Australian Civil War
The Australian Civil War (1922-1926) was a war fought between the Republic of Australia (Republicans) and theself declared Queensland Republic (Queenies). The war was caused after the Queensland area of Australia (largely the east) seceded from the newly declared Republic of Australia. This was caused to a variety of reasons, the main one being that the Eastern Australians (Queensland) felt that they were superior to their Western counterparts and that they should rule. The feeling of superiority led to their secession after various West Australian officials were elected into office. The Australian Civil War is seen as proof that Australia could become a strong nation.
Japan, as part of its agreement with the Central Powers, had invaded and captured various Entete territories. These included French Indochina, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Australia. Australia was seen as the largest obstacle, and 200,000 men were committed to the attack. However due to the stubborn resistance of a band of guerrilla fighters led by General Rainford (Lt. in the British Army) culmulating in the Sydney Raid which drove the Japanese from the continent. Following the Japanese defeat the Australians felt a large sense of national pride as they had repulsed an invasion with no help from the British. General Rainford issued the "Declaration of Australian Sovereignty" afterward, declaring the "Republic of Australia."
Reasons Leading to War
For years, the British had used an Apartide System in Australia, making white first class citizens, and aboriginal second class citizens. Although many other British holdings had accepted that all men were equal, the Australians were particularly biased. However, General Rainford during the war had decreed the "Aboriginal Edict", which guranteed aboriginals who fought for the Australians citizenship. This meant that a large amount of Aboriginals suddenly became equals with their white counterparts. While this was not a large issue for many on the continent, it was for the few aristocrats who resided in West Australia and had ruled the Queensland Area. The Edict made Rainford very unpopular in East Australia.
The most infamous attempt to draft a constitution that satisfied all of Australia. The Queensland Officials, in an act of deliberate disrespect refused to go to Perth, the newly declared capitol of Australia and instead forced Rainford to come to them at Brisbane. Rainford did so and brought several of his aides along with several Aboriginal representatives.
The Convention began badly, with the Queensland Officials refusing to sit at the same table with the Aboriginals. They finally relented after the Aboriginals agreed to not rest their body or arms on the table itself. Next the Queensland Officials began talks of removing the Aboriginal Edict and drafting a constitution which "ensured white dominance over the savages." This infuriated the Aboriginals, who left shortly afterward. Rainford, angry that the Convention was failing due to the Queensland Officials demanded an apology and was refuted. Rainford finally left after stating the following:
"You fat cats sit in your luxurious seat of power, falsely believing in your superiority over those people you so hideously insulted. Those so called "savages" did more for this country than you ever could hope to do in a thousand life times. Never forget we saved Australia, we defeated the Japs. I am this nation, I am Australia."
Bombing of Fort Lasseter
Fort Lasseter was the main garrison in the Queensland Area and was manned by a force of about 1,400 Republican Forces. Under cover of darkness on August 7th the Queensland Army moved up several artillery units and about 4,000 men to surround the Fort. When dawn broke the artillery began a massive bombardment of the fort followed by a frontal attack. The garrison managed to beat back the frontal attack however began to run low on ammuntion and could not continuously return fire. After 72 hours of bombardment the garrison emerged from the Fort and surrendered. The flag of the newly declared Queensland Republic flew over the fort on August 10th.
Following the Bombing of Fort Lasseter the Governer-General of Queensland, Jonathan McCloud, declared independence from the Republic of Australia and established the "Queensland Republic." McCloud was elected President of the new republic and he immediately began drafting soldiers into the Queensland Army.
Rainford demanded that the Queensland area rejoin the Republic and threatened immediate action if they did not. The Queensland Republic responded by saying that any attempt to reincorporate the Queensland area into the Republic of Australia would be met with force. Shortly afterward Rainford passed a bill which acknowledged a formal state of war existed between the Republic of Australia and the "Queensland Rebels."
Most of the war was fought in the South as the Republican forces had large numbers of troops in New South Wales. An army under Major General Patrick Cowpens invaded the Queensland area and marched to capture Brisbane however he was turned back at the First Battle of Duramesq. The loss alarmed the Republican forces and General Howard Newfield took command of the Army of South Whales. He invaded Queensland again however was defeated at the Battle of the Belt.
The Army of Victoria was moved up to invade Queensland and won a small victory at the Second Battle of Duramesq however the army was defeated at the Battle of the Bunya Mountains. Queensland General-In-Chief Lee Roberts, emboldened by the victories at Duramesq and the Granite Belt decided to invade New South Whales to expand the Queensland's Sphere of Influence. However General Roberts was defeated at the Battle of Darling by Republican General Lore but managed to withdraw his army back into Queensland.
Rainford expressed his frustration towards General Lore's failure to follow up at Darling. Shortly afterwards he was replaced by young General Grant Odyssey, who organized a massive invasion of Queensland.
The Odyssey Invasion was the massive invasion of Queensland organized by the General after which it was named, Grant Odyssey. He aimed to strike at the Queensland Republic at multiple poins. General Borrison in the north was to invade Normanton. General Cowpens and General Newfield were pressed back into service to invade Channel Country and Carnavron Gorge. General Odyssey himself aimed to strike at Brisbane to symbolically decapitate the rebel base, and Lt. General Anderson was also elected to lead a force of Aboriginals across the desert to strike at Central Queensland. Because many of the Queensland generals believed the desert was impassable no one had allocated troops to defend the border.
General Borrison's invasion met much success in the north, defeating his counterpart General Cairn at the Battle of Normanton. He then proceeded to eliminate the Army of Northern Queensland at the Battle of Carpentaria, thus removing all resistance in the north.
In the South General Newfield defeated a Queensland army at the Battle of the Gorge and cut off several supply lines to Brisbane when he captured Charleyville. General Cowpens retreated following his defeat at The Battle of the Channels however he managed to regroup and defeated Queensland Major General Thomas Burlough at the Battle of Severn. The two armies pressed east, capturing and cutting off supply lines.
Lt. General Anderson caught the Queensland Army of the Desert by surprise and routed the entire force. Queensland President McCloud considered this the most shameful defeat as "an army of more than 12,000 pure white men were defeated by Aboriginal savages." With the Army of the Desert out of commission significant pressure was relieved on the Southern front. General Newfield, Cowpens, and Anderson all advanced East.
General Odyssey defeated General Roberts at the Third Battle of Duramesq and reached Brisbane and besieged it. With three more Republican armies advancing towards the city the Queensland officials decided to flee North. The remnants of the Queensland Southern Army led by Roberts escorted the officials North and abandoned the city, which fell to several Aboriginal units. The rebel flag was taken down and the Flag of the Republic was flown over the city.
General Borrison had largely been undisturbed in the North following the victory at Carpentaria and had spent most of his time relaxing. However when news came that the last rebel army was moving north along with several dozen important officials he got his men into action and began what became famously known as Borrison's Chase.
Borrison pursued the entourage into the Cape York Peninsula, where he famously forced his army to march straight through four days and nights. Finally General Borrison caught up to General Roberts and attacked his camp at the bloody Battle of the Peninsula where the last rebel army was defeated. General Roberts officially surrendered his sword to General Borrison following the defeat. Notable prisoners included Queensland President Jonathan McCloud and Queensland Ministers Henry Waters and Jeremy Orleans.
Following Borrison's Chase the Queensland Officials surrendered and the short-lived Queensland Republic was disbanded. Garrisons and troops throughout the Queensland area surrendered to Republican forces and for the first time since its founding the Flag of the Republic was flown throughout the entire nation of Australia. President McCloud was executed for treason however his Ministers along with various Generals were spared. The Healing Era followed which addressed many problems between the East and West and began to rebuild Australia's shattered infrastructure.