Egypt, Winter 1919 - Sinai Crisis Part 5 - The Eleventh Crusade
It's a bit big. Consider it an early present. 
===
===
Egypt, Winter 1919 - Sinai Crisis Part 5 - The Eleventh Crusade
===
Decisions were made quickly to keep Egypt stable during the crisis. It was agreed by nearly all, save the Islamists, that the Copt officers had to be negotiated with. Hurried communications sent back and forth finally convinced the Copts to stand down, hesitantly emerging from their barracks. They had not expected their demands to be met, so upon hearing that all but one of them had been there was a touch of confusion. That soon turned to cheer among the soldiers, who's lives and families had been spared from senseless slaughter. However among the officers there was a degree of resentment that they too would have to fall in line with the new socialist regime, but it was a bitter pill they swallowed willingly.
The Copts would soon rejoin the general staff as willing participants in the war. The Islamists would demand their removal, but Khouri had none of it. He firmly replied that "there will be no pogroms in our new Egypt." Any further discussion of the decision was deemed insubordination, and they reluctantly dropped the matter. With Copt officers back in the fold, Khouri would favour the Peasant Militias over the Islamist Paramilitaries in filling out empty officer slots. It was the expected outcome by the rest of the general staff. He had a hand in founding the organization through his Red Guards. They had experience working with people and the confidence of their fellow reservists and soldiers. It was enough to issue the promotions. The Islamists bitterly accepted the decision, even if they protested it. Their resentment shimmered behind their glares.
The Royalists had few friends remaining in the military or government, so there were few to disagree with the decision to arrest them. They were barred from leaving the country and put under house arrest for the time being. Isolated, old, and taken by surprise, none could resist when armed soldiers approached them. They were officially taken into protective custody but they knew it was to prevent them from leaving the country. There was nobody targeting them specifically. They had seemingly nothing left to lose to save their lives. They grumbled, powerless to stop their fate as they were ever so gently swept into the dustbin where they belonged. Egypt had little need for them.
And finally, the general staff crafted a strategy to win the war after much debate on how to deploy their newest war machines. Polish Doctrine had appealed to many of the officers. Fanciful descriptions of airplanes soaring overhead as columns of tanks broke through Levant lines captured the imagination of a fast, modern war, where Egypt could sweep aside its enemies with lightning speed and precision. However, after much back and forth, it was decided the slow and steady German Doctrine won out. Their tanks were German, they were few in number, and they lacked enough trucks or cavalry to fill in the gaps created by breakthroughs. The fact that it was decided the airplanes would focus on their own targets rather than following the army was the nail in the coffin.
The airplanes would target the forts on the Suez and take out Levant's reserves of chemical weapons. Both were fortified targets with machine gun nests that could threaten the airplanes. Khouri advised caution against splitting up the forces further, so that was what they would focus on. While the navy would sail east then north along the coast to prevent Macedonia from reinforcing Syria. It would take out targets along the way. Shelling Levant's cities was a popular prospect but the collateral it would cause was deemed unacceptable.
Confident that they could achieve victory, the plan was finalized, the government informed, and Egypt went to war.
Current Officer Pool: 8 Slots: 5 Socialists, 1 Islamist, 1 Radical Copt, 1 Copt
===
Egypt was independent. Hakim's government made no qualms about it. There was no sleight of hand diplomatic trick attempted. It was declared a socialist revolution against imperialism. In keeping with international practices then, Egypt declared war on Macedonia and Levant. The declaration was put off several long days as the AENC secured control of the country. It called on its allies to aid it in the revolution, which Maghreb and the Arab League readily did so. Their own forces had already begun to mobilize when they first heard Hakim's declaration.
Among the international community the reactions were mixed but predictable. Most countries had a muted response, viewing the affair with mild disinterest to amusement. The final nail in the coffin to the Venetian empire no doubt, if they'd truly lost control over their crown jewel. The small, middling, regional powers did not have the time or interest in making any statement at first, perfectly fine to watch the whole affair play out. That's not to say nobody noticed or cared. Among other countries that had resisted European imperialism there was a show of support and recognition. The native nations of Tawantinsuyu, Rhonst, and Haudenosaunee recognized Egypt's independence.
Among the great powers, the Entente watched with intense interest, eyes fixed upon the Suez Canal. Assurances from Alexandria that it will remain open were received with warm skepticism. They resolved to wait and see how it played out before intervening, refusing to extend recognition and calling for order to be restored without demanding the governor be reinstated. The Heavenly Kingdom belatedly recognized Egypt, several weeks after the declaration. The Arcadian Union surprised many by recognizing Egypt. It had done so in the hopes that the independent country would open itself up to trade once the war was over.
As expected, the Comintern as a whole recognized Egypt immediately, all save for one: Germany. The president of Germany denounced the revolt as the actions of thugs and bandits. The government decided to increase the interest rates on debts owed by Egypt, demanded immediate payment, and called for an embargo against them. The decision was hotly contested by the opposition party but they failed to muster enough support for a vote of no confidence. The other countries that Egypt owed money to made similar demands. The revolution and declaration of war already had ships hesitant to dock in Egypt. The threat of fines and confiscation convinced the fence sitters to stay away.
Current Government Budget: -4
Macedonia however refused to declare war. Egypt was not independent. It was a rebellious colony and it was its duty to restore order in the mandate it'd given itself suzerainty over. Levant too didn't bother with a declaration of war, though King Giovanni Roderic Asumdo did make an announcement and radios across the country broadcasted his voice. The speech would be heard around the world and go down in infamy.
With sickening confidence, he boasted that the end of Islam was nigh. The Kingdom of Jerusalem had never stopped its war against Muslims and Arabs, and his inevitable victory, which was ordained by God, would see Egypt and Arabia scoured to the last man. Asumdo's speech became more deranged the longer he went, losing coherence as he began to rant about the righteousness of his goals, establishing the kingdom of God on Earth, and bringing about the end of days. The final battle Christendom would have to fight against Islam was upon them, and the return of "true Israelites" to the Holy Lands. There will be no peace, no mercy, only death, destruction, and misery for his foes.
In a fever pitch he declared the Eleventh and Final Crusade.
Its conclusion was punctuated by Levant's army launching pogroms against all non-Christians as it began its march south. Violence exploded across the country. People began to flee their homes, even Christian Arabs fled with their neighbours. They were not safe, regardless of their denomination. In the days after, Aragon answered Levant's call when the Pope in Barcelona echoed Asumdo's declaration and affirmed that the war was a crusade. It however was unable to offer support, as Maghreb declared war and launched an offensive to liberate Numidia.
Levant's army did not stay at home for long, rallying together over the course of several days around Gaza, before splitting its forces in two. The first, and larger, heavy armed force, crossed into Sinai, while the secondary force marched southeast, intent on reaching Medina and Mecca. The first force followed the Mediterranean coastline until it reached Arish. The port town had been lightly fortified and its garrison hunkered down waiting for reinforcements against the larger Crusader force. The shelling began almost immediately.
===
Sprinklers were disabled, hoses were broken, pumps were disabled, and water tanks were emptied. The fire suppression systems in Levant's chemical weapon storage depots in Jaffa and Jerusalem were all sabotaged one by one over several days. The guards that were supposed to be watching the building were slacking. Many had left to commit violence against locals, spurred on by their officers. The Sicilian Partisans were let in without question and let out as easily. During the night large white circles were painted on the roofs of the depots to make them stand out further.
The Sicilians made sure to clear the area before the intended air raid. None of them wanted to be near the depots when they were bombed. Nobody noticed what they'd done either, too wrapped up in their bloody glory and self righteousness to bother with basic maintenance.
===
In airfields outside Cairo, close to mid day, Egypt's fleet of airplanes were spun up. Their propellers sputtered to life as their engines roared. Dozens of pilots, co-pilots, gunners, and bomber sighters climbed into their planes and began to taxi down the gravel runway. They were split into two squadrons of 20 fighters and 10 bombers each to hit two targets: Jaffa and Acre. They had all heard the declaration, knew the stakes, and knew their mission. One by one they took up, formed up in the air, and then began the hours long journey towards the coast. They'd flown over Egypt as practice and decided the coast was the best navigable feature to use to reach their targets. It helped that they were both port towns in.
With the sun above them rather than in their face, they flew with confidence as they split up and continued on their way. The group heading north encountered a Crusader recon plane and eagerly shot down the unprepared craft, sending its flaming wreck hurtling to the shore below them. Among the squadrons were planes outfitted with cameras to quickly document troop movements but they did not break from formation to focus on the task.
It did not take long for them to reach their targets. In Jaffa the depot was on the dock, surrounded by regular port facilities. The targets were visible from neighbouring buildings and from the sky. Soldiers on their hands and knees tried to scrub the paint away, when they heard the buzz of the planes. They all scrambled to get to the machine gun nests and shots from rifles rang out, but were too late as the lumbering behemoths flew low to the ground to deliver their payloads. Hundreds of pounds of explosives fell from the bays of each plane as they passed overhead and quickly climbed back up.
The bombs hit. The warehouse went up in an exploding fireball as thousands of gas shells, among other stored munitions, detonated. The fire enveloped the port and raged as toxic fumes spread throughout the surrounding port and city. The pilots gave no thought to it as they cheered in celebration, turning around to head back home.
The squadron that flew to Jerusalem faced more opposition. The holy city was heavily fortified. Neighbourhoods had been leveled years ago and a series of bunkers, trenches, and grids had been built in its place. Every mosque and synagogue in the city was destroyed when they took it, and on the Temple Mount stood a towering statue of Jesus on the cross. Its garrison had not been called to the front like Jaffa's. The air was filled with bullets as they turned their machine guns upwards to shoot down the planes. They lacked tracer rounds, spraying blindly into the formation with the sun in their eyes, the sheer saturation of fire tore apart several unfortunate planes.
The formation split up, fighters diving to attack the machine gun nests, while the bombers doggedly flew onwards. Their canvas wings were filled with holes and its crew desperately praying that they would survive as they began their dive, all guns on the ground turned towards them. Two bombers were torn apart by the hail of gunfire, managing to tear apart engines and injure the pilots. The behemoths faltered, drifting uncontrollably as their crews scrambled to climb into the pilot seat to retake control, but it was too late. They crashed into bunkers, dead.
The rest however were undeterred and reached their targets. They dropped their payloads, and a deafening explosion followed as tons of explosives exploded at once. A gigantic fireball erupted from the building, consuming a bomber in its blaze and vaporizing everyone around it. Soldiers that didn't die instantly fled from the burning heat and toxic fumes that spread from the raging inferno. The mission finished, the squadron regrouped and continued their long trek back home.
The sun was in their eyes and behind them Jerusalem burned. Prays were muttered for forgiveness, but they knew in their hearts that they were not the ones that originally desecrated the city.
===
The Suez Canal was lined with an impressive array of fortifications. They were however, undermanned, and attacked from both sides. Egyptian soldiers on the east side of the canal attacked in conjunction with soldiers from the west side. Airplanes flew through the air, dropping bombs onto the bunkers and striffing Macedonian formations. The cruiser parked in Port Said began to shell the city with impunity. The city was reduced to rubble as shot after shot was fired without restraint or hesitation.
Bombers flew low, attempting to hit the warship. Bombs rained down from above, many missing their target, but enough hit that the cruiser's armoured deck buckled and bent. Damaged, it attempted to flee. It did not get far when the Egyptian navy arrived, faster and more modern, it outpaced and outranged the Macedonian ship, sinking it within sight of the coastline. Meanwhile across the canal, Khouri's modern army marched forward.
Masses of men supported by heavy guns and tanks hammered the Macedonian forts, while cavalry cut off attempts at breaking out of the fast forming pockets. Crossings were secured along the canal, while the Macedonian garrison near Port Said held out, refusing to surrender, believing the Crusaders would lift the siege. Unwilling to risk leaving the flank open, the army was ordered to storm the Macedonian forts. The fight was intense but ultimately brief. The tanks proved their effectiveness as machine gun fire bounced off their armour and their heavy guns blew apart reinforced concrete. Egyptian soldiers raced into gaps made, pushing in room by room.
While fighting raged on, the bulk of the Egyptian army continued east to reinforce Arish. The port city had been reduced to rubble by the Crusader's guns, but the rubble spoke Arabic and they refused to stop fighting. Bedouins did what they could to harass Levant's supply lines, using their knowledge of the local terrain to safely navigate the desert and attack the Crusaders from behind. It helped but did not slow Levant's advancement. The town was slowly encircled, unable to prevent it, and pocketed, allowing them to continue their march
Sinai was a harsh environment, nearly all desert save for oases scattered around it. It was only tolerable because of the winter weather, keeping the temperature relatively cool, rather than baking tens of thousands of men alive. It was far from an ideal battle ground, but it would be where the two armies met, at the village of Bir al-Abd. Egypt's standing army bolstered by reservists it could mobilize in time ran into the bulk of Levant's army, which nearly matched it in size.
Villagers fled ahead of the advancing Crusader forces. The unfortunate ones that couldn't were killed. Cavalry scouts from both sides had spotted the other before they met and both knew the other's location. Bedouins continued to harass the Crusaders, riding east to attack supply lines. It managed to draw soldiers away from the front as Levant began to more thoroughly guard and patrol their supply lines. It helped in preventing them from feeling secure.
Khouri dreaded the encounter. It had the potential to make or break the war. The loser would have to retreat from the peninsula to fall back positions and see their territory occupied. It would set the tempo for the rest of the war. They had reached the village first and began entrenching themselves as quickly as possible. They dug lines across the front, with the sea to one side and the desert to the other. The Crusaders did not do the same. They didn't feel the need to.
Instead they shelled the Egyptian army, and Khouri returned fire. The battle had begun. The artillery destroyed buildings, terrain, and ended lives easily. Neither side had the vast reserves to keep their guns firing endlessly, but they had enough for the battle and did not fall silent. While Levant amassed a force of armoured cars backed by trucks and cavalry, Egyptian heavy tanks lumbered forward, followed by a great mass of infantry and flanked by cavalry. The Egyptian cavalry rode out to prevent the main thrust from being flanked. Following behind them kicking up thick plumes of sand were light tanks, treads speeding along to bring up the rear.
Artillery on both sides fired on the advancing forces, raining death down upon the battlefield. In a clash of metal on beast and man, metal won, as Crusader armoured cars were able to cut through the Egyptian cavalry, only to in turn meet their equal clashing against the slower light tanks. Their armour held up against Crusader bullets, as did Crusader armour against theirs, save for their wheels. In a grinding battle, machine guns hammered against the war machines, popping rivets and tearing open weak spots. The Crusader's motorized soldiers disembarked to back their fellow soldiers, while cavalry supported the tanks.
Unable to break though, their flanking maneuver had stalled, and soon shells began to hit their position. It drove the Crusaders back, who turned and drove back their own lines, which had since begun clashing with the Egyptians. Both sides used scattered buildings for cover as they advanced across fields of sand and dirt. The point of contact was small but the fighting the fiercest as the weight of the armies crashed into each other. The veteran Crusader forces didn't stop in the face of mounting casualties, bringing heavy guns up to take down tanks, while rolled forward like a glacier, seemingly unstoppable in their march. Protecting them from being surrounded were Egyptian infantry who followed closing behind, using the war machines as cover.
It began slowly, the Crusader's front line faltered and started pulling back. They attempted several more flanking attacks but were unable to get behind Egyptian lines. Their guns took out tanks but not enough and had to be dedicated to counter barrages against the Egyptian rear lines. It spoke to the veterancy of their soldiers that the line didn't fall apart as they began a fighting retreat.
By the evening, Egypt had won the Battle of Bir al-Abd. The casualties were high among those at the front, but the bulk of both Egypt's army had escaped with acceptable casualties. Khouri's shoulders sagged in relief when he got the news. They hadn't lost and the revolution wasn't on the backfoot.
===
When news of the victory reached Port Said, the remaining Macedonian defenders surrendered. They were taken as prisoners, the port and canal cleared of rubble and explosives, and then declared open for traffic once more. Ships were reluctant to travel through what had been an active war zone mere days ago, especially those fearful that doing so would violate the embargo levied against Egypt. The first ship to travel through the reopened canal was an impatient Scandinavian freighter who's captain didn't care about the political considerations and was annoyed at the delays he'd already suffered. More ships followed suit, and for the first time, Egypt was collecting tolls on the Suez Canal.
===
Levant's secondary force had fought and won a battle against the Arab League's forces near the border. They began their march along the Gulf of Aqaba when news about the bombing raids and defeat was relayed to them. The general in charge of the army dispatched communications with the king if they should turn around, but were ordered to maintain course and continue their push south. The Arab League's force retreated further south, while their collective mustered forces marched north to meet up and prevent the Crusader push.
===
In setting the tempo for the war, Egypt held the initiative and continued its advance. Arish was relieved, its defenders still fighting block by block to hold the city when Khouri's forces arrived and drove Levant back. The Crusaders did another fighting retreat, pulling back to fortifications in Gaza. They were harassed by cavalry the entire way. With the Sinai Peninsula secured for the moment, the Bedouins rode over the border into Levant's wilderness to make contact with local tribes.
They came back with news from the interior. Crusader control was rocky. While heavily armed, they didn't have the manpower to garrison the entire country. They'd started massacring people to depopulate the countryside as a security precaution, however the destruction of their chemical weapons meant they'd have to eat into their ammo reserves and after their setbacks they were less willing to do that. It gave people time to flee from zones of control into the hinterland, farmland, and villages that had managed to avoid their wraith. They were waiting for reinforcements from Syria and Macedonia.
Which was not immediately coming. Egypt's modest navy had sailed up the coast, taking out Levant's meager navy in port as it passed. It roamed the waters outside Cyprus, until finding a Macedonian cruiser and fleet of convoys. Outnumbered and outgunned, they managed to kill and sink the convoys. Sailors and soldiers that survived were dragged on board the Egyptian ships, then dropped off in Turkey.
The Egyptian army stopped near the border, as the Maghreb expeditionary force slowly brought up the rear. It took a couple days until it met up with Khouri's forces. Soldiers from both countries began celebrating, cheering when they saw each other. The unbelievable was happening. The armies of the Arab world were coming together and the wretched stain Levant that had blighted their lands for too long was losing. The Crusaders weren't invincible, far from it, and their brutality had earned them few friends and many enemies.
The two armies marched north, meeting the Crusader army outside Gaze. While the fortifications around the area were extensive, the desert gave way to arid scrubland and sparse fields. It was less hostile terrain, with more navigable roads. Cavalry from both the two armies began to spread out, probing the flanks and testing the reach of the Crusaders. Seeing that they risked being bypassed or encircled if they didn't act, Levant launched a counter attack. Fierce fighting lasted over a day but they couldn't break through the larger combined force and fought another fighting retreat, losing more irreplaceable men as they pulled out.
That's when Levant's southern front began to collapse. The Egyptian and Maghrebi cavalry spread outwards to drive out any remaining garrisons, harass retreating Crusaders, connect with survivors, and get a lay of the land. Immediately thousands of people came out of hiding across seemingly abandoned villages and from where they could hide. They hailed the two Arab armies as liberators and people cheered and wept in relief when they saw them approach. It meant that the nightmare was finally over.
That's when Khouri learned of the secondary Crusader force that was abroad. The Bedouins had been harassing their supply lines, keeping them on edge and tracking their movements. At that moment they were extremely vulnerable to being cut off. So the Egyptian and Maghrebi armies split off, Khouri continuing north to pin the bulk of Levant's army in Jaffa and Jerusalem, while his counterpart swung east to chase after the Crusader's secondary force.
===
Levant's secondary force got news of the retreat from Gaza as they reached the Red Sea. The general didn't want to risk being cut off and surrounded, considering his options heavily. He did not wish to disobey the king and morale among the men was shaken when they heard the Egyptians had crossed the border. Continuing the march south along the Arabian peninsula to raze Medina and Mecca would likely be a suicide mission. Destroying the cities would not conjure supplies out of thin air and the region was arid, sparsely populated, and much of the population fled ahead of their march. He also knew the Arab League army had retreated along his path and scouts had yet to relocate them. It would mean marching blindly into an enemy while isolated.
So, the general came to the decision to fall back to Jerusalem and quickly. The decision was received poorly by several of his officers, accusing him of cowardice, but they were arrested by their peers who wanted to live and get back home. Holy mission or not, officers and soldiers didn't want the land they'd stolen from the Palestinians taken back by them. They turned around, marching back up the gulf.
They wouldn't make it far when an advance force of cavalry from the Arab League caught up to them, attacking their flanks. They hastily fought back, barely holding together as they were caught unawares and unprepared, managing to fight back. The cavalry force retreated, thrilled with the result of their work. Suspecting a larger force wasn't far behind them, the Crusader general ordered a force march.
They were harassed the entire time, barely outpacing the Arab League's army. That's when they stopped receiving supplies. The last wagons that arrived told them another army was marching from the north. They were cut off, living off what supplies and rations they had. Deciding to avoid death in the field, they moved like cornered rats. Heavy weapons were destroyed and left behind, along with anything they couldn't carry to lighten the load. They moved for the port of Aqaba on the gulf in the hopes they could escape via the sea.
When they reached the port they seized the ships in port and ones outside of it. It wasn't enough to transport the entire army. They called for help in the hopes that passing cargo ships would turn and pick them up. A few came but most of the traffic through the Red Sea ignored them. The general leading the force made the decision to evacuate the wounded first to get them to safety. The several ships were loaded up then set out under false flags, sailing into the Red Sea and leaving the rest of the army to its fate.
A few days later the Arab League and Maghrebi armies reached Aqaba, demanding the city surrender. The general did not expect mercy, not after everything they'd done. He refused. They laid siege to the city the next day.
===
Damaged by the bombing runs, manpower stretched thin from casualties and splitting their forces, reinforcements shortcoming, the situation in Jaffa and Jerusalem was bleak. King Asumdo refused to fall back from the holy city, forcing his army to split their remaining numbers. While Khouri wanted to liberate Jerusalem first, he decided to aim for the more strategic target as was the plan set by the general staff: seize the coastline.
Egypt's army marched, reached Jaffa, and laid siege. Its army had bloodied itself over the couple weeks of intense fighting, suffering casualties but also receiving more manpower from still mobilizing reservists. They had the numbers advantage and pushed. The defensive lines around Jaffa held firm initially, concrete holding up to artillery, but the lack of manpower left gaps in the defense. Guns were unmanned, supplies running low, and as casualties mounted on both sides, Egypt pushed in.
It's tanks led the push, lumbering war machines rolling atop piles of dirt and rubble like it was nothing. Swarming behind them through the broken lines was infantry, once more sticking close to the behemoths. The defense of the capital fell, collapsing as the Egyptians broke through and began surrounding the city's defenders. Brutal house to house fighting took place in the southern half of the city. Believing that the war could still be saved, the king and his remaining forces ordered an evacuation to Tyre. The northern half of the city abandoned the southern half to die. Unlike before however, their cohesion broke down as the army remnants began to flee northwards.
Khouri sent a section of his army to encircle the city and cavalry to give chase. Those who remained in Jaffa currently surrendered once they realized they'd been abandoned. While fleeing soldiers were less lucky, many were run down by cavalry before the officers ordered prisoners to be taken. Trains, trucks, and animals were seized by fleeing soldiers to keep ahead of the Egyptians. They were no longer an army, only a mob of tens of thousands running away like panicked animals. Those on foot unable to keep up found themselves taken prisoner.
With the capital of Levant the Egyptian army slowed its breakneck pace to recuperate, however it did not stop. Over the course of several days they continued its push north, seizing Acre then Tyre with limited resistance. By that point the Sicilian Partisans acted as liaisons for their fellow Italians and the Egyptians, coordinating the prisoners and working to keep people calm. None had caught onto their treachery yet, and there were few able to offer to voice opposition to them. The ones that wanted to fight to the death already had.
Khouri received news that Aqaba had been taken, along with several thousand Crusader prisoners. The Arab League and Maghreb armies faced brutal casualties but had managed the difficult task. The only remaining Crusader army left was in Jerusalem. The Arab League and Maghreb armies were blooded but had started marching towards the holy city.
Khouri would beat them there.
===
Spirits were high, ecstatic even. Everywhere the Egyptians went people cheered and wept. Nearly the entire country had been liberated, so when the army marched on Jerusalem all of them felt a sense of purpose. Some would say it was divine, none could deny the righteousness and exuberance they felt when they reached its outskirts. The city had suffered much. Levant had razed much of it in an attempt to erase the past, only churches deemed acceptable to them remained. Rings of fort had been built around it, buildings hundreds of years old leveled for clear lines of sight and firing zones. Towering above it all was a statue of Jesus, metal heavily burnt, discoloured, and warped by the chemical fire, utterly ruined much like most of the city. It was a sad pitiable state, so much history pointlessly destroyed.
The Crusaders were given a chance to surrender. They were made aware of the situation and how hopeless a defiant last stand was, but promised to be well treated. As proof, a Sicilian spokesman was sent in to convince them to stand down. The Egyptian army waited outside the city, tense with anticipation. There were some officers among the army that thought they shouldn't accept surrender and that everyone left in the city should be executed. They were dragged away for court martial by their fellow officers.
Eventually the Sicilian returned, crossing between the empty stretch of field between lines. The Crusaders agreed to surrender. Ahead of a military precession, Khouri formally accepted the commanding officer's surrender, and marched into Jerusalem like Saladin did over seven hundred years ago. While he did not wish to parade around like a conqueror of old, he found his men and soon the civilians chanting his name. The city had been liberated and he, his officers, and Egypt had taken the glory for putting an end to Levant's madness.
===
Khouri waited in Jerusalem several times for fresh troops and his allies to catch up to him. He'd left garrison forces in Jaffa and Acre to hold down the cities, reducing the size of his forces.
The locals helped somewhat as Peasant Militia officers began to organize local militias on their own initiative, much to the chagrin of the Islamists, who did the same. They tried to whip up religious frenzy and start reprisal killings against prisoners and local Christians. They got away with a few murders before being stopped by other officers, beating the Islamists and arresting them. Had there been more Islamists officers it's likely that the killings would have spiraled into pogroms and massacres. As it stood however the Socialists put a stop to that, nipping the issue in the bud and helping maintain discipline among the soldiers and reservists.
When the Arab League and Maghrebi armies reached Jerusalem, they congratulated the Egyptians. People across the coalition met with each other and celebrated the liberation of Palestine. Arabs from across the whole of North Africa and Middle East had fought side by side and proven to the entire world that they were once again the masters of their own destinies. While the majority of them were Muslim, among their number were Copt and Syriac Christians, and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, among others, that had suffered and fought against the Crusaders as well.
Survivors from the city came forth out of hiding during those days, presenting pieces of buildings and artifacts that they had managed to hide away from the Crusaders. It wasn't much, bricks from mosques, synagogues, and churches, or a piece of a candle, but it was something. Despite the Crusaders' best efforts, they could not completely destroy the past. It was scarred by their work and it could never be the same again, at least something had made it through and that was worth celebrating.
===
The three armies marched again, their spirits high, soldiers recuperate, and supplies restocked. They escorted the prisoners to Jaffa, garrisoned the city with more soldiers and locals, then continued north. It was almost leisurely, as far as marches go, making good time as they reached Tyre and kept going over the border into Syria. The colonial puppet state had raised its meager army but not marched to help the Crusaders.
Their morale was low, manpower lacking, and as news of Jerusalem's liberation spread soldiers began defecting. People in the cities and countryside began to protest, demanding an end to the regime, and the elites which had been propped up by Aragon and Macedonia fled to the coast, ceding any control of the interior.
When the Arab armies reached Damascus the city had already liberated itself and welcomed them as heroes. While Egypt did not claim the honour of entering the city alone, Khouri felt no problem sharing the glory, since it was not his nor Egypt's alone. It was with great amusement however when he wrote back to Alexandria with a local postcard saying "The grand tour goes well, wish you were here." He thought the rest of the cabinet would appreciate the sentiment.
They didn't stick around for too long, continuing the last leg of the campaign. It took a week before they reached the Syrian port of Tartus. The Egyptian navy had done a good job harassing the coast and stalling Macedonian intervention, however they had recently gotten into a battle with a small Macedonian fleet that came to deal with them. It was similar in numbers, three cruisers and six destroyers. It saw fierce fighting between the two fleets near Cyprus. Several Egyptian ships, two cruisers and three destroyers, were sunk over the course of the battle, however the heavy cruiser held the fleet together. It managed to sink a cruiser by itself, drawing fire from the other ships, and allowed the fleet to drive off the Macedonians.
While they had returned to Alexandria for repairs, the sea lanes were open. Macedonian ships traveled to Tartus to provide troopers, however the city was in a poor state when they arrived. Soldiers were deserting en masse, control of the interior was gone, and they were outnumbered and outgunned by the combined Arab armies fast approaching. The Syrian elite, drawn from wealthy Christian families, had clogged the ports, taking their staff, servants, and few remaining soldiers and ministers with them, desperately trying to flee the country. Reluctant to abandon the colony, the Macedonian general decided to aid in the withdrawal from the city.
Ahead of the Arab armies, collaborators fled the city by the sea. A smaller force was dispatched to Alexandretta at the Turkish border, finding most of the border garrison had fled or deserted. Arab and Turkish soldiers met at the border, greeting each other as brothers and comrades, smiling and cheering at how far they marched. Syria fell with a whimper.
Hakim received a diplomatic notification from Turkey that it had marched into Assyria. The fragile puppet regime without much difficulty, aside from a few skirmishes with Iraqi forces that had the same thought. Like that, the campaign was over.
===
[] Plan: Aggressive Assault v2
-[][COP] Agree to all, except the labour law exceptions. There is resent in their eyes but they will accept it.
-[][ROY] Arrest them. They don't get to leave the country.
-[][OFF] Peasant Militias: all empty slots will be filled by Socialists
-[][AIR] Bomb Levant's chemical weapon reserves.
-[][AIR] Help the army seize the canal.
-[][TAN] German Doctrine
-[][NAV] Intercept Macedonian reinforcements
-[][COP] Agree to all, except the labour law exceptions. There is resent in their eyes but they will accept it.
-[][ROY] Arrest them. They don't get to leave the country.
-[][OFF] Peasant Militias: all empty slots will be filled by Socialists
-[][AIR] Bomb Levant's chemical weapon reserves.
-[][AIR] Help the army seize the canal.
-[][TAN] German Doctrine
-[][NAV] Intercept Macedonian reinforcements
===
Egypt, Winter 1919 - Sinai Crisis Part 5 - The Eleventh Crusade
===
Decisions were made quickly to keep Egypt stable during the crisis. It was agreed by nearly all, save the Islamists, that the Copt officers had to be negotiated with. Hurried communications sent back and forth finally convinced the Copts to stand down, hesitantly emerging from their barracks. They had not expected their demands to be met, so upon hearing that all but one of them had been there was a touch of confusion. That soon turned to cheer among the soldiers, who's lives and families had been spared from senseless slaughter. However among the officers there was a degree of resentment that they too would have to fall in line with the new socialist regime, but it was a bitter pill they swallowed willingly.
The Copts would soon rejoin the general staff as willing participants in the war. The Islamists would demand their removal, but Khouri had none of it. He firmly replied that "there will be no pogroms in our new Egypt." Any further discussion of the decision was deemed insubordination, and they reluctantly dropped the matter. With Copt officers back in the fold, Khouri would favour the Peasant Militias over the Islamist Paramilitaries in filling out empty officer slots. It was the expected outcome by the rest of the general staff. He had a hand in founding the organization through his Red Guards. They had experience working with people and the confidence of their fellow reservists and soldiers. It was enough to issue the promotions. The Islamists bitterly accepted the decision, even if they protested it. Their resentment shimmered behind their glares.
The Royalists had few friends remaining in the military or government, so there were few to disagree with the decision to arrest them. They were barred from leaving the country and put under house arrest for the time being. Isolated, old, and taken by surprise, none could resist when armed soldiers approached them. They were officially taken into protective custody but they knew it was to prevent them from leaving the country. There was nobody targeting them specifically. They had seemingly nothing left to lose to save their lives. They grumbled, powerless to stop their fate as they were ever so gently swept into the dustbin where they belonged. Egypt had little need for them.
And finally, the general staff crafted a strategy to win the war after much debate on how to deploy their newest war machines. Polish Doctrine had appealed to many of the officers. Fanciful descriptions of airplanes soaring overhead as columns of tanks broke through Levant lines captured the imagination of a fast, modern war, where Egypt could sweep aside its enemies with lightning speed and precision. However, after much back and forth, it was decided the slow and steady German Doctrine won out. Their tanks were German, they were few in number, and they lacked enough trucks or cavalry to fill in the gaps created by breakthroughs. The fact that it was decided the airplanes would focus on their own targets rather than following the army was the nail in the coffin.
The airplanes would target the forts on the Suez and take out Levant's reserves of chemical weapons. Both were fortified targets with machine gun nests that could threaten the airplanes. Khouri advised caution against splitting up the forces further, so that was what they would focus on. While the navy would sail east then north along the coast to prevent Macedonia from reinforcing Syria. It would take out targets along the way. Shelling Levant's cities was a popular prospect but the collateral it would cause was deemed unacceptable.
Confident that they could achieve victory, the plan was finalized, the government informed, and Egypt went to war.
Current Officer Pool: 8 Slots: 5 Socialists, 1 Islamist, 1 Radical Copt, 1 Copt
===
Egypt was independent. Hakim's government made no qualms about it. There was no sleight of hand diplomatic trick attempted. It was declared a socialist revolution against imperialism. In keeping with international practices then, Egypt declared war on Macedonia and Levant. The declaration was put off several long days as the AENC secured control of the country. It called on its allies to aid it in the revolution, which Maghreb and the Arab League readily did so. Their own forces had already begun to mobilize when they first heard Hakim's declaration.
Among the international community the reactions were mixed but predictable. Most countries had a muted response, viewing the affair with mild disinterest to amusement. The final nail in the coffin to the Venetian empire no doubt, if they'd truly lost control over their crown jewel. The small, middling, regional powers did not have the time or interest in making any statement at first, perfectly fine to watch the whole affair play out. That's not to say nobody noticed or cared. Among other countries that had resisted European imperialism there was a show of support and recognition. The native nations of Tawantinsuyu, Rhonst, and Haudenosaunee recognized Egypt's independence.
Among the great powers, the Entente watched with intense interest, eyes fixed upon the Suez Canal. Assurances from Alexandria that it will remain open were received with warm skepticism. They resolved to wait and see how it played out before intervening, refusing to extend recognition and calling for order to be restored without demanding the governor be reinstated. The Heavenly Kingdom belatedly recognized Egypt, several weeks after the declaration. The Arcadian Union surprised many by recognizing Egypt. It had done so in the hopes that the independent country would open itself up to trade once the war was over.
As expected, the Comintern as a whole recognized Egypt immediately, all save for one: Germany. The president of Germany denounced the revolt as the actions of thugs and bandits. The government decided to increase the interest rates on debts owed by Egypt, demanded immediate payment, and called for an embargo against them. The decision was hotly contested by the opposition party but they failed to muster enough support for a vote of no confidence. The other countries that Egypt owed money to made similar demands. The revolution and declaration of war already had ships hesitant to dock in Egypt. The threat of fines and confiscation convinced the fence sitters to stay away.
Current Government Budget: -4
Macedonia however refused to declare war. Egypt was not independent. It was a rebellious colony and it was its duty to restore order in the mandate it'd given itself suzerainty over. Levant too didn't bother with a declaration of war, though King Giovanni Roderic Asumdo did make an announcement and radios across the country broadcasted his voice. The speech would be heard around the world and go down in infamy.
With sickening confidence, he boasted that the end of Islam was nigh. The Kingdom of Jerusalem had never stopped its war against Muslims and Arabs, and his inevitable victory, which was ordained by God, would see Egypt and Arabia scoured to the last man. Asumdo's speech became more deranged the longer he went, losing coherence as he began to rant about the righteousness of his goals, establishing the kingdom of God on Earth, and bringing about the end of days. The final battle Christendom would have to fight against Islam was upon them, and the return of "true Israelites" to the Holy Lands. There will be no peace, no mercy, only death, destruction, and misery for his foes.
In a fever pitch he declared the Eleventh and Final Crusade.
Its conclusion was punctuated by Levant's army launching pogroms against all non-Christians as it began its march south. Violence exploded across the country. People began to flee their homes, even Christian Arabs fled with their neighbours. They were not safe, regardless of their denomination. In the days after, Aragon answered Levant's call when the Pope in Barcelona echoed Asumdo's declaration and affirmed that the war was a crusade. It however was unable to offer support, as Maghreb declared war and launched an offensive to liberate Numidia.
Levant's army did not stay at home for long, rallying together over the course of several days around Gaza, before splitting its forces in two. The first, and larger, heavy armed force, crossed into Sinai, while the secondary force marched southeast, intent on reaching Medina and Mecca. The first force followed the Mediterranean coastline until it reached Arish. The port town had been lightly fortified and its garrison hunkered down waiting for reinforcements against the larger Crusader force. The shelling began almost immediately.
===
Sprinklers were disabled, hoses were broken, pumps were disabled, and water tanks were emptied. The fire suppression systems in Levant's chemical weapon storage depots in Jaffa and Jerusalem were all sabotaged one by one over several days. The guards that were supposed to be watching the building were slacking. Many had left to commit violence against locals, spurred on by their officers. The Sicilian Partisans were let in without question and let out as easily. During the night large white circles were painted on the roofs of the depots to make them stand out further.
The Sicilians made sure to clear the area before the intended air raid. None of them wanted to be near the depots when they were bombed. Nobody noticed what they'd done either, too wrapped up in their bloody glory and self righteousness to bother with basic maintenance.
===
In airfields outside Cairo, close to mid day, Egypt's fleet of airplanes were spun up. Their propellers sputtered to life as their engines roared. Dozens of pilots, co-pilots, gunners, and bomber sighters climbed into their planes and began to taxi down the gravel runway. They were split into two squadrons of 20 fighters and 10 bombers each to hit two targets: Jaffa and Acre. They had all heard the declaration, knew the stakes, and knew their mission. One by one they took up, formed up in the air, and then began the hours long journey towards the coast. They'd flown over Egypt as practice and decided the coast was the best navigable feature to use to reach their targets. It helped that they were both port towns in.
With the sun above them rather than in their face, they flew with confidence as they split up and continued on their way. The group heading north encountered a Crusader recon plane and eagerly shot down the unprepared craft, sending its flaming wreck hurtling to the shore below them. Among the squadrons were planes outfitted with cameras to quickly document troop movements but they did not break from formation to focus on the task.
It did not take long for them to reach their targets. In Jaffa the depot was on the dock, surrounded by regular port facilities. The targets were visible from neighbouring buildings and from the sky. Soldiers on their hands and knees tried to scrub the paint away, when they heard the buzz of the planes. They all scrambled to get to the machine gun nests and shots from rifles rang out, but were too late as the lumbering behemoths flew low to the ground to deliver their payloads. Hundreds of pounds of explosives fell from the bays of each plane as they passed overhead and quickly climbed back up.
The bombs hit. The warehouse went up in an exploding fireball as thousands of gas shells, among other stored munitions, detonated. The fire enveloped the port and raged as toxic fumes spread throughout the surrounding port and city. The pilots gave no thought to it as they cheered in celebration, turning around to head back home.
The squadron that flew to Jerusalem faced more opposition. The holy city was heavily fortified. Neighbourhoods had been leveled years ago and a series of bunkers, trenches, and grids had been built in its place. Every mosque and synagogue in the city was destroyed when they took it, and on the Temple Mount stood a towering statue of Jesus on the cross. Its garrison had not been called to the front like Jaffa's. The air was filled with bullets as they turned their machine guns upwards to shoot down the planes. They lacked tracer rounds, spraying blindly into the formation with the sun in their eyes, the sheer saturation of fire tore apart several unfortunate planes.
The formation split up, fighters diving to attack the machine gun nests, while the bombers doggedly flew onwards. Their canvas wings were filled with holes and its crew desperately praying that they would survive as they began their dive, all guns on the ground turned towards them. Two bombers were torn apart by the hail of gunfire, managing to tear apart engines and injure the pilots. The behemoths faltered, drifting uncontrollably as their crews scrambled to climb into the pilot seat to retake control, but it was too late. They crashed into bunkers, dead.
The rest however were undeterred and reached their targets. They dropped their payloads, and a deafening explosion followed as tons of explosives exploded at once. A gigantic fireball erupted from the building, consuming a bomber in its blaze and vaporizing everyone around it. Soldiers that didn't die instantly fled from the burning heat and toxic fumes that spread from the raging inferno. The mission finished, the squadron regrouped and continued their long trek back home.
The sun was in their eyes and behind them Jerusalem burned. Prays were muttered for forgiveness, but they knew in their hearts that they were not the ones that originally desecrated the city.
===
The Suez Canal was lined with an impressive array of fortifications. They were however, undermanned, and attacked from both sides. Egyptian soldiers on the east side of the canal attacked in conjunction with soldiers from the west side. Airplanes flew through the air, dropping bombs onto the bunkers and striffing Macedonian formations. The cruiser parked in Port Said began to shell the city with impunity. The city was reduced to rubble as shot after shot was fired without restraint or hesitation.
Bombers flew low, attempting to hit the warship. Bombs rained down from above, many missing their target, but enough hit that the cruiser's armoured deck buckled and bent. Damaged, it attempted to flee. It did not get far when the Egyptian navy arrived, faster and more modern, it outpaced and outranged the Macedonian ship, sinking it within sight of the coastline. Meanwhile across the canal, Khouri's modern army marched forward.
Masses of men supported by heavy guns and tanks hammered the Macedonian forts, while cavalry cut off attempts at breaking out of the fast forming pockets. Crossings were secured along the canal, while the Macedonian garrison near Port Said held out, refusing to surrender, believing the Crusaders would lift the siege. Unwilling to risk leaving the flank open, the army was ordered to storm the Macedonian forts. The fight was intense but ultimately brief. The tanks proved their effectiveness as machine gun fire bounced off their armour and their heavy guns blew apart reinforced concrete. Egyptian soldiers raced into gaps made, pushing in room by room.
While fighting raged on, the bulk of the Egyptian army continued east to reinforce Arish. The port city had been reduced to rubble by the Crusader's guns, but the rubble spoke Arabic and they refused to stop fighting. Bedouins did what they could to harass Levant's supply lines, using their knowledge of the local terrain to safely navigate the desert and attack the Crusaders from behind. It helped but did not slow Levant's advancement. The town was slowly encircled, unable to prevent it, and pocketed, allowing them to continue their march
Sinai was a harsh environment, nearly all desert save for oases scattered around it. It was only tolerable because of the winter weather, keeping the temperature relatively cool, rather than baking tens of thousands of men alive. It was far from an ideal battle ground, but it would be where the two armies met, at the village of Bir al-Abd. Egypt's standing army bolstered by reservists it could mobilize in time ran into the bulk of Levant's army, which nearly matched it in size.
Villagers fled ahead of the advancing Crusader forces. The unfortunate ones that couldn't were killed. Cavalry scouts from both sides had spotted the other before they met and both knew the other's location. Bedouins continued to harass the Crusaders, riding east to attack supply lines. It managed to draw soldiers away from the front as Levant began to more thoroughly guard and patrol their supply lines. It helped in preventing them from feeling secure.
Khouri dreaded the encounter. It had the potential to make or break the war. The loser would have to retreat from the peninsula to fall back positions and see their territory occupied. It would set the tempo for the rest of the war. They had reached the village first and began entrenching themselves as quickly as possible. They dug lines across the front, with the sea to one side and the desert to the other. The Crusaders did not do the same. They didn't feel the need to.
Instead they shelled the Egyptian army, and Khouri returned fire. The battle had begun. The artillery destroyed buildings, terrain, and ended lives easily. Neither side had the vast reserves to keep their guns firing endlessly, but they had enough for the battle and did not fall silent. While Levant amassed a force of armoured cars backed by trucks and cavalry, Egyptian heavy tanks lumbered forward, followed by a great mass of infantry and flanked by cavalry. The Egyptian cavalry rode out to prevent the main thrust from being flanked. Following behind them kicking up thick plumes of sand were light tanks, treads speeding along to bring up the rear.
Artillery on both sides fired on the advancing forces, raining death down upon the battlefield. In a clash of metal on beast and man, metal won, as Crusader armoured cars were able to cut through the Egyptian cavalry, only to in turn meet their equal clashing against the slower light tanks. Their armour held up against Crusader bullets, as did Crusader armour against theirs, save for their wheels. In a grinding battle, machine guns hammered against the war machines, popping rivets and tearing open weak spots. The Crusader's motorized soldiers disembarked to back their fellow soldiers, while cavalry supported the tanks.
Unable to break though, their flanking maneuver had stalled, and soon shells began to hit their position. It drove the Crusaders back, who turned and drove back their own lines, which had since begun clashing with the Egyptians. Both sides used scattered buildings for cover as they advanced across fields of sand and dirt. The point of contact was small but the fighting the fiercest as the weight of the armies crashed into each other. The veteran Crusader forces didn't stop in the face of mounting casualties, bringing heavy guns up to take down tanks, while rolled forward like a glacier, seemingly unstoppable in their march. Protecting them from being surrounded were Egyptian infantry who followed closing behind, using the war machines as cover.
It began slowly, the Crusader's front line faltered and started pulling back. They attempted several more flanking attacks but were unable to get behind Egyptian lines. Their guns took out tanks but not enough and had to be dedicated to counter barrages against the Egyptian rear lines. It spoke to the veterancy of their soldiers that the line didn't fall apart as they began a fighting retreat.
By the evening, Egypt had won the Battle of Bir al-Abd. The casualties were high among those at the front, but the bulk of both Egypt's army had escaped with acceptable casualties. Khouri's shoulders sagged in relief when he got the news. They hadn't lost and the revolution wasn't on the backfoot.
===
When news of the victory reached Port Said, the remaining Macedonian defenders surrendered. They were taken as prisoners, the port and canal cleared of rubble and explosives, and then declared open for traffic once more. Ships were reluctant to travel through what had been an active war zone mere days ago, especially those fearful that doing so would violate the embargo levied against Egypt. The first ship to travel through the reopened canal was an impatient Scandinavian freighter who's captain didn't care about the political considerations and was annoyed at the delays he'd already suffered. More ships followed suit, and for the first time, Egypt was collecting tolls on the Suez Canal.
===
Levant's secondary force had fought and won a battle against the Arab League's forces near the border. They began their march along the Gulf of Aqaba when news about the bombing raids and defeat was relayed to them. The general in charge of the army dispatched communications with the king if they should turn around, but were ordered to maintain course and continue their push south. The Arab League's force retreated further south, while their collective mustered forces marched north to meet up and prevent the Crusader push.
===
In setting the tempo for the war, Egypt held the initiative and continued its advance. Arish was relieved, its defenders still fighting block by block to hold the city when Khouri's forces arrived and drove Levant back. The Crusaders did another fighting retreat, pulling back to fortifications in Gaza. They were harassed by cavalry the entire way. With the Sinai Peninsula secured for the moment, the Bedouins rode over the border into Levant's wilderness to make contact with local tribes.
They came back with news from the interior. Crusader control was rocky. While heavily armed, they didn't have the manpower to garrison the entire country. They'd started massacring people to depopulate the countryside as a security precaution, however the destruction of their chemical weapons meant they'd have to eat into their ammo reserves and after their setbacks they were less willing to do that. It gave people time to flee from zones of control into the hinterland, farmland, and villages that had managed to avoid their wraith. They were waiting for reinforcements from Syria and Macedonia.
Which was not immediately coming. Egypt's modest navy had sailed up the coast, taking out Levant's meager navy in port as it passed. It roamed the waters outside Cyprus, until finding a Macedonian cruiser and fleet of convoys. Outnumbered and outgunned, they managed to kill and sink the convoys. Sailors and soldiers that survived were dragged on board the Egyptian ships, then dropped off in Turkey.
The Egyptian army stopped near the border, as the Maghreb expeditionary force slowly brought up the rear. It took a couple days until it met up with Khouri's forces. Soldiers from both countries began celebrating, cheering when they saw each other. The unbelievable was happening. The armies of the Arab world were coming together and the wretched stain Levant that had blighted their lands for too long was losing. The Crusaders weren't invincible, far from it, and their brutality had earned them few friends and many enemies.
The two armies marched north, meeting the Crusader army outside Gaze. While the fortifications around the area were extensive, the desert gave way to arid scrubland and sparse fields. It was less hostile terrain, with more navigable roads. Cavalry from both the two armies began to spread out, probing the flanks and testing the reach of the Crusaders. Seeing that they risked being bypassed or encircled if they didn't act, Levant launched a counter attack. Fierce fighting lasted over a day but they couldn't break through the larger combined force and fought another fighting retreat, losing more irreplaceable men as they pulled out.
That's when Levant's southern front began to collapse. The Egyptian and Maghrebi cavalry spread outwards to drive out any remaining garrisons, harass retreating Crusaders, connect with survivors, and get a lay of the land. Immediately thousands of people came out of hiding across seemingly abandoned villages and from where they could hide. They hailed the two Arab armies as liberators and people cheered and wept in relief when they saw them approach. It meant that the nightmare was finally over.
That's when Khouri learned of the secondary Crusader force that was abroad. The Bedouins had been harassing their supply lines, keeping them on edge and tracking their movements. At that moment they were extremely vulnerable to being cut off. So the Egyptian and Maghrebi armies split off, Khouri continuing north to pin the bulk of Levant's army in Jaffa and Jerusalem, while his counterpart swung east to chase after the Crusader's secondary force.
===
Levant's secondary force got news of the retreat from Gaza as they reached the Red Sea. The general didn't want to risk being cut off and surrounded, considering his options heavily. He did not wish to disobey the king and morale among the men was shaken when they heard the Egyptians had crossed the border. Continuing the march south along the Arabian peninsula to raze Medina and Mecca would likely be a suicide mission. Destroying the cities would not conjure supplies out of thin air and the region was arid, sparsely populated, and much of the population fled ahead of their march. He also knew the Arab League army had retreated along his path and scouts had yet to relocate them. It would mean marching blindly into an enemy while isolated.
So, the general came to the decision to fall back to Jerusalem and quickly. The decision was received poorly by several of his officers, accusing him of cowardice, but they were arrested by their peers who wanted to live and get back home. Holy mission or not, officers and soldiers didn't want the land they'd stolen from the Palestinians taken back by them. They turned around, marching back up the gulf.
They wouldn't make it far when an advance force of cavalry from the Arab League caught up to them, attacking their flanks. They hastily fought back, barely holding together as they were caught unawares and unprepared, managing to fight back. The cavalry force retreated, thrilled with the result of their work. Suspecting a larger force wasn't far behind them, the Crusader general ordered a force march.
They were harassed the entire time, barely outpacing the Arab League's army. That's when they stopped receiving supplies. The last wagons that arrived told them another army was marching from the north. They were cut off, living off what supplies and rations they had. Deciding to avoid death in the field, they moved like cornered rats. Heavy weapons were destroyed and left behind, along with anything they couldn't carry to lighten the load. They moved for the port of Aqaba on the gulf in the hopes they could escape via the sea.
When they reached the port they seized the ships in port and ones outside of it. It wasn't enough to transport the entire army. They called for help in the hopes that passing cargo ships would turn and pick them up. A few came but most of the traffic through the Red Sea ignored them. The general leading the force made the decision to evacuate the wounded first to get them to safety. The several ships were loaded up then set out under false flags, sailing into the Red Sea and leaving the rest of the army to its fate.
A few days later the Arab League and Maghrebi armies reached Aqaba, demanding the city surrender. The general did not expect mercy, not after everything they'd done. He refused. They laid siege to the city the next day.
===
Damaged by the bombing runs, manpower stretched thin from casualties and splitting their forces, reinforcements shortcoming, the situation in Jaffa and Jerusalem was bleak. King Asumdo refused to fall back from the holy city, forcing his army to split their remaining numbers. While Khouri wanted to liberate Jerusalem first, he decided to aim for the more strategic target as was the plan set by the general staff: seize the coastline.
Egypt's army marched, reached Jaffa, and laid siege. Its army had bloodied itself over the couple weeks of intense fighting, suffering casualties but also receiving more manpower from still mobilizing reservists. They had the numbers advantage and pushed. The defensive lines around Jaffa held firm initially, concrete holding up to artillery, but the lack of manpower left gaps in the defense. Guns were unmanned, supplies running low, and as casualties mounted on both sides, Egypt pushed in.
It's tanks led the push, lumbering war machines rolling atop piles of dirt and rubble like it was nothing. Swarming behind them through the broken lines was infantry, once more sticking close to the behemoths. The defense of the capital fell, collapsing as the Egyptians broke through and began surrounding the city's defenders. Brutal house to house fighting took place in the southern half of the city. Believing that the war could still be saved, the king and his remaining forces ordered an evacuation to Tyre. The northern half of the city abandoned the southern half to die. Unlike before however, their cohesion broke down as the army remnants began to flee northwards.
Khouri sent a section of his army to encircle the city and cavalry to give chase. Those who remained in Jaffa currently surrendered once they realized they'd been abandoned. While fleeing soldiers were less lucky, many were run down by cavalry before the officers ordered prisoners to be taken. Trains, trucks, and animals were seized by fleeing soldiers to keep ahead of the Egyptians. They were no longer an army, only a mob of tens of thousands running away like panicked animals. Those on foot unable to keep up found themselves taken prisoner.
With the capital of Levant the Egyptian army slowed its breakneck pace to recuperate, however it did not stop. Over the course of several days they continued its push north, seizing Acre then Tyre with limited resistance. By that point the Sicilian Partisans acted as liaisons for their fellow Italians and the Egyptians, coordinating the prisoners and working to keep people calm. None had caught onto their treachery yet, and there were few able to offer to voice opposition to them. The ones that wanted to fight to the death already had.
Khouri received news that Aqaba had been taken, along with several thousand Crusader prisoners. The Arab League and Maghreb armies faced brutal casualties but had managed the difficult task. The only remaining Crusader army left was in Jerusalem. The Arab League and Maghreb armies were blooded but had started marching towards the holy city.
Khouri would beat them there.
===
Spirits were high, ecstatic even. Everywhere the Egyptians went people cheered and wept. Nearly the entire country had been liberated, so when the army marched on Jerusalem all of them felt a sense of purpose. Some would say it was divine, none could deny the righteousness and exuberance they felt when they reached its outskirts. The city had suffered much. Levant had razed much of it in an attempt to erase the past, only churches deemed acceptable to them remained. Rings of fort had been built around it, buildings hundreds of years old leveled for clear lines of sight and firing zones. Towering above it all was a statue of Jesus, metal heavily burnt, discoloured, and warped by the chemical fire, utterly ruined much like most of the city. It was a sad pitiable state, so much history pointlessly destroyed.
The Crusaders were given a chance to surrender. They were made aware of the situation and how hopeless a defiant last stand was, but promised to be well treated. As proof, a Sicilian spokesman was sent in to convince them to stand down. The Egyptian army waited outside the city, tense with anticipation. There were some officers among the army that thought they shouldn't accept surrender and that everyone left in the city should be executed. They were dragged away for court martial by their fellow officers.
Eventually the Sicilian returned, crossing between the empty stretch of field between lines. The Crusaders agreed to surrender. Ahead of a military precession, Khouri formally accepted the commanding officer's surrender, and marched into Jerusalem like Saladin did over seven hundred years ago. While he did not wish to parade around like a conqueror of old, he found his men and soon the civilians chanting his name. The city had been liberated and he, his officers, and Egypt had taken the glory for putting an end to Levant's madness.
===
Khouri waited in Jerusalem several times for fresh troops and his allies to catch up to him. He'd left garrison forces in Jaffa and Acre to hold down the cities, reducing the size of his forces.
The locals helped somewhat as Peasant Militia officers began to organize local militias on their own initiative, much to the chagrin of the Islamists, who did the same. They tried to whip up religious frenzy and start reprisal killings against prisoners and local Christians. They got away with a few murders before being stopped by other officers, beating the Islamists and arresting them. Had there been more Islamists officers it's likely that the killings would have spiraled into pogroms and massacres. As it stood however the Socialists put a stop to that, nipping the issue in the bud and helping maintain discipline among the soldiers and reservists.
When the Arab League and Maghrebi armies reached Jerusalem, they congratulated the Egyptians. People across the coalition met with each other and celebrated the liberation of Palestine. Arabs from across the whole of North Africa and Middle East had fought side by side and proven to the entire world that they were once again the masters of their own destinies. While the majority of them were Muslim, among their number were Copt and Syriac Christians, and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, among others, that had suffered and fought against the Crusaders as well.
Survivors from the city came forth out of hiding during those days, presenting pieces of buildings and artifacts that they had managed to hide away from the Crusaders. It wasn't much, bricks from mosques, synagogues, and churches, or a piece of a candle, but it was something. Despite the Crusaders' best efforts, they could not completely destroy the past. It was scarred by their work and it could never be the same again, at least something had made it through and that was worth celebrating.
===
The three armies marched again, their spirits high, soldiers recuperate, and supplies restocked. They escorted the prisoners to Jaffa, garrisoned the city with more soldiers and locals, then continued north. It was almost leisurely, as far as marches go, making good time as they reached Tyre and kept going over the border into Syria. The colonial puppet state had raised its meager army but not marched to help the Crusaders.
Their morale was low, manpower lacking, and as news of Jerusalem's liberation spread soldiers began defecting. People in the cities and countryside began to protest, demanding an end to the regime, and the elites which had been propped up by Aragon and Macedonia fled to the coast, ceding any control of the interior.
When the Arab armies reached Damascus the city had already liberated itself and welcomed them as heroes. While Egypt did not claim the honour of entering the city alone, Khouri felt no problem sharing the glory, since it was not his nor Egypt's alone. It was with great amusement however when he wrote back to Alexandria with a local postcard saying "The grand tour goes well, wish you were here." He thought the rest of the cabinet would appreciate the sentiment.
They didn't stick around for too long, continuing the last leg of the campaign. It took a week before they reached the Syrian port of Tartus. The Egyptian navy had done a good job harassing the coast and stalling Macedonian intervention, however they had recently gotten into a battle with a small Macedonian fleet that came to deal with them. It was similar in numbers, three cruisers and six destroyers. It saw fierce fighting between the two fleets near Cyprus. Several Egyptian ships, two cruisers and three destroyers, were sunk over the course of the battle, however the heavy cruiser held the fleet together. It managed to sink a cruiser by itself, drawing fire from the other ships, and allowed the fleet to drive off the Macedonians.
While they had returned to Alexandria for repairs, the sea lanes were open. Macedonian ships traveled to Tartus to provide troopers, however the city was in a poor state when they arrived. Soldiers were deserting en masse, control of the interior was gone, and they were outnumbered and outgunned by the combined Arab armies fast approaching. The Syrian elite, drawn from wealthy Christian families, had clogged the ports, taking their staff, servants, and few remaining soldiers and ministers with them, desperately trying to flee the country. Reluctant to abandon the colony, the Macedonian general decided to aid in the withdrawal from the city.
Ahead of the Arab armies, collaborators fled the city by the sea. A smaller force was dispatched to Alexandretta at the Turkish border, finding most of the border garrison had fled or deserted. Arab and Turkish soldiers met at the border, greeting each other as brothers and comrades, smiling and cheering at how far they marched. Syria fell with a whimper.
Hakim received a diplomatic notification from Turkey that it had marched into Assyria. The fragile puppet regime without much difficulty, aside from a few skirmishes with Iraqi forces that had the same thought. Like that, the campaign was over.
Last edited:
