Third Succession War

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History

The Third Succession War began in 2866. It is generally agreed that the war ended in 3025, but fighting continued sporadically until 3028 when the Fourth Succession War was officially started by the Federated Suns' attack on the Capellan Confederation following the marriage of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner. The years between the beginning of the conflict and the start of the Fourth Succession War were marked with almost constant, but low-intensity, warfare.

Beginning

The Third Succession War began when Draconis Combine forces attacked Lyran Commonwealth coreward holdings. The intensity of this conflict never approached that of either the First or Second Succession Wars. This lessening was more likely due to reduced military capacity rather than a change of tactics. The scavenger necessities from the Second war carried over and each house rapidly realized that they needed to preserve their precious technical resources.

Development

Two main components of this era were the evolution of a set of informal rules of engagement, similar to old Terran chivalric values, and a feudal system. The rules of engagement were similar to the Ares Conventions whereby 'Mech forces fought over industrial facilities, but were restricted in their attacks on those facilities and civilians. Especially important was a tradition of paying a ransom for safe passage after surrendering to a superior force. Also, JumpShips became strictly off-limits as a military target as it was quickly recognized that without JumpShips, nothing would be possible.

The feudal system evolved throughout the years because the capacity for central governance had evaporated. As a result, each Successor Lord controlled their house via a hierarchy of nobles who, in exchange for full authority of their worlds, pledged their fealty and their 'Mechs to their liege lord.

Alliances

Recognizing humanity's slow but steady slide away from the glories of the Star League era and toward barbarism, Archon Katrina Steiner of the Lyran Commonwealth issued a Peace Proposal to the other House leaders in 3020. Hanse Davion, Prince of the Federated Suns, was the only Successor Lord who welcomed the initiative. Announcing that he would "take history by the throat," Davion began negotiations with the Archon. The result of these talks was the Federated Commonwealth Alliance Document, which Prince Hanse Davion and Archon Katrina Steiner signed on Terra in 3022. In addition to trade and military agreements, the F-C Document contained a secret provision betrothing the Archon's daughter in marriage to Hanse Davion. Though the marriage would not occur until the twelve-year-old Melissa came of age, this was the first step on the road to eventual unification of the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns.

The other three Successor Lords were aghast at this sudden shift of power, which would lead to the eventual creation of a single state nearly as large as their three Houses combined. In October 3022, the Draconis Combine, the Free Worlds League, and the Capellan Confederation hastily signed the Concord of Kapteyn. The scope of the Concord was not as far-reaching as the F-C Document, however. It called mainly for an end to active hostilities between the three states, who now pledged mutual defense instead. This new relationship would also permit the three parties to coordinate their overt and covert efforts at derailing the Davion-Steiner alliance.

Perhaps most active in the covert attempts was the Capellan Confederation under the leadership of Chancellor Maximilian Liao. Liao agents had already subverted Hanse Davion's brother-in-law Michael Hasek-Davion, who was now providing them with valuable military intelligence. When the Chancellor next initiated a scheme to kidnap and kill Hanse Davion in order to replace him with a clone his scientists had created, he went too far. Davion eventually escaped capture and imprisonment and returned to his place on the throne, vowing revenge.

References

Bibliography

Dates

  • Start Date - 2866
  • End Date - 3025