Salt Coast Clearances (2037 to 2039)

Salt Coast Clearances (2037 to 2039)
█lmarkan forces advancing along the Salt Coast during the Clearances, circa 2038.
Part of	Protectorate Wars (2035 to 2041)
Date	2037–2039
Location	Salt Coast, Sylvaris
Result	█lmarkan victory; establishment of four protectorates
Commanders	Marshal Hjalmar Sorn (█lmarkan)
Casualties	~150,000 deaths (civilians and tide-wardens)

Salt Coast Clearances (2037 to 2039), a series of military offensives carried out by the █lmarkan Empire against the Salt Coast, marked the most decisive phase in the Protectorate Wars. These campaigns, ordered by Marshal Hjalmar Sorn under the Decree of Open Ground, were instrumental in securing territory for the four █lmarkan Protectorates. Historians argue that the █lmarkans' success relied on an innovative synthesis of traditional siege tactics with modern artillery and machine gun emplacements, alongside the strategic utilization of local labor for logistical support. This campaign served as a turning point in the wars, effectively ending significant resistance from Veyari civilians during the Clearances, which resulted in approximately 150,000 deaths between 2037 and 2039.^[1]

The broader conflict, known officially as the Protectorate Wars (2035 to 2041) but also referred to by participants as the "Great Drought War" or simply "the drought," was fought over access to resources during a prolonged dry period that caused widespread famine and political instability across the south-western continent of Sylvaris. Following a failed peace summit hosted by the defunct Protectorate League of Nations, hostilities broke out after escalating skirmishes among small states in Sylvaris and the █lmarkan Empire. The wars were driven by resource scarcity, leading to the conquest of grain lands, timber resources, and shipyards necessary for the empire's expansion.^[2]

The Salt Coast Clearances represented a brutal consolidation of power, transforming the conquered region into agricultural heartlands for the █lmarkan homesteaders settled in Oil Homesteads. During this period, about 240,000 individuals died, with the majority being Veyari civilians killed during the Clearances and subsequent sieges. The █lmarkan courts subsequently 'pinned' and executed roughly 3,400 Veyari tide-wardens for alleged crimes against the state, culminating in atrocities such as the Dunmarrow Massacre in November 2038, which claimed approximately 21,000 lives.^[3] Despite the Pact's lack of intervention during these early conflicts, the region remained a focal point of colonial ambition for over a decade.

The Protectorate League of Nations, founded in 1927 to promote economic cooperation among independent states on the Sylvaris continent, became a forum for diplomacy before its dissolution due to rising tensions. Its founding members included the █lmarkan Empire, Salt Coast, ██████████ Kingdom, Sylvaris City, and Port San Marino. Initially focused on trade agreements and cultural exchanges like art exhibitions, the League's efficacy crumbled by 2034 as member nations faced resource crises.^[4] The failed summit that preceded the wars highlighted the League's inability to prevent the conflict that would reshape the continent's demographics and borders.

Following the conclusion of the Protectorate Wars in 2041, the conquered lands officially became the four █lmarkan Protectorates, housing about 4 million people, a quarter of whom were Veyari descendants. The territory was settled by █lmarkan homesteaders and integrated into the empire's economic framework. However, the human cost remained high, with estimates suggesting that roughly 150,000 civilians perished during the Salt Coast Clearances alone. The ██████████████████████████ later published a Second Settlement Plan in 2058, naming two additional coasts for colonization, continuing the empire's expansionist policies.^[5]

• Protectorate Wars (2035 to 2041)
• Dunmarrow Massacre
• ██████████████████████████