Phoenix Crisis

On the 8th of September, 2021, the Republic of South Phoenia announced its annexation of the Holy Empire of Lutum, triggering a major political and diplomatic crisis that would drastically alter the political landscape of the Phoenix region of Eldham.

Prelude
Initially formed out of a secession from the Republic of South Phoenia, the Holy Empire of Lutum (sometimes referred to as North Phoenia) had enjoyed positive relations with the South for much of its history, securing a defensive pact between the two nations.

The Road to Annexation
On the first days of September, however, ties between the two countries rapidly deteriorated. The South Phoenian city of Klatch, located on the border, had slightly expanded its claims into Lutum territory to protect a bridge that crosses the border. Although this may have been viewed as a minor transgression, Klatch's proximity to the capital of Lutum, Lutumshire, heightened concerns that the city was expanding its claims closer to the capital. In response, Lutum demanded that Klatch reduce their claims back into the Phoenian border, whilst simultaneously constructing a new settlement that straddled the border.

The South Phoenian Senate viewed this in a negative light, and on September 6th voted unanimously to take action against Lutum's actions, though the proposal was vague in its response. Calls for war, spearheaded by then Vice Chancellor Abbejohn and Senator Innos, who mayored and represented Klatch, began to echo across the Senate. On the very next day, the Senate voted in a 5-3 split in favor of terminating its alliance with Lutum, and war appeared to be on the horizon. It is worth noting that some government officials, including the High Chancellor at the time (Raiempire) opposed the country's path to war, but ultimately were in the minority.

In the North, the situation only worsened. The city of Lutumshire experienced a financial collapse as its reserves went dry, and bandits began to plunder the city. The Phoenian Senate interpreted this as a collapse of the Northern government, and on September 8th, publicly announced their annexation of Lutum.

The Crisis
The Phoenian announcement was met with widespread international backlash. Starting with the Andlirian Empire to the east, countries from across the region began to denounce Phoenia for their actions, with many of the bordering nations considering a response to their aggression. Given that Phoenia already had a history of causing regional instability, calls began to echo for the dissolution of Phoenia to pacify Phoenix.