The Trade War

Within three days, half of Meiteikoku's merchant fleet was at the bottom of the sea. Velamare's galleys struck without mercy, crippling the economy of the mighty empire. Peace was signed on the 4th day, neither Velamare or Meiteikoku could benefit from this conflict, the trade war came to an end. Thousands of platinum was lost at sea, but at least trading could start again. - Meiteikoku: a history, A. Essenbau

The Conflict

Prelude

Anger over a trade deal lead to the seizing of Velamare's merchant ships docked in the harbour of Minatochi, Meitekoku. As a repurcussion, Velamare ordered the attack on Meiteikoku's merchant ships at sea.

Battlefield

The war was almost completely fought at sea: Meiteikoku's merchant fleet was caught by suprise and suffered heavy losses. By the end of the war, some of the fleet managed to organised themselves and successfully sank three galleys in service of Velamare. A little bit of fighting on land happened the first day, when Meiteikoku forces forcefully seized three Velamare trading vessels in the harbour of Meitekoku. The crews of these ships resisted initially, but were quickly overwhelmed and surrendered.

Aftermath

The war resulted in a status quo: trading was resumed on pre war terms. Both nations lost a lot of valuables in the form of ships and stuff they carried on board. The lack of any trading in the four days the war lasted also left negative marks on both economies, who were largely depended on trade with each other.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The war went into the history books as a foolish thing by both sides. Nothing was gained for either side and both nations suffered severely. Most blame the war on Meiteikoku for seizing merchant ships demanding better trade terms, although some argue that Velamare was greedy and unwilling to negotiate. Nevertheless, it's commonly recognized that both nations need each other and should prevent any possible conflict in the future.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Naval

Start Date

5/2/316

Ending Date

9/2/316

Conflict Result

Status quo, trading is resumed between both nations

Belligerents

Meitekoku

• Meiteikoku

Velamare

Strength

Countless merchant ships

40 galleys, countless merchant ships

Casualties

30 merchant ships lost

3 war galleys, 3 merchant ships

Objectives

Forcing a better trade deal

Retaliation for captured merchant ships