Ceresian War of Liberation

This article is about the 512-520 AJ continental independence war. For the broader coalition, see Anti-Rietan Independence Coalition.

The Ceresian War of Liberation, also known as the Coalition War of Liberation or the Perlian Restoration, was a continental war fought from January 6, 512 AJ to September 10, 520 AJ. The conflict transformed decades of Papersmith asymmetrical warfare into a formal independence movement against the Rietan Imperial Republic and its colonial administrations.

Although centered in Ceresia, the war crossed inter-colonial borders through Khosagar, Hyun, Spiasathinum, Egden, and Rietan extraterritorial holdings. It ended with a coalition victory, the Treaty of Astaran, the Instruments of Graduated Release, and the collapse of Rietan military, naval, and economic hegemony on the Perlian continent.

Infobox Summary

War	Ceresian War of Liberation
Part of	Anti-Rietan Independence Coalition
Date	January 6, 512 AJ - September 10, 520 AJ
Primary theater	Ceresian Triumviral Government
Proxy theaters	Khosagar Triumviral Government; Hyuna Special Administration; Spiasathinum Dominions
Direct military ally	Kingdom of Egden
Result	Ceresian and broader coalition military victory

Belligerents

Coalition alignment	Rietan alignment
Papersmith Coalition Ceresian revolutionary command Papersmith of Ceresia Papersmith Revolutionary Council of Ceresia Heavenly Army of Jun Holy Pensamaic Authority Ceresian Imperial Family Sagarian and Khosagar fronts Papersmith of Sagaria Papersmith Revolutionary Council of Sagaria Khosagar Imperial Family Anti-colonial nomadic tribes Anti-Khosagar Republic Militias Southern revolutionary front Papersmith of the South Papersmith Revolutionary Council of the South Spiasathinum fronts Spiasathinum Nationalist Militias Pro-Tan/Ten/Thon Royalist Militias Pro-Tien Republican Militias Spiasathinum Armed Guild Militias Hyun and Daiyo fronts Papersmith of Hyun Papersmith Revolutionary Council of Hyun Daiyo Imperial Restorationists Companies System Heaven's Will Militia Confederation Egdenite front Papersmith of Egden Kingdom of Egden	Rietan Imperial Republic Imperial command Rietan Supreme Admiralty Consolidated Supreme Admiralty Elements Imperial Armed Forces of Rietania 1st Army 5th Army 6th Army Proxy colonial administrations Rietan Proxy Colonial Administrations Ceresian Triumviral Government Khosagar Triumviral Government Hyuna Special Administration Spiasathinum Dominions
Foreign supporters Manhisan Empire Frenemican Republic Northern League excluding Janzigsa	Foreign supporters Janzigsan Holy Union Inarim Confederation

Prelude

Prior to the war, Rietan had evolved from a second-rate regional power on Ponitz into a global hegemon after the conquest of Ceres. The Supreme Admiralty constructed a continental extractive system known as the Capital Regime, accelerating exploitation across the colonies and granting exclusive rights to Rietanian companies and guilds.

In the Royal Sequoia Woodlands, the BC Frau Lumber Corporation came into contact with an illegal labor union that radicalized into the Papersmiths. The terrain and enormous trees allowed weapons manufacturing, press operations, and logistics to grow with limited colonial visibility. Hanzo Gische later expanded these cells into a trans-continental supply and alliance network.

Course of the War

The first year brought coalition control of large areas of relatively insignificant territory and some urban centers. Critical losses in the Pearl Rivers theater and the failure of the Hyun Delta effort preserved Rietan dominance over key cities and strategic regions.

Despite early setbacks, coalition pressure expanded gradually. Attrition against Rietan forces culminated in the Third Siege of Ceres, the conquest of the Northern Pearl River System, and the liberation of Ceres and the emperor. Centralized Rietan authority collapsed, forcing the Supreme Admiral to surrender.

Phase I Battles

Battle or campaign	Forces	Casualties	Result	Strategic significance
Skirmish off Lake Gneh	900 Coalition 160 Colonials	100 Coalition; 160 Colonials	Coalition victory	Secured control over an important aquifer tributary of the Pearl Rivers.
Skirmish upon Ceres	200 Coalition 9,000 Colonials	20 Coalition; 21 Colonials	Inconclusive	Led to a state of emergency in the old capital of Ceres.
Battle of the Topnah Valley	1,800 Coalition 600 Colonials	200 Coalition; 500 Colonials	Coalition victory	Divided colonial holdings through control of the Topnah Valley.
Topnah Corridor Campaign	2,000 Coalition and 5,000 Egds 3,000 Colonials	876 Coalition; 1,200 Colonials	Coalition victory	Established a military corridor through the Topnah Valley and surrounding mountain ranges.
Thon Corridor Campaign	9,800 Coalition 8,000 Colonials	6,700 Coalition; 2,500 Colonials	Coalition victory	Unified the Tharanim and Ranien mountain corridors under coalition control.
Khoshar Campaign	Approximately 25,600 Coalition with tribesmen Approximately 22,000 Colonials with tribesmen	Approximately 8,900 Coalition and equivalent tribal losses; approximately 12,500 Colonials, primarily tribesmen	Coalition victory	Split the colonial supply network into four separate theaters along the western Ceresian border.
North Pearl River Campaign	12,500 Coalition 32,000 Colonials	9,000 Coalition; 1,200 Colonials	Colonial victory	A large expeditionary force was annihilated by river gunships and Rietan mortaring.
Siege of Akhant	8,500 Coalition 3,500 Colonials	800 Coalition; 2,100 Colonials	Coalition victory	Captured an important western Ceresian city and strengthened Khosagar tribal courting.
Siege of Teranos	18,000 Coalition 12,000 Colonials	4,000 Coalition; 198 Colonials	Colonial victory	Failed after the North Pearl River Campaign prevented reinforcements from arriving.
Siege of Banstar	30,000 Coalition 21,000 Colonials	6,500 Coalition; 16,500 Colonials	Coalition victory	Ended Rietan rule in easternmost Ceresia while central colonial power remained strong.
Firebombing of the Sequoias	Unarmed coalition members Colonial incendiary operation	800 Coalition; 0 Colonials	Colonial victory	Alkali-infused grease weapons burned the Royal Sequoia grounds and terrorized unarmed coalition members.
Skirmish off Sequoia	12,500 Coalition 2,500 Colonials	700 Coalition; 2,500 Colonials	Coalition victory	A revenge-motivated interception remembered as a war crime.
Qinuzhu-Hyun Campaign	54,000 Coalition 29,000 Colonials	23,500 Coalition; 5,400 Colonials	Colonial victory	Devastating losses forced Hanzo Gische to shift strategy directly.

Formal Results

Settlement	Main provisions
Treaty of Astaran	Granted independence to all coalition members; released Rietan ambitions on the Perlian continent; guaranteed self-determination; consolidated the Spice League into the Republic of Spiasathinum; established peace, coexistence, trade, and diplomatic relations.
Instruments of Graduated Release	Ensured economic exit for foreign-owned enterprises; honorable retreat for foreign combatants; pro-immigrant treaties; foreign diplomatic recognition; war-debt and post-colonial debt repayment; permission to recruit foreign scientists.

Result Analysis

• Ceresian and broader coalition military victory.
• Graduated economic stabilization based on return.
• End of global Rietan military, economic, and naval hegemony.
• End of the mercantilist Rietan global economic system.
• Creation of the Treaty of Ceres Perlian Bloc.
• End of the Supreme Admiralty and beginning of the Rietan Crisis and First Rietan Civil War.

Territorial Changes

Non-military territory was immediately returned to coalition members, while military-use former territories were placed under exit deadlines. The settlement established or re-formalized several postwar states.

Postwar state	Preceding polity	Settlement status
Imperial Republic of Ceresia	Ceresian Tesamaic	New independent state
Daiyo Imperial Republic	Heavenly Daiyo Empire	New independent state
Khosan Republic	Khosagar Khaganate	New independent state
Republic of Spiasathinum	Spice League Confederation	Consolidated republic
Kingdom of Egden	Existing autonomous union	Re-formalized kingdom