
Location

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!