The Lauzanne Civil War (1981-1982)

With the Voigrad Square Massacre of April 22, there was no chance of de-escalation. Despite attempts to cover the event up, the word got out across the country, and the public furore reached all new highs, with stronger attempts at crackdowns by the police and implementation of martial law in the southern Districts. After several weeks, General Dimitri Stefanović had seen the situation unfurl, and even before the Massacre, he had doubts about the government being one for and of the people, as it so claimed. Born and raised in the northern district to farmers until he joined the military voluntarily, he was very much ingrained in the northern culture and understood what the reforms meant for families like his. The massacres changed his mind, and when ordered to crack down on protesters, he simply replied with two words.

"I refuse."

Stefanović was in command of Army Group North, which had units in the Novo, Kieno, Oisijek and Ost Districts. His soldiers were primarily from said Districts, and had a reputation as a well liked commander of the brigades stationed there. He sent out a message on the first of May, declaring that he was going to "-fight the government that claims to be for the people, yet betrays them, steals their food, and shoots them." Any soldiers who did not wish to fight the government were permitted to be transported to the southern areas without harm, without such a courtesy reciprocated towards soldiers that resided in the south but agreed with him, who had to escape the city with civilians in fleeting skirmishes. Conscripts, soldiers and civilians who aligned with his cause flocked to Novograd, the city quickly becoming the headquarters of this new movement to cast down the old government that quickly did it's best to organise and arm the mish-mash of soldiers and civilians eager to fight for a better future.

The Lauzanne People's Army (LPA) knew they had to control the situation as fast as possible and within weeks a full attack was prepared to bring the situation under control. The military assessed that they only had to secure Novograd, Torun and Vojnić, the three capitals of the Districts under Stefanović's control. Armoured and mechanised units were gathered at the three start points on the borders, and on May 17, the Civil War began in earnest.

With the first battles in smaller towns on the borders, the hastily-organised Republic forces were quickly pushed out of the border towns under the airstrikes, artillery and mechanised forces of the Lauzanne People's Army forged towards their objectives. With Stefanović receiving reports of the Lauzanne People's Army advances, he prepared his defences and counter-attacks accordingly. Harassing strikes on the spearhead elements of the three pushes slowed down their advances considerably, with every attack disabling a vehicle, killing soldiers, or damaging important equipment.

The three-pronged assault that was intended to bring the situation under control in a matter of weeks turned into a months-long slog through hostile territory, marked by ambushes, strikes from the Federalists' own AFV's, shooting down of aircraft over their territory, and mounting casualties. Although they had inflicted their own casualties on the Federalist defenders, it was disproportionate. Supreme Commander of the Lauzanne People's Army Nazar Petrov became impatient due to the government monitoring the situation and expecting results, causing him to commit reserves in the central push for Novograd. With this push came the collapse of the harassing forces, and soon after from July to October came the First Battle of Novograd. The city was shelled and bombed extensively, with Stefanović attempting to shoot down as many planes as possible and sheltering civilians and his forces from the indiscriminate bombardment, as the casualties mounted. Stefanović had to act now to minimise further death and injury among his own men and the civilian populace, even as the LPA pushed into the city.

Stefanović knew that he couldn't engage the LPA's main forces in an offensive strike, owing to their more numerous and stronger AFV's. However he knew that their press to Novograd dangerously extended their forces beyond what reserves could sustain, and thus his counterattack began in earnest. Keeping his light infantry and volunteers in the city to defend it from the inevitable attack, while the far more mobile mechanised forces moved around the battle to cut off the forces assaulting Novograd. With the overstretched lines getting smashed rather quickly, the situation came to a head in the Battle of Draga.

Draga was a medium sized town that rested on the highway between Novograd and Raselan (the capital of Lauzanne) which made it a vital supply area and stronghold of the LPA guarding it. The Federalist forces were unable to ascertain the nature of the forces within Draga, but the need to attack and cut off the supply lines was too great a need.

The battle took place in September, starting with bombardment from mortars and culminating with a mechanised push into the town. Building-to-building fighting occurred soon after, both sides frantically fighting to gain the upper hand in such a vital town. With the prospects of enemy reinforcements becoming more likely by the hour, a final push from the Federalists secured the town and immediately began to fortify it from any attacker.

Concluding on the 1st of October, the LPA was dealt a severe blow in losing a lot of their artillery and strongest AFV's to capture by the Federalist forces. Morale sagged on the other two forks of the offensives as they met the rest of Stefanović's forces, and the conflict was brought to a close in March of 1982.

The People's Republic of Lauzanne was no more, and with the exile of the past governmental heads and their hardline supporters came a new era. Stefanović declared the country to now be the Federal Republic of Lauzanne, a new constitution was to be drafted and for the first time in it's existence free elections were to be held. Stefanović was overwhelmingly elected to be it's first President, and at his inauguration he gave a speech for the first time since the cessation of hostilities, to a crowded Raselan Square.

[speech to be added later lol]

The Federal Republic was born, and as the Government-in-Exile fled to the USSR (which had been occupied with other matters including Afghanistan to be able to support the People's Republic forces with more than just arms and materiel), Stefanović knew that another war was inevitable and would likely happen within the decade...