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Indian Conflict
The Indian Conflict was the deadliest conflict since the World War, and one of the most devastating wars in human history, despite it lasting only little more than a year. Tensions in India had been high since the end of the World War, but no open conflict had erputed, thanks mostly to the diplomatic efforts of both sides, but also of third parties, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, who had brokered deals between the two blocs. However, in recent years, the U.K had started to back India more and more, while Walter Mondale's election in 1981 would spell the end of U.S intervention in Indian affairs, which partly led to India restarting its nuclear program, along with Indira Gandhi's election in 1980. The Southern Indians therefore also started working on their own program with European help, but progress was much slower, with India obtaining nuclear weapons in 1982, when Hyderabad's own program was still in its infancy.
India still didn't plan on using these weapons, well not initially. India planned an invasion of the Southern Indian states, Sikkim and Bengal for two full years, before finally putting its plans into motion on April 19th, 1984, with a full-scale invasion of the Southern Indian States and Bengal. However, the Indian Coalition was quick to form back again, forming a second block against the "British Raj", as the states were prepared for such an eventuality. The Indians were unable to push far into Hyderabadi territory, and the Coalition soon closed the Bangalore pocket, capturing the city of Nellore by mid-August. In Bengal, the situation had devolved into full blown guerilla warfare, with Calcutta becoming a meat-grinder for Indian troops as civilian militias fought back hard. India had become bogged down in a conflict they thought they would win swiftly, and therefore reacted by launching Operation Red Tiger on October 25th, 1984.
The Indian Air Force dropped two atomic weapons, one on a military target, the Hyderabadi army positions out of Karimnagar, and one civilian target. This was the city of Dacca, which was obliterated along with its 6 million inhabitants. This shocked the Coalition who convened an emergency meeting with its top chiefs...
Meanwhile, the world hadn't stayed silent. A World Council meeting was called to discuss intervening in India. However, to everyone's surprise and shock, the United States vetoed intervention, not wanting to sacrifice thousands of american lives in a conflict that didn't concern them. The European Defence Force didn't stay idle though, and moved the 5th Fleet from Zanzibar to Pondicherry as a precauctionary measure. They were joined by the Siamese fleet out of the Andaman Islands. Portugal also joined the EDF force, in fear that India would invade Goa as well (and there would be several fire-fights between EDF/Portuguese forces and Indian forces in Goa leading to retaliatory air strikes), marking the first EDF-Portuguese collaboration since the World War.
After Operation Red Tiger, the EDF sprung into action, having recieved the go-ahead to intercept the Indian fleet off of Trincomalee. However, they were stopped in their tracks and told to keep clear of the fleet. Soon enough, they realised what was happening, as they witness, the Coalition's response with Operation Snakehead. The Coalition had indeed four nuclear weapons in its arsenal since July, although this was classified. Hyderabad offered Bengal to choose a target of their choosing for the bombing of Dacca, while Hyderabad chose its own. Bengal's choice would prove to be one of the worse orders given in history.
Hyderabad chose the Indian fleet blockading Trincomalee, which would be observed first hand by the EDF fleet stationned a few miles away. The Indian fleet would be obliterated in an instant, with only two ships surviving the nuclear hellfire as they were returning from anti-submarine patrols. The Bengali bomb however, headed towards New Delhi. In seconds, the city was reduced to ashes. There isn't any reliable death count, but estimates are that more than 10,000,000 people died that day, from the bomb, radiation or injuries.
From then on both sides stood as shook as the rest of the world. India's gambit hadn't worked, as the Coalition had nuclear weapons, and Delhi had been reduced to dust. From then on both sides entered a staring contest, which would end with the Bangkok Agreements on a status quo ante bellum. Both sides had been ravaged from an intense air campaign, in which only the southern areas of the Coalition had been mostly spared, making Chennai the economical capital of the Subcontinent for several years, and a huge refugee crisis was generated. This was exacerbated when the Indian government decided to evict all muslims from the country in retaliation for the defeat. This action led to huge international backlash, and to Jammu and Kashmir, usually neutral, joining the Muslim block with Persia.
India still didn't plan on using these weapons, well not initially. India planned an invasion of the Southern Indian states, Sikkim and Bengal for two full years, before finally putting its plans into motion on April 19th, 1984, with a full-scale invasion of the Southern Indian States and Bengal. However, the Indian Coalition was quick to form back again, forming a second block against the "British Raj", as the states were prepared for such an eventuality. The Indians were unable to push far into Hyderabadi territory, and the Coalition soon closed the Bangalore pocket, capturing the city of Nellore by mid-August. In Bengal, the situation had devolved into full blown guerilla warfare, with Calcutta becoming a meat-grinder for Indian troops as civilian militias fought back hard. India had become bogged down in a conflict they thought they would win swiftly, and therefore reacted by launching Operation Red Tiger on October 25th, 1984.
The Indian Air Force dropped two atomic weapons, one on a military target, the Hyderabadi army positions out of Karimnagar, and one civilian target. This was the city of Dacca, which was obliterated along with its 6 million inhabitants. This shocked the Coalition who convened an emergency meeting with its top chiefs...
Meanwhile, the world hadn't stayed silent. A World Council meeting was called to discuss intervening in India. However, to everyone's surprise and shock, the United States vetoed intervention, not wanting to sacrifice thousands of american lives in a conflict that didn't concern them. The European Defence Force didn't stay idle though, and moved the 5th Fleet from Zanzibar to Pondicherry as a precauctionary measure. They were joined by the Siamese fleet out of the Andaman Islands. Portugal also joined the EDF force, in fear that India would invade Goa as well (and there would be several fire-fights between EDF/Portuguese forces and Indian forces in Goa leading to retaliatory air strikes), marking the first EDF-Portuguese collaboration since the World War.
After Operation Red Tiger, the EDF sprung into action, having recieved the go-ahead to intercept the Indian fleet off of Trincomalee. However, they were stopped in their tracks and told to keep clear of the fleet. Soon enough, they realised what was happening, as they witness, the Coalition's response with Operation Snakehead. The Coalition had indeed four nuclear weapons in its arsenal since July, although this was classified. Hyderabad offered Bengal to choose a target of their choosing for the bombing of Dacca, while Hyderabad chose its own. Bengal's choice would prove to be one of the worse orders given in history.
Hyderabad chose the Indian fleet blockading Trincomalee, which would be observed first hand by the EDF fleet stationned a few miles away. The Indian fleet would be obliterated in an instant, with only two ships surviving the nuclear hellfire as they were returning from anti-submarine patrols. The Bengali bomb however, headed towards New Delhi. In seconds, the city was reduced to ashes. There isn't any reliable death count, but estimates are that more than 10,000,000 people died that day, from the bomb, radiation or injuries.
From then on both sides stood as shook as the rest of the world. India's gambit hadn't worked, as the Coalition had nuclear weapons, and Delhi had been reduced to dust. From then on both sides entered a staring contest, which would end with the Bangkok Agreements on a status quo ante bellum. Both sides had been ravaged from an intense air campaign, in which only the southern areas of the Coalition had been mostly spared, making Chennai the economical capital of the Subcontinent for several years, and a huge refugee crisis was generated. This was exacerbated when the Indian government decided to evict all muslims from the country in retaliation for the defeat. This action led to huge international backlash, and to Jammu and Kashmir, usually neutral, joining the Muslim block with Persia.
- Wings
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