Hundred Year War

The War was a major global conflict that occurred in the Avatar universe. Going on for a century, the War was started by Fire Lord Sozin, who wished to expand the Fire Nation into a world-wide empire, and spread what he saw as his nation's prosperity to the rest of the world. The War was actually only supported by a very small amount of the population; virtually only Fire Nation elites actually wished to fight in it, thus the Fire Nation Military Forces are made up of mostly conscripts with few volunteers.

Prelude
One hundred and thirty eight years ago, Fire Lord Sozin started having the feeling that because his nation was so fortunate in so many ways, he should "share" this prosperity with the rest of the world. He speaks about his plans to his best friend, Avatar Roku and tries to convince him to join him on his quest to expand "the most successful empire in history". But Roku clearly refuses to help him and reminds him that the four nations were meant to be just what they were; four. Years later, however, Roku discovers that Sozin has set up colonies in the Earth Kingdom, and comes to rebuke him, leading Sozin to attack him. The two engage in a battle, with Roku finally destroying most of the palace and defeating Sozin, sparing his life because of their past friendship, but warning him never to move forward with his plans again. Twenty-five years later, Roku's home island is consumed in a volcanic eruption so massive that Sozin can see and feel it from a hundred miles away, and flies in on his dragon to assist his old friend. The two use their Bending to try to contain the lava flow, but are hindered by poisonous gases, which eventually overwhelm Roku, leaving him lying on the ground and begging for his old friend's help. Sozin suddenly realizes, however, that Roku's death would allow him to fulfill his plans, and leaves his old friend to die along with his dragon Fang. The new Avatar was then born into the Air Nomads as Aang. Twelve years after Roku had died, Sozin used the power of a comet that would bring his Firebender armies near-unlimited power to start the war, setting the stage for the Air Nomad Genocide.

First Strike
One hundred years ago, Fire Lord Sozin decided to launch his attack due to the arrival of Sozin's Comet. With the power of the Comet, Sozin's Firebender armies launched a genocide on the pacifistic Air Nomads in an attempt to kill the new Avatar, Aang, and to halt the Avatar Cycle. However, Aang had run away the night before, thus escaping the carnage. All other Air Nomads were believed to have been killed in the attack, leaving Aang the only known Airbender left alive.

Western Theater
After the first strike against the Air Nomads, Fire Lord Sozin and his army began their first assaults in the Western Earth Kingdom. Sozin's main objective was to secure the coastline of the western continent and use it as staging grounds to advance throughout the Earth Kingdom and supply his forces. Other objectives were to cripple and destroy key Earth Kingdom trading centers. It is known that after the first assaults, Sozin and his descendants began advancing westward. Currently the western theater is mainly occupied by the Fire Nation, and the Western Earth Kingdom is being used for Fire Nation colonies and the resources are being supplied to the Fire Nation soldiers in the Eastern theater. The Fire Nation has established several bases in this region since the initial invasion. Most Earth Kingdom villages in this region are occupied by the Fire Nation, such as Gaipan and Haru's village. The only remaining military stronghold is General Fong's base, situated in a coastal mountain range.

Famous battles in this campaign included The Battle of Han Tui, The Battle for Taku, The Battle of Senlin, and the Battle of Garsai.

Attacks in the Southern Theater
The current state of the Southern Earth Kingdom theater is unknown, but the southern Earth Kingdom remains unconquered. The southern theater seems to be a stronghold of Earth Kingdom military activity, though citizens in cities such as Gaoling seen unconcerned with the way the war is going, as evidenced by the behavior of Xin Fu and Lao Bei Fong.

Northern Theater
The Fire Nation's war effort was focused at the Western theater through using a Fire Navy fleet. Sozin expanded northward and eventually was able to send forces to conduct an invasion of the Northern Water Tribe, which ended in failure due to the North Pole's treacherous landscape. Currently the Northern theater includes battles such as Siege of the North and the Battle for the Northern Air Temple.

The War Continues
Fire Lord Azulon took the throne after his father's death. He then began to expand as south to the Southern Water Tribe and eastward towards the walls of Ba Sing Se. Forty years into the War, the Fire Navy attacked the then-prosperous Southern Water Tribe. Their first attacks included the bombardment of several Water Tribe villages, and from then on afterwards they restricted their attacks to raids. Dozens if not hundreds of Waterbenders across the South Pole fought the Firebenders, but were ultimately defeated when the Fire Nation took all of them prisoner, leaving the non-benders to fend for themselves. Among these prisoners was Hama, who developed a deep hatred for her captors but eventually escaped from captivity whilst waging her own personal war on them in secrecy. The only known Waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe in the present day is Katara, who was born long after the Firebenders conquered the Waterbenders. The Southern Water Tribe remains weak and the victim of constant raids. The Earth Kingdom came under many attacks, the greatest of which was the 600-Day Siege of Ba Sing Se which ended only when General Iroh's son was killed.

During the War's 94th year, the Southern Water Tribe was attacked in yet another major raid aimed at eliminating the remaining Waterbenders. The attackers, the infamous Southern Raiders, were informed that one last Waterbender (Katara), was left in the Southern Water Tribe, and were given orders to kill her. However, Katara remained undiscovered because during this raid, her mother Kya turned herself in as the last Waterbender, in an attempt to protect Katara. Kya was in turned killed, but her heroic act meant that the Fire Nation would never discover the true identity of the last Waterbender, so Katara survived. Katara would later rediscover the Avatar as an indirect result of her mother's actions.

Recent Years
In recent years, the war has let up. Iroh's forces retreated from Ba Sing Se's area, although they remained in control of the Western Lake where they began construction of the Drill. During Ozai's reign, the Army retreated, easing up control on certain areas of the Earth Kingdom. The Northern Mountains were let alone, allowing pilgrims to move in. The Western shore of the Earth Kingdom was put under tighter control and Prince Zuko began his search for the Avatar. Zhao, an eager military man, also pursued such goals while plotting another conquest - the Northern Water Tribe.

As the Avatar traveled north to the Pole in attempts to learn Waterbending, Zhao was promoted to Admiral and ordered the entire Navy to advance on the North Pole. So they did, getting there only a couple weeks after the Avatar arrived. Meanwhile, a small militia attacked the Northern mountains, only to be beaten back. However, the Siege of the North was unsuccessful due to the Avatar's intervention, and the fleet was destroyed. Zhao was killed by La, the Ocean Spirit after an unsuccessful attempt to kill Tui, the Moon Spirit. With the Fire Nation's main ambition out of the picture, Ozai continued the slow and steady advances on all fronts, while discreetly sending his daughter to search for the traitorous Iroh and Zuko.

Soon after the defeat at the North Pole, the Fire Nation won their greatest victory since the Air Nomad genocide by conquering the city of Omashu, capturing King Bumi in the process. Though most of the city's population managed to flee under the ruse of a plague, the city itself remains under the control of a Fire Nation governor and was renamed New Ozai by Princess Azula.

The Fire Nation's next major battle would be at the walls of Ba Sing Se once more. The Drill, a powerful war machine, attacked the wall (unfortunately for them, just as the Avatar arrived). Though the machine went through the Wall, it was destroyed by the Avatar, and the attack failed.

Princess Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrated the capital of Ba Sing Se, a trio of the Fire Nation Academy's best. Clad in Kyoshi Warrior uniform, Azula infiltrated the court of the Earth King and undermined the Dai Li. She eventually convinced Long Feng to launch a coup d'etat against the Earth King. In the end, she double-crossed him and assumed control over the capital. With Ba Sing Se under the Fire Nation's control, only the Water Tribes and little more 55 to 65 percent of the Earth Kingdom were left to be conquered by the Firebenders.

Though the Fire Nation controls great swaths of territory they are not unopposed. A small invasion force led by chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe and the Avatar assaulted the Fire Nation Capital on the Day of Black Sun. Though they were repelled by the new Fire Nation air force it is proof that as long as there is hope in the world that the war will not be over.

However, the Day of Black Sun was not a total failure for those resisting the Fire Nation. During the Eclipse, King Bumi saw the chance he had been waiting for. He broke out of his prison and, with the firebenders unable to firebend, retook his city single-handed.

Recently, Prince Zuko has realized the full extent of the Fire Nation's crimes and has joined the Avatar so that he can learn Firebending to fight the Fire Lord. This latest development only increased the threat both Zuko and the Avatar posed towards the Fire Nation.

It was recently revealed that Fire Lord Ozai intends to crown himself Phoenix King in the weeks prior to the arrival of Sozin's Comet and that Azula will succeed him as Fire Lord. Ozai intends to finish the War by using the comet's immense power to vanquish his enemies, so the Avatar's group had to act fast to prevent this catastrophe before the Comet arrived.

The End of the War


Before the Day of Black Sun, Ozai called a war meeting with his generals. One of them said that while Ba Sing Se had been conquered, a number of Earthbender rebellions kept the Fire Nation from claiming ultimate victory in the war. When Zuko said that the Earth Kingdom could endure anything as long as they had hope, Azula said they should "take their precious hope, and the rest of their land, and burn it all to the ground." Ozai, using this idea, planned to use the power of the returning Sozin's Comet to completely destroy the Earth Kingdom.

When Sozin's Comet made its return to the world, Ozai launched his massive attack on the Earth Kingdom with his armada of Airships. When he arrived at the Wulong Forest, Aang confronted him. Despite Aang's pleas to end the war peacefully, Ozai attacked him. At first, Ozai and Aang were evenly matched, but Aang refused to go on the offensive due to his belief that all life was sacred. Ozai gained the upper hand soon, but accidentally smashed Aang into a rock that hit the scar on his back. This opened his seventh chakra, allowing Aang to enter the Avatar State.

Using the Avatar State's power, Aang went on the offensive. Despite his enhanced firebending, Ozai was quickly forced to retreat. Aang pursued him, and eventually pinned him down. But just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow, Aang left the Avatar State. Instead of killing Ozai, Aang used energybending to strip him of his firebending.

Meanwhile, the Order of the White Lotus, under Iroh's leadership, successfully retook Ba Sing Se.

Zuko and Katara went solo to find and battle Azula so Zuko could take his place as Fire Lord of the Fire Nation. After Azula was defeated in an Agni Kai, Zuko was crowned Fire Lord and officially declared the war over.

Aftermath
After being defeated by Aang, Fire Lord Ozai was arrested and put in prison. It is likely he will be put on trial for war crimes against the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom. It was recently revealed that Azula has been institutionalized in a mental health facility on an isolated island near the capital.

At his coronation, Fire Lord Zuko promised before a large audience of the world's citizens that he would dedicate his rule to rebuilding the war-torn world, and that he would do this with the help of his friend and partner, Avatar Aang.

The city of Ba Sing Se has begun rebuilding and even has a brand new tea shop. As Fire Lord Zuko stated, the world has a lot of rebuilding to do, but finally the world is at peace.