Altis Civil War (1980s)

The Altis Civil War was an internecine conflict on the Altis archipelago between the Altis Armed Forces (AAF) and the Freedom and Independence Army (FIA). The military phase of the conflict lasted from 1982 to late 1989 with the war officially ending on 10 January 1990 upon the signing of the AAF-FIA Peace Memorandum.

Background to the conflict
During the Cold War, the Republic of Altis and Stratis was firmly in the western bloc. The Republic joined NATO in 1976 and depopulated the southern island of Stratis to establish a series of military installations for use by allied forces. The Stratis islanders protested against this depopulation before and after their relocation to mainland Altis. The Stratis depopulation issue was quickly absorbed into a growing left-wing movement in the Republic that was increasingly frustrated at the ongoing political dominance of the Altis National Party (ANP). These protests became larger and broader in political scope in the final years of the decade.

The ANP of the 1970s was dominated by the Akhanteros family, who used their colonial lineage and substantial wealth to maintain an iron grip on political life in the Republic. By the late 1970s, three generations of the Akhanteros family had served as President, leading increasingly to accusations of nepotism and de-facto dictatorship. By the end of the decade, then-President Alexander Akhanteros was reaching the end of his second term in office with no clear successor within the Akhanteros family or the broader ANP leadership. The Altian Constitution restricts presidential incumbents to a maximum of two six-year terms, preventing President Akhanteros from standing again under normal circumstances.

12 November 1979: "Red Monday"
Elections in the Republic are traditionally held on the third Saturday of November, which in 1979 fell on 17 November. An alliance of left-wing political movements declared a week of protests and demonstrations in the week running up to election day, decrying what they saw as increasingly authoritarian tendencies within the ANP-dominated government.

On Monday 12 November 1979, a crowd of several thousand political activists gathered in the capital city of Pyrgos with the intention of marching to the Congress building. Altian authorities had earlier denied the march organisers a license for the march and warned that any citizens taking part would be arrested and prosecuted for public disturbance.

Undeterred, the crowd began gathering on the outskirts of Pyrgos at 10am Altian local time. Several movement leaders made speeches until midday, when the march began through the city proper. Police reports made after the event concluded that the march was "boisterous, but not destructive", in the words of one officer.

As the crowd approached within a few streets of the Congress building, a loud, unidentified explosion threw the march into confusion. It would later be reported that a car bomb had detonated on the street outside the Congress, killing and wounding several lawmakers and passers-by. The Congressional Security Battalion of the Altis Gendarmerie moved swiftly to cordon off the area in keeping with established security protocols. When the protestors finally reorganized themselves and reached their destination, they found themselves facing an armed cordon of police officers.

Ten minutes later, an apparent gunshot was fired towards the police cordon, although the origin of the weapon discharge has never been conclusively determined. The police officers returned fire into the crowd, killing several marchers and causing a stampede. A dozen more protestors are known to die in the panic of people trying to escape the gunfire. The police cordon then moved forward and deployed tear gas before making a number of arrests.

At 1:15pm Altian local time - approximately one hour after police officers opened fire at the crowd - President Akhantaros appeared on live television. Blaming the car bomb and the initial gunshot on the protest movement, he praised the police response as "proportionate and defensive" and decried the march participants as "domestic red terrorists." Akhanteros then invokes his authority under the Altian Constitution to declare a national emergency.

Later that afternoon, units of the Altis Armed Forces are ordered into action across the island of Altis. The army conducts a series of mass arrests targeting known & suspected leftist sympathizers. That evening, the Office of the President releases further details on the parameters of the national emergency, including the suspension of that week's Presidential and Congressional elections until the security situation is deemed "suitably improved."