The history of Centaura in the early 20th century is a harrowing chronicle of imperial ambition, industrial evolution, and the total collapse of sovereignty across an entire continent. To understand this era, one must view it not as a series of disconnected skirmishes, but as a deliberate, systematic dismantling of a geopolitical order by the Antares Imperium. The Foundation of Fire: The Southern Corvus War (1908–1912) The catalyst for the era of total war began with the hubris of the Empire of Cetus. In 1886, Cetus annexed South Corvus, seizing its rich coal and mineral deposits. This act turned the Corvus Confederation into a hollowed-out shell, suffering from a crushing economic depression and rampant internal strife. By 1908, the Corvun leadership, fueled by decades of resentment, finally mobilized. They launched a desperate, bloody invasion to reclaim their southern lands. The resulting conflict was the first time the continent saw the true face of modern, industrialized butchery. The war quickly stalled into a horrific trench-locked stalemate. Both nations expended their youth in no-man’s-land, fighting over mere meters of mud. Seeing a strategic opportunity to eliminate a potential rival and expand his influence, Emperor Kalvin Tau of the Antares Imperium intervened. In 1911, Antares launched a decisive southern offensive. Caught between a resurgent Corvus and the overwhelming, modernized war machine of Antares, the Cetan military collapsed. By 1912, the Imperium had not only liberated the disputed territories for Corvus—they had effectively vassalized both nations, bringing them under the iron heel of Antarean "protection." The Continental Sweep (1912–1933) With the south secured, Antares turned its gaze toward the rest of the continent. The period from 1912 to the early 1930s is defined by the rapid, systematic annexation of smaller, unprepared nations. The Aquilan Shield: The Kingdom of Aquila attempted to stop the tide. Drawing inspiration from 19th-century defensive doctrines, they constructed vast, immobile trench systems and heavy fortress lines. They believed their "Maginot-style" defense would hold. They were wrong. Antares bypassed these static fortifications through superior maneuver warfare and sheer numerical superiority, effectively rendering Aquilan traditionalist military thinking obsolete.