The Pyrenees Front in WW1
Or Revenge of the Napoleon Complex?
Background
The decades-long alliance with the uber-Catholic Kalmar Empire was something very strange for the predominately Protestant peoples of the Polschziem Republic. For centuries having fought the interests of the French, Portuguese, and Italians, Polschziem had developed a keen dislike and even hatred for Catholicism and all things Papist. While this had dwindled in recent years, many still stung when they thought about the lands lost to the Portuguese and French during Napolean's escapades nearly a century before. At least, they told themselves, these were regions of minor Polsch settlement.
However, over the years, there was a casual and gradual drift from religion in general, possibly due to the introduction of many overseas cultures, especially those of Buddhist southeast Asia, and information regarding Hindus, Shinto, and the like. Muslims in the southlands, and in Morocco, were more European than Arab/Berber in a sense, but they retained their cultural roots and primary religious practices. Still, they were a minority, respected, but never near the problem the Catholics were, so Islam wasn't oppressed. Therefore, in the north at least, the Spaniards Catholic practices often caused severe tensions amongst the majority Protestant Polsch, always fearful of a betrayal to the great northern power. Of course, there was also a level of contempt by the Polsch over the clear and absolute decay of the Papacy.
Nevertheless, the Catholics remained highly devoted to their faith, and really only brought it to the fore in politics when they were - as a group - oppressed. Thus in the 1860s when Catholics were finally given the right to vote, there were many hopes of progress in that area. Except those votes often were rigged, lost, or otherwise bullied into submission. But, on the books at least, they were free to vote and any obstruction was illegal. This 'on the books' argument may have been what finally convinced Catholic Kalmar to enter into an alliance with Polschziem - the only European power to voluntarily do so outside of other treaty arrangments. This would kickstart the Catholic Reawakening, a strong religiously-motivated interest in the arts and social work.
This groundbreaking relationship brought religion back to the fore, especially as the high level of cooperation - driven by realpolitik as it was - seeped into the national consciousness. The Catholic Spaniard minority embraced this relationship in full and their voices could no longer be stifled, lest an international insult be cast against Polschziem's single most important ally. Though later alliances were possibly more important in world events, Kalmar always held a closer place to Polschziem's heart. This highly unlikely relationship, and the subsequent joint actions in dealing with the Holy Land and increased relationships with the Muslim Middle East, eventually led to a domino-effect of conscience for the wider masses.
The Protestant Revolution was the out-and-out rejection of the spiritual apathy of the previous decades. Having been preaching for years - albeit in political rhetoric - the well-being and 'civilizing' projects across the globe, the Polsch national identity was already taking into account the Christian values of caring for the destitute and oppressed. Perhaps it was the sudden vibrant display of Catholic pride and ardor that provoked an massive response from the Protestant masses, an inner study of the soul and what exactly was important to themselves spiritually.
In rapid succession, virtually every facet of life was shifted to refocus upon the Lord and His Great Plan. The subjugated and unfree peoples abroad - and the shame of the history of those at home - became the great rallying cry of the people. And when the fighting in India evolved through the politics to the extent whereby the Republic of Polschziem - standing tall and honoring their agreements abroad, come what may - issued a Declaration of War against France... well, the great works of the people had just begun. Churches and private organizations - one the centuries-old Chrystusa Rycerze (Knights of Christ) - brought in more volunteer contributions and charity work in a week than in the previous 6 months.
This grand escapade seemed to shock into spirited life the activities and demeanor of the Polsch people - generally a very subdued, shy, private people keen to particular modes of etiquette. Rallies, loud and boisterous, resounded across the country; newspaper ran dynamic ads and encouraged a community effort in all endeavors - especially in support of the brave troops going to war; state schools rescheduled outside playtime to a hands-on contribution to the troops via a new farming course (sponsored and organized by the Ministry of Food) while many churches turned their grounds into farmyards.
There was no illusion that this would be an easy war. While Polschziem's allies assumed such a vast array of enemies could bring France to her knees "by Christmas," the quiet, industrious Polsch had other feelings. Meanwhile, the government began issuing war bonds to get a jump on the massive debt that goes along with war. A Monastery-turned-Newspaper in Palma del Rio near Kordoba was hired to retrofit their printing machines to begin producing both bonds as well as books of ration cards. Newspapers and Pulpits all preached in their own way the challenges ahead, but that by standing together the Republic would be victorious over the Oppression of the Frank - as well as highlighting what France might do if she won... the Germanies were an ever-present, rarely-silent guarantor of French "ideals."
Prelude
Since the fall of Napoleon and the redrawing of the map, it has been the national interest of Polshziem, under any administration, to counter - or at least balance - France's regional and international assets. In those days, France retained - even in defeat and arguably as a sop to their pride - the whole of Catalan, despite having but a scant French population and larger a plurality of Spaniards and Polsch. Shockingly, Portugal was awarded Galicja "for historical reasons," but hinted at the underlying racism of the western powers concerning these Slavic folk who waged total war in the "Iberian Ulcer." This decision, at the time backed by Polschziem's allies then and now - the Imperial Federation [Britainnia] and the United Kingdoms [Ashbenelux] - would set Polsch foreign diplomacy on a new course:
Trust no one. Ever.
And as the French dominated the Subcontinent for centuries, the Polsch assets in Southeast Asia likewise expanded, bit by bit. Indeed, by cautious exploitation of local political intrigue, over the course of the 19th century, Polschziem could count the full SouthEast Asian peninsula - at least down to the Imperial Federation's Malay peninsula - as one of the most lucrative colonial empires yet known. Thus secure in colonial markets and resources, Polschziem had purchased Portuguese detente and friendship with a bottom-dollar sale of virtually all of her African assets. Likewise, a curious Condominium with the Dutch over portions of East Africa and Oceania had made a thoroughly effective partnership with that other French-wary state. Indeed, it was a bargain between the Persians and Dutch over Dutch holdings in Balochistan - sealed in ink on Polschziem's famous East Timor Treaty Retreat wherein many international treaties had been signed over cachaca and mai-tais - that gave the sole free Indian state of Mysore some ideas...
Polschziem's Southern Pacific Asian Internal Network. Or, for short, S.P.A.I.N. (Kanchurea not included.) NOTE:This is the Post-War situation; the cartography has been fired for his folly.
In 1893, the French controlled virtually the whole of India, with the exception of Mysore and the extreme southern tip which was held by the Imperial Federation, and indeed Mysore had relied upon Federation support for her independence from the French for centuries. So it was that they carefully bided their time, and waited for the machinations of the Europeans to fall into a certain predicament that might benefit them most. This came in 1904, with the signing of the Saxton-Pawelski Treaty between the Imperial Federation and Polschziem over the sale of Formosa, the Gangzhou Enclave, and respective spheres of influence in China, but most importantly, sealing that deal in a mutual defense treaty. The fifth clause stated decidedly that "Wars in Europe will not trigger this pact," clearly thinking any fool thing in China would be contained to China, of course. But, no, it was to trigger in India, and the dominoes of alliances would pull in every major European power against the French and their allies.
Truth be told, for her part, the French were a veritable universe unto themselves with expansive colonial empires in Africa, India, and scattered around the globe. They had few European allies such was their accustomed pride and belligerence, but too often they were forced to swat at the various flies that crowded around that, beyond viewing all of their neighbors with a mix of avarice and arrogance, the Parisian leadership was generally far too concerned with pumping Nationalist Propaganda to bother with anything approaching realpolitik, respectable foreign relations, or even a general worldview other than "What is good and French" and "Everyone else." After seeing to it that the Germanies went to war with one another yet again in 1896 in a bloodletting that would in many ways foreshadow the coming maelstrom, France's apparent short-sightedness had allowed the Kalmar Union to coup both Novgorod and Poland, effectively setting up the North and East into a unified bloc unseen since the days of Napoleon himself. Arguments can be made to the racialist nature of this air of superiority - for the Linneai Racialism had, in their view, formalized the dominance of the Latin race - but this seems to go beyond that common candor of a people, and speaks to some underlying break in the French state. Rabid Nationalism, an almost siege-mentality, though not unfounded, but also brought about by French Nationalist actions, the victimization of France - arguably greatest single empire on the face of the world. It would be for Alienists and Therapists to decipher in coming generations, certainly.
Domestic Situation
In 1906, the incumbent Chancellor Bugomilo Jerzsky, the "Titan of Trepidation," was resoundingly defeated by the powerful orator Vladimir Ilyjah Lenov. Known for avoiding the gilded Great Halls of government to address the people on the street - quite literally overturning soapboxes on street corners - Vladimir Lenov promised a change from the years of Jerzsky's faltering command. Though the nation's powerful economic interests had done the legwork of politicking on behalf of the Chancellor, Jerzsky would forever be labelled as the worst of the Republic's heads of state. Lenov vowed to build Polschziem to the highest heights, to bend knee to none, and break free the chains of servitude.
Famously, he challenged the whispers of the "Crane Club" - former Chancellor Alojz Pawelczyk's clique of Economic Titans - by shouting from the roof of the House of the People a challenging statement:
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough to those who have too little. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it will not save the few who are rich.
With such zeal he hammered away at the clandestine financial support for Jerzsky and swept into office amid the cheers of millions. It was the first major upset in a series of powerplays against the Crane Club. In 1907, after successfully removing several key cronies of the Cranes in an outright assault on Nepotism. In 1908, he championed the cause of female factory workers suffering from "Phossy Jaw," a potentially deadly dissolving of the jaw due to the production of phosphates. In 1911, an assassination attempt put a bullet into his shoulder - as he swung broke the assailants jaw. In 1912, he pushed legislation through which would overturn laws which restricted government use of privately-owned (re Crane Club properties) infrastructure essential to national security and defense.
On the even of the Great War in 1913, he had dinner with the elderly former Chancellor Alojz Pawelczyk. The contents of that dinner were not disclosed, but over the next few weeks all of the criticism heaped upon Lenov from periodicals, Councilors, commissioners, and business leaders... evaporated. After nearly a decade of weathering the dangers and challenges of his office, becoming perhaps the most beloved leader since the founding of the Republic, Vladimir Lenov co-opted the Crane Club to finance the war effort. To the tune of hundreds of millions of grutz.
And in the Twilight, a people prepared and prayed...
Hostilities
The French defensive plan required a rather simple formula: bottle up the Polsch and pummel the Dutch into submission before the Imperials could tilt the balance. With Italy recently in a state of confrontation with Naples, they were unlikely to get involved, and the Germanies were still badly mauled from the previous war only a few years before. That left Kalmar's much smaller armed forces as immediate support to the Dutch, and indeed they would play a pivotal and vital role in those early, reckless days. However, this mattered not a jot for the Pyrenees Front. Here, the French stationed custodial troops to fend off the inferior Slav while they dealt with the 'real' threat to the north. So it was with French shock that the Polsch launched multiple small and tight offensives aimed at securing some breathing room. The first few days of June would see skirmishes along the front near Nivelle and Bidassoa, and reportedly even a small cavalry raid at Tarbes that resulted in one casualty and a looted salon. By the end of July, though, the pressure had racheted up and inside France, Bayonne was embattled in a street-to-street firefight with sharply rising casualties, for both sides.
And it was the 80 million population of France that could take the losses. Her immediate foes in the Imperial Federation, United Kingdoms, and Polschziem Federative Republic topped out at perhaps 76 million combined, though before year's end with the joining of Portugal, Kalmar, Appalachia, and a couple of other smaller contributors, the metropole population would shift decisively. Even with the bulk of India in her pocket, France's colonial population did not exceed that of her combied foes, and after the initial maritime confrontations, those theaters became virtually independent wars as the French ability to project and coordinate beyond her shores was annihilated. And at this point, without the ability to import, that hefty population began to wear. Until that time, though, this meant a great many bodies could be throw into the carnage.
And the carnage in those early days of 1913 took on ferocious tones as the French defenders realized they were not up against what the state had been telling them were veritable baboons. These invaders were well-organized, well-equipped, and persistent. The French only gave ground due to the unexpected Polsch presence and the massive confusion caused by widespread 'malfunctioning' military communications which were responsible for organizing the defenses. The city of Bayonne was eventually taken, though casualties were appalling. There was no thought of advancing further into France for the rest of the campaign - perhaps even the war, some thought then, such was the tragic toll. This shock to France, of their own beloved soil, but that wasn't it yet. Not at Barcelona did the Polsch strike, but instead at Berga and Andorra. The French forces in that region had been garrisoned with defense of the naval base at Barcelona in mind, and the forces put to stop any small Polsch feign were quickly swept aside by greater Polsch numbers. The Polsch took Berga and from there the forces split off to march to the coast at Figueres whereupon they timed their attack with a localized Polsch landing operation. Further north the French forces in the Pyrenees were in tough, dug-in positions and able to fend the Polsch away from taking Andorra. Other Polsch units struck north into Perpignan. Due to the nature of the terrain, the failing communications, even the sometimes disjointed French counterattacks were able to push back the surprised Polsch forces for a few kilometers before it all started up again.
However, these actions have, while not securing a complete conquest, did pave the way for the cutting off of supplies to Catalan in concert with newly Portuguese-supported Polsch efforts to control the Mediterranean. Further south in the city of Barcelona, the French are beginning to feel the pinch of supplies by the onset of Autumn, and the food and ammunition supply is becoming a concern. The French commander there is a man of iron will, some say, his fatty sides billowing in the wind as the Polsch Army lobs artillery shells at his forces, and the citizens of Barcelona go hungry on rations in the streets below.
Oddly enough, after the initial firestorm of activity in the Pyrenees, both sides seem to have settled into something of a waiting game. Again, this served the French well enough - Barcelona and her environs held, and the Polsch were not leaning heavily against the front in any meaningful way. Therefore, they were allowed to reorganize their forces and prepare for a larger confrontation in the Spring - either in the north or to evict the Polsch. On Christmas Day, the two sides crawled out of their trenches and traded presents, sung Christmas songs, and even played football. The French won, two goals to one. This semi-peace lasted perhaps a week before the powers-that-be found out and refused to ever let that happen again.
"There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience." -Chancellor Vladimir Lenov
In the new year, Appalachians -
Socialists! - entered the Polsch trenches to join the fight against the French. [The Appalachians were the 'Little Brother' to Polschziem's greatest American trade partner, the American Confederated Communes, without whos coal the Polsch industries would have stifled and died.] The Appalachians would prove themselves immensely capable sharpshooters and retained as such, broken into fire-teams and spread throughou the trenches rather than thrown into the meatgrinder for an afternoon of death. With the Catalan Pocket being squeezed by the Polsch forces, many generals of the army expected a French relief attempt at any point and endeavored to halt any such attempt. However, none came, and only French Foreign Legion raids came to prick the skin of the Polsch front, and Italian Alpini-trained Polsch mountaineers kept their deadly raids from becoming anything beyond annoying. Further south, the eastern portion of the Catalan pocket collapsed on itself, the lack of supplies and the Polsch taking Girona being the catalyst for the unfolding military disaster. A general retreat saw the French move back towards a much smaller pocket surrounding just Barcelona and Mataro via coastal roads and rails. Further disheartening news came of the fall of Perpignan, though Polsch miscommunication efforts had been shouting this 'fact' to the French defenders of Barcelona for weeks already - the error in this particular broadcast painted the truth. This time it was real, the French were not coming, but the Polsch suffered high casualties attempting to break through the secondary defenses at Rivesaltes.
Some diplomatic jostling had finally convinced the Neapolitans to follow through on their alliance to the Imperial Federation and declare war on the French. Visceral rhetoric flowed between Naples and Kordoba, because the Neapolitans decided they would prosecute a war in French Somalia, or perhaps French-aligned Abyssinia, rather that against France directly. This "fuss" eventually played out somewhat publicly, with Chancellor Lenov calling the Naples "craven to the core" before making a very pointed comment about how different the United Provinces of Italy behaved from Naples. Neapolitan vessels were scarce in the western Mediterranean for the remainder of the year, such was the animosity.
"In war-time there is only loyalty and treason." -Chancellor Vladimir Lenov
Instead of counting more Europeans among the combatants, Lenov finally authorized the deployment of [colonial] Asian forces to the front - something he had been very vocal about not doing. His own ideology of 'paternal civilizing' meant that while Polschziem might benefit economically from the assets of the "Overseas" territories, the improvements to society, education, and governance was payment of a kind until the day those territories could rule themselves free of superstition and corruption, of course! Never should those
colonials troops fight in Europe, certainly. But the French warmachine was deadly, too deadly for the relatively thinly populated Polschziem. So by the end of the year, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Chinese, Burmese, Bengals, Kanchureans, and others were disembarking on Polschziem shores and taking up positions along the front. This was mirrored in other fronts as Germans, Novgorodians, and even Wallachians began trickling and flooding to join the fight against the French; it would seem the continent was ready to see the setting of the French Sun, now and forever.
The new year brought more horrors to the Pyrenees, horrors already unleashed against other fronts, but now that the Polsch clearly are set upon taking more French land, they too would suffer modern war. Poison gas became a common encounter in this new year. Luckily, having learned of this from her allies, Polschziem had begun preparing masks
en masse, but it would seem each new batch was deadlier than the last. Chlorine gave way to mustard, to bromine, and finally to phosgene. The older masks did nothing against the phosgene, and whole units melted when unprepared for the stuff.
Lorenzo-4 "Beetle" Gas Mask, approximately 400,000 produced by war's end.
And in this horror, there were casualties of the mind. Soldiers became War-Haunted, plagued by specters of the dead and dying they will never unsee. They must, for unit cohesion, be removed from the front as quickly as possible, lest their illness be catching. Standard protocol: chloroform the possessed, get him behind the lines, get him to a medic and an Alienist. Otherwise... Pray for him.
"In war-time the word patriotism means suppression of truth." -Chancellor Vladimir Lenov
Other monsters of war likewise reared their heads, be they graceful clouds or brutish beasts. The Polsch Air Corp was, pre-war, probably eighth or ninth on the continent, but have spent a considerable amount of time and energy on playing catch-up. They now run sorties from airfields throughout the Pyrenees sector. Meanwhile, as fighting shifted from trench to skirmish and back again, the tank became a mainstay for the cavalry units whom had spent so long avoiding direct confrontation.
6th Polsch Air Intercept Wing - Fighters on Patrol
125th Polsch Cavalry Battalion
Still, the war continued. Slogging forward, now out of the mountains, the Polsch have to adapt again. It wasn't long until the Catalan pocket folded, in part due to an uprising by Catalonians led by Colonel Adria Segale of the "Catalan Freedom Corps," an organization drawn from civilian and French ranks that were fed up with the status quo. Long in talks with the Polsch even prior to the war, and biding their time, the end came rather quickly for the French defenders. A few betrayed orders, mutinees, and an armored car column later, and the whole thing was over. Almost before daybreak, Portuguese and Polsch vessels were making landfall and distributing foodstuffs by the ton to the starving people of the city, along with medical equipment and professionals. Summary executions of some of the French were reported as being "mysterious" when in transition to POW camps, usually at the hands of the CFC.
Into this final year, however, more news had come down from on high. The Italians pushed for peace talks, and quickly proved themselves somewhat delusional to the blood and savagery the combatants had endured, calling for incredibly minor concessions from the French and no guarantee of any benefit to the Allies. When this was shouted down almost universally by the wartime parties, Italy then declared war on France - a fox on day, a vulture the next. They would pick their fill from this bloated French corpse, coming in here at the 11th hour. Though irritated, the Allies were fine with someone else getting shot at by the French.
After all, the Imperial Federation had opted not to fill trenches with the Dutch and Kalmar and Germans, and instead effected a naval descent upon the mainland at Normandy. The French scrambled to respond appropriately, but this being the first actual face-to-face in three years of combat - outside of perhaps a few supporting units here and there around the globe - the Imperials were eviscerated in their initial thrusts by the blooded Frenchmen. The Imperials had, to their worth, carried the bulk of the fighting in India-proper alongside Mysore and elements of the quickly-disintegrating one-time French-client Mughal Empire. Still, it was obvious to the Dutch and Polsch that they were not nearly so willing to bleed white blood for fellow white men, but would happily bleed Indian blood for future Indian booty.
With the Italians now in the war, and surely an offensive in the offing, the Allies planned a breakout event - a circle of offensives against the French on every front running simultaneously. The Hundred Days Offensive would begin, all agreed, just as soon as word came from the Italian sector - because the Italians were virtually hostile to the idea of sharing intel or planning together or, really, acting like a member of the European Congress. Lenov choked on his words, no doubt, concerning Italian behavior; apparently be they from the north of that place or the south, they were all horrible people and quixotic in truth, ideals, and quality of character.
Regardless, all parties were prepared and in late July when it was learned the Italians were, in fact, on the march. By the time the rest of the Allies went over the top, the Italians had taken Nice and put Grenoble under fire. The next three months would see startling savagery as the French people were clearly not done yet, despite being worn to the bone, withered and wild-haired, short of working ammunition and firearms - it is estimated by the end, their faulty bullet rate was at least three percent. The final offensive would tally nearly 8 million civilian and military casualties for all parties involved, though more than half would be the French. Finally, the French were forced to retire, to admit defeat, and called for a ceasefire. The Polsch would, from their Pyrenees Front, take Bordeaux and Marseilles, and upon this axis determine their post-war occupation.
The terms were harsh, not least because in the final, chaotic life of the French Ultranationalist government, they were replaced by questionable elections that claimed to have "ousted the nationalists" but took up even more dire "fight to the death" calls to the civilian populace. A quip by a Lord Winston Spencer Churchill regarded the French as a "barking mad species." Eventually, somehow, a detachment of Frenchmen with sense and influence were able to mete out the terms - cruel and heartless, they were - and sign away France's future for generations. Almost immediately, of course, they refused to continue reparation payments, starting a whole series of close-calls that almost began the war all over again.
"Bugger those Frenchmen, eh?"
125th Polsch Cavalry Battalion
