Editing Age of War

{{InfoBoxWar
| name = {{PAGENAME}}
| othernames =
| era = Age of War
| startdate = 2398
| enddate = 2550
| result = The adoption of the Ares Conventions by all major powers.
| faction1 = Capellan Confederation
| faction2 = Free Worlds League
| faction3 = Lyran Commonwealth
| faction4 = Draconis Combine
| faction5 = Federated Suns
| faction6 = Terran Hegemony
}}

{{Update Needed|[[Era Digest: Age of War]]}}

The '''Age of War''' was a one-and-a-half-century period characterized by constant warfare. Officially beginning in [[2398]] when the [[Free Worlds League]] and [[Capellan Confederation]] went to war over the [[Andurien]] system, fighting soon spread across the entire [[Inner Sphere]]. Initially the era was marked by escalating levels of violence and atrocity, until the horrific civilian death toll on [[Tintavel]] resulted in the adoption of the [[Ares Conventions]] in [[2412]] by all major powers.

While the Conventions did result in more 'civilized' fighting that usually spared civilians, it also legitimized warfare as 'diplomacy by other means'. The introduction of the [[BattleMech]] in [[2439]] and the rise of the [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] as a latter-day knight ensured that these conflicts became both more frequent and less destructive overall.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 15, 17</ref>

Nonetheless, the endless state of war took its toll on all combatants, and by the mid-twenty-sixth century peacemaking efforts were begun in earnest by [[Ian Cameron]] and [[Albert Marik]]. Their efforts resulted in the unification of the Inner Sphere under the [[Star League]] in [[2571]], bringing the Age of War to an end.

=== Background ===
Following the [[Outer Reaches Rebellion]] and the subsequent withdrawal of the [[Terran Alliance]] from nearly all of its colonies, the hundreds of now-free worlds across the nascent [[Inner Sphere]] were forced to carve out new destinies for themselves. While some colonies perished, many others successfully forged themselves as interstellar powers in their own right. Throughout the twenty-third century numerous proto-states emerged and during a century-long period ([[2271]]–[[2366]]) these small nations merged by treaty or conquest into five interstellar states ruled by the [[Successor States|Great Houses]].<ref name=EDAOWp4>''Era Digest: Age of War'', p. 4</ref>

Some conflicts had already been fought between these small states or their Great House successors, notably the [[Terran Hegemony|Terran Hegemony's]] [[Campaigns of Persuasion]], [[Shiro Kurita|Shiro Kurita's]] relentless expansion of [[Draconis Combine|his empire]], and numerous petty wars fought by the [[Capellan Zone]] proto-states with each other or the neighboring [[Free Worlds League]] and [[Federated Suns]].<ref name=EDAOWp4/>

As the twenty-fourth century drew to a close, these localized and relatively short conflicts would give way to an era of endless fighting on a grander scale. A key factor in this change was the growth in centralized, neo-feudal governments with access to far greater resources in population, raw materials, industry and science — all of which could now be redirected from colonial survival to large-scale warfare. State militaries and border world defenses were transformed into technologically sophisticated forces, even as local disputes now risked war between vast empires rather than small states.<ref name=EDAOWp4/><ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 29</ref>

=== Initial Phase (2398–2412) ===

The Age of War is held to have begun with the [[First Andurien War]] in [[2398]] when [[Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation|Chancellor]] [[Kurnath Liao]] launched a major offensive aimed at reclaiming [[Andurien]], which had been annexed by the [[Free Worlds League]] three decades prior. The six-year conflict which followed — which was eventually won by [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]] [[Peter Marik (24th c.)|Peter Marik]] — proved to be bloodier than any in recent memory.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 15, 17</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Liao'', pp. 18, 24</ref>

Only a year after the Andurien War began, the Capellan Confederation was also at war with the [[Federated Suns]]. Opening this front with a [[Novaya Zemlya Incident|brutal attack]] which virtually depopulated [[Novaya Zemlya]], the Capellans were largely successful against House Davion. Forced to fight a largely defensive war while building up its naval strength, the Federated Suns' war effort soon suffered under the rule of weak leaders.<ref>''Handbook: House Liao'', p. 24</ref><ref>''Handbook. House Davion'', p. 25-26</ref>

The Lyran Commonwealth enjoyed another decade of peace before a [[1st Draconis Combine-Lyran Commonwealth War (2407)|surprise offensive]] by the [[Draconis Combine]] began on New Years Day [[2407]]. The next six months saw the Lyran defenders driven from several worlds, even as they resorted to scorched earth tactics which devastated whole continents. The Combine advance was only halted when [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]] [[Alistair Marsden]] took command of the Combine front and stopped their offensive on [[Morningside]]. However, House Kurita's advance had placed its troops barely one jump away from the Lyran capital, and so the Commonwealth moved its seat of government to [[Tharkad]]. The Archon then led a successful strike at [[Vega]], crippling a planned Combine thrust into the [[Federation of Skye]], but was killed soon after repelling a Kuritan raid on [[Menkent]]. His death resulted in the ascension of [[Katherine Steiner|his wife]] to the Archonship, and as a result [[House Steiner|House Steiner's]] rule over the Lyran Commonwealth.<ref>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 17-18</ref>

In addition to these major offensives, fighting also took place between the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine, whose borders now abutted in the Inner Sphere's spinward half, while the Terran Hegemony also weighed in seeking to reclaim former Terran Alliance colonies.<ref name=EDAOWp4-5>''Era Digest: Age of War'', p. 4-5</ref>

=== The Ares Conventions and After (2412-2439) ===

==== CC vs. FWL, Tintavel and the Ares Conventions (2412) ====
Main article: [[Tintavel Tragedy]]

In [[2412]] the Free Worlds League attacked the Capellan Confederation world of [[Tintavel]]. The reasons and greater context of this attack is unknown, and neither is it know if this was the first battle of the resumed hostilities. The battle escalated, weapons of mass destruction were deployed and excessive civilian deaths resulted. The horrors of the battle prompted [[Aleisha Liao]] to instigate the [[Ares Conventions]]. The Conventions were signed by the six Great Houses, the [[Rim Worlds Republic]] and the [[Principality of Rasalhague]]. The [[Taurian Concordat]] and the [[United Hindu Collective]] did not sign the conventions. The Conventions limited warfare in many ways, including fighting outside of urban areas and restricting the use of NBC weaponry. This had the unintended effect of sanitizing warfare and turning it into an acceptable method of settling disputes, leading to the long era of protracted bloodshed.<ref>''Era Digest: Age of War'', p. 5, 13</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 18</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Liao'', p. 19</ref> No further mentions about open conflict between the Confederation and the League can be found until the [[Second Andurien War]] starts.

==== FWL vs. LC, the Dieudonné war (2416-2418) ====
Main article: [[Dieudonné War]]

In [[2416]], the Lyran Commonwealth attacked the Free Worlds League world of [[Dieudonné]]. This attack degenerated into a debacle.  Shortly afterwards a relief force led by Captain-General [[Peter Marik (24th c.)|Peter Marik]] drove back the besieging forces and began a counteroffensive into Lyran space. By [[2418]], planets as far as [[Rochelle]] had been conquered and occupied by League forces.  At this point, the League Parliament, with forces overextended, agreed to a truce.  This respite was to last only two years.<ref>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 19</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 18</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Free Worlds League'', p. 7</ref>

==== CC vs. TC, The Rim War (2418-2422) ====
Main article: [[Rim War]]

==== FWL vs. LC, Lyrans strike back (2420-2422) ====
Main article:

In [[2420]], the Lyrans started an offensive to retake worlds lost 2416-18 to the League. The League Parliament choose [[Joseph Stewart]] as Captain-General, after Peter Marik turned down the offer. The conflict was a major victory for the Lyrans, allowing them to retake and conquer several worlds. The Lyrans abandoned the offensive when they were satisfied by their gains. The League-Lyran front was quiet until 2427.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 18</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Free Worlds League'', p. 7</ref>

==== FWL vs. LC, Bolan and getting bogged down (2427-2440) ====
Main article:

In [[2427]] the Lyrans started an offensive to conquer [[Bolan]]. While the Lyrans managed to capture [[Bolan]] and [[Kamenz]], Captain-General [[Terrence Marik (25th c.)|Terrence Marik]] managed to turn the offensive into costly grinding that went on for several years.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 18</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 19</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Free Worlds League'', p. 7</ref>

=== Debut of the BattleMech (2439-2475) ===

=== Endless War (2475-2550) ===

=== Winding Down (2550-2571)===

The Age of War came to close when the [[Terran Hegemony]] negotiated a settlement, ironically between the League and Confederation over Andurien. Though they signed this agreement in [[2556]], [[2550]] is traditionally considered the end of the Age of War.{{cn}}

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
*''[[Era Digest: Age of War]]''
*''[[Field Manual: Free Worlds League]]''
*''[[Handbook: House Davion]]''
*''[[Handbook: House Liao]]''
*''[[Handbook: House Marik]]''
*''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]''
*''[[House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)]]''
*''[[The Star League]]''

[[Category:Wars]]