Khezi-Vanoshan Valley War
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The Khezi-Vanoshan Valley War, (Khezian: Ha Katar Gedin, Ha Katar Gedin) (Virchavian: Ankoćňe Serbi Ankoćňe Serbi) was a war waged in 1884 between Khezan and Vanosha.
Background
During the mid to late 19th century, nationalism and imperialism was beginning to gain new heights in Vaniua. In addition, there was a significant cry in Khezan for reversing the defeat of the early 18th century to regain the lands of duchy of Upper Haṣaran. A significant population of Khezians lived in Upper Haṣaran, totalling nearly a million by 1879. Adding this population would mean a significant boost to Khezan's manpower and would potentially allow Khezan to project enough strength against Vosan later. After King Esi Burviceiẓ managed to secure a secret agreement that Vosan would not intervene should conflict break out between Khezan and Vanosha, he began to make preparations and increasing the size of the Khezid army.
With these guarantees in 1883, King Esi Burviceiẓ organized his generals and began to draw up a plan utilizing several officers to tour the newly built railways in Vanosha to get an understanding of the geography prior to the invasion. In addition, the military units were re-organized to put larger emphasis on written orders and encouraging literacy of the NCOs, while appropriating the funds necessary to purchase new artillery and rifles from Vosan, Komania, and Balakia. Much of the army of Khezan in the 1870s was still using breech-loaded rifles, though with these purchases bolt action rifles were able to be procured in mass for the campaign, making up around 40% of the army's firearms.
Despite Vosan agreeing to not get involved in Esi's plans, they did however notify Vanosha's prime minister Hožaz Bavec who quickly had to re-allocate resources from the national railway plan into building up a force to counter the Khezid army. Expecting to be significantly outnumbered, himself and his cabinet had begun to make plans to prepare fortifications and outposts to hinder the Khezid advance into core territories of the kingdom. In mid-March, several members of Vanosha's vanguard noticed the building of the Khezids in the village of Hodosalo, an entire league across the Keroshe river which demarcates the border. On March 29, Kanćavo Yerić was named Marshal of the Valley campaigns in Vanosha, and given full authority to act as necessary to win the war by any means.
March on Istore
The Khezid army was in a significantly advantageous position, as with its modern organization and firearms, leaving the Vanoshans in a position of inferiority. The army of Vanosha was significantly short on bolt-action rifles and so only some 10% of the army had access to them. The majority of these units, however, were armed with breech-loaded and muzzle-loaded rifles with which there was significant amounts of ammunition for. In addition, the Vanoshan fortifications were quick to be established in the core regions with the delay plan in place. On the early morning of April 7 a telegram was delivered to the cabinet in Istore of Khezan's declaration of war as per diplomatic customs. The Khezid army had planned to march that day however a storm had passed through the region muddying the roads and flooding typically fordable waterways, delaying the advance a day.
On April 8, the Khezid army begun its march westward when the roads dried and secured the area around Dužnep. Outside the city, members of the Khezid 1st Lancers and the 3rd Vanoshan Light Cavalry battled with the Khezids routing the Vanoshans from the battlefield in a short engagement only lasting 20 minutes. The Khezids were unable to pursue the cavalry force due to fire from artillery and focused on converting the local railyard for use in the campaign. As news of the Khezid advance reached Voric, the cabinet in Istore fled to the village of Poćec, where they aided in evacuating the finances of the kingdom and speeding along the mustering of any volunteers.
With the evacuation of the national bank completed by April 26, Marshal Kanćavo Yerić was placed with the predicament of when to retreat from the plains of Vanosha. Knowing if he retreated without battle would be admitting to the loss of a significant portion of the kingdom, he decided to risk an open battle despite being outnumbered. As he was outnumbered 5:1, he decided to rely on his force's larger cavalry and horse artillery to bait the Khezids into a pitched battle near the village of Sivec.
Battle of Sivec
Early in the war, Sivec was captured by the Khezid vanguard though the castle was mostly left unoccupied after its granary and barracks were looted. This earned much of the spite of the local Sylazians who notified the Vanoshan Army near Istore that the Khezids had left the castle unoccupied. Marshal Yerić, a native of the area, knew much of the geography and decided taking the fortress was vital and would at least distract the Khezid army from Istore. King Burviceiẓ noticed this maneuver and ordered his generals to pursue the Vanoshans, not fully knowing where their troops were moving. King Burviceiz mistook the Maravian cavalry under major general Pluse Meňəc as an attempt to strike at Khezan or retrieve Lenezi reinforcements and moved to retake Sivec as it was one of the few routes eastward.
The battle took place on June 1, 1884 with the first skirmishes taking place outside of the town. Pluse Meňəc's cavalry managed to detect the vanguard of the 3rd Khezid lancers and successfully held them off along a stream north of the village. Pluse Meňəc and his men were forced to retreat back towards Sivec after the full vanguard of the Khezid army arrived. All in all, the numbers were stacked against the Vanoshans at Sivec. Marshal Yerić was forced in a position of weakness and had to consider either making a last stand at Sivec, fighting a pitched battle in terrible odds, or retreat while the rest of the Vanoshan Interior Army was assembled. The Khezids had brought roughly 24,000 soldiers to Sivec, while the Vanoshans had under 4,900 men. While the Khezids had the advantage in artillery and infantry, the majority of the Vanoshan army were primarily cavalry allowing them to be much more mobile in redeploying.
Taking into consideration his knowledge of the area, he had his Maravian cavalry reconnoiter the stream his men had fought against the day before, as the Khezids took position near Sivec. His men spotted a ford along the stream he had not known about and that the Khezids were not guarding that flank, believing it to be unable to be forded. Using this information, Marshal Yerić ordered his men to recall before dusk and feign a preparation for a pitched battle on June 3rd. The strategy put in play was to leave all 350 of his infantry and to leave his entire set of artillery in position to harass the Khezids during the night.
The artillery began fire around dusk at the picket lines of the Khezids drawing the Khezids to bring their own artillery to bear return fire. The Vanoshan artillery took heavy casualties in this exchange, and lost 13 of their 20 guns to the Khezid's three. While this carried on, the Vanoshan cavalry had managed to ford the stream at night and found themselves behind the Khezid formations. Marshal Yerić, leading the cavalry, led them in a charge that routed the camp pickets and set fire to the tents, capturing as many of the Khezid horses as possible. Marshal Ostiṣ Atadameẓ ha Zur of the Khezid Army attempted to lead a counter attack but it was futile as the chaos took over the rearguard of the Khezid army. King Burviceiẓ discharged Marshal Atadamez for his failure and took personal charge of the army once again. With their supplies destroyed, King Burviceiz was forced to retreat back towards the railyards near Voric. Marshal Yerić and his army, taking advantage of the victory returned to Istore with news of their victory outside of Sevic.