Italian War (Night of the Living Alternate History Map Game)

Operation: Nero
	Part of Italian War
Date	1998
Location	Italy
Status	Nero Victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Italy	Russia Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand; Austria; Switzerland; Texas; United States; Scandinavia; South Africa; Greece; Ukraine; United Republics; Republic of Susquehanna; Venice
Strength
305,354	2,450,000
Casualties and losses
250,343	10,000

Italian War ; Night of the Living Alternate History
	; Italian soldiers operating in northern Italy.
Date	2 April 1988 - 8 January 1991
Location	Lombardy, Venice, Adriatic Sea
Belligerents
Kingdom of Italy; Scandinavia(1988 - 1989); Texas (1988); Bosnia; Slovenian Natives;	File:Flag of Lombardy.svg.pngLombardy; Venice; Croatia; Switzerland; Austria; HRE Supported By:; Scandinavia(1989 - Present); Texas (1989 - Present); Russia; Susquehanna; United States; Commonwealth(1990-present);
Commanders and leaders
Pablo Richardo DiMaruggio Emaual Fillberto I; Harold I	Karl von Habsburg; Deidrich Dopfer;

The Italian War, was a major armed conflict that began in 1988. Involving several world and regional powers of Europe, the conflict devastated southern Europe, claiming thousands of lives. The war was fought primarily between Italy and the "Allied Powers", a coalition comprised originally of Switzerland, Croatia, Austria, and several Italian remnant states.

During the war fierce biological and illegal terrorist and government funded attacks were common, causing several great powers and humanitarian organizations to step in to aid the conflict. The war also saw one of the first military attempts to weaponize the Zombie infection, which resulted in its international banning in the the field of warfare.

Chronology[]

Main article: Timeline of the Italian War (Night of the Living Alternate History Map Game)

Most historians agree that the official start of the war was in the summer of 1988, with the Italian invasion of Venice and Lombardy. The official start of the invasion is stated as beginning on 2 April.

Despite the official start of the war being listed as 1988, hostilities date back much further. The Lombardian Revolution, a Venetian conflict fought against Italy begin a year before the outbreak if the Italian War. By 1987 Italy had laid claim to all of Italy, and much of the Allied powers, causing violence uprisings in northern Italy.

The contested occupied nations and those opposed to Italian rule would form the Allied Powers, in autumn of 1987, further causing tensions between the north and south.

Background[]

Italian Expansion[]

Hong Kong[]

The Kingdom of Italy, formed out of the ashes of the Italian remnant states, had become a regional power by the early 1980's. Following an agreement with the former Italian government and the Confederation Islands the occupied regions of Lazio, liberated from the Zombie Horde, were transferred to the proclaimed Kingdom of Italy.

With central Italy firmly under its control, Italy looked to further expand its empire. A controversial expedition was sent to Hong Kong, despite attempts from the government of Hong Kong and Wu, who frowned upon the attempts to colonize Chinese land. Wu immediately sent 10,000 soldiers to the city of Shenzhen and three destroyers to the Pearl River Delta, adjacent to Hong Kong.

The city of Hong Kong was heavily fortified, awaiting Italian invasion. When the Italian expedition arrived near the Chinese coast, it was greeted by Chinese destroyers, ordering the Italians to withdraw. After a lengthy and expensive colonial failure, the Italians finally withdrew from China in Autumn of 1987.

Europe[]

In late 1986 the nation of Italy began expansion into northern Italy. In early 1987 Italian forces attempted to enter the city of Milan, eventually causing the Lombardian Revolution.

Despite tensions building over the occupation in Lombardy, eventually escalating into revolution, plans were also made by the Italian government for an invasion of Switzerland and other European nations.

Groups of Praetorian guards, elite Italian special forces, were ordered to sweep into Yugoslavia, claiming that they were trying to free the Croatians from the Yugoslavian oppressors. Attempts were made by the Italian government to use the forces stationed in Croatia to create an Italian puppet state. Intelligence agents were stationed in the nation, sabotaging the Croatian military and resistance movements.

By 1987 Italy had laid claim to Malta, Croatia, Venice, and Switzerland, despite the presence of legitimate governments in these regions. This aggressive expansion would eventually prompt the nations of Venice, Croatia, and Switzerland to form the Allied powers.

Lombardian Revolution[]

Main article: Lombardian Revolution (Night of the Living Alternate History Map Game)

Formation of the Allied Powers[]

Main article: Allied Powers (Night of the Living Alternate History Map Game)

In 1987 the nations of Switzerland, Croatia and Venice, worried that Italy may pose a threat to their sovereignty, agreed to a defense pact, vowing to aid each other in times of war. Other neighboring nations were also invited to join this pact.

With Italy on the verge of war in late 1987, this alliance began to become known as the "Allied Powers". The nation of Austria, and indirectly the entirety of the Holy Roman Empire, would join this alliance.