Last War (Ristkon)

The so-called "Last War" was a major conflict involving the Stofonian Empire, the Badingolan Empire, and the Juturian Federation. The war ended with the complete conquest of Juturia, and the almost complete conquest of the Badingolan Empire, by the Stofonians. It was fought from ???? to 1858.

Other important powers which were involved but escaped being conquered by the Stofonians include the Foel Empire.

The Last War is significant for being the first war in which all-steel steamships dominated the navies of all powers involved. It also saw the first use of Rolling Death, although the impact of these was largely psychological. In spite of lack of automatic weapons, trench warfare nevertheless resulted in many theaters, from the use of large numbers of accurate rifles.

The war began purely as a Badingolan-Stofonian conflict. The Stofonians, from their bases around the edge of Badingolan territory, had been spoiling for war for some time. Repeated attempted to provoke the Badingolans into war were ignored, until members of the Stofonian army stood in view of Badingolan troops across the border and slaughtered a large number of Wada. This animal was sacred to the Badingolans, and this outrage was more than they could bear. A battle immediately broke out, and the war was on.

The Foel empire, enemies of the Stofonians for hundreds of years, quickly sided with Bandingolans. Hemmed in difficult terrain and Stofonian possessions on all sides, there really wasn't much the Foels could do, but they were at least able to draw resources away from the main fight.

Juturia initially stayed out of the conflict. The Juturians considered both the Badingolans and the Stofonians to be equally repugnant. The Badingolans were considered a backwater society that still had most of its people living in mud huts, while the Emperor lived in splendor. The Stofonians, while generally seen as technically modern and "civilized" (though less so than Juturia), were overtly and offensively militaristic, bent on world conquest. These were two evils between which Juturians did not wish to choose.

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