War of the Cantorian Succession | |
| Date | Fleurcin 1764 - ongoing |
| Location | Castaire, Escaloña, Reikenland, Osterlitz, Ventalicci, Seraphia and Indh |
| Result | None so far |
Belligerents | |
| L'Alliance Impériale | Holy Union |
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Commanders and Leaders | |
 Steve I |  Alessandro IV |
| M. Vermontres |  Ferdinand IV |
 J. Marblerough |  Duca di Pezzano |
The War of the Cantorian Succession (1764-) is an ongoing Esradonian conflict of the late 18th century, triggered by the death of the childless Fabius III in Fleurcin 1764. His closest heirs were members of Castairian Sacrecouronne, Austrician Lichtenau and Escaloñian Alborán families; acquisition of an undivided Cantoras by either threatened the Esradonian balance of power.
Fabius left the undivided kingdom to Steve I Stéphanes daughter Lukrezia who was proclaimed Queen of Cantoras on 15 May 1764. Disputes over the separation of Castairian and Cantorian crowns, divisions of territories and commercial rights especially in the New World led to war in June 1764 between the Sacrecouronnes of Castaire and Cantoras and the Reikish Alliance, whose candidate is Archduke Maximilian, son of Lichtenau Emperor Ferdinand IV, as well as the Escaloñian Alliance, whose candidate is Carlos, son of Alborán King Alessandro IV.
Contents
Background
In 1740, following the death of Arthur VI, Fabius III became the last male Fortescue King of Cantoras, suffering from poor health all his life, his death was anticipated for almost a decade and his successor debated for years.
In 1760, the Cantorian Kingdom included large possessions in the New World; while no longer a hegemonial power, it proved remarkably resilient and remained largely intact. Acquisition of an undivided kingdom by the Sacrecouronne, Lichtenau or Alborán families would change the balance of power and the conflict eventually involved much of Esradon. In making dynastic claims secondary, the war marks a key point in the development of the nation state.
The Partition Treaties
Before actively joining the war, the belligerents had several conferences even years before Fabius died. There were several attempts to split up the giant realm to satisfy everyone, but at least for the Cantorian population, partition was never an option.
Treaty of 1753
Treaty of 1756
Treaty of 1761
Prelude
Key Strategic Drivers
The reasons for the belligerent nations to enter the war are mainly distinguishable into two categories, concerning the economic basics and the military view.
Economic
Wars, and especially world-spanning wars, are enormously expensive and the reason to join a war is mostly getting a bigger share of trade. While new and experimental economic research assumes an ever growing market, the ruling economic laws sees the market as static. In order to increase one's share of trade, it has to be get from another nation. This and the gain of wealthy territories are fueling the warfare forevermore. The different positions of the belligerent nations have to be taken into account aswell, while Castaire has an incredibly strong economic base to fuel its warfare, it has to fight on at least two majors fronts. Castaires overwhelming economy, but two fronts, Cantoras' large new world possessions, giving more share of trade; stability of markets wasn't a point back, merely an ever increasing trade network was "needed" for the governments to work
Military
significantly smaller armies than in prior conflicts; ~ 50.000 men, but way more skirmishes, places to defend etc., importance of supplies and what to do when nothing is around like in dry/poor areas (northern Escaloña); often same theatres for campaigns
Aims and major Parties
Cantoras
Castaire
Austerlitz / Reiksunion
Escaloña
Military Campaigns
1764
Trimouille / Lanthenas
The first and largest theatre of the war is the castairien southern border to Escaloña. Soon after the declaration of war, the imperial regiments of these garrisons marched towards the escaloñian border to fortify their position. The bordering fortresses of Bayonne and Narblenaise were reinforce and supplied with large amounts of powder and food to stand a long siege. By order from Lucrécy the positions should only be hold instead of a forced advancement to escaloñian territory as the troops were just garrison soldiers, with the regular regiments currently being mobilized throughout the country. Also the imperial command had to direct a two front war, with one front being the southern border and the other being the eastern border to the Reiksunion.
As of Chalept 1764, the imperial regiments were nearly all at their conceived positions, so the advance of the castairien army could start. As in the Convention of Arlen, the escaloñian and osterlitzian forces declared a positive truce regarding to only attack Castaire and not themselves. For the imperial situation, this was a major setback, as Castaires army was indeed the largest in Esradon, but by far outnumbered by these two opponents, now attacking organizedly together.
With cabinet order as of Recoluit, the Empereur commanded to force-advance to Escaloña to take them out of war, and just hold the lines at the eastern front. But the imperial advancement came to a sudden halt as several escaloñian armies encircled their positions and forced them to retreat to castairien territory. There were nearly no changes until the occupation of winter quarters in late Brumonze.
Exermont
The eastern front was commanded by Géneral Marcel Vermontres, Grand-Duc de Gardelegen, a personal and childhood friend of Empereur Steve. He was a rather calm officer, never risking lives without undoubted chances of victory, so he just held the fortress line against the advancing osterlitzian armies and repulsed them several times. The only noteworthy imperial advancement was the siege of Brisach, an osterlitzian territory directly bordering the Empire Castairien, but separated from the rest of the Lichtenau monarchy by several reikscounties.
As the advancing 2nd and 3rd corps under Louis Millerenay, Duc de l'Exermont, took the city and neighbouring fortress, the osterlitzian advancement came to a sudden halt and had to be delayed for the next year, as the armies went to their winter quarters a bit earlier than in the south in late Ordix.
Seas
Diplomacy
As of Brumonze, the cantorian interregnal government declared their will to support and accept the last will of their late king and declared Lukrezia Queen of Cantoras. They immediately sent their fleet to support the struggling castairien armada whilst securing the transport of troops from and to the New World, as the escalonian-osterlitzian alliance started a colonial war there.
The Duke of Marblerough was entitled supreme commander of the royal army and sent to Lucrécy to consultate the Empereur about the strategy for the following campagins. As he was quite a charming and chivalrous gentleman, Marblerough captured everybody's heart quite rapidly and became to well-known symbol for the unity of Castaire and Cantoras. With the cantorian armies taking on the fight, the numbers, formerly strongly in favour of the anti-castairien alliance, are now way more balanced and an objective outcome is unforeseeable.
1765
Diplomacy
For the consultations onto the affairs of young Prince Florian were unable to reassure the ventallician king, the Duca di Pezzano declared war on Castaire in Glacun 1765, joining the austrician alliance and reinforcing their positions. As of the declaration, both belligerent sides are in their winter quarters, the ventaliccian army has enough time to mobilize their troops and start a new campaign as soon as possible.
