The Trans-Syldavian War of 1938 starts......

One of the things the Tintin books oddly do not cover is Trans-Syldavia, that region north of the Syldavian Alps whose history which has been covered in this blog over the years. Now as you all know, in 1867 Trans-Syldavia was awarded to Borduria as part of the Austro-Hungarian compromise and in WW1 Borduria supported the Austro Hungarian empire (when it looked like they would win) , whereas Syldavia had (belatedly) supported the Allies and was thus rewarded with Trans-Syldavia  at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. 

Of course, ever since then, Bordurian foreign policy as been to get Trans-Syldavia back, as it had given that most coveted of things, a route to the sea. When the attempt of Anschluss failed (covered in the Tintin book "King Ottokar's Sceptre" and Kûrvi-Tasch putsched Musstler out of power, Borduria's aims were reduced to getting Trans-Syldavia back. Borduria has been "testing" the Syldavians by "exercising" on the border and occasionally "accidently" going across it.

But news hitting the wires today, it looks like phony war may be over.......our correspondent in Klow  was travelling to Szohod yesterday, and had just breakfasted at the Hotel XXXX in the Syldavian border town of Kustomzs and was travelling the to the nearby border post when Bordurian cavalry clattered past racing the other way, into Syldavia. On nearing border the post he realised it was now a Bordurian operational HQ and started to take some photographs when Bordurian troops ran up and put him in the cell at the border post, along with a the Syldavian Borders Officials and a few hapless civilians caught up in the affray.

 

Senior Bordurian Army staff at the border post near Kustomsz, as Bordurian armoured cars roll over into Syldavia

Fortunately the Bordurians were too busy with invading to pay them much notice, and in all the chaos no one had checked if the Syldavian border guards had keys to the cell (they did) and - no one is quite sure how - the guards and he made their escape while the Bordurian officers were at lunch, making their way back carefully across country as the action unfolded.

Arriving back long after dark (and nearly getting shot by jumpy Syldavian pickets near Kustomsz and wired this report.

"We escaped from the border post by crawling along a ditch for several hundred meters and them making a run for some woods .From there we saw Bordurian armoured cars and horse artillery racing into Syldavia along the road to Kustomz. Soon affter that Bordurian infantry started marching through. We were nearly discovered when Bordurian infantry started moving close to the woods on the other side. They were Mountain troops, the Syldavian customs officials said.

And last but not least, the Bordurian Air Force attacked in support, attacking the Syldavian positions around Kustomz.

We await more information...