Prologue
(The Fifty Year War)

The invasion of Ordallia by King Denamunda of Ivalice sparked the 50-year-long conflict between the two nations. However, the Fifty Year War had its true roots in a territorial dispute between Ivalice and Ordallia, which borders Ivalice to the east.

Prior to the war's outbreak, Ordallia invaded and subsequently annexed Zelamonia, an autonomous territory of Ivalice along the Ordallian border. Zelamonia, naturally, appealed to Ivalice for help in repelling the Ordallian army. Although a Denamunda-led Ivalice army met early success in the first stages of retaking Zelamonia, the unexpected death of Denamunda caused turmoil and confusion among the army ranks, giving Ordallia, led by King Valowa, an opportunity to take advantage of a disoriented Ivalice army. Ordallia forced a stalemate that lasted for two years.

Then Romanda, a "sister" country to Ordallia, entered the picture. King Valowa sought help from Romanda, an island country separated from Ivalice by the Larner Channel to the northwest, to invade Ivalice, thus opening up a second front for Ivalice to contend with. King Denamunda II, however, was able to contain both the Ordallians and Romandans for a time. Later, bubonic plague struck Romanda, forcing the Romandan army to retreat after three years of war.

As the war progressed, two separate squads emerged as critical factors to Ivalice's war success: the Hokuten Knights of Gallionne, led by Balbanes Beoulve, and the Nanten Knights of Zeltennia, led by Cidolfas "Thunder God" Orlandu. Combined, they cut a devastating swath through the Ordallian ranks. However, the duration and cost of the war (in both money and lives) took its toll on Ivalice, as farmers' revolts and riots forced both the Hokuten and Nanten to divert resources to quashing these rebellions. This led to yet another stalemate.

The death of King Denamunda II (reputedly assassinated) broke the stalemate. An incompetent successor, King Omdolia, delegated all his powers to his elder statesmen and Queen Ruvelia. The internal turmoil that inevitably resulted allowed Ordallia, now led by Prince Lanard, to invade Zeltennia finally. Afterwards, both Ivalice and Ordallia finally recognized the foolishness of the war, and they forged a bilateral peace agreement. However, Ordallia forced Ivalice to make regular war reparations to Ordallia as a condition of Ivalice's surrender.

In the wake of the Fifty Year War, a depleted Ivalice, economically ruined by the war cost and reparations, could not fund war payments to its returning soldiers, resulting in mass discharges of knights. Thus, resentment and distrust of official authority, along with high unemployment and interminable chaos, plunged Ivalice into a deeper state of turbulence.