Agreed between me, Dunhart and Dave So far a work in progress.
Throughout the history of the two nations there has always been a bone of contention, the River Garlan. This river largely ran along the border of the two nations prior to 1994 however throughout the nations histories the actual border had changed several times following raids, battles, treaties and disputes. This came to a head in 1987 when the then King of Salus Nova claimed that the river was, for its entire length under the control of his nation. This was obviously disputed by the King of Dunhart. In May of 1987 the King of Salus Nova, to cement his claim on the land sent armed forces into the villages on the Dunhart side of the river. This move took Dunhart by surprise and by the time forces had been mustered and responded several Salus Nova units had begun removing Dunhartians from their villages meaning a steady flow of refugees from the region. Faced with this initial success the King of Salus Nova saw oppurtunities to expand further and claim more Dunhartian territory. This then triggered a four year long war which then downplayed to a period of occupation with various skirmishers.
1987-1991 - A border war rumbles on between the two nations where Salus Nova has the upper hand due to their superior numbers. Only a short time into this border war air and artillery strikes at both nations infastructure and settlements becomes the norm.
March 1991 - With Dunhart launching a concentrated attack they make a path some 30km wide and 100km deep into Salus Nova territory. This changed the course of the war significantly as Salus Nova saw its own settlements become occupied.
April 1991- Salus Nova attempt a counter-attack in what has now become known as the Dunedan Pocket. To try and repel the Dunhart forces there large scale air strikes are carried out on the Dunhartian side of the border
June 1991- Salus Nova begin to recapture the Dunedan Pocket and by the end of August have all but regained the lost territory.
27th November 1991 - The Rushfeld Incident. With Dunhart forces in full retreat from the Dunedan pocket and attempting to reform defensive lines just south of the Dunhartian village of Rushfield The forces of Salus Nova carry out a huge airstrike on the area after intelligence suggests that the village is being used as a weapons and fuel depot. This information was false and around 400 civilians are killed in the strikes. Following the war the then Salus Nova Chief of Intelligence and two senior Air Force officers are court martialled and sentenced to 15 years.
1st Decemeber 1991 - As a response to the Rushfield Incident the Dunhart armed forces begin missile and air strikes against the capital of Salus Nova, while these are targetted at government buildings, energy infastructure and railway networks there are a reported 100 civilian casualties.
8th Feb 1992 - With the war reaching a stalemate the then Queen of East Moreland, Philippa I, is approached to act as a kind of peace broker. She attempts to but East Morelands political isolation and lack of any regional collective body sees this fail.
18th Feb 1992 - East Morelands Philippa I holds a meeting in Northfort inviting both parties to attend. During the return trip to Salus Nova the King's aircraft provided by the East Moreland military is shot at while attempting to land. By some miracle 16 of the 33 passengers survive including the King. The attack is traced back to a group of the Dunhart military from a regiment recruited from around Rushfield. The Dunhart military disavow these individuals and the soldiers avoid capture until 2001, six members of the group are still wanted. This act angers East Moreland who while wishing to remain neutral begin to mobilise their military.
22nd Feb 1992 - The King of Dunhart meets with Philippa I of East Moreland offering apologise for the attack and looking to seek assurances of East Moreland's neutrality. The Rockhampton Protocol is drafted and two days later offered to the King of Salus Nova. In it the Protocols call for the River Garlan to become the actual border of the two nations and that for a period of five years neither nation being able to place military assets within 5km of the border. This 10km wide corridor is to be placed under the stewardship of a Alba Karinya wide body if one can be formed or East Moreland.
28th Feb 1992 - The King of Salus Nova refuses the Rockhampton Protocol and puts forward a counter proposal that his forces will return to their side of the river but will not vacate the corridor. In the meantime he order continued shelling and air strikes on Dunhartian positions.
7th March 1992 - Dunhartian forces push the front line back in the Western sector of battle reaching the village of Fieldwick. There they destroy a large hydro-electric powerplant by destroying a dam on a tributory of the River Garlan. This not only stops the production of electricity but also also causing mass flash floods in the Salus Nova town of Millside which kills around 120 people. The floodwaters also prevent Salus Nova logistics being as effective in the central sector of the battlefront.
11th March 1992 - With the battlefront stalled Philippa I of East Moreland reattempts the Rockhampton Protocol this time however offering to place East Moreland forces into the region as peacekeepers. This is again rejected however both sides agree to a 10 day ceasefire in order to allow humanitarian aid into the Millside region and also refugees to be evacuated.
18th March 1992 - The Haranhale Incident - the Dunhart Frigate HMS Haranhale fires upon the Salus Nova naval supply ship that it believed was making attempts to cut a Dunhartian communications cable that run through the Bay of Rond which is close to the border of each nation. This provokes an intense naval battle lasting around six hours seeing both ships losing vessels. During this the Haranhale collides with a Salus Nova destroyer and Dunhartian Marines capture the ship briefly before destroying her engines and flooding her lower decks. Around 80 Salus Nova sailors are killed during attempts to abandon ship.
20th March 1992 - In an attempt to gain revenge for the Haranhale Incident Salus Nova forces launch a huge raid on Dunharts largest port facility. Six civilians cargo ships are sunk in berths rendering the port unusable for several months.
22nd March 1992 - A miscommunication between Salus Nova forces sees a missile strike against an East Moreland border post, six Morelander Legionnaires are killed and a further 10 are injured. The King of Salus Nova quickly sends words of apology to Queen Philipa of East Moreland. He is informed that should such an incident happen again then East Moreland would retaliate. East Moreland begins military mobilisation on their side of the border.
23rd March 1992 - Knowing the entrance of fresh East Moreland troops into the conflict could swing matters into Dunharts favour the King of Salus Nova pulls troops out of the border region. This however gives Dunhart an oppurtunity to push forward into that region.
1st April 1992 - The conflict has now reached a point where in the Eastern sector Salus Nova forces are approxiametly 10km south of the River Garlen while in the Western Sector Dunhartians are around 10km north of it. Fighting has reached all but a stalemate.
2nd April 1992 - There is a 3rd attempt at the Rockhampton Protocol. This time it is accepted by both sides however with the condition that both sides may assign officers to accompany East Moreland peacekeepers and that there be a staged and gradually withdrawl to the "Starting Line" which is mapped by East Moreland as being a 5km zone either side of the river which may not contain any settlement with a population of over 18,000 people. This is to be achieved by 16th April.
13th April 1992 - The East Moreland mapping exercise is completed and copies issued to both sides who sign off on it. Dunhart requests two extra days to get its forces out of the zone and Salus Nova accept this.
15th April 1992 - East Morelands military formally begin their peacekeeping role.
28th July 1992 - The Moorside Discovery - East Moreland forces patrolling the region discover a mass grave of around 180 Dunhartian soldiers. On investigation it appears that these soldiers have all received gunshots to the back of the head. The grave is in a large forest and lime has been used to try and speed up the decay of the bodies. Salus Nova is asked to account for all Prisoners of War. Soon after a total of 400 Dunhartian soldiers are reported missing. Reports begin of reprisal executions of POWs held by Dunhart leading to fears the conflict will escalate again.
30th July 1992 - There is an addition to the Rockhampton Protocol that permits East Moreland officials to verify the safety and well being of POWS on both sides.
1st October 1992 - With the Rockhampton Protocol seemingly holding discussions are held in Portworth to look at ways of ending the conflict forever. These talks break down as neither country are willing to relinquish their claim to the river as being in their territory rather than marking the border. While the conflict does not begin again each failed attempt to reach a deal sees tensions increase.
28th November 1992 - The Birchland Controversey. Birchland is a small village within the Dunhart area of control. It is however populated largely by Salus Nova religious settlers who have for several decades campaigned to have their village become part of Salus Nova. Without warning on this date a leading member of the Salus Nova clergy visited the village carrying out a purification ritual and the Salus Nova flag was raised above the village. Residents blocked roads leading anywhere other than towards the border and when nearby villages reacted by tearing down the roadblocks gunfights broke out. East Moreland peacekeepers arrived to intervene and came under fire from both parties. They responded with fire of their own and after around ten hours worth of exchanging fire the situation was under control. East Moreland forces entered Birchland, removed the flag and escorted the clergyman back to that side of the border.
1st December 1992 - In an attempt to bring the war to a close the King of Dunhurt proposed giving Salus Nova the river in return for certain concessions. The most significant was that no dams could be placed on the river, nor any tributary for 50km, the river would be free for Dunhartians to navigate upon and annual compensation would be paid from Salus Nova to Dunhart for loss of industrial uses of the river. This was rejected however the following day a counter proposal was put forward that the tributary condition be reduced to 10km and that rather than compensation being paid Dunhartian businesses using the river could do so by paying an annual fee. This too was rejected.
18th December 1992 - With talks seemingly stalled tension increased when over the Illumic a dogfight occured between squadrons from the two nations. Four pilots from Salus Nova were killed and two from Dunhart. A third addition to the Rockhampton Protocol was made where a no fly zone was created extending 200km into the Illumic between the two nations.
21st December 1992 - The Chesek Diasater - The Seafortian cargo ship the Chesek is heading towards the East Moreland Illumic port of Eason. It gets off course in thick fog and hits a naval mine, which nations is hard to know. The ship begins to go under. In a moment of humanitarian endeavour naval forces from Salus Nova, East Moreland and Dunhart race to the scene. While 21 of the 40 person crew are lost as the ship goes under it has shown co-operation between the two warring parties in possible. Over the next week oil begins to leak from the sunken vessel and all three nations begin work to halt the problem. This even sees a joint Salus Nova-Dunhart dive to the wreck to assess damage.
1st January 1993 - It is determined that the Rockhampton Protocols will now have a provisional cut off date. Should no incidents occur within the next six months then it is agreed that a middle point of the river shall become the border between the two nations and neither side may place permanent military structures in the region.
8th April 1993 - The Green Wave Attack- Salus Nova extremists believing their destined to take over the whole continent launch an attack on Dunhart positions in the centre sector in a hope of provoking a continuation of the war. This fails as their attack is halted first by East Moreland peacekeepers and then by Salus Novan military assets. Ringleaders are rounded up and executed.
1st July 1993 - With the six months deadline reached the final steps of the Rockhampton Protocols take effect. Permanent military structures within 5km of the new border are to be either removed, destroyed, repurposed or rendered inoperable.
9th November 1994 - It is finally confirmed that the permanent military structures are compliant. The final steps of the Protocol call for "periodic and random inspections of the structures" will take place for the next 30 years.
