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When Belarus was first attacked by Lithuania and Latvia after a long period of relative peace, most assumed nothing of it. Even when the Belarusians were fully wiped from the map, it's hard to imagine that many people not directly involved were particularly interested in the war. After all, EDEN and formerly ONE forces were battling in Turkey as the Serbs attempted to reach China, and halfway across the world Argentina was fighting off the entirety CoT. Who would have really cared about a relatively minor state being wiped? A tragic but acceptable loss, most assumed. Thus the general public moved on.

However, a small yet blossoming alliance was forming around the same time, receiving little international recognition. Finland and Sweden, two nations from polar opposite alliances, decided to work together in order to protect their regional interests and give new possibilities. But it seemed to be a pointless, minor alliance, known by the lackluster name of Asgard. After all, both nations are in Scandinavia, a corner of the map. Surely the alliance would mean little on the global scale.

While the two nations were on different sides for years, they both had a mutual respect for the nation of Belarus, and as such the duo decided to put them on the group MPP list when the contract was first signed. The full list can be seen below.



So when Belarus was systematically wiped by ABC forces, it was only a minor surprise that Asgard would attempt to help their ally. Finland was still tied down to their war with abhorred rival Estonia, but Sweden, being free of an enemy at the moment, quickly declared war on Latvia in an attempt to free the conquered nation. While they were initially unsuccessful, they managed to get Germark into the war as well to support Belarus.

With Germark's entry into the war, it signaled a change from a minor skirmish between two minor alliances (Asgard and ABC) to a major regional conflict. After the new nation entered the fray, the tide soon turned for the liberators, as both Lithuania and Latvia got pushed back and wiped. However, Hungary had different plans, and liberated ABC on their own, and wiped Belarus themselves. And the entire cycle started over again. Pushes into Scandinavia, scrappy fighting to push the battles across the waters again, a liberation followed by a wipe, the whole nine yards.

The wars have raged for nearly two months between Sweden and Latvia, and even longer for eternally belligerent Finland and Estonia, but the aura has changed. Belarus has already waved the white flag to both of its occupiers, Hungary and Lithuania, keeping the nation alive but leaving them without a goal or purpose, especially as they have left EDEN. Poland, oh ever so impatient Poland, has attacked their longtime friend Sweden to try to wrap up the war quickly, and Sweden seems utterly toast. Without the Germarkian-Polish NAP, the former Terran nation would most likely be under attack from the Poles as well.

So what has this war done? Germark is now closer to Sweden, and by extension, Finland (Sweden returned their two German provinces, though it's unclear if this is a permanent return); Belarus has been completely pacified due to its new NAPs and reduced mostly to supporting allies indirectly, barring an attack on Poland (fun, but doubtful); and ABC has all but defeated Asgard forces due to non-ABC allies (Sweden and Finland versus the world is tough, even with Germark pitching in). If Poland holds down Sweden long-term, this could add fuel to the fire for a united effort to attack the Poles. But as it stands, it looks as if Asgard has fallen to the latest batch of Polish intervention.

Until next time, take care!