Legacy of The Tenth Crusade - A Divergences of Darkness Nation Quest [Finished]

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United Arab Republic, Spring 1919 - The Arab Brothers War Part 2
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The military police do not have any difficulty picking out the worst of the worse among the POWs. There were no shortages of witnesses able to finger the most deserving among them for punishment. Egypt managed to seize records from the Inquisition's HQ in Acre, which added to the list of names to be pulled from the POW population. The Crusaders didn't have time to burn them before the city was over and defenses broke completely. It was a mountain of evidence that'd be used against them in the trials. While some wanted to simply execute the worst offenders with only a short investigation, it was believed there had to be some process to ensure thoroughness and transparency.

Unfortunately the king is not among their number. He along with several ministers, generals, and their families fled ahead of the Arab armies. He resurfaced in Macedonia, far outside Egypt's reach. It was expected they'd likely relocate further to avoid getting killed or captured, likely Granada or Lotharingia it was expected. However a significant portion of the upper echelons of the regime had been left behind in the mad dash to safety: bureaucrats, inquisitors, officers, clerics, writers, etc. Those that had run the regime, ordered its worst excesses, and crafted the ideological basis for Aragon's Catholic Israelism.

The thousands of words they put to page proclaiming the righteousness of their crusade did little to aid them as they were dragged off to their cells. Their warped faith was not a shield, but a chain around their neck that they wore with pride, even as some begged for mercy from peoples they'd demanded the deaths of mere weeks ago. Some nearly escaped notice, lower level functionaries and seemingly minor politicians whose meager title obstructed their role in the regime. It was the Sicilian Partisans that helped weed them out. It was not done out of the kindness of their hearts but to remove an ideological threat among the soldiers. The Sicilians didn't need Israelites among their numbers. That didn't play well with the relatively secular nationalism that the Partisans were pushing.

The original conservative estimate of perhaps a few dozen people that'd require trial and execution quickly swelled to over two hundred. The process of organizing the military tribunal was still ongoing when the Arab Brothers War broke out, though it would only be a speed bump on the path to delivering justice.

That left much of the captured soldiers without ideological direction, driftless as their chaplains were dragged off, the Sicilian Partisans slotted in nicely into the power vacuums they had a hand in creating. Those from Sicily itself were the easiest to recruit into their organization, second were recent settlers that had less ties or commitment to the Crusader project. The Partisans's ranks swelled, and they began smuggling people across the Mediterranean to Sicily. Recruitment slowed though when Granada hired ships to arrive and people began to leave. It was the militant youth, desperate, and true believers that signed on with the Partisans. The rest wanted to take the free ride to get out of Egypt as quickly as possible. The process was also ongoing when the Arab Brothers War broke out. Granda paid well though and it didn't cost Egypt anything.

Government Budget: -3

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The general staff assembled by Khouri worked in his absence. While alive and awake, the doctors refused to let him return to duty. He was only one man, and the army would survive without him being there to personally oversee everything. An assessment which Khouri agreed with. In rapid fire communications between Damascus, Alexandria, Tehran, and Aden a murky image began to form.

Entente volunteers and mercenaries were pouring into Nejd's bloc to bolster their armies. It was difficult to gauge how many there were, however one fact was known: Maghreb and Egypt's armies in Syria were each individually larger than Nejd's blocs armies. They'd suffered modest casualties during the initial clashes with the Crusaders, but emerged with the bulk of their armies intact. Split in half, Egypt's army had the numbers and materials to possibly split then march on Baghdad and Mecca by itself, if one wished to risk more even numbers. The chaos sown by Islamists was not as widespread as Salaam and King Harroun had clearly hoped it would be.

In Egypt proper Islamist paramilitaries were fighting in Cairo attempting to take over the town. They were using crudely made armoured vehicles of sheet metal welded onto tractors and cars to try to break through fortified positions. They were disorganized, leadership already arrested or struggling to gain the advantage, hoping to catch the government off guard and inspire others to their cause. It wasn't happening. The reservists loyal to the government were holding them off and pushing them back. The peasant militias were leading counter attacks, recklessly and bravely blowing up armoured vehicles with hand grenades and anti-tank rifles they'd stockpiled. Their own ranks were swelling as many men and especially women joined to defend their homes from the traitorous Islamists.

Meanwhile Morocco mobilized its modest but modern army to assist Maghreb. It was set to march along the coast to put down Crusader revolts in Oran and Algiers on its way to Carthage to drive the Italian backed royals out of Tunisia. Maghrheb's own army was split in favour of the socialists, however a significant portion of said socialists were in Syria, not Tunisia. The socialist forces were on the backfoot as Italian volunteers and arms poured into North Africa. Tripoli had fallen to monarchists and Maghreb militia were retreating eastward, last the general staff heard.

It was the general staff's assessment that the war was winnable, if difficult. Egypt, Morroco, and Maghreb to a lesser extent all had modern armies. They were well equipped, trained, and possessed heavy guns, air and armoured elements. All things that the Entente was supplied to Nejd's bloc in droves. One officer on the general staff put it simply, "we may be fighting more Brugundians than we are Arabs."

The bulk of Nejd's forces had pulled back to Aqaba on the Red Sea, where it was believed they were awaiting reinforcements. The Bedoiuns reported a portion of the forces were on the move south, likely to reinforce Mecca or push onto Yemen. President Nagi's meager army was rallied and already moving into Hejaz. He believed that Oman was unlikely to attack Yemen considering the difficult terrain between the two and Oman's own meager forces. Their own scouts reported Oman's army was moving to the Gulf State's to put down the Ba'athist revolt there, alongside Scandinavian marines and an Iraqi detachment.

Among the diplomatic chaos was Funj. It had denounced the use of force between members of the Arab League and called for a ceasefire between all combatants. Its army was slowly mobilizing, but had not moved close to the border. Aswan was close to the border. The nearly complete dam had guards there for security, but they weren't soldiers. Then a communique from Funj was received.

They wanted guarantees that there'd be peace between the United Arab Republic and themselves. While the sultanate saw both sides of the Arab Brothers War as belligerent parties, it was felt that the UAR's shameless militant internationalism posed a threat to Funj. It requested that a demilitarized zone be established between them. Funj would receive a quarter of electrical output produced by the Aswan Low Dam once it's completed, at least until Funj can build its own hydroelectric dam. The Arab League would provide a portion of the funds and expertise necessary to build said dam as well.

The Sultanate would also extradite the members of Marcato's security forces that had escaped into Funj, if the UAR agreed to its requests. The diplomat that delivered the communique remarked, "We are connected by the Nile, so we are destined to be neighbours. Let us at least be good to each other by remaining on our sides of the border."

Adal meanwhile watched from across the Aden Gulf and Bab al-Mandab Strait. It had a similar stance as Funj. It denounced violence on both sides and called for a ceasefire, but otherwise did not move to intervene.

Iran and Turkey meanwhile had moved divisions near the border with Iraq, but had not intervened yet. Iraq had not declared war on them, though they would enter the moment the UAR gave the word. There was some concern however that it'd look bad to have Iran handle Iraq for the UAR. Pan-Arabism in Iraq had been co-opted by the government to feed into its desire to reclaim territory, and the rich oil resources, from Iran, welding it at the hip to Iraqi nationalism and monarchism. While Left Ba'athists were suppressed for their republican beliefs, Rightist Ba'athists bought into the government program. Pan-Arabism in Iraq was synonymous with war with Iran. Turkey meanwhile brought forth the specter of Ottoman domination to people's minds. Communists though they might be, it was only a decade ago that Iraq lived under their thumb as a vassal.

So there were concerns that calling in Iran and Turkey would possibly discredit the UAR in Iraq. There was some belief among the general staff that Egypt 'doing it itself' would be a sufficient show of force to cow Iraqi Pan-Arabists into supporting the UAR. There were dissenting voices within the general staff and party that felt that belief was wildly optimistic. Local cadres would have to be recruited to fill out future governments in Nejd, Hejaz, and Oman. Why give Iraq special treatment? It was a poison pill to swallow. Better Iraq be occupied sooner rather than later and it receive similar treatment as the other monarchies. Left Ba'athists would form the nucleus of local cadres that'd fill out the future UAR government and party in Iraq.

There was no question about the outcome of the war of course. Whatever shape the UAR will take, its defeated enemies will be forced to be part of it.

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Please vote by plan.
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Funj

How does Egypt, and by extension the UAR, respond to the Funj Sultnate's request? Write Ins subject to veto.
Can only pick 1.

[ ][FUN] Accept their request
[ ][FUN] Refuse their request
[ ][FUN] Renegotiate their request (write in):
[ ][FUN] Declare war on them

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Black Sea Pact

Does Egypt call Turkey and Iran to invade Iraq? Baghdad will fall almost immediately and its army will likely follow suit.

[ ][BLA] Yes
[ ][BLA] No

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Military

What does Egypt's military do? Maghreb is marching south into Hejaz. It has slightly more soldiers than Nejd's combined army, and better equipment and training. Yemen is marching north into Hejaz. Morocco is marching east into Numidia and Tunisia. Islamists are on the back foot but still fighting in Cairo and surrounding areas. Peasant Militias and other reservists are pushing them back. Under Khouri's advisement, the air force will be dedicated to battlefield support and scouting under command of the army.

At the heart of Arabia is a massive desert. It stretches far and wide, and unfortunately makes travel between regions difficult. While not impossible to cross directly west to east or vice versa, generally it's safer and easier to take safer routes. That means however an army in Iraq must march through Syria and Palestine if it wished to reach Egypt or Hejaz. Rivers and coastlines are the main transit paths.

Pick 3

[ ][MIL] Attack Iraq: march along the Euphrates River, and march to Baghdad. Can reinforce Gulf State rebels and opens the road up to Riyadh and Muscat.
[ ][MIL] Attack Hejaz: join Maghreb's army, and march into Hejaz. Secures route to Yemen
[ ][MIL] Reinforce Egypt: relocate back home, and put down the Islamists revolt immediately
[ ][MIL] Reinforce Libya: march west to Benghazi, stop monarchist push, and drive them back. Secures route to Carthage.
[ ][MIL] Attack Funj (Requires declaring war on the Sultanate): use the North-South Line to quickly cross the border, march onto Khartoum

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Diplomacy

The miscellaneous actions that Egypt will do during this too. Write Ins subject to veto. No limit on this but please be reasonable. Don't go crazy with write ins.

[ ][DIP] Declare war on the Adal Sultanate. In for a penny, in for a pound.
[ ][DIP] Request Comintern volunteers.
[ ][DIP] Write In: