The World at War
Entry posted by Bob Janova
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This week has seen the entire world shaken. Radiation levels are the highest ever, casualty counts across the globe are rising as fast as ever, almost ever major alliance is engaged in war, and the impregnable hegemony of the last 18 months is crashing down.
Like many major wars [OOC: in RL too] the catalyst was the mass of treaties held by every alliance, the fuel tension built up under the crushing weight of the web, and the spark a minor war that in normal times would have been complained about but not acted upon. After the treaty carnage of late March and early April that featured in last week's show, the alliances now at the core of the Hegemony (NPO, TPF and Valhalla) along with TORN acted quickly to strike while the treaty web was to their advantage – before TOP and MHA could leave the hegemony.
The target chosen was Ordo Verde, a minor alliance but with connections to the recent centre of attention, Viridia, and also to Superfriends. The aim was to start a quick and clean proxy war to remove these threats to the hegemon and to restore their strength advantage, which had been eroded by Viridia's defection, and also by the actual and rumoured leaving of three major alliances from Continuum. The casus belli was widely denounced as hypocritical – centring as it did around the taking of intelligence by OV, while Emperor Revenge of the NPO admitted that his own alliance regularly accepted intelligence, and while TPF were making use of received intelligence in the pre-war negotiations.
One major mistake had already been made. The hegemony had underestimated the level of resentment that had built up among non-affiliated alliances, and the level of resolve that unwarranted aggression would not stand. Around the end of March, when there were credible rumours of an attack on Viridia, Serian military commanders were invited to participate in initial defensive planning talks in case of that attack, along with several other representatives of alliances that could be implicated. While that issue never progressed beyond rumour, it indicated the level of worry about, and willingness to participate in a defence against, hegemony aggression.
The second mistake was probably the fatal one. Talks were ongoing between representatives of Viridia and Ordo Verde and NPO, TORN and TPF to attempt to come to an agreement over a fair and peaceful resolution to the original issue (reception of intelligence on both sides). The Order of the Paradox were also present in the talks as a mediator, a role for which their calmness and willingness to work towards solutions was very fitting. As the talks ran on towards update, without informing most of their allies, the New Pacific Order declared war on OV, along with TORN. Declaring war in the middle of peace negotiations made sure that the NPO would keep its mantle as the unpopular side, and doing so also alienated TOP; doing so without informing their allies alienated important tactical alliances like Polaris and MHA, and even One Vision alliances. This mistake resulted in a significant rebalancing of the potential sides, strengthened the resolve of the coalition that became Karma and encouraged alliances with ties to both sides to commit to the opposition.
The third mistake was done when the NPO attempted to dig its way out of the hole it had created with the first two. Seeing the potential losing situation, they entered into preliminary discussions with Archon of Mushroom Kingdom (who had taken over de facto leadership of Karma) about a ceasefire, without informing their war partners in TORN. TORN felt betrayed and in turn negotiated a withdrawal from the war of their own, leaving Pacifica momentarily alone against OV's direct allies.
Most of NPO's allies cancelled mutual aggression treaties in a statement of disappointment, but they maintained their defensive treaties and in the end almost all of them did enter on the Hegemony side. Several of these alliances now share with Pacifica the distinction of the largest losers of alliance strength – Karma had planned for the counter-punch and were ready for it. TOP and MHA issued their notice to leave the Continuum (and the Hegemony), and eventually both became involved on the side of Karma, probably a direct result of Pacifica's poor diplomacy, and likely to be the swing that dooms the Hegemony.
In a situation not seen for a very long time, several alliances with nothing but friendly relations have been drawn into war against each other due to treaty commitments and wider political concerns. Seria itself is under full military alert and has traded nuclear strikes with IRON nations, an alliance which has historically been well regarded domestically. MHA, too, are fighting IRON and share good relations. Invicta is fighting many alliances with whom it formerly had relations that were at worst neutral. Orange is split, with its largest alliance opposed to most of the rest. MCXA is fighting against several of its former treaty partners, as is NPO. Old Guard fights opposed to the rest of Citadel. A global war truly cuts through the web of treaties and exposes the true friendships.
But the statistics show clearly who is going to emerge as the winner in this war. The loose, spontaneous confederation of alliances who have taken the name of Karma are losing NS, as it to be expected in a global war. But the five worst hit alliances are all part of the treaty-bound Hegemony. The five worst hit nations are all in the Hegemony. Surrenders to Karma now outnumber several well known alliances. The NPO has lost one quarter of its strength in a week. When the world emerges from this storm, everything we have come to know as part of the geopolitical system will be left broken and washed up on the shores of a new, clean politics.
Seria may be sacrificing much for this. But it is a proud time to be Serian. Our nation is at the forefront of sweeping away the old order, a mission attempted once before (and failed) but one that this time will succeed.
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