The Battle of Tampa --- History of Rimskaya

To start 2023 in the Overbearer's time, Rimskaya has decided to begin with a more native setting of broadcasts. To begin, we will have put out a chronological record of the Winter Solstice Revolution, a story to the dawn of our country.

For those wondering, the Commissarial Election is not yet decided. That is expected in the coming days from the Legislature. Democraticus is currently in Milania looking at how the city is doing.

Without further ado, the first battle of the Winter Solstice Revolution.

The Battle of Tampa

December 20th, 2020

Prelude:

The war had already been raging for some time; however, this marked the beginning of a wide resistance that would lead to the Independence of Rimskaya. Up until this point, the Revolution had been limited to increasingly violent protests and riots against the State of Florida for their fascistic government policies, though to extent were directed at the United States.

From underground though, the man you know today as Maximus Democraticus, then a young and fiery Revolutionnaire, had been stockpiling weapons, and spreading the teachings of Leon Trotsky and Karl Marx across Central Florida, whilst actively debunking the tyranny of Stalin, with evidence the suggest that Lenin, in the final years of his life, came to detest Stalin as well.

There we come to the early morning hours of December 20th, inside a bunker located near what is now a far-out suburb of Novogo Rima.

Dec. 20th, 2020, 2:00am EST

Democraticus and his closest comrades stand around a table inside the bunker. On it displays a map of the city of Tampa, one of the largest cities in Florida, and what Democraticus aimed to be the capital of his Revolutionary State.

The generalship is going over the plans to Democraticus as to the moves of the army, which at this point is already within mere miles of the city center. The three groups of soldiers are each set to attack different parts of the city and capture strategic points that would increase their ability to hold the city from a potential counterattack.

DIVISION GROUP AKASHEV

Size: Approximately 10,000 troops including 2,000 cavalries; 100 transport trucks; 25 armored vehicles

Named after the first leader of the Soviet air force, Division Group Akashev, camped near Citrus Park disguised as a protest camp-out, was appropriately tasked with capturing the critically vital Tampa International Airport, located on the Western side of the city. 

Doing this would allow the sudden Revolutionary State to get up its small but effective air force, made up of civilian aircraft fitted with semi-automatic rifles controlled from the cockpit, some fitted with makeshift explosives and oversized molotov-cocktails as rudimentary bombers, and some helicopters that were known to be present at the time that could be quickly fitted with similar armaments.

DIVISION GROUP ALTFATER

Size: Approximately 30,000 troops, 100 small naval craft

Named after the first leader of the Soviet Navy, Division Group Altfater was stationed in Progress Village, and was tasked with the capture of the Port of Tampa, and Fantasy Island in the Hillsborough Bay, a shoot off of Tampa Bay. This would allot the Revolutionary State the control of the part of the bay leading up to the city center, and allow the dispatch of their young navy, consisting of civilian boats fitted with basic small arms.

It was suggested the group also consider landing on the smaller peninsula and capture the neighborhood of Sun Bay South, but Democraticus dismissed this in an effort to prevent any potential response from the nearby MacDill Air Force Base, controlled by the United States Dept. of Defense, though a response from them was likely, regardless of whether they attacked near it or not.

DIVISION GROUP TROTSKY 

Size: Approximately 75,000 troops including 25,000 cavalries, 300 transport trucks, 100 armored vehicles, 25 experimental tankettes

Named after the leading symbol of the Revolution and first commander of the Red Army, Division Group Trotsky was tasked with the direct attack on the city center, with the goal of capturing Curtis Hixon Park, the Downtown area, and most importantly, the Tampa Convention Center, which was to serve as the local government seat, and would later be developed into what is now the Rimskaya Legislature.

Democraticus himself was in charge of this force and would be leading his men into battle with the cavalry brigade.

Everything was set for the attack, which would commence at dawn with the command of Democraticus.

They expected a fierce defense of the city by the local police force, as well as the National Guard, deployed to counter the protests, neither of which were expecting the attack. If troops, or worse, jets from the nearby Air Force Base were deployed, the damage could be catastrophic, and result in total defeat for the Revolution.

December 20th, 2020, 8:00am EST; 4 minutes to sunrise

The Division Groups have already begun moving into the city area, and were already meeting resistance by police. They were appearing still as protest marches rather than armed battalions, so the resistance they faced was easily overcome.

Democraticus is already at Ybor City with his Division Group, preparing the attack. Just minutes before sunrise, he gives one last speech before his comrades. He tells them the actions they are about to take will change the course of history, even if they are not successful, and that no matter the outcome of this battle, the fate of Capitalism in the United States is sealed.

With that, the sun rises over the horizon, and Democraticus gives the command to commence the attack. The Division Groups, previously using normal protester tactics such as throwing objects, suddenly whipped out their guns with total intent to take the city. 

Altfater set out into the Bay, capturing Fantasy Island within the hour, though are faced with more intense resistance when attempting to land at the Port of Tampa.

Akashev marches into the area outside the Airport with almost no trouble, though the defense of the Airport itself is fierce.

The most intense fighting occurs in Trotsky, where the soldiers are fighting block by block to get to their targets, and the defending forces doing everything in their power to stop them. Basic artillery from Ybor City begin shelling near the targets of Trotsky, weakening their already poor defenses, and causing chaos among the ranks.

At this time, Governor DeSantis is informed of the situation, and immediately orders more National Guard troops to "crush the rebellion without mercy." He faces some difficulty however, as small resistance groups across the state impede any attempt by his forces to reach the region.

December 20th, 2022, 10:00am EST

Altfater have for the most part achieved their objectives, clearing out the last resistance in the Port. They receive orders from Democraticus to capture the river mouths and secure control of the water, an objective that proves exceedingly simple.

Akashev has already capture the Airport and is pushing into the Northern and Western sectors of the city, reaching the Hillsborough River, now the Greater Severnaya Dvina, and I-275 by 10am.

The last major resistance is happening in the Downtown area. Revolutionary soldiers and the defenders are fighting in every building that's still standing following the artillery bombardment in brutal close-quarters combat.

Democraticus is with his Division command in the Channelside district, commanding his soldiers from the city Aquarium. His cavalry brigade had led a charge into the area around 9am, and completely overran their defenses in a spectacular victory. Those same units are currently fighting near Amalie Area, home of the local hockey team, and rapidly approaching the Convention Center.

Further north, Curtis Hixon Park is already firmly under Revolutionary control, and each of the skyscrapers are being captured one by one. 

Democraticus admits he is appalled by the bloodshed on both sides. To try and prevent its continuance, he sends and offer of surrender to the garrison force in the Convention center. To his surprise, what follows is a fight between the police and National Guard, with the latter refusing the surrender and trying to prevent the police force from taking it up. Democraticus seizes the opportunity and sends in the cavalry to help fight the National Guard. The police are fully on Democraticus' side by 10:30am and are ordered to move across the Hillsborough River and deal with any resistance in Hyde Park.

Democraticus them comes to the front line and takes an elite squad of soldiers into the Convention center along with the main force. What follows is a room-to-room Reichstag defense of the building.

Finally, at around 11:10am, Democraticus reaches the roof. In his hand is a red banner, with the emboldened golden emblem of the Fourth International. He takes his men over to the south side of the building, and plants the flag. A photograph is taken of the event from a drone, replicating the angle of the Soviet Victory Banner atop the Reichstag at the end of the Great Patriotic War, though no surviving records of this photo are known to exist.

Epilogue

The Revolutionary State has just won its first real battle against the forces of fascism, tyranny, and Capitalism all together. Forces from the governor are already on the way but are unable to break the defenses of the city, even with air support, thanks to the Revolution's control of the Airport.

A second, smaller battle soon occurs that sees the capture of the Air Force Base, which prompts the deployment of the United States Armed Forces to destroy the Revolution. This, however, only stokes the explosion of massive Proletariat rebellion across the country, though most of it is disorganized and unequipped. It is enough though, to give the young state in Tampa the time it needs to develop a functioning government and conduct what is now known as the Winter Solstice Revolution.

Democraticus knows there is no time to rest though. He immediately begins planning the attack to take St. Petersburg, now Milania. He knows that now that other parties are involved, this was going to be no easy task. But if the Revolution were to stay alive, it had no choice to stop now.

Tune in next time for:

THE BATTLE FOR ST. PETERSBURG