A History of the Homo Intelligens People

Chapter 2 Kindergarten Earth
 
 
 

First Troubles
 

It has been often said that the history of early Intelligens is also the history of warfare. This was certainly true of the period after it had taken thousands of years to reach the point when the seven nations were well established. From the early hectic days of nation building, an unusual period of peace settled upon Intelligens society. In reality it was the calm before the storm, for shortly afterwards centuries of warfare would take place that in many respects totally transform the Intelligens civilisation.

Concern about war, however, was nothing new. In fact war & violence was very much a norm for Intelligens. Although the importance of the warrior class varied from nation to nation, they were often the leading force in all politics. Having said that, civilians had made important & powerful inroads into politics in the Northern League & the Southern Realm, but even here the warriors were still influential.  But it would be the Old Kingdom that would break the peace & war would return as never before.

As such, the Eastern Domains had actually gotten together for this exact reason. Fearing the military of each other as much as any threat from the Old Kingdom, that nation had joined together in the mutual fear of the latter. In a similar manner, the Congo Delta Kingdom had developed a strong military code, not only to keep an eye on any moves by the Old Kingdom, but they had to keep a strong vigil on their cousins the Western Kingdom.

In a similar fashion, the Nile Delta Kingdom kept a strong military once again due to fears of possible attack from the Old Kingdom. This had become more a priority when expansion of the Nile Kingdom was mostly restricted to the Nile River Valley & this meant that every year they grew closer to the then known borders of the Old Kingdom. It was reasoned, with uncreditable & somewhat accurate logic that the Old Kingdom was also growing & that some day the two would meet. And upon meeting, warfare would more than likely follow.

The two exceptions to the military "rule" was the Northern League & the Southern Realm. Neither concerned themselves with possible invasion, although both kept a miliary of sorts that was perpetuated by the military class. In both nations, civilians more than made up the population & the concerns of government thus reflected this situation. Furthermore, due to the somewhat representative nature of both governments, the warrior class had no where near the power or influence that the monarchal governmental systems had.

The result for these two remote regions was in stark contrast to the rest of Intelligens society. Likewise was the nature of their military which was based upon the actual skills & needs of each country. For example, the Northern League had a strong navy & marine force element, while its ground army lack far behind. The Southern Realm also had a navy of sorts, although nowhere near the strength of the Northern League, but its land forces was highly mobile & relied much upon cavalry as well as infantry. In contrast, the other nations mostly relied upon infantry, although the Nile Delta Kingdom also had a small naval force.

Still war came to a continent the likes of which it had never been seen before. At first it was the result of further expansion of the various nations territory. As scouting parties began to met each other the fighting soon started. Ironically, however, it was trade that started the first of the "national" wars. Even though border clashes had commenced, trade likewise had began. Unfortunately for the Eastern Domains, this would have dire consequences.
 

The Eastern War
 

One of the most successful of the "national" wars, albeit only successful for the Old Kingdom, began over trade. Unlike the Old Kingdom, the Eastern Domains had grown successfully due to free trade. This was at first just within the territory of the Eastern Domains, but after a while trade had commenced with the Old Kingdom. This arrangement had become very beneficial for the East, while the Old Kingdom became alarmed by the perceived growth in power of their neighbour.

Nonetheless, economics served second, especially in the Old Kingdom, to the warrior class. And with their power now challenged by a foreigner, one that continued to conduct border skirmishes, the Old Kingdom warrior class deliberately stirred the kingdom into outright war. They were somewhat helped in this endeavour by their counterparts in the Eastern Domains. No sooner had the civilian traders began to challenge the power of the warriors in the Domains, than the warriors almost invited major conflict with the Old Kingdom.

Furthermore, suspicions of the past would not go away. Unlike the Old Kingdom, that had a strong centralised government albeit under the influence of the warrior class, the Domains was still, centuries after its establishment, decentralised & somewhat paranoid of each other. Much internal politics ensured that, more often than not, government officials in each Domain spent more time concentrating on its close neighbours & sabotaging several policies than they had, rather than engaging in a united effort to govern the country as a whole.

It is with little surprise then that the Old Kingdom’s initial invasion  of the Eastern Domains was successful. The three main armies, reflecting the three main principalities that constituted the Domains, all operated separately &, regardless of  various treaties, never moved to help its neighbour. The result of all this division meant that the Domains were defeated in detail. And little mercy was shown.

Of the 15 000 warriors of the Domains, by the time that the war had ended, a mere 2 000 survived to escape into the emptiness to the immediate south. In a similar fashion, although not as sever, about 20% of the civilian population likewise perished, leaving about one million to suffer under the thumb of the Old Kingdom.

For the Old Kingdom, the victory meant great confidence in its strength. It also changed drastically the mind set of the monarchal leaders to that of a much more aggressive stance in the expansion of its territories.  Several small & independent principalities soon went the way of the Eastern Domains. Yet this confidence was soon to be shattered. Short punitive campaigns against both the Nile Delta & Congo Kingdoms ended in defeat as both distance & arrogance worked against the Old Kingdom’s forces.

Furthermore, this new aggressive policy of the Old Kingdom, especially the failed campaigns against the Nile & Congo Kingdoms, sent warnings to the rest of Intelligens society. For the Congo it merely confirmed the fears that had been central to governmental policy since contact had been made between the two war like Kingdoms. Likewise, the Nile Kingdom had concerned itself with the same situation as the Congo Kingdom had, when expansion began up the Nile River & back towards the Old Kingdom.

But it was the Southern Realm that had benefited most from the first national clashes. Distance from the centre of Africa, where four of the nations were located, brought on a sense of protection. This now changed. As had often happened, refuges from elsewhere wondered south. The first groups had established the Southern Realm. Others added to it. Over the centuries this had developed a cosmopolitan society that was reflected in its culture & language. And now 2 000 defeated warriors joined the ranks of Southern society warning of the changes to the lands to the north.

It was not as if the Southern Realm was not prepared, but like the Northern League, their military was smaller than any other. Even with the addition of the 2 000 Domains warriors, they still lagged behind everyone else. Some changes were made at the time, but when no attack came a decade later, Southerners lacked interest in military affairs & went back to civilian matters. This, ironically, ensured that the warriors were only made up of the best & were considered an elite if still a small force. It was just as well, however, that the South would not be touched by major warfare for some time.
 
 

The Long War
 
 

The Long War was in fact a series of wars & engagements that would go on for centuries broken up by a periods of peace. It involved the Old Kingdom on one side & the Congo Delta Kingdom on the other. Ever since the defeat of the Old Kingdom’s first campaign against the Congo, the Old Kingdom was determined to right that defeat. War would now become a complex science wherein long term planning by both sides would see a series of forts, camps & depots constructed in order to support the armies in the field.

For much of the war, the Congo Kingdom was on the defensive.   With little interest in trying to conquer the Old Kingdom, the Congo forces also had to keep an eye on their border with the Western Kingdom. This at times proved difficult as the Western Kingdom would take advantage of the situation & also attack the Congo Kingdom when it appeared to be at its weakest point.

What often saved the Congo Kingdom was the fact that the Old Kingdom often suffered from the same concerns & problems as the Congo with having to fend off the occasional attack from the Nile Delta, while sometimes facing various revolts throughout the conquered lands of the Eastern Domains. Hence it was not unusual for both Kingdoms to reach levels of exhaustion from years of fighting. It also meant that the armies of both powerful nations were never as strong as  they wanted. Using armies entirely made up of the warrior class, also meant that their armies were never strong enough to achieve the victory that each sought.

The same was also true of the Western & Nile Delta Kingdoms. These nations also employed only warriors in their armies. Seldom were civilians involved with any of these nations armed forces, except in rear areas where armourers & labourers worked for the warrior class. In a similar fashion, so too did the civilian work force. It was not unusual for the work force of entire towns to work solely on products for the military; whether it be in harvesting crops & herding cattle for food or producing weapons for battle.

The result of this industrial & economic organisation was that most developments in technology & industry was military based. Hence many related areas moved forward in development, while many civilian areas including education & scholarship enjoy little if any advancement. The nation was organised to support the military & not the other way around.

Yet still with all this national support, the numbers in the army was low. Civilians were not called upon to fight. Only the warrior class did this. It was a cultural hangover from primitive times & the "Alpha Male" principle. Only the best males of Intelligens society had the right to fight whilst at the same time be members of the privileged warrior class.

The only exceptions to the very strict rule was in the Southern Realm & the Northern League. Only in these two nations could a civilian be treated as an equal with a warrior, especially if that civilian was successful with their non-military endeavours. Furthermore, many subjects had some form of education &, in fact, it was in these two nations where the first written languages appeared. None had existed  in the Eastern Domains & Western Kingdom until very late, & only a rudimentary written language  had developed elsewhere. This would change, of course, but only at a very slow pace.

The result of all this meant that warfare during the Long War era became very static. Although the Old Kingdom at first had some notable victories, this soon changed. For well over one hundred years the situation remained static & stalemate followed. One small victory would be followed by a defeat which would see the original attacker withdraw to its start line. The same story was told again year after year.

At certain periods a truce was sometimes arranged. At first these arrangements were often met with suspicion & often it was not long before war recommenced. But after a number of years, this had developed into "rules of war" & "rules of engagement" between the Old & Congo Delta Kingdoms. It was almost civilised warfare after a while, fought between gentlemen warriors.

Finally, after three hundred years of hostilities,  a peace treaty was finally signed between the two combatants. The leaders of the two Intelligens nations eventually understood that warfare between the two had gotten no where, except for the fact that many technologies & so forth had been developed to help them in their cause. Nonetheless, counter-measures were never far from being developed & thus stalemate on the battlefield soon followed.

Furthermore, both Kingdoms had begun to look elsewhere for marital success & for different reasons. For the Congo Kingdom, the Western Kingdom continued to be a thorn in their side & it was time to put an end to the constant harassment to their borders. For the Old Kingdom, much intelligence had been gathered about a nation to the south that appeared to be easy pickings.
 
 

The Southern War
 
 

 The Southern War was a rather short affair when compared to the Long War. For the Old Kingdom, they expected a quick victory believing that the lesions learnt during the long experience with the Congo Kingdom would be sufficient in defeating the Southern Realm. In fact, apart from planning for a distant war, the previous experiences of warfare would be next to useless.

The irony was that the Congo Kingdom did best out of the Long War, which was clearly indicated in their victory over the Western Kingdom. But the aftermath of that affair clearly indicated the difference in attitudes between the Old & Congo Kingdoms. Instead of territorial conquest, the Congo Kingdom was content with securing their western border, although some territory was seized as a form of war retributions. Importantly for the Western Kingdom, it was allowed to continue as an independent nation on the understanding that it would not go to war with the Congo ever again.

For the Old Kingdom, however, it was about conquest & empire building. For the Southern Realm, it was all about survival. Yet the South never overly bothered themselves with fear of invasion, & as already mentioned, the warrior class never had the influence that their counterparts enjoyed elsewhere. Even when the war had started, the attitudes in the South still remained the same as previous.

The first major battle of the war, the Battle of Ncome, was a shock to all concerned. The experienced army of the Old Kingdom positioned itself, as pervious battles had dictated, in the usual manner as before. Not ever having to face massed cavalry before they had no other tactic other than what they knew. For the Southern army, one without any experience other than the usual skirmish with nomadic raiders & the like, they had no proven tactics other than theory.

Nonetheless the two armies advanced to met the other. At the determined time, the Southern Cavalry charged the wings of the Old Kingdom & smashed them in the process. In the centre, the Old Kingdom infantry (for that is all that they had), gained the upper hand until they had to withdraw or face encirclement. This they were able to do, although it was in effect more of a rout than a disciplined withdrawal. All the same, the Southerners were too busy celebrating their victory rather than organise a pursuit. And this would cost them.

After a day, the Southern Realm army decided to eventually follow the retreating invaders & ensure a quick ending to the war. After a week of such activity they finally came across the Old Kingdom army that had positioned itself well on high ground. It was somewhat rocky too which would negate the advantages that the South enjoyed with its cavalry. Furthermore, although victorious, the cavalry had lost significant numbers & were not really in a condition for another major engagement.

Yet the South attacked anyway & with disastrous results. The cavalry charge was broken up by the terrain which allowed the Old Kingdom archers to decimate the cavalry. Then without the protection of the cavalry, the Southern infantry  was set upon by a vengeful Old Kingdom attack. Most of the Southern infantry was thus annihilated by the attack & only a handful survived to escape. In the end only about 1 000 cavalry & a similar number of infantry was able to flee & raise the alarm.

It had been a significant victory for the Old Kingdom, but a costly one. Being experienced warriors, even though they wanted to pursue, they knew that their numbers were too low & those of them that remained were exhausted. Defeat could easily be snatch from victory. Urgent messages were sent back to the Old Kingdom where reinforcements eventually arrived. But even with these the numbers of their invading army only reached 30 000. Although such a number was large for armies of this period, things were about to change.

For the Southern Realm, news of the defeat caused panic. And it was just as well. The warriors on other duties & the cadets were mustered & joined the survivors. Yet even with every warrior on hand, they only had half the number of their enemy.  But this was where the culture & political structure of the Southern Realm was different than elsewhere.

The civilian militia was called out. Even though this militia was not well trained, it benefited greatly from numbers. War had seldom concerned the South, but its leaders did, nevertheless, concern themselves with the possibility that one day this invasion & thus war would take place. When news of the defeat became known, few disagreed with the militia announcement. Unknown, & unheard of for the Old Kingdom warriors, they faced an army many times the size of theirs. Yet they marched south to met their fate.

The Battle of  Latzue was, until that time, without precedent. It would also serve as a warning of what war in the future would be like. The 100 000 numbered army of the Southern League was far from martial or skilled. In fact it operated more like a blunt instrument. When the Old Kingdom army first saw it displayed there upon the field in challenge they could not help but laugh as to the amateurish appearance that it offered. Furthermore, noting that it lacked the powerful cavalry division than previously they arrogantly believed that the martial skills of the civilians was negligible at best.

With great martial disciple the Old Kingdom army marched out to defeat this rabble. Unknown to the Old Kingdom generals, however, was that on top of this small hill called Latzue, only 30 000 civilians & warriors stood in the battleline. Hidden behind the hill a further 70 000 militia & warriors waited impatiently. At the given moment the attack signal was heard of trumpets & the front line of 30 000 Southerners charged the Old Kingdom army.

The Old Kingdom warriors could not believe this futile charge & readied themselves for the attack. Then suddenly appeared the real strength of the Southern army. 70 000 more troops came descending upon them to join the fight. The battle was horrific like never before. Thousands of Southerners were cut down, far more than from the Old Kingdom as battle skill would demonstrate, but the sheer numbers of the Southern army told.

In the end, only a few thousand Old Kingdom warriors survived to flee. Now as wanted captives, they were chased all the way out of Southern Realm territory & beyond by the Southern cavalry. Most did not make it to the safety of the Old Kingdom, but a few did.

The result was shocking news for the Old Kingdom. Never before had such a massive defeat been inflicted upon their forces. It was hard to believe. What was even harder was the numbers of the enemy army. This was a thoroughly new aspect to warfare. For the Southern Realm it was many things. First was a victory celebration, whilst also a time of moaning. Well over 50 000 subjects had been made casualties thanks to the bloody battle. But their cost ensured it would be a while before they were invaded again. Mostly importantly, the military was given high priority like never before in the South. This did not mean any coup, but a concentrated effort by the industries of the Southern Realm to develop new weapons & other military related items.
 
 

The First Great War
 
 

 Some one hundred years of peace followed the Southern War. In that time the lessons learnt were put into practice. In the Old Kingdom, the warriors introduced a large cavalry wing while brought the lowly civilians into the infantry. By doing so, the army doubled it numbers & a professional soldier subclass developed within the infantry.

Reforms in the Southern Realm witnessed two important changes. The first was with the militia. Several militia units were now rotated through the warrior army which ensured that a well trained reserve was always available. It also meant that the army had a further 20 000 troops added to it ranks at any one time. But the important reform was in relation to technology. Not long after the Southern War, gun powder was discovered. And more importantly Southern armourers learnt how to use it.

At first the Southern armourers developed crude bombs that could be thrown. But not longer afterwards the first cannons came on the scene followed by muzzle loading muskets. Unfortunately for those that tested these first weapons, it was discovered that they were just as dangerous for friend as well as foe. Nonetheless, over a period of 50 years, better metallurgy & experience produced weapons that, although still crude, were able to kill at a distance. When combined in large numbers it was assumed that the destruction brought upon the enemy would be devastating beyond belief. Furthermore, when used by the militia, where all they had to do was point & shot, it was argued that the sword skill enjoyed by the warrior would clearly be negated.

It was in this situation that the Old Kingdom marched into. Yet they too had changed tactics. Now employing cavalry in large numbers, they soon learnt to deploy them as scouts. Furthermore they learnt to use the cavalry to screen the movements of the main body of the army. Thus when they advanced upon the borders of the Southern Realm, the Southerners could not determine what the Old Kingdom was up to. Added to this, the advance of the Old Kingdom’s army was cautious & methodical. Gone were the days of grandeur. Southern Realm outposts were deliberately overrun in order to secure their attack.

Having said that, the Southern Realm did not just sit there. Calling up the militia once again, the army moved north to meet the invaders. Here too a change of tactics gave witness to a rudimentary Corps structure at work where in four different bodies of troops marched together that combined the newly formed cannon units, the infantry & cavalry. When the location of the main body of the enemy was discovered, all four would unite (or as many of the four as possible) & then give battle. All this was theory, however, & no one knew if it would work. Nonetheless everything proceeded successfully so far.

The first battle would be typical of the first half of the First Great War. They would be battles of manoeuvre which were not too uncommon from previous wars. For the Old Kingdom, however, cannon & above all the musket came as a very rude shock. Even with their cavalry, the massed firing lines of muskets cut down thousands of Old Kingdom troops before one Southern Realm casualty. The Battle of Mukze also witnessed the first use of the bayonet. The Old Kingdom troops, who did manage to get into hand-to-hand combat, soon discovered that the musket could also be used as a spear. When combined in numbers, a whole phalanx of spears thus awaited those that survived the bullets.

The Old Kingdom invading army was  far from defeated, however, & withdrew as well as it could to regroup. Both armies, now numbering around 100 000 each, would face each other time & again, gaining casualties each time & getting reinforcements each time. Population levels had become rather large, & now that civilians were used even more so than warriors, an endless supply of reinforcements seemed possible.

Tactics changed too & soon the Southern infantry, even if armed with muskets, suffered several reverses as the Old Kingdom deployed their cavalry more & more in wild charges at the infantry. Furthermore, captured muskets & samples of gunpowder were sent back to the Old Kingdom armourers who did what they could to produce crude but passable copies. After a five year period, many Old Kingdom infantry units were thus being re-equipped with muskets. Stalemate on the battlefield, more or less, became the norm.

As a result of these changes, the battlefield itself changed in almost every aspect. Due to the effective use of the cannon & muskets, armies standing in line in the open were often decimated before a bayonet  was ever used. Soon trenches & fortifications became common place where each side would use their cannon to soften up the enemy prior to a infantry &/or cavalry attack on the opposition trenches. All this meant, however, was high casualties on both sides for not much gain.

The effects of the First Great War upon the Old Kingdom & Southern Realm was significant. In the end, after ten years of warfare,  an armistice was signed ending the war. This came about due to sheer exhaustion of the two combatants.  Well over 5 million casualties was suffered by both sides in the end, but more importantly the warrior class of both nations was almost wiped out by the bloody & constant fighting. This would, in the end, effect the Old Kingdom much more than the Southern Realm.

Technology was another & possibly far more important change for both sides. Although mostly military in nature, gone were the days of swords, arrows & spears. The rifle, which had by now developed into a breech loading weapon, & the cannon ruled the battlefield. There were no more gallant charges at the enemy, but now a bloody struggle in order to gain the upper hand - something that seldom occurred.

Elsewhere, advances had been made in industries where large factories produced all sort of items for the military & civilians alike. In the same manner, agriculture had become well organised & geared for mass production of food & raw products for clothing (wool, cotton, etc). These changes were more profound in the Southern Realm than the Old Kingdom, nonetheless, such reforms put both nations daylight in front of the others.

The leaders of the two nations, in agreeing for peace, made the border where the front lines currently were. In actual fact this meant in the middle of no where, as the pre-war borders were far from where the  battle lines ended up. Still both sides would continue to man their trenches for years to come as trust was far from a certainty.
 
 

The Second Great War
 
 

Although 50 years progressed between the first two Great Wars, the continent was anything but peaceful. In the north, the Nile Delta Kingdom eventually clashed with the Northern League. At first it was small raids upon the coastal towns of the League along the Mediterranean Sea coast. These attacks brought out the League Navy  which then began intercepting the raiders. This in turn brought out the bulk of the Nile Delta Navy which resulted in a number of sea battles along the coast. The superior seamanship of the League usually meant that they won, but when they inturn attacked Nile Delta settlements, it was their turn to suffer reverses, usually at the hands of the town garrisons, where the Nile Delta warriors were superior. The war soon reached stalemate as each nation kept to their strengths, while hardly venturing into the other’s domain.

For the Congo Delta Kingdom, however, a huge storm was gathering on their borders. Contact between the Southern Realm & the Congo was vague at best. Certainly the Congo had no idea of the military strength of the South. Some generals warned that new weapons were around, but these had only been seen by Old Kingdom troops. Considering the Congo Delta & Old Kingdom had enjoyed a long period of peace that appeared to continue, the monarchy refused to pay for the huge budget that the military was asking for.

The Old Kingdom, in fact, was having its own problems. Now that the civilians, as a result of the First Great War, had gained in political power & stature at the expense of the warriors, two new generations of both had come upon the scene. Now the warriors wanted their "birthright" back. But the civilians had no intension of retreating back to their previous socio-political & economic status. The monarchy was, furthermore, far too weak to check the civilians & were ignored during the civil war that followed.

It was this civil war that the Southern Realm wherein took advantage. With the Old Kingdom distracted, the South moved north. Leaving the Old Kingdom alone, however, was important & there were better prospects elsewhere. Large amounts of unclaimed territory was located between the Southern Realm & the Congo Delta Kingdom. Not concerning themselves with the reaction of the Congo, the Southerners were convinced that their military could deal with any threats.

After some three months from the start of this land grab, the first Southern cavalry scouts reached the first outposts of the Congo Delta. The meeting did not go well. Fearing raiders or worse, the Congo Delta warriors chased off these Southern troopers thinking that they would see no more of them. It was a colossal mistake.

Not long after, & under a white flag of truce, the commanding general of the Southern Forces, General Ntidi, arrived at the border seeking a meeting with his opposite number. The South never really had any intention of going to war with the Congo, but the following events ensured it. Ntidi waited for the meeting, which quickly turned into an insult. The Congo general laughed when he saw his opposite number dressed in khaki green & not the usual fancy dress uniform associated with the warriors.

When the ubiquitous Southern rifle was shown for inspection with bayonet attached (but not fired) the Congo warriors ejected the Southern party with utmost scorn, whereupon a fight took place. The sword skill of the Congo warriors was impressive, cutting down half the Southern party, including General Ntidi, before they could escape using a recent invention known as the automobile. This event, however, ensured war would follow.

The Southern Army once again deployed in Corps fashion for the invasion. Six Corps numbering 50 000 troops each equipped with cavalry & infantry with their rifles, the cannon, now more destructive than ever, automobiles that had armour & another new weapon called the machine gun. The Congo warriors facing this onslaught had no chance. Not at all understanding the power of the gun, it was as many said "like shooting rats in a barrel". Congo warriors would advance as in the old days, even though they also deployed cavalry & civilian soldiers, only to be cut down by the thousand.

Crude trenches & other fortifications were soon employed by the Congo Delta Forces, only to be blown to pieces by the Southern artillery. On the seas too, the Southern Navy made its first ever impression by shelling coastal towns & centres & then landing marines who would raid & pillage. In some operations, such landings were behind strong Congo Delta fortifications & combined with a frontal assault, would gain victory.

Almost no where were the Congo Delta forces successful. Finally the capital of the Congo fell & with it the monarchy & aristocratic council. Peace was soon announced &, except for a few warriors, most accepted it gladly: especially the civilians. For whatever reason, the civilians of the Congo Delta saw that Southerners as liberators & not conquerors. It was partly true. All the same, in a period of one year, the Southern Realm had become an empire in all but name.
 

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