Yarphese March

The Yarphese March was a 2,400 kilometre march by the Vietnamese Liberation Army from 2000 to 2003. Beginning as a city-state in Saigon, the Grand Yarphese Republic spread towards Cambodia, Thailand, and eventually Singapore by the time of the "Completion of the Grand Yarphese Republic," now celebrated as "Singapore Day." It is compared to the Long March both in length and heroism as well as success. Tranh Chup-yar, the general at the time, is now one of the most famous people in the world, controlling a somewhat vast republic in Southeast Asia.

Background
The Vietnamese Liberation Army was at first only a tightly knit group of radicals with a base in the Australian Kimberley. At first it was considered a harmless secret Maoist organization of Vietnamese and others meeting in Australia to discuss change, but its beligerence was revealed as it shocked the world by invading Ho Chi Minh City (now Saigon), Vietnam's largest city and an important seaport. Civil war returned to Vietnam after twenty-four years of peace. However, this time the Vietnamese Liberation Army was victorious. However, the small empire, Tranh knew, was destined to fail if it did not quickly gain more territory. Driven by geopolitics and ệ̀r phwùèr, the Yarphese equivalent for the German term Lebensraum, Tranh believed that a successful nation was forced to expand beyond its borders or else desintigrate. In order to do this, he put into effect a plan for seizing much of Southeast Asia, and eventually creating a large empire comparable to that of the British.

Capture of Southern Vietnam


The weakened Vietnam People's Army was severely weakened by the battle at Saigon, but it was still able to retaliate quickly as the Vietnamese Liberation Army spread throughout Southern Vietnam a few months later. There were two armies in this invasion. The First Route Army, led by Tranh Chup-yar, traveled inland, directly, in order to cut off South Vietnam. This was a very difficult march, and much of the army survived without ample food. In addition, repeated invasions from the Vietnam People's Army caused high casualties. However, the Vietnam People's Army knew that it could not win against an army to which it had already lost, with added troops from Saigon. The completely flat land and dense population of the area made guerilla-style warfare difficult, but Yarphei made use of the small "high ground" it could in order to defend, and traveled mainly at night. In order to prevent deaths from the over thirty-thousand troops marching through the area, martial law was declared in the Mekong Delta and in Southeast Vietnam. Unfortunately, the heavy cutoff of South Vietnam prevented southern militias from reacting in time. Several small skirmishes occurred along this route, and one major battle. In central Long Xuyen province, the Vietnam People's Army ambushed the Vietnamese Liberation Army. Soldiers continued to pour from nearby, confining the thirty-thousand Yarphese troops to a small mountain and a nearby village. In the morning, the Vietnamese People's air force opened fire on the VLA camp, causing heavy casualties, and forcing the VLA to directly attack the VPA's lines. The battle that followed resulted in 9,480 confirmed Yarphese deaths and 10,222 injuries. However, after three days of ceaseless fighting, the Yarphese flag was raised over the mountain, and victory was proclaimed. This battle, known as the Battle of Dức Hòa, was the turning point of the war. After this battle, the army marched towards the coast to meet up with the Second Route Army.



Under Phùng Lèù-yáng, the Second Route Army was securing the coast of Vietnam and Ca Mau city. This march, unlike the march to the highlands, was more convenient, as many were able to gain food through fishing. While plundering was against the Yarphese code of conduct, heightened South Vietnamese nationalism allowed many soldiers to be quartered within houses. The National Anthem of South Vietnam became the unofficial anthem of the march, and many South Vietnamese even waved or raised Republic of Vietnam flags as the soldiers passed by villages. There were no major land battles; instead the march consisted of hundreds of small skirmishes involving fewer than a thousand troops. Along this route, however, there was a bitter naval fight for water territory. The Vietnamese government had asserted that if it could not maintain the Mekong River Delta, that it would fight to the end for maritime rights. Yarphei lacked military ships, but it managed to get ahold of a container vessel which it converted into a temporary military ship. In addition, the battleship VLN Giai Phong proved to be excellent naval asset. A major naval battle took place of the coast of Kien Giang province between the VLN Giai Phong and a Pauk-BPS 500. The Vietnamese ship sank completely, and its crew was taken prisoner, before being promptly released. As a turning point of the southern march, the Yarphese victory severely damaged the Vietnamese naval reputation.

Invasion of Cambodia


The two armies met near Ta Hien, and spent a few weeks recuperating. Martial law, meanwhile, was declared in South Vietnam. Because of the fast nature of the Vietnamese portion of the march, it was important to make the transition period worthwhile. However, morale soon shot up and the invasion of Cambodia began. Fighting as one unified army under Phùng Lèù-yáng (Tranh had fallen ill with double pneumonia five days earlier), the now experienced Yarphese Army advanced out of the familiar land of Vietnam. Cambodia's army presented quite a challenge as soon as the VLA entered the Takéo province. Morale severely dropped at this point when Yarphei lost a battle near Tram Kak. However, the Army fought on as far as Phnom Penh. Phung sent a small army to surround and occupy the city. However, an interception by the Cambodian government found Yarphese plans, and the VLA was forced to retreat. The first major battle took place at Sihanoukville, where the Cambodian Army met the VLA near the Sihanoukville autonomous port. The VLN Giai Phong began to shell the port at midgnight, and the Cambodian Army began to shell back. At the end of the battle, it was unclear who had won, as both ended up retreating. However, both armies retreated. After several more months of fighting, Yarphei had Cambodia south of the Mekong and Tonle Sab Rivers, and Yarphei and Cambodia signed an armistice agreement. However tensions between Yarphei and Cambodia continued well into the next decade.