Venezuelan War (A Dark World)

GThe Venezuelan War was an brief war fought between the United States and Venezuela at the end of 2019. The United States launched a invasion after president Nicolas Maduro gave Russia permission to place nuclear weapons in his country.

American forces entered Venezuela and conquered multiple cities. On 9 November Trump gave the order to withdraw all American forces immediately. According to some he did that because of the massive loss of lives on American side. After the war Navy SEALs who were stationed in Colombia kept clashing with Maduros forces, that trend would continue into 2028, when Trumps successor Kamala Harris launched a successful invasion.

Background
Throughout 2018 and 2019 tensions had been brewing between the United States and Venezuela. In the beginning of 2019 Juan Guaidó, president of the national assembly, named himself acting president, following a controversial re-election of Nicolas Maduro. Maduro denied to accept Guaidó as acting president and called his actions a "coup." While riots, a financial crisis with inflation of 1000% and a food crisis thore Venezuela in two it turned out that Russia and China supported Maduro, Russia even send soldiers to Venezuela, the Kremlin called them "advisors." Trump wanted them to leave, Russia refused and the tensions became even higher.

In the midst of 2019 the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Milley, talked with president Trump and vice president Pence about invading Venezuela. While preparations for an invasion were underway and diplomats tried, for one last time, to convince Maduro to leave, Russia asked Venezuela for permission to put nuclear weapons on their soil. Two days later Maduro gave them that permission and from that point, with a possibility of nuclear weapons in the backyard of the United States, war was inevitable.

preparation of war
since April 2019 the US air force and US special forces performed numerous reconnaissance activities in the sky and at the border between Venezuela and Colombia. Amid fears of a possible American military invasion, all Venezuelan troops were put on stand-by.

American engagement
On 16 October 2019 an American force of about 25.000 troops supported by tanks, the US Air Force and the U.S Navy, entered northern Venezuela in the first major combat operation of the United States since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The American invasion was conducted in two directions: eastern and western

Western direction, commanded by Lieutenant-general Charles Luckey, would take the west of Venezuela and the capital, Caradras.

Eastern direction, commanded by Lieutenant-general Patrick Hughes, would take the east and the main oil fields.

Venezuelan counter-attacks
Venezuela quickly mobilised all its forces to the northern border. From 18 October till 25 October battles took place between US and Venezuelan forces. There were also battles between the US and Venezuelan Air Force.

Fighting
The American troops advanced about 15-20 miles into Venezuela, with battles taking mainly occurring near the river Tigre and near the capital Caradras. However, the city was defended by 15.000 men, about 2.000 of them were Russian special forces, and an attack was impossible. However, the US Air Force bombed Caradras several times. The Venezuelan army tried to avoid direct combat and often used guerrilla tactics while Russian special forces carried out against American command centres, munition depots and troop bases. The initial American attack soon lost it's momentum and a new wave of attacks was sent with eight American divisions joining the battle. After securing the northern coastline in the east the American forces paused outside Caradras to lure the enemy out, what was later considerd as a huge tactical mistake. The Venezuelan army used this time to take defensive positions in the capital. On the 7th of November US forces entered the city but could hardly advance and were forced into house-to-house combat, causing many casualties.