War's Generation · 10:57pm Nov 11th, 2018
War’s Generation is an AU canon largely centered around the titanic conflict known as the Great War. It began several years after the start of Season 3, and assumes that none of the events of that season after the Crystal Empire came to pass. Despite the similar names, it is not a reference to Generation War (a World War II show which, for all its merits, has some significant problems).
This canon assumes that Equestria possessed (in the years of Twilight’s infancy) basic muzzle-loading rifles which were mostly used on the borders where non-magic users needed the stopping power of spell-casters. Discretely, and at the urging of Celestia and the Crown Loyalists of Parliament, Equestria had been upgrading its arsenal, fearing an end to the long peace. Despite their preparations, they were still fielding inferior breech-loading rifles and early bolt-actions when the Sovereign Republic of Equine Equilibrium invaded without warning and without mercy. The brutal nine-year war would see the development of such weapons as modern bolt- and lever-action rifles, machineguns, modern artillery, tanks, and the Static-Aerofoil Wing Harness (SAW) - a fixed-wing rig with mounted machineguns and a rear engine intended to give pegasi the ability to carry heavier weapons into the air and fly for longer. Magic still factored into the war, of course, but the inability of spells to stand up to the concentrated fire of a modern line of battle has relegated magic to a support role rather than a primary role in most combat.
Hold the Line is a snapshot of the Great War taken from the perspective of a soldier who wouldn't have even been a soldier if circumstances were different. It is intended to give insight into the men and women over the years who served, not because they were warriors born, but because their country desperately needed them. Everyday heroes of circumstance and need.
The Flowers of the Forest is set many years after the events of the Great War and is a private interaction between the former Field Marshall of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, and the soldiers she lost.
Memoirs of My War takes place over the course of a series of standalone chapters relating snippets of the Great War from the perspectives of different ponies. It’s not intended to give a full picture of the conflict (such an undertaking would miss the point), but rather to explore the nature of war from a variety of viewpoints.
The Great War referenced in the story is an obvious allusion to our own so-called “Great War.” The First World War. This oft-neglected conflict is what I would call a “glorious tragedy.” Tragic, because it was an unnecessary war which brought untold human suffering. Glorious, because, in the midst of such tragedy, true heroism and honor were still to be found. It is a sobering reminder of the depths to which humanity can sink, as well as the heights to which it may rise even amidst darkness. But you will read more about that in the final chapter of Memoirs.
The Great War of Equestria is critically different from our own Great War in many respects, chief among them being that it was not an unnecessary war. At least, not on the Equestrian side. The Sovereign Republic of Equine Equilibrium was a totalitarian state, founded upon the promise of equality for all, but, in practice, delivering only a system which forcibly stripped away the freedoms of the populace in the name of equality. Real-world parallels abound, on both the political Right and Left. In the end, all tyrannies look rather similar. The Nazis and the Soviets were really no different in practice. In fact, with the exception of certain specific points of emphasis, they were really few differences in their core ideologies. As such, the SREE, unlike the more ambiguous Central Powers of World War One, were a clear and present danger to Equestria and its populace.
Striking without warning, the SREE savaged much of Western Equestria and very nearly won the war before the Equestrians could mobilize. Equestria was forced into a state of total war, and paid a heavy price in blood to avert immediate defeat. It would take two years to halt the Equalist advance, two to turn the strategic initiative, and five more to finally win, with many upsets and reversals along the way. Equestria’s freethinking society (which produced better officers, more motivated troops, and more versatile research and development) and thriving industry (which enabled them to outstrip Equalist production) would prove critical in overcoming the SREE, but the victory was ultimately a moral one. The SREE operated on fear; its commissars and Ministry of Public Safety could only motivate its soldiers and populace to do so much before that fear became crippling. Meanwhile, the Equestrians possessed a deep-seated patriotism and had beloved rulers and generals (most notably Field Marshall “Love and Guts” Twilight Sparkle) who were served out of loyalty rather than fear. Mass desertions came to cripple the SREE, especially when their most effective general, the maverick Steel Pommel, surrendered his veteran army to his longtime nemesis Twilight Sparkle after refusing the Ministry’s orders to exterminate the civilian population of Seaddle. Twilight, with Pommel’s help, managed to negotiate a separate peace with a rebellious cabal of SREE leadership, dividing the Equalists and leaving their Central Government ripe for a coups d’état. Without the will to fight, and shocked by the gracious terms of surrender that Twilight offered, dissenting citizens of the SREE gladly threw their lot in with the rebels. The Mustang Republic was formed from what was left of the SREE, a free state and ally of Equestria. While the Mustang Republic is still rebuilding after the Great War, they have been able to lean on the magnanimity of their one-time enemy, and may rightly be considered a stable and emerging power on the world stage.
This section details what happened in the post-war years to a number of the ponies mentioned in Memoirs of My War. Minor spoilers.
Twilight Sparkle – In arguably the most meteoric rise to power in Equestrian military history, Twilight worked her way from a First Lieutenant to the Field Marshall of Equestria in under nine years. She was ultimately responsible for ending the Great War, both politically and militarily, and would continue to make great impact in the world stage for years to come. She negotiated peaceful resolutions to nearly a dozen conflicts, and swiftly ended those which could not be resolved peacefully. Her track record for brilliant and magnanimous diplomacy on one hoof and bloody-minded efficiency on the other earned her the moniker ‘Love and Guts.’ She now serves as Prime Minister, heading a coalition government built around the Crown Loyalists and the Centrists. Her detractors view her as a war-monger, but, truthfully, Twilight is a lover of peace. She simply understands that true peace cannot exist when tyranny is left unchecked. Like Duke Golden Crown before her, she strives to maintain an equitable society and a modern military with as little direct governmental influence as possible. She enjoys a great deal of popularity amongst foreign powers for her honorable conduct, even amongst her former enemies, most notably the Mustang Republic, which she helped create from the wreckage of the SREE.
Twilight never married. The war and the subsequent struggles of maintaining peace were all-consuming for her. At one time she might have wished differently, but her country has and always shall come first. She simply came to accept that this was a sacrifice she would have to make. Still, she is a doting aunt, both to her biological nieces and nephews and to her adoptive ones. She remains a scholar, and spends a great deal of time researching and writing. Though warfare is her chief claim to fame, she is an able peacetime administrator and philosopher, and her reflections on the nature of harmony in the midst of hardship are popular reading in the post-war years.
Applejack – Known as ‘Blackjack’ during the Great War, this farm-mare defined mechanized warfare, quite literally writing the book on the subject. She is still regarded as the premier tank commander in the world. Between Twilight’s subtlety and Applejack’s knack for direct action, the two were an unstoppable pair in the War. It is hardly surprising, then, that Applejack has succeeded Twilight as the Field Marshall of Equestria. Known far and wide as an honorable combatant and an honest soul, she is well-suited to both military and diplomatic aspects of the role.
Applejack married a retired combat medic named Cross, who earned notoriety in the war for being the first conscientious objector of the war to earn the Star of Valor. The two of them have six children and a dozen grandchildren (so far). She runs Sweet Apple Acres with her husband and family when not on active duty.
Pinkie Pie – During the War, Pinkie was noted for being the most dangerous artillery officer in the entire Equestrian Armed Forces. She designed new types of cannons in the field and was known to construct prototypes from spare parts. After the War, she went into Research and Development, and has been one of the chief architects behind the new generation of heavy guns, tanks, and vehicles. She also serves as the official Morale Office of the Equestrian Armed Forces, a position which evades exact definition to this day.
Pinkie Pie married a former ‘nemesis’ of hers – a supply officer named Bean Counter. How the two of them came to fall in love is almost as interesting as the story of how Counter moved from being a thorn in Pinkie’s side to being the one to help her get the materials she needed for her unsanctioned field tests. However, since most of the details of the latter are still considered a military secret, details of the former are known only to their close friends. The two have eight children, twenty grandchildren, and an acreage that wouldn’t have been able to keep up with half that number.
Rarity – The contacts she made and the reputation she earned stood Rarity in good stead to support her friends’ various projects and endeavors both during and after the War. Through both official and unofficial channels, she’s had her hooves in everything from supplying Dash’s squadron with fresh machineguns to obtaining medical supplies for the post-war Mustang Republic to ensuring that the incompetent General Blue Falcon was removed from command. Now, as Twilight’s loyal Foreign Secretary, she continues to handle matters behind the scenes and make Equestria a better place.
Rarity is now more properly called Dame Rarity, as she married the honorable stallion Sir Dawn Watch, a veteran of the War and a true noble in both title and character. An injury suffered at the Battle of Westing Wing left Rarity tragically unable to bear children, a fact which brought the couple no small measure of grief. They have, however, adopted four children, two of them war-orphans, and the tradition of adoption has been carried on by their children as the years have gone by.
Rainbow Dash – One of the only Wonderbolts to survive all nine years of the War, Dash emerged from the conflict as the undisputed top ace in the world, a record which still stands. She served as the CO of the Wonderbolts for years before eventually transitioning into Research and Development to build the aeroplanes which would replace the now obsolete SAW Harnesses. She now splits her time between weapons development and teaching.
Her partner in these later adventures is her husband, Hurricane, a fellow pilot and officer hailing from Trottingham. Their rivalry developed into a friendship and, ultimately, into a romance. They continue to work together in weapons development and teaching. Their only son, Hawker, is a Flight Officer in the Equestrian Air Corps.
Fluttershy – One of the most decorated veterans of the War, the legendary medic was troubled by the difficulty that many veterans experienced in post-war years, as well as by the grief of families who had lost sons and daughters to the conflict. In an effort to continue helping others to heal, Fluttershy went into the Ordos Solaris, becoming a Sister of the Order and later joining the Chaplain’s Corps to bring comfort to soldiers and their families. She often volunteers for the details which inform next-of-kin of their loved one’s passing.
Fluttershy did not come through the conflict unscathed. The horrors of battle left her struggling with what doctors would later define as Post Traumatic Stress. She is keen to clarify that, while she deals with PTS, she does not have PTSD. Fluttershy is careful about the distinction because she feels that labels, while helpful for diagnosis, have the potential to be restrictive to people’s healing and growth if they become the label by which they define themselves. Being a part of the Ordos has helped her to come to grips with her own trauma and turn it into an experience by which she can help others. Through his, her PTS has been gradually transformed into Post-Traumatic Growth.
Big Macintosh – One of the most decorated Marines of the entire War, Big Macintosh was sometimes simply referred to as “the Brute Squad.” It was a well-deserved moniker, as the hulking stallion had a tendency to handle enemy strongpoints by himself. He was very nearly killed at the Battle of Elmhollow, where he was shot six times and nearly lost one leg. In a strange turn of events, he was saved by an Equalist medic named Suture.
Suture would later become his wife. The two of them live quietly in New Harmony, a town situated on the border between Equestria and the Mustang Republic. They have five children and eight grandchildren.
Duke Golden Crown – Known as ‘Fancypants’ before the War, the Prime Minister’s reputation would change drastically over the years. His popularity as the confident voice that kept the populace going through the War would decline sharply after the War ended, particularly as future conflicts (like the Yakyakistan Incident) were more complex affairs which were harder to explain the relevance of to the people. By the time he retired, many regarded his as a washed-up warmonger. This was an unjust accusation, but too many years of political capital had been sacrificed for the sake of building the country up, and he had nothing left to save his own reputation. It would take years for history to remember him as the devoted servant of the realm that he truly was.
Duke Golden Crown was happy to retire once it became apparent that Twilight Sparkle was prepared to take the reins from him. He fled the spotlight in favor of devoting his time to his family. Three years after stepping down as Prime Minister, he passed away in his sleep. He did not live to see his reputation recover, but he did live to see his country survive. As his wife put it, “that was all that ever mattered to him.”
Princesses Celestia and Luna – Celestia continues to rule her realm with honor and dignity, as she has for centuries. Though modern War and politics have forced her into less direct methods than she has wielded in the past, her vision for Equestria as a land of freedom and opportunity endures, and she is beloved by her subjects. The fact that she endured the horrors of war on the front lines with her ponies has done a great deal to silence any who would doubt her dedication to the country, and her few detractors must speak with caution, lest the offend those whom she has so personally served.
Luna’s own reputation has grown thanks to the War, and it is largely a positive change. Her ministrations to the victims of conflict in their dreams has made her beloved in a deeply personal way that even Celestia cannot compare to in some ways. More quietly, it also prompted her to engage in an in-depth study of psychology, and, though she publishes under pen-names, her contributions to the treatment of ponies suffering with trauma have done an immense service to the people.
Harry Turtledove would be proud.
4966769
Thank you. I had to look up who that was to understand the compliment, but, now that I know, thank you.
Are you a David Weber fan? Or perhaps David Weber writing under a pseudonym? (“Crown Loyalists”) Great stuff!
4976962
Boy I wish I had Weber's kind of publishing success. The Crown Loyalists are, indeed, inspired by the Star Kingdom of Manticore. I liked the concept and I figured it fit well for Equestria - nobles who truly remember what that title stands for and other ponies of influence who support Celestia because she's a good ruler (but who aren't afraid to privately voice concerns to her). Fancy Pants always reminded me of Duke Summervale of Cromarty from the Harrington-series. I've long imagined Equestria's government to function in a fashion similar to Manticore's.
Well, it looks like I have quite a bit more reading material ahead of me, and it's written by one who treats the subject of wartime with both the honor and horror that it deserves. Antiquarian, you never cease to impress.
5154820
Thank you!
As to bloody wars....
WW2 is the only war in history where more people died in battle than died of disease.
The Spanish Flu killed more people in 3 years than WW1 killed in 4.
No war in history killed as high a % of the population as the Bubonic Plague outbreak did in the 14th century.
Although, if the Russians kick off WW3 we will likely beat that record.
There is a reason Plague was the first horseman, not War.
5651117
You make a fair point. Ironically, it was only called 'Spanish Flu' because Spain wasn't at war, so wartime deaths didn't make the discovery of a plague difficult. There was nothing else to point to for casualties.
I wasn't actually aware that WWII had the distinction of more dying from battle than from plague; I wonder how it compares to how many died from starvation, especially on the Eastern Front (or China) and in occupied territories where the Reich just stole everyone's food to feed the German population.
5652209
I've read that. I've also read that the flue started in army camps in the southwest USA.
Malaria alone killed about 627,000 in 2020.
As to starvation, most governments manage to import enough food -if they try. During the potato famine in 19th century Ireland, absentee landlords exported food to England & used the army to evict farmers. And yet, for some odd reason, the Irish don't get on well with the English.
Most mass starvation is caused by a war interrupting distribution or a government attempting genocide.