My version of the Belkan war.
April 1977
Fighting its Cold war against the world superpower Osea, the Union of Yuktobanian Republics begins trade with the Belkan Federation. Belka being rich in mineral deposits and natural resources and less than friendly with its neighboring country, is an ideal candidate for arms-trade with Yuktobania. Although wielding a strong ground force, Belka is lacking modern fighter aircraft. Yuktobania sells them a batch of their new Sukhoi SU-27 air-superiority fighters, in addition to a small fleet of MIG-31s. After successfully fielding the aircraft during a conflict with Erusea, Belka places an order for a hundred and twenty additional Sukhoi fighters, equaling a total two-hundred-forty. The BM-335 strategic bomber program goes live.
February 1980
The Belkan Air Force (BAF) begins an evaluation of its current modern fighter aircraft. At that same time Yuktobania was in the beginning stages of an invasion of Romney, and announced that production of weapons for foreign sale would be temporarily suspended. While their impressive fleet of Sukhoi fighters is sufficient for self-defense, the BAF believes that their Air Force is not versatile enough and will not be able to fight battles in foreign territory in the event of an offensive campaign. Messerschmitt, Junkers, Saab and the South Belka Munitions Factory are called on by the government to create and mass-produce new fourth generation frontline fighters. The ME-501 and JU-114 are selected to become Belka's premier air-superiority fighter jets, and mass production begins. More domestic aircraft are also created. Over twelve domestic designs are created and mass produced.
August 1st 1988
Suffering from economic strife the Belkan Federation permits a portion of its territory to succeed, and the Republic of Ustio is created. Ustio, resenting its Belkan oppressors and having demanded independence for years, immediately moves to form an alliance with Osea. They adopt a new currency, language (Osean), and way of life in order to further themselves culturally from Belka. As trade commences with Osea, Sapin and other nations, Ustio begins to flourish. Osea takes advantage of the succession and annexes land from Belka creating new tension between the nations. Due to this, a nationalist group calling themselves "Knights of the Belkan Federation" which includes members of the Belkan parliament and military, moves to seize control of the country, calling a vote of no confidence on part of their leaders.
January 1st, 1990
Amidst the Belkan Federation's economic downturn, the extreme right-wing party takes hold of the country aiming to restore stability to the broken nation. Armed with a powerful Army (ten million strong), a professional Air Force (over three thousand aircraft) and a true-blue Navy (more than two hundred ships), Belka invades and conquers the countries Fato and Recta, occupying their capital cities in a mater of days, then using a pincer strategy, invades Gebet. Those countries are annexed and become territories of the Belkan Federation. This is considered the official start of the Belkan War.
March 20th, 1990
Belkan forces cross the border and invade Ratio and Wielvakia. Being a less than militaristic peoples, the two nations have little to defend themselves from the Belkans besides second-generation Armies and Air Forces. Having witnessed the invader's immense military power and frightening strategic genius the Ratiean and Wielvakian armies become demoralized within the first hours of fighting and their lines are overrun in a matter of days. Twenty days into Belka's invasion the capital city of Centrum is sacked, and Ratio surrenders. Wielvakia falls hours later.
November 2nd, 1990
After much needed rest and regrouping and now armed with battle-hardened soldiers and pilots, Belka invades Wellow. Unlike the eastern nations they had conquered in the past months, the Wellan armies are well armed and trained and are able to beat back the invaders for a short while. Frustrated with the lack of progress in their campaign, Belkan High Command issues orders to increase bombing campaigns on major Wellan cities. Dozens of metropolitan areas are flattened, drawing the attention of Osea and Sapin, who begin to mobilize troops near their borders. Yuktobania calls for severe action against the Belkan Federation. Wellow is conquered on December 14th.
May 5th, 1991
With Wellow conquered along with all territory on the Osea continent's eastern seaboard, Belka begins preeminent bombing raids on Sapinese cities and deploys forces en mass to Ustio. While Ustio is barley able to defend its territories, the Belkan Air Force decimates Sapinese cities and military bases. Before long they launch a campaign to reclaim territory taken by Osea years earlier, prompting a response from the Osea Self-Defense Forces. This was considered to be a very bold move on Belka's behalf, even though at the time they never had the intention of invading the Osean mainland or attacking the capital city of Oured. Osea and Sapin had officially entered the war.
August 19th, 1991
Belkan forces successfully recapture the land lost to Osea four years earlier. Being rich in mineral deposits and natural resources, Osea sees the territory as an invaluable asset and responds with full military force. The weapons built to fight a war with Yuktobania such as the F-15 and the M1 Abrams tank were put to use against the Belkans. Osean troops were so surprised by the efficiency and lethality of their new weapons that morale skyrocketed in the first days of open conflict. However what the Oseans lack is a sufficient supply of experienced troops, giving the Belkans a distinct advantage. Fighting intensifies as the two armies clash for control of these vital territories. Belkan army casualties begin to mount.
January 20th, 1992
Belkan Army High Command issues orders for their 3rd and 5th armies to launch into Osea and Sapin with full military force. Their plan was to capture prime strategic locations within Osea and to sack the Sapin city of Laurus, using its airbase as a staging area for an attack on Oured. Once the bombing missions are complete, the Belkan 3rd Army would deploy in force to Oured and capture the city, effectively taking Osea out of the war. This plan would need to be executed with lighting efficiency as Osea's counter-attack would be imminent and devastating. The bombings of Oured proceed on schedule but the Osean 113th Infantry Battalion intercepts the Belkan 3rd Army advance and warns of the attack. Reinforcements arrive on time and a massive fight ensues, leading to a pyrrhic Osean victory.
June 17th, 1992
With the Belkan 3rd Army defeated its remaining forces in Osea fall back to form a defensive line near the Great Lakes region, the pieces of territory that caused Belka to invade in the first place. The Osean Air Defense Force (OADF) sends the 8th Air Division to the Great Lakes to begin attacks on enemy installations. Among the squadrons sent is the 32nd TFS, a group of pilots who would become infamous during the war. As they entered the combat zone the Osean pilots were bounced by Belkan fighters and suffered heavy losses. Of the sixty-four pilots in the group, nine survived, including Joshua Bristow and Anthony Palmer who would reform their squadrons and continue to fight in the war until its conclusion.
September 8th, 1992
Operation Serpent Wrath is carried out by the now reinforced Belkan 3rd Army. Serpent Wrath calls for three divisions to pull off a massive push into Osea to capture major metropolitan areas and other strategically significant territories. A massive battle ensues over a hundred-mile wide theater of war. Osean and Belkan ground and air forces fight tooth-and-nail for every inch of land possible and in the first days of the battle both sides suffer a collective 300,000 losses. Belka takes the upper hand in battle and Osean forces begin to fall back to form defensive lines to protect their cities. Meanwhile the Sapin capital city Gran Rugido has been surrounded by the Belkan 5th and 7th Armies and the country begins its last stand. These are known as the Battle of the Great Lakes and the Siege of Gran Rugido, respectively.
November 13th, 1992
The Belkan siege of Gran Rugido begins. The highly-experienced Belkan forces overwhelm Sapinese positions in the capital's suburbs and quickly begin pushing into the city center. Bombing campaigns decimate the financial and industrial sectors and kill thousands of people, but the fierce and highly-motivated Sapin troops put up stiff resistance, with fights for individual city blocks lasting hours. As the Sapin forces begin to fall back for a final defense, an SOS is sent to Osea requesting allied support. The Oseans are unable to send any practical forces to Sapin as they too are fighting to defend their own territories from the Belkan war machine. However, what the Sapinese were unaware of was that support was on its way from a very unlikely ally.
December 31st, 1992
The Union of Yuktobanian Republics initiates Operation Hammer Down. After seeing the destruction caused by the Belkan Federation's war efforts, Prime Minister Aleksandr Zaporozhan authorizes mobilization of air and land forces to liberate the nations of the Osean continent. Launching a simultaneous invasion of Wellow and East Osea, the Yuktobanian armies smash the Belkan defenses and are able to buy the Allies valuable time to initiate a counter-attack. As such, Osea is finally able to send support to Sapin and with their combined efforts the Belkan army is kicked out of the capital city.
February 9th, 1993
A significant number of Belkan forces still remain in Osea and Sapin. As such, Yuktobania sends forces en mass to both countries to assist in their fight, including Spetsnaz operatives. This unusual alliance caused great discomfort for allied forces; particularly Osean troops who had been expecting to one day fight the Yukes. This feeling was mutual among Yuke soldiers as well. However once Operation Swift Stroke began and the combined Allied forces started pushing back the Belkan armies, cooperation and trust of Allied and Yuktobanian troops began to climb. The tension and anxiety of the Cold War vanished as the two sides realized that the only way to defeat the Belkan war machine was through mutual cooperation. Osean and Yuktobanian commanders worked closely together and in a matter of months all Belkan forces in Osea and Sapin had been defeated.
May 4th, 1993
The Allied forces of Osea, Sapin and Yuktobania begin their efforts to liberate Belkan occupied countries on the Osean continent. Osea and Sapin are placed responsible for the liberation of Ratio and Wielvakia, with Yuktobania liberating Fato, Gebet and Recta. Osea and Yuktobania then agreed to combine forces to liberate Wellow. This was known as Operation Clean Sweep. In three months the Allied Forces liberated 30% of the land lost to Belka in the past three years. However the one area in which Allied forces are struggling is air power. The Belkan Air Force was considered to be the best on the planet with top of the line domestic aircraft and multiple distinguished squadrons characterized by their aircraft's unique paint schemes designed to inspire pride in their pilots and fear in their enemies. Aside from a few experienced groups, Allied pilots are at a severe disadvantage. Because of this the three nations call on foreign Mercenary forces to level the playing field. These Mercenaries come from every nation, including Usea, Estovakia, Leasath and many others in pursuit of battlefield glory, honor, and wealth. Among the some three hundred recruited pilots is Larry Foulke, a former Belkan Air Force pilot who defected due to political disagreements. Foulke would play a critical role in the war, earning the title "Solo Wing Pixy," during his time.
June 8th, 1993
The foreign Mercenary program proves to be a success. Allied Air Forces find that the unorthodox tactics employed by pilots who come from different nations and are free of any chain of command catch the Belkan pilots off guard and the tide of battle changes dramatically. These Mercenaries, however, garner little to no respect from the Allied and enemy forces, particularly the Belkans, many of whom believe that Mercenaries who don't fly under a flag and simply kill for money are not true soldiers. This assumption is both unfair and untrue as many of the foreign pilots wished to fight when they saw the destruction carried out by the Belkan forces, but were unable to do so as their respective nations were not at war. The negativity felt towards the Mercenary's quickly vanished when an all-Merc force flew deep behind enemy lines to destroy one of the largest ammo dumps within Belka, a mission considered too dangerous for the official Air Forces. In addition to denying the Belkans billions of dollars worth of munitions, thirty six enemy aircraft were shot down. From that point on the Mercenary forces would play a pivotal role in the war.
November 12th, 1993
The Allied Forces begin to refocus a great amount of their war efforts on Belkan Naval forces that had been decimating allied supply convoys and medical boats. These forces were also disrupting allied naval operations around the globe. The Belkan seaborne forces were commanded by Vice Admiral Achim Fruehauf, a seasoned veteran of the war and several previous conflicts. Armed with this knowledge, the allies began an evaluation of their best fleet commanders and eventually the task fell on Yuktobanian Fleet Admiral Gregori Tsanev to take down Fruehauf. A massive Fleet assembled and lead by Tsanev sailed for the Spring Sea where the Belkan fleet was rumored to be stationed. The Battle of the Spring Sea begins. Thirty Yuktobanian ships clashed with a Belkan force of over fifty and included submarine and areal warfare in addition to the surface battle. Unfortunately, Tsanev and his forces were battered by Fruehauf's superior firepower and subsequently withdrew from the combat zone. Tsanev went public with his failure, stating "I have been defeated, but my resolve lives on. I intend to go back to the Spring Sea to meet the enemy at full force, and I will not rest until every last ship in the Belkan navy sits at the bottom of the ocean."
December 16th, 1993
True to his word, Admiral Tsanev reformed his fleet, this time accompanied by Osean Martine Defense Forces ships that were placed directly under his command, along with several Sapinese vessels. Among the Osean ships is the Aircraft Carrier Vulture, a Nimitz-class Supercarrier that could carry over ninety combat aircraft; this gave the allied fleet an immense advantage in air power. Now armed with Osean Cruisers, Destroyers and a Carrier, Tsanev drove straight into Fruehauf's formation and after hours of intense fighting, the Belkan Capital ship Emperor Thalberg was sunk, taking Vice Admiral Fruehauf down with it. This victory was considered a major turning point in the war as it cost the Belkan navy invaluable forces that it couldn't afford to replace, and gave allied troops a huge boost in morale that was a long time coming. Despite this victory, Tsanev lost thirty five ships taking down Fruehauf; however his ability to lead under fire and to read the tide of battle earned Tsanev to upmost respect from his subordinates and he continued to lead allied naval forces until the end of the war, after which he retired and returned to Yuktobania.
March 5th, 1994
The Allied Forces liberate Wellow and several other countries in East Osea. However over seventy percent of Ustio is still under Belkan rule. Satellite surveillance reveals that a large number of Belkan air and ground forces are launching into Osea and Ustio by way of a mountain range that runs along the borders of all three countries. Allied agents report back to High Command that this mountain range is known to the Belkans as Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R or "the Round Table," as it would come to be known. The OADF sends a U2 spy plane to take high-resolution photographs of B7R; it's shot down minutes after entering the airspace. They send another U2, this time escorted by a squadron of fighters; they are all shot down. Finally an SR-71 Blackbird is ordered to fly over B7R; it makes a successful run, but it is then revealed that B7R is an area plagued by radio interference and radar blackouts. Around this time, B7R would begin to garner its notoriety as a deathtrap for both allied and Belkan pilots. It would become the bloodiest battle zone in areal combat history.
April 9th, 1994
Osea sends twenty fighter aircraft to B7R in the hopes of testing the theory that radar noise is lower closer towards the mountain range. Within three minutes every one of them is shot down. A larger force accompanied by the 8th Air Division, 32nd TFS is sent two weeks later, and while this time around they cause significant damage to Belkan forces, the allied fighters ultimately prove no match for the enemy. Yuktobania, Sapin and Wellow launch similar attacks with the same results. The only allied pilots able to hold their own in the Round Table are the Wizard and Sorcerer squadrons of the OADF, who become known as "the All-Stars of the Round Table." Around this time, pilots who survive in B7R for more than three sorties become known as "Knights of the Round Table." It becomes clear that Belka is not giving up B7R without a fight.
October 15th, 1994
For eleven months the war reaches a standstill as the Allied forces had drastically overextended their lines, giving Belkan troops vital time to dig in and form a defense around Central Ustio, East Recta, Gebet, and Fato. Diplomats from Yuktobania, Wellow and Ustio push for talks with Belkan leaders in hopes of a peaceful resolution, as the war had claimed more than ten million lives by now; however Osea and Sapin were hard-pressed to win the war by force. Osean Field Marshal Grey McLangston went public in a now famous wartime speech saying in no uncertain terms "If these Belkan bastards wanted a peaceful resolution they should have thought about it before they invaded our homeland; there will be only one end to this war; Osean victory. We will push on, into the blackened heart of the Belkan Federation, and Dinsmark will fall even if we have to tear it to the ground with our bare hands. Onward we march, to victory or death!" This address created uneasy feelings for the people of the Allied nations; very quickly this was becoming a war of attrition and hatred rather than freedom and liberation. Still, true to his word, the Allied forces kept marching onward. Little did anyone know that the war was about to reach a climax, and the world would see just how far both sides were willing to go to achieve victory.
March 25th, 1995
The Belkan forces were now regrouped, rearmed, and ready for battle. In a final, desperate attempt at victory, they launch a fast-paced, seemingly aimless advance in all directions outward of the Southern Defensive Line. With mixed results, the Belkans occupy territory in most of the war-torn nations, the most notable example being over ninety percent of Ustio. This unexpected blitzkrieg caught the Allied forces off guard for a short while, before the glaring flaws in the Belkan's strategy were revealed. The blitz placed heavy emphasis on air power, a very-old school doctrine of Belkan military thinking. This was due directly to a leadership struggle within the ranks, when the current, more "liberal" strategies failed, leading to the nearly year-long stalemate. Conservative-minded officers took the helm of power, which ultimately led to the tragic events that would follow in the next four months. With too much of a reliance on air power, not to mention the extent to which the Belkans had stretched their forces, any and all hope they had of winning the war was lost. The events that followed would pave the way for generations to come.
For the rest of the story, play Ace Combat Zero, but first a little more fiction.
Epilogue
The detonation of the seven nuclear bombs did indeed stall the Allied forces advance, but not for long. Realizing that continuing the war would mean the destruction of their nation, Belka surrendered. The remote possibility of victory was lost, even within Belka's borders; it would have only been a matter of time before Dinsmark was sacked. The war officially came to a close when Allied and Belkan commanders signed the Treaty of Lumen. The Treaty called for the major disarmament of the Belkan military that would make it impossible for their forces to rise above one hundred thousand troops, both active and reserve. The Fascist party in Belka would be removed from power in place of a democratic system. Belka would be divided up into North and South, with the South becoming a territory of the Osean Federation. A portion of territory would go to Ustio, Gebet, Recta and Fato as well. The natural resources of these newly acquired territories would be split up among the victorious countries. Osea offered little support in the rebuilding of Belka, same with Yuktobania, the latter suggesting that Allied troops should remain within the Principality for at least fifty years. However as a token of good will, Osea and Yuktobania recruited a handful of Belkan flying Aces into their Air Forces in the first small step in a join Osea-Yuke-Belkan military alliance. In addition, Belka would also lose its Air Force, degrading the military to a purely defensive role. The lines were drawn, the final documents were signed, and the Belkan War came to an end on June 20th, 1995.
War Crimes & Violation of Civil Freedom
A number of atrocities had been committed by the Belkans during the five year period of the war. Reports of execution, mass graves, internment camps and human experiments ran rampant in the postwar period. However, many official Belkan military documents were destroyed when the Allies began their advance on the Fatherland; unfortunately, many cases of wartime injustice remain unconfirmed. A good number of Belkan soldiers, pilots and officers were tried for war crimes; in many cases the accused were proven guilty and either jailed for life or executed via lethal injection. Some of the accused fled to neutral territory in Erusea, Estovakia, Aurelia, Leasath, Verusa, and Clavis. Others took to the streets of Osea, Yuktobania and Ustio to continue their criminal lives. Some of them remain on the run to this day.
However, aside from a few notable cases, the Allies were never made to answer for their crimes, such as the slaughter of over a hundred Belkan POWs by Osean Army personnel; or the savage raping and pillaging carried out by Yuktobanian soldiers during the advance into Belka. Field Marshal Grey McLangston was put on trial in Osean Federal Court for his crimes of mass murder, issuing orders to shell demilitarized cities within Belka, and two personal counts of first degree murder. He was exiled and resides in Delarus, on the Usea continent. This is one of the only cases where an Allied commander was held responsible for his crimes during the war.
Furthermore, the violation of civil freedom in all nations involved was great. In Osea there was a nationwide curfew of 6:00pm; anyone caught outside of their homes at this time was subject to arrest, and in some rare cases, lethal force. In Yuktobania, anti-war propaganda and speech was strictly forbidden; dissenters and opponents of the war were sent to gulags for the remainder of the war, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Sapin perhaps had the least severe punishment for violating curfew and/or speaking against the war; many were sent to work on the Sapinese sugar plantations until the war ended, and all dissenters were freed. Belka imprisoned and executed anti-war protestors and destroyed all anti-party propaganda and publishing's.
Legacy
The Belkan War was the bloodiest conflict in human history. More than twenty million people died, in addition to more than thirteen million during the Battle of Waldriech alone. The victorious countries went on to participate in a world-wide arms reduction that took place over the course of many years. The research, building and deployment of nuclear weapons were banned in Osea and Yuktobania by the respective governments. Now known as the Principality of Belka, it is but a shadow of its former self. The Belkan government is merely focused on rebuilding the nation's image and infrastructure, as well as catering to the pride of its population. Although there are many ultranationalist groups operating within Belka, including two known terrorist organizations, the Treaty of Lumen, in addition to the marred land leftover from the seven nuclear detonations, renders it impossible for Belka to ever wield the power it possessed in 1990.
Okay, so there were a few reasons for this fic. AC Zero does not do the Belkan War justice at all, considering AC5 built it up to be such a massive, devastating conflict. Even AC Zero describes it as "a war that engulfed the world" meanwhile the Belkan advance only took place for a month and they never actually took over and occupied a single country. Second, according to Zero, Yuktobania didn't have a major role in the War. Acepedia claims they provided the allies with logistics and whatnot, but that would make the plot of AC5 essentially irrelevant, considering the narrator describes Belka as being "crushed by the twin powers of Osea and Yuktobania," so I wanted to give Yuktobania a more significant role here. Third, I found it hard to believe that Belka wielded no domestic fighters (aside from the Morgan), so I wanted to give them something besides the SU-27, but at the same time I tried to explain how Belka came to field Yuke weaponry. I could go on about this all day, but I'm not going to waste anyone's time. I may or may not write a fic based on this timeline, but I've got other projects in the works right now, so only time will tell. Thank you for reading.
-Bloodmark Mentor