imported>DrLambda: /* Fighting */ typo

2025-02-01T19:30:15Z

Fighting: typo

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{{InfoBoxConflict
| conflict = Ronin Wars
| partof = [[Succession Wars]]
| image =
| caption =
| date = [[3034]]
| place =
| planet =
| faction1 = [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]<br>Loyal [[DCMS]] forces
| faction2 = Ronin [[DCMS]] forces
| commander1 =
| commander2 =
| forces1=
| forces2=
| forces3 =
| result = Free Rasalhague Republic remains independent
| environment = Standard
| conditions = Normal
}}
The '''Ronin War''' was an uprising of several [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] elements who refused to follow orders and withdraw from the newly formed [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] in essentially independent, loosely coordinated uprisings on several worlds. They were branded ''[[Ronin (Faction)|ronin]]'' and vanquished by the combined forces of the [[KungsArmé]] and (loyal) DCMS.

While often perceived as a single war, it is also referred to as the '''Ronin Wars'''<ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'' refers to the conflict as "Ronin Wars" on its back cover while the respective chapter within the book calls it the "Ronin War."</ref> because the numerous conflicts it comprises of were essentially a series of individual uprisings and only loosely connected. In a [[3071]] lecture at the [[Sun Zhang Academy]], it was summarily referred to as the '''Ronin Crisis'''.<ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 92</ref>

==Overview==
===Background===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Succession War]], where it had performed below expectations, the [[Draconis Combine]] found itself in a precarious situation. Poor leadership had incurred heavy losses in the Fourth Succession War and the Combine could no longer ignore the state of their outdated equipment and battle doctrines. The fact that only ''[[Kanrei]]'' [[Theodore Kurita]]'s reformed military units had seen any notable success, making him a war hero, had even led to a clandestine leadership crisis within [[House Kurita]]. At the same time, after [[Hanse Davion]]'s sweeping victory against the [[Capellan Confederation]] the Combine was obviously going to be the next target and urgently needed to prepare for what was coming.

In this situation, Theodore Kurita struck a secret deal with [[ComStar]]: House Kurita would finally grant the Combine's unruly [[Rasalhague Military District]] its independence and allow them to form the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]. This would practically force the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] to cede their recently captured worlds from the Rasalhague District to the nascent Republic, nullifying their gains from the Fourth Succession War. It also created a buffer state between the Combine and the Commonwealth along most of their shared border, and even earned the Combine some degree of good publicity. ComStar for their part agreed to clandestinely supply the Combine with much-needed military hardware including [[BattleMech]]s as part of the deal.<ref name=HttD>''Heir to the Dragon''</ref>

===Formation of the Free Rasalhague Republic===
Anticipating their resistance, Theodore Kurita sidelined his own father, [[Coordinator]] [[Takashi Kurita]], and at least some of his high-ranking advisors and officers in the matter. It is also implied that Theodore preemptively had Rasalhague District [[Warlord]] [[Ivan Sorenson (30th c.)|Ivan Sorenson]] killed. He presented the formation of the new state the day after the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]'s proclamation of independence on 13 March [[3034]] and went so far as to forge the Coordinator's signature code in the [[HPG]] message by which the Draconis Combine recognized the Republic.<ref name=HttD/> (To save face, the Coordinator outwardly acquiesced in his son's action, while privately he was furious about it.)

[[Image:Ronin (Faction) logo.png|thumb|right|"The Dragon devours its own brood", a device often used as insignia for the ''Ronin''<ref>Colored versions of this device appear on the front and back cover of the ''Ronin!'' scenario pack; a black-and-white rendering on p. 47 is captioned with "''The Dragon devours its brood'' - a device often used by ''Ronin''"</ref> ([[apocryphal]])]]However, many DCMS soldiers refused to recognize the new realm's independence from House Kurita, having just fought and bled in the Fourth Succession War to defend these very worlds from Lyran invasion; some also cited a (possibly genuine) concern about the safety of the asian population that needed to be protected. They stayed on the worlds of the former Rasalhague Military District against orders and fought the nascent KungsArmé forces for control. Since these renegade DCMS soldiers acted in direct contravention of ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita's orders, staining the Combine's honor, he declared such renegades ''[[Ronin (Faction)|ronin]]'' (masterless).

There was some degree of coordination among the ''ronin'' forces, as the ever-scheming [[Marcus Kurita]] moved to become their leader and use the uprising to build a power base; another prominent figure was ''[[Tai-shu]]'' [[Vasily Cherenkoff]] who balked at Theodore Kurita's audacity in sidelining the Coordinator and sided with the resistance.

===Fighting===
Even before the Republic's declaration of independence, a weapons cache was found in an abandoned bunker in the remote wilderness on [[Polcenigo]]. The [[ISF]] determined that the bunker's contents had been falsely declared lost or stolen, and that the site was operated by businessmen and two [[DCMS]] officers with ties to Marcus Kurita, implicating him in some ongoing conspiracy. In late March, shortly after the beginning of what was going to be called the Ronin Wars, the bunker was destroyed (implicitly, through ISF sabotage) and its content destroyed, causing a significant fire event in the Yomita Grasslands region.<ref name=HBW104>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 104</ref>

On 14 March the [[Eighth Rasalhague Regulars]] and [[Twelfth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre]] were ordered to detain Marcus Kurita, but they were solidly involved in his conspiracy and instead turned on the infantry from the [[First Tyr Regiment]] who had arrested him. This devolved into the first actual battle between ''ronin'' and Rasalhaguian forces. Marcus Kurita escaped, and before jumping out of the system issued orders to units he knew to be loyal to him or to his late rival Ivan Sorenson. Not trusting ComStar, he used a series of fourteen [[JumpShips]] as couriers to disseminate his orders. Subsequently, ''ronin'' forces attacked several Rasalhaguian planetary governments. They also frequently attempted to seize ComStar HPG compounds in a recurring pattern, in an attempt to gain hyperpulse communication technology.<ref name=HBW107>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 107</ref>

The fighting spilled over to worlds that had fallen under [[Lyran Commonwealth]] authority, such as [[Kandis]], where a similar disobedience of political and military elements occurred on a smaller scale.

The ''ronin'' uprising posed a grave danger for the Free Rasalhague Republic. The newly formed KungsArmé lacked in experience to fight the ''ronin'' DCMS forces, and the nascent state's [[mercenary]] forces had hastily been hired with poorly worded contracts that allowed the mercenaries to mostly bow out of the actual fighting while still getting paid. Being taken advantage of in this fashion would sour the Republic's opinion of mercenaries for many years to come. Citizens viewed mercenaries with either contempt, disdain, or outright hatred. Even units noted for their skill and honor like the [[Kell Hounds]] and who had no part in the Ronin Wars were not immune to this feeling.

By May 3034 the Combine had sufficient evidence to tie Marcus Kurita to the uprisings in some form or fashion. ''Kanrei'' Theodore Kurita broadcast a declaration branding the disloyal forces ''ronin'' and calling on them to lay down their arms; some did. Shorty after this declaration, the Free Rasalhague Republic formally requested the assistance of the Draconis Combine in rooting out the resistance. Theodore Kurita personally led a force of several loyal DCMS regiments into the Republic to destroy the ''ronin'' forces, with the consent of Elected Prince [[Haakon Magnusson]].<ref name=HBW109>''Historical: Brush Wars'', pp. 109–110</ref> Clashes between the ''ronin'' and loyal DCMS troops were often bloody, the loyalists infuriated by the dishonor shown to the Combine by the renegades. By [[3035]], all DCMS forces had withdrawn from the Republic to the newly-created Alshain Military District after successfully destroying the last of the ''ronin'' forces.

==Involved Units==
===DCMS (Ronin)===
* [[1st Altenmarkt Militia]]
* [[5th Amphigean Light Assault Group]]
* [[2nd Night Stalkers]]: Johiro's Regiment
* [[1st Proserpina Hussars]]
* [[5th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[8th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[9th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[13th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[17th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[20th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[22nd Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[25th Rasalhague Regulars]]
* [[1st Sun Zhang Academy Cadre]]
* [[12th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre]]
* Bruben DCMS garrison, 937th Tank and 3592nd Infantry Regiments

===DCMS (Loyal)===
* [[2nd An Ting Legion]]
* [[1st Genyosha]]
* [[2nd Genyosha]]
* [[11th Legion of Vega]]
* [[1st Shin Legion]]
* [[2nd Shin Legion]]
* [[Sorenson's Sabres]] (Company)
* [[1st Sword of Light]]
* [[2nd Sword of Light]]

===Free Rasalhague KungsArmé===
* [[1st Drakøns (Free Rasalhague Republic)|1st Drakøns]]
* [[2nd Drakøns (Free Rasalhague Republic)|2nd Drakøns]]
* [[3rd Drakøns]]
* [[1st Freemen (Free Rasalhague Republic)|1st Freemen]]
* [[2nd Freemen (Free Rasalhague Republic)|2nd Freemen]]
* [[1st Kavalleri (Free Rasalhague Republic)|1st Kavalleri]]
* [[2nd Kavalleri (Free Rasalhague Republic)|2nd Kavalleri]]
* [[1st Tyr]]

===Mercenaries===
* [[Cameron's Legion]]
* [[Dragon's Breath (Mercenary Command)|Dragon's Breath]]
* [[Insect Brigade]]
* [[Legion of the Rising Sun]]
* [[Terrible Treads]]
* [[Vinson's Vigilantes]]

===Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces (LCAF)===
* [[3rd Lyran Guards]]

Lyran Commonwealth-employed Mercenaries
* [[1st Dismal Disinherited]]
* [[Bullson's Hussars]]
* [[Corazin's Coronados]]
* [[Dragonslayers]]
* [[Gotterdammerung Society]]
* [[Meriadoc’s Malcontents]]
* [[Thumpers]]

===Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)===
* [[Fox's Teeth]] (Company)

==Maps==
<gallery>
Image:maproninwarsmarchjune3034.png|Battle from March - June 3034
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]''
* ''[[Historical: Brush Wars]]''
* ''[[Ronin!]]''

==Dates==
* Start Date - 31 March [[Start date:: 3034]]
* End Date - June [[End date:: 3034]]

[[Category: Wars]]
[[Category: Rebellions]]

Ronin War - Revision history

imported>DrLambda: /* Fighting */ typo