Wutai War

The Wutai War was a military conflict that took place several years before the start of Final Fantasy VII, ending at the beginning of Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-. It was a conflict between the modern power of Shinra Electric Power Company against the fiercely independent western nation of Wutai. The war took place from sometime around 1992 until 0001.
Final Fantasy VII Remake depicts the war with some differences to the original continuity.
==History==
===Original continuity===
The initial spark was over a dispute of a mako reactor. Shinra wished to place a reactor at Wutai, and thus economically dominate the nation like the rest of the world. Wutai, led by Godo Kisaragi, refused to surrender to Shinra authority, starting a long conflict.
Shinra held a clear advantage over Wutai as its power dominated the entire Planet. They held the world's most advanced technology, having planes, machine guns, robots, and the genetically enhanced special forces unit: SOLDIER. Sephiroth, still in SOLDIER at the time, became world famous as the hero of the war, inspiring many young men to dream of joining the organization to become a hero like him. Shinra conscripted forces from around the world, including Elmyra Gainsborough's husband as a regular from the city of Midgar.
The final battle of the Wutai War took place at Fort Tamblin, the last major site of resistance for Wutai's ninja army. A young SOLDIER 2nd Class, Zack Fair, took the fortress single-handedly with his mentor, Angeal Hewley, standing by. Whatever remained of Wutai's resistance is defeated in the Crisis Core missions, "M4: To End the War with Wutai".
After a long and tenacious resistance, Godo Kisaragi ultimately yielded to Shinra, surrendering control of his land to the enemy. As part of the terms of surrender, he banned the use of Materia. Wutai, once the last bastion of resistance against Shinra, was reduced to a tourist trap, and Shinra became the uncontested great power over the Planet. Yuffie Kisaragi, disgusted with her father's capitulation, left Wutai to search the world for Materia that could save her homeland. 
It can be assumed that due to the war's long tenure, both sides took heavy casualties. Elmyra Gainsborough's husband never returned home from the war, and was later confirmed dead, first by Elmyra's adopted daughter Aerith Gainsborough, then by a letter from Shinra.
Elements of Wutai Resistance would continue to work against Shinra, hunted down by SOLDIERs such as Zack Fair, both in Wutai, and the vicinity of Midgar. Numerous members of the Crescent Unit disguised themselves as civilians within Midgar before being uncovered. 
===Remake continuity===
Sonon Kusakabe's younger sister, Melphie Kusakabe, died in the Wutai War when a Shinra war machine went haywire and began attacking everyone indiscriminately. At one point, Wutai ordered a ceasefire, placing the war on indefinite hold. Godo Kisaragi was imprisoned while a new government took over the reins of Wutai. The New Wutai Government would ally with Avalanche, sending Yuffie and Sonon to Midgar in search of the "ultimate materia" that would strengthen Wutai while weakening their mutual enemy of Shinra. However, their mission ended in failure as the ultimate materia had not yet been completed, and the subsequent fighting left Sonon seemingly killed in action. 
President Shinra used the lingering resentment against Wutai to retain control over Midgar by using propaganda claiming the ecoterrorist group known as Avalanche are funded by Wutai.
Through the use of propaganda, internal sabotage, and a false-flag operation that saw the collapse of the Sector 7 Plate, President Shinra hoped to whip the populace into a frenzy against the combined forces of Wutai and Avalanche and reignite the war against Wutai in the name of profit. President Shinra was soon murdered by Sephiroth.
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Rufus Shinra, the new president of the Shinra Company, was visited by Glenn Lodbrok, an ex-SOLDIER and one of the leaders of the New Wutai Government under the mysterious "Viceroy Sarruf". Glenn tried to convince the new president that to "make the planet whole again" Shinra would need to restart the war with Wutai. Rufus felt conflicted, as he remembered having killed Glenn and could not fathom how the man was now standing in front of him. Influenced by Glenn's words, Rufus ordered the Junon mako cannon fired for a ceremonial display of power, violating the ceasefire agreement with Wutai. However, Rufus later learned that "Glenn" was actually controlled by Sephiroth as part of his plan to distract Shinra so he could achieve his goals.
==Citations==
ru:Вутайская война
Category:Events in Final Fantasy VII
Category:Events in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-