Northlandic Civil War

The Northlandic Civil War was a civil conflict in the Republic of Northland. It was fought between the mainly Protestant Government of Northland and the Catholic National Liberation Movement between 1969 and 1977.

Overview
The civil war lasted eight years and cost the lives of approximately ten million people. It was solely a conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the former dominating the north and latter dominating the south. The conflict was notorious for the level of atrocities, committed mostly by the Red Berets, an armed organization of Protestant extremists. They're best known for their infamous acts of "Cow Spitting" (Cow being a duragatory term of a Catholic), were the they crucified Catholic civilians and stabbed them with sharpened stakes. The Red Berets would go renegade and guerrilla when the Lacorian government sent in troops to stop the atrocities.

The war was widely covered by news outlets across the Red Continent. The city of Clark's Landing was almost destroyed, and millions were displaced. The government nearly broke up, and the League of Nations almost dissolved over the issue of military intervention.

Background
The source of the religious hatred in the country had been brewing for as long as the country had existed as a republic. Following the country's exspansion after the Great War in 1910, the Protestants went about prosecuting the Catholics. This continued until 1937, when the League of Nations threatened Northland's expulsion. Religious tension continued to knaw away at the country's stability. Then in 1964, Michael Daemyan, a Catholic, murdered Nyssa FcMarlow, daughter of the Mayor of ScParkham, who was a Protestant. Daemyan was sentenced to life in prison. The Protestant population rioted for almost a month afterward. By March 1969, the country was virtually on the verge of war. The Red Beret paramilitaries had been formed, while the army was mobilized. The National Liberation Front (N.L.F. in English, F.N.T., Fuascailte Naisiunta Tosaigh in hEoren ) had armed itself. On April 17 1969, the NLF attacked the army at RABC Iolair. The fighting cost the lives 102 soldiers and 89 NLF fighters. Despite having fewer casualties, the NLF failed to take the base.

First Campaigns (1969-1971)
Following the attack on RABC Iolair, the RNA attacked NLM forces in Clark's Landing on May 6. The city would the focal point of the conflict for the rest of the war.

Operation Wrath
The Red Berets entered the spotlight when they launched an early offensive near the Catholic town of Lewville on May 19. Codenamed Operation Wrath, it was designed to smash through NLF lines before they could be heavily dug in. Spearheaded by the Red Berets notorious 52nd Infantry Division, the advance managed to capture Lewville, but no further. The N.L.M. had fortified a large hill, known as Eye Socket Hill (at the top was a large natural bowl which looks like an eye socket), with trenches and small gun emplacements. The RNA's 4th Artillery Brigade, the only army unit taking part in the operation, bombarded the hill for three days. On May 22, the 52nd Infantry and 239th Armored Regiment advanced up the hill, but were driven back by heavy NLF fire, losing 1,284 men and 94 tanks. After the first attack, in Lewville, the Red Berets entered controvesy. Reports had been swirling around that the Red Berets had massacred the Catholic population. The RNA 4th Artillery commander, Brigadier Michael BcNoran reported to President Eoine Malley that he found few civilians remaining when he returned to his HQ in Lewville. He later recalled a foul stench of burning corpses and thick black smoke rising high into the sky in the evening. It would later be found that Red Berets had killed all Catholic civilians and had burned the bodies to hide the evidence. The Red Berets commander, Major-General Tor ScValen order Operation Wrath be halted.

Stalemate
Following Wrath, the front line stabalized and all attention focused on the fighting in Clark's Landing. The NLF fought to hold off the combined forces of the army and Red Berets. At the same times, reports were circulating about Red Beret atrocities against Catholic populations, including rumors of "Cow Spitting." The government chose to put these rumors to rest and issued orders to not attack civilians (though the Red Berets universally refused the order). The fighing between each side grew more intense as the NLF retaliated with the execution of captured COs and the beating of captured NCOs and regulars. Trench warfare became normal, trenches criss-crossing Clark's Landing. This continued until early 1974, early predictions of a fast paced war very wrong.

Red Berets Terror Campaign
In March 1970, with the war turning into a slow, bloody grind, the Red Berets planned an audacious attempt to draw the NLF out and attack.

Massacre at YcMulley
The 52nd Infantry, now reinforced, was ordered to attack the Catholic population of YcMulley. It was here that the world first witnessed Cow Spitting. The women and children were spitted while the men were whipped, burned with hot iron, and then spitted for "good measure." The massacre was never reported, a code of silence imposed on the 52nd.