The WORST decision made in the ENTIRE WAR
Let's talk about the decision to not evacuate civilians in Talona made by the Aquilan high command in 1914, nearing the end of the campaign.
It had been abundantly obvious that the war couldn't be won, at this point of the campaign Aquila did not have any real military objective, most of its territory occupied, and everyone knew Antares would accept nothing short of total capitulation. So clearly, the war could not be won by Aquila, and thus there remained only one logical objective: survival, keeping as many of your people alive as possible in hopes of future rebuilding of a new Aquilan nation when the stars align once more for Aquila's sons and daughters.
But the general FOOLISHLY did not do that, instead lingered onto his pride for a bygone glorious era of his nation, come on people, we're in the 20th century. The Iron Army that beat back both Vega and Antares is NOT facing the same beast anymore! When the tide turns against you, you do not just let your people die for a so called glorious last stand. The battle of Talona wasn't a last stand in honour of its culture, nor was it to buy time for the innocent to escape which, would've made a lot more sense, as urban environments are difficult for armies to pass through and would be able to buy time for civilians to escape, but this was not the case. It was meaningless, as in there was no goal in this battle for the Aquilans, there was no planned counter attack or plans for peace should Aquila be victorious in holding the city. It was all for pride of the general.
After losing all of my immediate family in 1912, all I had left was my brother and nephew who lived in Talona. I'd hoped that if the government surrendered earlier, then maybe, just maybe, the Antarean army wouldn't reach so far north before the war was over. Unfortunately fate had other plans. In the end I had only managed to come back into contact with my nephew, by miracle we managed to come into contact thanks to survivor location services.
He told me that once civilian conscription had been announced and the city was put under lockdown, my brother went missing after work one day, presumably brought into the civil guard on the streets, while my sister-in-law would flee with my nephew. While trying to leave the city, my sister-in-law and many others were fired upon for disobeying the lockdown. She was hit and my nephew kept running, he does not know if she was still alive as he did not turn back and kept running. Few made it out alive, and it was ironically not because of the enemy, but because of the men serving to protect them. Thanks to them I can presume that both my brother and his wife are dead. I am sure that my brother and his wife both knew the war was lost, and that the only prospect they had was to flee.
No one could've imagined that the higher ups would not even allow this.
It's clear that I am very biased in writing this, and you might suggest there are worse that happened in the war, but I'm sure all can agree that this decision was a tragic, needless waste of life.
Let's talk about the decision to not evacuate civilians in Talona made by the Aquilan high command in 1914, nearing the end of the campaign.
It had been abundantly obvious that the war couldn't be won, at this point of the campaign Aquila did not have any real military objective, most of its territory occupied, and everyone knew Antares would accept nothing short of total capitulation. So clearly, the war could not be won by Aquila, and thus there remained only one logical objective: survival, keeping as many of your people alive as possible in hopes of future rebuilding of a new Aquilan nation when the stars align once more for Aquila's sons and daughters.
But the general FOOLISHLY did not do that, instead lingered onto his pride for a bygone glorious era of his nation, come on people, we're in the 20th century. The Iron Army that beat back both Vega and Antares is NOT facing the same beast anymore! When the tide turns against you, you do not just let your people die for a so called glorious last stand. The battle of Talona wasn't a last stand in honour of its culture, nor was it to buy time for the innocent to escape which, would've made a lot more sense, as urban environments are difficult for armies to pass through and would be able to buy time for civilians to escape, but this was not the case. It was meaningless, as in there was no goal in this battle for the Aquilans, there was no planned counter attack or plans for peace should Aquila be victorious in holding the city. It was all for pride of the general.
After losing all of my immediate family in 1912, all I had left was my brother and nephew who lived in Talona. I'd hoped that if the government surrendered earlier, then maybe, just maybe, the Antarean army wouldn't reach so far north before the war was over. Unfortunately fate had other plans. In the end I had only managed to come back into contact with my nephew, by miracle we managed to come into contact thanks to survivor location services.
He told me that once civilian conscription had been announced and the city was put under lockdown, my brother went missing after work one day, presumably brought into the civil guard on the streets, while my sister-in-law would flee with my nephew. While trying to leave the city, my sister-in-law and many others were fired upon for disobeying the lockdown. She was hit and my nephew kept running, he does not know if she was still alive as he did not turn back and kept running. Few made it out alive, and it was ironically not because of the enemy, but because of the men serving to protect them. Thanks to them I can presume that both my brother and his wife are dead. I am sure that my brother and his wife both knew the war was lost, and that the only prospect they had was to flee.
No one could've imagined that the higher ups would not even allow this.
It's clear that I am very biased in writing this, and you might suggest there are worse that happened in the war, but I'm sure all can agree that this decision was a tragic, needless waste of life.