The Aquilan Campaign, also known as the 1912 Aquilan-Antarean War, was a military conflict lasting from 1912 to 1914 and was the second conflict of the Centauran Wars. Antares would launch a ferocious campaign against Aquila, the first conflict outside of the Southern Corvus War. The war brought about the conclusion of the long-lasting Antarean-Aquilan rivalry, giving the Antareans the opportunity to invade Vega next and kickstarting the Vegan Campaign the following year.
Context
Borders of Aquila
Emerging from the dust of the fallen Libran Empire was a cluster of young, ambitious nations, wanting to expand and take advantage of the wide resources the south-east Centauran lands offered them. After centuries of conflict, the nation that emerged as the dominant power in the region was the Aquilan Kingdom. The kingdom would continue to grow and expand, conquering smaller nations until it had reached the borders of 3 other mighty nations; Antares, Cetus, and Grusa.
Evolution of Aquila's borders
After a brief scuffle between the two, Cetus opted to sign the Persean Treaty, establishing a recognized border between the two kingdoms. Antares and Grusa, however, had different ideas. The 3 nations would wage wars over each other's territories for the next few centuries. In the late 1700s, Aquila won a decisive victory over Vega (who had split from Grusa) and Antares, gaining territory up to the Murus Plateau, and capturing a portion of Antarean land that gave Aquila access to the Libran Ocean.
Aquila would stop its expansion at that point, and instead focus on building its own market now that it had access to sea trade. Vega would never attempt an incursion into Aquilan territory again, and neither did Antares as it had taken too many losses. In the late 1800s, Aquila underwent a mostly peaceful revolution, taking away political power from the monarchy and giving it to the people.
After the conquest of Cetus, the entirety of the west and southern borders would be set against the Antares Imperium.
1875 Antares-Aquilan War
Antares, believing democracy had weakened Aquila, launched an offensive to retake land they had lost centuries ago. The invasion ended in a resounding Antarean loss, giving Aquila's military the moniker of the "Iron Army."
The future emperor of Antares, Kalvin Tau, fought in the Antarean-Aquilan War. Being traumatized from the experiences of the war, his hatred of wars and violence stemmed directly from there, ultimately causing him to commit to his grand plan of conquering Centaura.
Prelude
After the fall of Cetus, Antares caught the attention of the countries south of Columba. Thousands of refugees fled across the Cetus-Aquila border between 1910 and 1912, prompting the Aquilan Army to reinforce their borders. Unsure of what Antares was planning next, Aquila ordered troops to guard their western and southern borders from which Antares could invade.
Logistics of the Aquilan Campaign
Antarean logistics remained the same when they fought in the Southern Corvus War with maneuver warfare. Though initially hindered by the Ring of Fire, breakthroughs through the Aquilan defenses allowed supply convoys to move further. Tanks and armored vehicles were used to spearhead attacks, followed by droves of infantry. The Scorch was set off in areas without a supply line. This meant there were still open routes between burning forests/fields that allowed supplies to keep coming through. Captured railroad infrastructure was highly prized by the Antareans. Cetan POWs were conscripted into the Antarean army by the late Aquilan campaign. However, they were treated poorly and usually sent on suicide missions as cannon fodder in the front.
Series of Events
| Battles | Icon | Date |  Campaign
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Roland’s Prairie | 
|
1912 | |
| Battle of Ascendēns Forest | 
|
1913 | |
| Siege of Talona | 
|
1914 | |
| Battle of Talona | 
|
1914 |
Ring of Fire
Initial resistance from the Aquilan Army was heavy, but they were soon worn down by Antares' newer military technology. Having learned from the stalemates of the Southern Corvus War, Antares' doctrine emphasized quick and powerful breakthroughs to defeat their enemies. Armored vehicles began to see more use during this campaign.
When the Antareans attacked, they faced the "Ring of Fire", a chain of defensive forts and artillery batteries surrounding the heartlands of Aquila. One of the batteries, located in southwest of Roland's Prairie, Battery Liberius. In the fall of 1912, the Antareans attempted an attack on the battery. The result was two failed siege attempts with the third one achieving success.
The Scorch
Aquatint print depicting the Scorch
With heavy casualties inflicted by the Aquilan army, Kalvin’s military advisors were able to convince the emperor to allow the burning of Aquilan forests and grasslands in order to demoralize and weaken the Aquilan army. However, Kalvin strictly stated that the burning should not continue after a week. Military personnel were flabbergasted by this, considering it not only impossible but also pointless.
One Lieutenant Kolonel was relieved of his command after issuing an order to his men to burn the forest as long as needed, citing the presence of a division-sized unit of Aquilans dug in within the woods. Ultimately, the Scorch proved to be a moment of collective pushback by the Imperial Army against Kalvin’s Law.
The Scorch lasted for more than half a year. While this led to the Antareans’ eventual victory, a disappointed Kalvin considered it his greatest loss of the war. With it, the most infamous event of the Aquilan campaign came to be known as "The Scorch". Since Aquila was primarily covered with forests and farmland, Antares set fire to the ground wherever they progressed. The idea was to prevent the Aquilans from retaking their resources and to destroy their motivation to fight. Nobody would bother trying to take something that was completely destroyed. While the Antarean plan worked, it also caused the Aquilans to fight harder to defend the land that had not been burnt.
Fall of Talona
By 1914, "The Scorch" had devastated thirty percent of the Aquilan countryside, leaving nothing but a trail of ashes. Throughout the campaign, the Antarean army has relied on Route 23, a major roadway beginning from the western border and winding through several towns and cities, as their main supply chain. Their advance would reach Talona — one of Aquila's major urban centers. The only thing standing in their way was the city's outer fortifications.
After successfully defeating an Aquilan counterattack with tanks, Antarean forces would lay siege on the city for several days, bombarding the outskirts and the city with artillery before beginning their assault. During the battle of Talona, Aquilan Command refused to evacuate civilians, resulting in one of the most brutal scenes in the campaign as Antarean artillery leveled the city's districts with no discrimination between military and civilian. It was only until reports of the dead under the rubble that the Antarean commander ordered the end of the bombardment.
Aftermath of the Campaign
Aftermath of the Scorch
By the end of the campaign, 40% of the Aquilan countryside became fields of ashes. In the postwar era (1961-), Aquilan industry and economy had an extremely difficult time rebuilding, even with support from the Compact nations. Antares also learned that destroying potential resources to hinder the enemy was no longer a good idea, because it also hindered themselves. Antarean soldiers were not able to make use of the food on Aquilan farms due to the scorched earth, and supply lines were stretched thin.