Fifty Years' War

Fifty Years' War
(五十年戦争, Gojūnen Sensō?)
World Map of Ivalice
Location	Ivalice
Result	Ordallian victory
Combatants
Ivalice
Ivalice
Ordallia Romanda
Ordallia Romanda
Commanders
Ondoria Atkascha III Barbaneth Beoulve Denamda II† Denamda IV† Wiegraf Folles Goffard Gaffgarion Gustav Margriff Cidolfus Orlandeau Gerrith Barrington Elidibus
Ondoria Atkascha III Barbaneth Beoulve Denamda II† Denamda IV† Wiegraf Folles Goffard Gaffgarion Gustav Margriff Cidolfus Orlandeau Gerrith Barrington Elidibus
Devanne III† Prince Lennard Varoi VI†
Devanne III† Prince Lennard Varoi VI†
Strength
Armies of the Northern Sky Armies of the Southern Sky Armies of the Eastern Sky Corpse Brigade Khamja
Armies of the Northern Sky Armies of the Southern Sky Armies of the Eastern Sky Corpse Brigade Khamja
Armies of Ordallia Armies of Romanda
Armies of Ordallia Armies of Romanda
Casualties
Unknown, presumably heavy
Unknown, presumably heavy
Unknown, presumably heavy
Unknown, presumably heavy

The Fifty Years' War is a historical conflict mentioned in Final Fantasy Tactics. It was a prolonged war between the nations of Ivalice and its eastern neighbor, Ordallia. The conflict occurred prior to the events of Final Fantasy Tactics and serves as the backdrop for the subsequent War of the Lions during which the game takes place.

The Fifty Years' War began with an invasion of Ordallia by Ivalice. Following the death of Ordallia's King Devanne III, the lack of a clear successor prompted Ivalice's King Denamda II to claim the throne and launch a campaign, hoping to retake the Ordallian province of Zelmonia, whose leadership had secretly been working with Ivalice for years. Prominent military orders, such as the Order of the Northern Sky led by Knight Gallant Barbaneth Beoulve and the Order of the Southern Sky led by Cidolfus Orlandeau, played key roles in Ivalice's military efforts.

The war concluded following the death of Ivalice's King Denamda IV. His successor, King Ondoria III, proved less capable, allowing Ordallia to gain the upper hand. Confronted with economic collapse, widespread unrest, and an inability to maintain prolonged campaigns, Ivalice ultimately negotiated peace with Ordallia, which, in effect, marked a defeat. The kingdom was left financially crippled, with unpaid soldiers, discharged knights, and a disillusioned populace, setting the stage for the internal conflicts and political instability of the War of the Lions depicted in Final Fantasy Tactics.

History

Background

Ivalice was ruled by King Denamda II, while its neighboring kingdom, Ordallia, was ruled by King Devanne III. Ivalice was defended by the Order of the Northern Sky Knights—led by Knight Gallant Barbaneth Beoulve (father of Ramza Beoulve)—and the Order of the Southern Sky Knights, led by Count Cidolfus Orlandeau.

Another squad, the Order of the Eastern Sky, also served Ivalice under the leadership of Goffard Gaffgarion. Bestrald Larg and Druksmald Goltanna, who would go onto become dukes, were generals during the war, but Grand Duke Gerrith Barrington did not serve as he was no warrior, but a large group of outland sellswords fought in his name, including a group of war orphans trained as assassins, earning the grand duke the name of "King of the Forge."

One notable knight of prominence was Cardinal Alophonse Delacroix, a lifelong follower of the Church of Glabados, who would become a hero of the Fifty Years' War. Another soldier who fought with Count Orlandeau during the war and would become prominent in the Church was Marquis Messam Elmdore. Additionally, a company of volunteer soldiers assembled from the peasantry named Dead Men was assembled, led by Wiegraf Folles, with lieutenants Gustav Margriff and Milleuda Folles.

The Ordallian province of Zelmonia was once an independent state, which had been annexed by Ordallia nearly a century prior to the Fifty Years' War. The Zelmonian leadership and nobility had grown tired of Ordallian rule, and Ivalice had been aiding the province in an effort to weaken Ordalia. In the lead up to the Fifty Years' War, the Zelmonian leadership and nobility had secretly petitioned Ivalice to become more directly involved.

Events of the war

Ordallia's King Devanne III died without naming a successor. His cousin, Varoi VI, was next in line for the throne, but King Denamda II of Ivalice (the uncle of Devanne III) proclaimed himself the rightful heir and declared war on Ordallia. This however was a pretense to justify the invasion and liberation of Zelmonia.

Following a victory in Zelmonia, the Ivalician armies marched on the Ordallian capital of Viura, but King Denamda II succumbed to fatal illness on the road. Denamda II's death allowed Ordallia to regroup, and Varoi VI succeeded in forcing Ivalicians back to Zelmonia. This led to an impasse not broken until two years later, when Romanda, a powerful military state lying across the Rhana Strait, attacked Ivalice on behalf of Varoi VI, who was a blood relation of the Romandan nobility. However, Denamda II's successor, Denamda IV, successfully led his men to battle against Romanda and Ordallia, and his leadership, combined with the outbreak of the Black Death in Romanda, forced the Romandan army to withdraw after only three years.

In the closing days of the war, Barbaneth's son, Zalbaag Beoulve, was declared the "savior of Ivalice" by King Denamda IV, and earned the title Knight Devout and viscountcy from the king, owing to his many victories and no defeats. Barbaneth Beoulve earned the title of Knight Gallant, as his countless victories compensated for Ivalice's inferior numbers. Count Orlandeau similarly went undefeated, and was greatly feared by the Ordallians.

However, the protracted conflict had led to low morale, peasant uprisings, and revolts in both nations, as Ivalice and Ordallia both sent their troops home to pacify their own citizens, resulting in a stalemate. When King Denamda IV suddenly died (with some claiming he was murdered), his successor, King Ondoria III, was ill-suited to the throne, giving Varoi VI's successor, Prince Lennard, a great advantage over Ivalice as Lennard's forces retook Zelmonia and advanced into Ivalice.

Despite efforts from the Northern and Southern Orders, Ivalice failed to prevent Prince Lennard's invasion of Zeltennia, forcing Ivalice's leaders to seek peace. Both nations agreed that a prolonged war would be mutually detrimental, and signed a treaty to allow each nation to return to addressing domestic strife. This was an equal peace in name only, as it was in reality a defeat for Ivalice.

Aftermath

Ivalice struggled to pay reparations to its former enemies or repay loans taken from neighboring states to fund its war effort, crippling its economy. Soldiers returned from the war effort finding themselves without pay, and entire orders of knights were discharged from service. This left many harboring ill feelings and dissatisfaction toward the Crown and nobility, and the Church of Glabados' influence waned, particularly with corruption and other transgressions among bishops and clergymen.

The debts accumulated by the Crown were repaid mostly in taxes, which were steadily risen following the war. This contributed to the widespread peasant revolt in Zeltennia. Goltanna, now duke of the Zeltennia province, eventually proposed increasing the rate of tax by a third to pay for it, facing fierce opposition from war hero Cidolfus Orlandeau. As an additional means of replenishing its coffers, the Crown established a new rank of aristocracy and sold the titles to those who would buy them, leading merchants and others to have been made nobles. One such family that bought their rank was House Oaks, the house of Agrias Oaks, but although their rank had been purchased, her father had earned knighthood by distinguishing himself during the war.

The unrest contributed to the rise of groups of rogues and traitors plotting treason against the Crown. Notable among these were the Corpse Brigade, led by Wiegraf Folles, the former leader of the Dead Men group that had been discharged without compensation following the war's end, and Gustav Margriff, a knight of the Order of the Northern Sky who had left after seeing its atrocities during the war. Marquis Elmdore was among those who had advocated soldiers receive due recompense, but he became disheartened after seeing the injustice of the war during and after it.

Division commander in the Order of the Eastern Sky, Goffard Gaffgarion, was expelled from the Order due to the barbarism of his methods that he employed during the war. The parents of Rapha and Marach Galthena were killed during the war, while Argath Thadalfus' family was brought to ruin. As Orran Durai's father by birth, a comrade of Count Orlandeau, died in battle toward the end of the war, Count Orlandeau accepted Orran into House Orlandeau.

King Ondoria's two sons died, and the king adopted his younger sister, Princess Ovelia, as his daughter. Soon after, Queen Louveria gave birth to Prince Orinus, causing a conflict over who to become King Ondoria's successor, setting the stage for the War of the Lions.

The souls of those who had died in the Fifty Years' War continued to linger in the Yuguewood as the undead.