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Two fairly slow weeks have subsided and given this, the seventh edition of The Week That Was (TWTW), no shortage of storylines to cover. However, if you have not been following the war, the theaters and the newest actors of the past week may come as a surprise. Let’s get started.

Asia
East Asia
Russia Holds Jillin Against Two Attacks
The Chinese theater of the war has faded from sight since the Battle of Hello Kitty, but eChina has continued in its efforts to take back Jillin. Two attacks on Jillin were staged this week, with the http://ereptools.net/battles/info/id/8846">attack of Day 796 nearly succeeding behind eRomanian support. More attacks are likely, but eRussia will continue to hold the strategic region without more opposing fire coming from EDEN.

Malaysia Conquers Philippine Regions to Avert Political Takeover
On Election Day earlier this week, eMalaysia region swapped and occupied the ePhilippines regions of Visayas and Mindanao, in order to prevent a political takeover (PTO) by the infamous Channers. The anti-PTO maneuver seems to have been effective, giving the ePhilippines a reliable Congress for the upcoming term. Slowly, the ePhilippines are recovering their regions, having retaken Visayas
on Day 800. Meanwhile, a training war with eChina was started by the ePhilippines, being waged in conjunction with Sol’s training war in Sabah.

South Asia
India Declares War on, Attacks Pakistan

Fortunately, real life (RL) parallels do not apply in the eRepublik fight

President of eIndia, Ashwamedh, proposed and received a declaration of war by eIndia against ePakistan. In doing so, Ashwamedh has answered domestic calls for war and is optimistic that a baby boom could result from the RL tensions which India and Pakistan maintain (although he is doing a great job making sure that the ugliness of RL remain removed from the New World war). North West Frontier province fell in the early hours of Day 799 behind eUS and eIrish backing, and eIndia continued its offensive with a successful victory in Balochistan, which was formerly part of eSerbia’s land bridge.
Dio Brando certainly cannot be happy to see the Holy Land carved amongst eIndia and eSerbia.

The eUSA-initiated an RW in Jharkhand with the intention of slowly returning regions to eIndia and suggesting that the eUSA campaign in Asia may be drawing to a close, although some eRomanians have been fighting to prevent the region swap. eIndian President Ashwamedh indicated that a key region was to be returned to eIndia, and the return of Jharkhand would be the first step to improving eIndia’s economy. Whether the next eUS administration chooses to return other eIndian regions, how quickly, and whether Karnataka would be included, are all as uncertain as who the next eUS President will be.

ePakistan on Day 797

Pakistan has been carved up between eIndia and
eSerbia, but eIndia may have been too aggressive...

Serbia Returns Iranian Region, Pakistan Loses Native Territory
In conjunction with eIndia’s war on ePakistan, eSerbia’s occupation of the Sindh and Punjab regions means that ePakistan no longer holds any natural regions. eSerbia started a resistance war (RW) in Sistan and Baluchistan, completing eSerbia’s return of regions to eIran and giving the junior Phoenix partner a border with eIndia; this will reduce eSerbia’s land bridge to the Sindh and Punjab regions mentioned previously. If eSerbia has any further motivations in China or India will still remain to be seen, although the Phoenix member seems content with the Q5 hospital which has been built in Sindh, and may just stay put for the time being.

Iran Counterattacks at Indian-occupied Pakistan
The product of the previous two actions was that eIndia gained a border with eIran when it conquered ePakistani Balochistan and eIran received Sistan-Baluchistan from eSerbia’s RW. eIran used this combination to launch an attack on eIndian-occupied Balochistan. eIndia began to sever its ePakistani regions in order to separate its border with eIran, starting a RW in the North West Frontier Province on Day 801; however, ePakistan and eIran have an active war from when ePakistan did their land bridge to Europe, so they could let eIran swap back towards eIndia. With no plausible blocking options, eIran will likely enjoy momentum in this front for several days unless they approached an eUS region in the area, and eIndia may need foreign intervention to reverse the eIranian advance. Whether eIran would RW the regions back to ePakistani control would be a development to monitor in the coming days.

Asia Minor
Resistance Wars in Haifa Fail
Three RWs were waged on the eGreek-occupied region of Haifa, with the resistance force failing all three times. Based on looking at the battles, it appears that the first RW was little more than a training war, while the second had some Phoenix backing in the hopes of returning the region to eIsrael. Haifa is the last Israeli region not being held by eIsrael, but it is the doorway for entry to the country, a fact which may explain why eGreece holds the region against any chance of an eTurkish attack. All this aside, the war in Asia Minor has really quieted during the past 14 days, as an uneasy peace has arisen following the distributed denial of service (DDoS) and multi accounts problems afflicting eTurkey from previous weeks.

Southern Hemisphere
Territories Changing Hands in South Africa
eArgentina declared war on eSouth Africa in Day 795 and used an active war with eIndonesia to region swap to the Western Cape. See last week’s TWTW for more details. Although eArgentina did not attack the eSA, they now hold a common border and an attack could be forthcoming if tensions in the Southern Hemisphere were to rise or if eSA were to formally join EDEN.


One week ago, eIndonesia seemed poised to move on South America

South Africa as it is now, with eArgentina and without eIndonesia

Indonesia Loses Overseas Territories
eSouth Africa successfully removed eIndonesia from the African continent, a position the Phoenix power had held for months, following an intensely fought victory in the final minutes at Northern Cape.
Earlier on Day 795, eSouth Africa held off eIndonesian tanking campaigns in the Battles for Eastern Cape and Free State, with extensive assistance from eUS and other EDEN troops.

The implications of eIndonesia’s defeat are significant and well-documented elsewhere. A country which once was considered amongst the foremost powers of the New World has been relegated to its natural regions; ambitions of attacking ePeru and seeking a new high iron source, likewise, disappeared. eIndonesia still boasts an impressive tanking corps and may someday attempt another foray to Africa and beyond, but for now has suffered an immense psychological blow and is a shadow of its former strength.

eAntarctica’s army has been on heightened watch amidst the action in South Africa

Europe
Eastern Europe
Serbia Makes Gains on Romania, Uncovers Bulgarian Regions
With much of EDEN focused elsewhere, eSerbia and eHungarian military elements notched a string of victories over eRomania, largely undoing eRomania’s gains against eBulgaria from previous weeks. Sofia fell to eSerbia on Day 795; Plovdiv was retaken by the Phoenix forces on Day 797; and Ruse was overrun on Day 799, while eRomanian frustrations at the lack of EDEN support intensified with each defeat.

The resulting action was for eRomania to reduce its commitment to EDEN, vowing only to fight for EDEN (with the exception of eCroatia) in defensive campaigns; because of the lack of support they received and the great amount of support they had given in the past, eRomania declared that they would no longer deploy its military in EDEN campaigns, and that they would not be contributing to the powerful EDEN Mobile Corps (EMC).

Eastern Europe on Day 801, following eSerbia’s victories

Phoenix will very likely take advantage of reduced eRomanian presence abroad, as the major superpower of early 2009’s absence from the battlefields in Europe will be sorely missed by EDEN, whether or not they acknowledge the fact. EDEN leadership, moreover, will need to plan more cautiously in the future, taking into account eRomania’s absence. Were RWs in Europe or an invasion of the eUK to be going poorly for EDEN, it is unclear whether eRomania would return to bail out their traditional allies or not; regardless, this sets the stage for some closed-door negotiations between allies whose ties have been severed-- negotiations which will loom heavily on the future of Phoenix-EDEN battles.

Central Europe
Spain Moves on Switzerland, Italy; Intervenes Against Swiss PTO
Mentioned in a previous article, eSpain conquered three eSwiss regions on Day 796, just ahead of Congressional elections. A complex plot to PTO the eSwiss government had been exposed, but the publicity given to eSpain’s intent and the objective of the invasion likely made the anti-PTO operation unsuccessful, as a number of PTO candidates won Congressional elections in the remaining eSwiss region. The process of returning the regions to eSwitzerland has been underway, as the eSpanish President has been faithfully retreating from the battlefield. How eSwitzerland chooses to pursue its foreign policy-- whether pro-Phoenix, pro-EDEN, or neutral-- could add another dimension to the war in Europe in the days ahead.

The region swapping of eSwitzerland gave eSpain an additional land border with eItaly, which the eSpanish used to launch a renewed offensive. eSpain struck first by conquering Aosta Valley on Day 797 was followed by successful eItalian defenses after close fights in Lombardy and Piedmont, and culminated with an eSpanish victory in Garubunden. eSpain’s attacks on eItaly have not been a strategic success, as their failure to conquer the country has allowed eItaly more time to recruit more friends and may signal eItaly’s return back to Phoenix, as the country most recently regained Graubunden. Should eSpain be without initiative for an extended period of time, the battle could be turned on the EDEN power very quickly, as either the eItalian-backed front would push eSpain out of France, or eSpain could be rolled back by a rejuvenated resistance force (below).

At least a few of these will end up being ePolish tanks, right?

Previous Week Gives Poland Baby Boom
Following a week in which ePoland faced a flurry of RWs, ePoland has added to its massive population with a second baby boom taking place. Days 795-799 each brought over 1000 new citizens with nearly 2000 joining earlier in the week. The country hardly needed another baby boom, but the main challenge will be whether or not ePoland can retain and develop these newborn citizens-- if they cannot, then the rest of the world may be making a big fuss about nothing at all.

Western Europe
France Shows Signs of Life, Attacks Spanish-Occupied Regions

eFrance (blue, circled) is peeking out from their EDEN occupiers
and could be on the cusp of turning the war in their favor

Victories by the resistance force in Limousin and a controversial win (read below) at Lower Normandy have given eFrance a second wind and the chance to pursue an offensive on the eSpanish who have carved up their country. eFrance opened three battles on Day 801 at Pays de la Loire, Upper Normandy, and their former fortress region of Aquitaine, and with their 9 MPPs have driven all three battles deep into the underground in the first half of battle time. Clearly, eSpain will be in trouble if eFrance can sustain this offensive, as the combined power of eFrance’s friends could put the EDEN member in serious trouble.

eFrance has two limiting factors in its own recovery, however. The first concerns their lack of an active war with ePoland, which would require either a declaration of war or a successful RW on an ePolish-occupied region to start a war for the remaining regions. Secondly, eFrance will need to balance their goals of recovery with the emotional desire for revenge, as attacking a natural eSpanish region will activate the eSpanish MPPs. That being said, eSpain would not have the eUSA and ePoland on its side, given the country’s recent trends of region swapping with their allies. Whether eFrance considered the chance of retaliation worth the risk given the lack of eSpanish MPPs could be a very interesting twist on an exciting development.

United Kingdom Fights Six Fronts Against EDEN
To keep up with all of the eUK developments in the past week is no small undertaking, but to keep the past week simple, three main phases took place: the eUK held initiative early in the week, lost it briefly, and has regained it since midday on Day 800. Early in the week, the eUK controlled the initiative against eSweden and eSpain, conquering the ever-revolving door of Midtjylland and penetrating the European mainland at Lower Normandy. eCanada took away the eUK’s initiative on Day 795 as it attacked Wales and activated the eUK’s mutual protection pacts (MPPs). The attack came at an opportune time for EDEN, as it gave eSpain breathing room and the chance to focus on its Central European objectives mentioned above. eNorway joined the fray on Day 799, attacking eUK-held possessions in Denmark and removing the Phoenix member from there (for now).

The eUK has a numerical advantage against its EDEN foes, even if EDEN were to attack on all sides

At the same time, the attacks activated the eUK’s formidable list of MPPs, and eUK President Dishmcds lauded eCanada’s actions as a free ‘training war’-- the attacks did fill that purpose as eCanada could not seriously challenge the eUK and 15 allies, and served the role of blocking for EDEN. But the real fireworks came on Day 799, as the eUSA region swapped for Brittany and attacked Lower Normandy. The outcome of the attack and concurrent RW fell in Phoenix's favor, as eRepublik experienced technical difficulties which prevented proper depiction of the eUSA attack's close. Regardless, the eUK and its allies now have a front with six separate EDEN members threatening to attack; however, until any of these attacks on the eUK proper were to show a chance at succeeding, Phoenix should not have much to fear, as previous assaults on Great Britain have been soundly beaten back.

The eUK faces invasion possibilities (and possible counterattack options) in every direction

eRepublik glitches caused the initiative lock on the eUK to expire, allowing the eUK to continue its campaign of initiative lock by attacking eSpain’s position in Picardy and ePoland’s hold at the Loire Valley. The return of eFrance to the European mainland is a major victory for Phoenix, as eFrance can now fight to undermine eSpain and ePoland’s positions. Considering the eUK attack and eFrance’s resurrection, it is entirely possible that the two EDEN powers may have overexpanded, or otherwise were too focused on conquest before solidifying their gains. Whether or not EDEN militaries will deploy to their aid will be a decision that the leaders of EDEN will need to make quickly, before things get out of hand for the alliance.

Recap and Looking Forward
This week, as a whole, had more firepower, as the events surrounding eSouth Africa and the eUK drew significant interest and intense battling across the eRepublik community, a welcome sight after two slower weeks. eFrance's return to the European mainland has signaled a turn in the battle against EDEN, as Phoenix and the Entente are now in prime position to start a counterattack. The week was also full of PTO and anti-PTO activity which this paper and others have covered at length. Combined, the stage seems to be set for a shift in the war.

The most significant long-term development concerns the gradual rift afflicting the EDEN alliance, both in terms of foreign relations and limitations imposed by game mechanics. On the foreign relations front, eRomania’s gripes must be taken seriously and could provide a destabilizing element to the alliance, while the constant region swapping amongst EDEN allies has undermined the alliance’s network of MPPs, and means that any attacks on an EDEN member would be less fiercely defended given the active wars EDEN has with each other to region swap. Contrast this with eItaly, eFrance, and the eUK, who have been building MPPs and could be the sharp end of a Phoenix counterattack. Early indications with eFrance suggest that the war in Europe could turn sour quickly for EDEN, especially if the eUK and eItaly were to pursue offensives of their own.

Above all else, though, it is clear that there will be more to follow and more battles to wage in the week ahead. Plenty of questions remain unanswered, but you will just have to tune in next week for more news and next week’s TWTW.

God Bless America,

Lt. Scheisskopf

The Week That Was, Multilingual Publications
Chinese: Panda’s Horn, by shawkcn, is an excellent publication and does great work with translating military news.
Macedonian: Toneh has translated this article in his paper, the Eagle Times.
Romanian: The Romanian Translator has agreed to translate TWTW articles when able.
Russian: Leo Rodd has agreed to translate TWTW articles in his newspaper, AMepukaHckuu’BecmHuk
Serbian: Ljudislav II's Trobojka will be translating TWTW articles into Serbian.
Spanish: El periódico de E Jackleton, Apologia de eRepublik va a traducir este artículo en español.
You want to translate in your own language? PM me and make sure you link to mine, and I will include you here!


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