Second Nogod Civil War

The Second Nogod Civil War (January 1st, 1937 to March 15th, 1940), also referred to as the Second Volkist War, was a civil war in Nogodrick (present day Alsesia) fought by the Government of National Salvation and its allies against the Second Volkist Front. The central cause of the war was economic frustrations throughout the decade, along with political corruption and developmental neglect in the central, western, and northern provinces. Regionalism, neo-nationalism, and the perceived political dominance of eastern Nogodrick also played a major role in starting the conflict.

The war officially ended on March 15th with the formal surrender of Volkist leaders at the Barostaj House Agreement. Despite the surrender, some Volkist holdouts continued to fight against government forces until organized resistance was finally shattered following Operation Murlej. This period of violence is referred to as the Volkist insurgency.

Background
Following the conclusion of the First Granish Continental War in 1922, Nogodrick experienced a period of prosperity as technological developments caused an exponential rise in the production of consumer goods and soldiers returned home to re-enter the workforce. Having exhausted all of his political capital, Rodrik Ormitak exited the presidency, leaving behind legislation that secured a minimum wage of 1,500 Kredits, a boom of new schools throughout the countryside, old-age and disability pensions, and a publicly funded health insurance scheme. Business leaders, workers, and politicians sat in near-complacency as the well-oiled conveyor belts turned, costs were buried under the tide of profits and fair wages, and a cloud of optimism set upon the country. But within a decade, the time to pay the piper would come.

The first signs of a growing fissure in the country came with the March on Sky Manor on June 12th, 1931. With the upcoming selection of the President, railway workers who had not benefited from President Viktor Androv’s policies staged a mass protest in the capital, demanding changes. The 1931 Anhel City Railway Strike turned violent, resulting in the deployment of the National Guard to quell the disturbance. Still, the nation as a whole didn’t blame Androv, but radicalism on the part of the strikers as the cause of the violence. Nevertheless, Androv’s third term in 1932 began with an atmosphere of uncertainty.

Economic conditions in the country were worsened by the Granish Stock Market Collapse of 1933, during which the Deranfort Stock Exchange lost nearly 40 percent of its value. The lack of goods being purchased in the Federation had an adverse effect on Nogodrick’s exports, leading to economic ennui.

By mid-1933, it was also clear that the railway privatization scheme had been disastrous. Inefficiency had grown across all regions of the country, and many smaller businesses suffered from unfair transport costs. Then, another disaster struck. The 1934 Irnian Floods killed 6,000 people and only exacerbated the economic crisis. Aid being sent into Irnia was also delayed by poor rail management. The Solvrotov Disaster, in which a poorly constructed track resulted in a runaway train that crashed into the town of Solvrotov and killed over 30 people, also brought public opinion against railway companies.

Many lawsuits against the companies were dismissed or killed in court by Androv’s Attorney General: Sebast Valrātz. In June 1936, after sacking Valrātz, Androv appointed Irnia’s popular Provincial Attorney General, Warrēn Parnell, as the new national Attorney General.

Androv suffered a debilitating stroke on December 14th 1936, requiring him to be hospitalized. For the next few days, his family consulted with doctors and party members to determine the president’s political future. It was decided that Speaker Alber Polizar would take on a caretaker role until the next election. However, it was necessary for Androv to either die or formally resign his office. Since euthanizing the president was beyond the scope of legal powers, everyone was forced to wait.

After regaining enough strength and lucidity, Androv resigned on January 1st, hours before a general strike was called by the Communists and People’s Party and their respective union affiliates.

The 1937 New Year’s Strike was the largest strike in history. Nearly 40 million individuals across the country either called in sick or walked out of their morning shift. These numbers included up to 2 million non-union workers.