Eleutherian Civil War

Eleutherian Civil War
Date April 13, 1944 - August 26, 1948 Location Eleutherios Result Government victory
Belligerents
Eleutherios	Red Hand
Commanders and leaders
Dimitrios II	Zaharias V
Strength
4,500 Federal Army soldiers, 2,000 pro-Federal militia	4,000-6,000 Red Hand militia

The Eleutherian Civil War was an armed conflict which began in April 1944 between the Federal Government of Eleutherios and the Red Hand communist militia, and evolved into the wider South Ecros War following Terranihil's entrance into the war on the side of the Red Hand. The Red Hand launched an attempted coup of the Eleutherian government after communism became immensely popular in the southern part of the country. Terranihil began by supporting the Red Hand materially, but in 1945 launched a full invasion of Eleutherios.

Background

The Red Hand was a violent communist militia group based in Marathon, the epicenter of communist popularity in the early 1940s. The militia was supplied and trained by Terranihil, and began by launching attacks against factories and skirmishing with police forces. Enjoying high levels of popularity with the people of Marathon, investigation and arrests of members was difficult. Eventually, their leader, Zaharias V, decided to launch a full scale insurrection to win control of the full country from what was perceived as a weak, inefficient Federal Government.

The Federal Army at this time was very small and ill-equipped, with almost no armor or aircraft. Defense was widely provided by provincial militia, but they were unreliable and open to subversion. The provincial militia of Marathon was almost fully composed of Red Hand members. The professional Army consisted of one infantry regiment, a small armored car squadron, and light artillery.

Marathon Coup

The Red Hand successfully took control of Marathon on April 13, 1944, with Zaharias V enacting martial law and open persecution of business owners. The Federal Army was mobilized, and skirmishes between the two forces began almost immediately. Terranhillian volunteers, military advisors, and weapons began flooding the border, with the Red Hand numbers quickly swelling. The speed and intensity of the Red Hand advance, coupled with the slow mobilization and transportation of Federal Army troops, led to initial advances.

The Erimos Line

The Federal Army set up defensive positions outside the city of Erimos, and successfully stopped the advance of the Red Hand by June 1944. A stalemate ensued, with little gain on both sides. However, in October 1944, a platoon of soldiers holding a key defensive location revolted and declared allegiance to the Red Hand, leading to a gap in the line that was quickly exploited. The city of Erimos fell after intense fighting in early December 1945, changing hands multiple times before finally falling to the communist forces, who advanced towards Corinth.

Federal Counteroffensive

The Federal Army, supplied with new weapons including planes and tanks from Jackson, launched a counteroffensive in January 1945. Many volunteers had joined the Army, and the ranks swelled to double its initial size. The old Army commander was sacked and replaced with General Dimitrios II, a visionary who foresaw and theorized combined arms operations, using infantry, tanks, and planes together to overwhelm the enemy. His theory was successful, and the Army was able to fight back to the outskirts of Erimos.