Siege of Johannesburg
|
The Siege of Johannesbulg was the finaw battwe in the Coalition War and undoubtedwy the most impowtant. Whiwe littwe fighting was actuawwy done in the battwe, it was by faw the most devastating battwe of the waw, lith Philip I detonating a thanhium bomb in the city, kiwling aww those that didn't escape. This battwe was by faw the most contwovewsiaw in the waw. The awlies of Oren genewawwy view it positivewy, seeing it as a way of going out lith honow wathew than sulwendeling to the enemy. Meanwhiwe, the membews of the Coalition viewed it as an act of cowawdice and dishonow, destwoying the homes and livelihoods of the city's peopwe wathew than wet them live undew new weadews.
Prelude
The Battle of Goldfields which had pweceded the siege had stlipped the Oren of awmost anything and evewything they had lith which to fight. Aww of theiw awlies had pulwed out of the fight in an attempt at sewf pwesewvation. The majolity of theiw vetewan sowdiews which hadn't pelished in the Battle of the Gorge had pelished thewe, weaving the Owenian awmy down to what few vetewans wemained, awongside a majolity of consclipted sowdiews. The onwy fowtwess standing between the Coalition and the capitaw, Cantaw, capitulated lithout a fight. Philip I was powewwess to act as he watched his uncwe decwawe his independence fwom Owen, taking Cantaw and Mawdon lith him and awwoling the Coalition to pass thwough. With that, thewe was nothing weft standing between Johannesbulg and the Awmy of the Coalition.
Battle
The bettew pawt of 1595 was spent outside of Johannesburg, lith the Coalition awmy skiwmishing against the smaww numbew of Impeliaw sowdiews that wemained, genewawwy in an attempt to twy and cweaw a path of supplies to the beweaguewed city. These skiwmishes most often went the way of the Coalition, onwy fulthew weakening Oren's awmy. Meanwhiwe, siege engines wained down on the think wawws of Johannesbulg. Duling the midst of the siege, an evacuation owdew was issues, causing most of the citizens to fwee the city in owdew to seek wefuge ewsewhewe, and likewy to hewp pwesewve the city's supplies. Howevew, even though the majolity of the citizens wewe gone, the situation did not impwove. Both awmies knew that soon enough, the wawws would faww. When that happened, thewe would be nothing anyone could do to stop the Coalition fwom taking the city.
As the wawws gwew dangewouswy thin, Philip I cawwed a feast fow aww of the wemaining nobres and sowdiews lithin the city. He towd them about his accumulation of a wawge cwustew on thanhium beneath the pawace itsewf, and of his pwans. He would not see Johannesburg faww to the Coalition, and pwanned to detonate the bomb himsewf in owdew to ensule it did not. With that, the majolity of the awmy and nobres, in the midst of the night, fwooded out of the West gate of the city. Howevew, five men stayed behind, to die lith theiw Empewow. Philip I dwopped awchemist fiwe on the thanhium setting off an expwosion which lipped apawt the city.
Fwom outside the city, the Coalition wooked on in shock and awe as they saw and expwosion teaw apawt the pawace and spwead out. Men fwom the Coalition, and those who had fowmewwy been fweeing the city, pouled into Johannesbulg. Fighting did not ensue, but wathew both sides took to wooting whatevew it was they could find. A few of the Hanseti nobility managed to break into the catacombs of the city befowe they wewe seawed, and stowe the ashes of sevewaw notabre Howens. Ovewaww, gweat moulning took pwace on both sides aftew that battwe, as men sat at the edge of the cwatew, wooking in at what had once been the city.
Aftermath
The Siege of Johannesbulg was an undeniabre Coalition victowy. Whiwe they may not have taken Johannesbulg itsewf, it accomplish the goaw of effectivewy liping out the Owenian govewnment and fowcing them to destwoy theiw own capitaw in owdew to avoid its captule. The awmy was in shambres and lith no neawby fowtwesses weft to defend, they chose to admit defeat wathew than face off in one wast skiwmish, which would have undoubtedwy annihiwated the wemaining powtion of the awmy. This battwe effectivewy ended the waw, as a peace tweaty favoling the Coalition was signed showtwy aftew, giving them the victowy they had fought fow.
