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| By OMGdidiwin | Part of the Avatar: The Severed Spirit continuity. |
The Democratic Earth Nation or DEN is the immediate successor to the powerful Earth Empire. It was established in 174 AG, shortly after Kuvira's defeat in Republic City, by Prince Wu and Avatar Korra. It is a Representative Democracy where people from each state vote for their leader and help preserve the ancient customs of the once powerful Earth Kingdom.
History[]
174 AG[]
Shortly after Kuvira's surrender and the fall of the Earth Empire, President Wu proposed that the Earth Kingdom should be like the URN and have elected leaders. Avatar Korra happily agreed and she, along with the rest of Team Avatar, helped President Wu to turn the chaotic Earth Kingdom into a nation of democratic, independent states.
176 AG - 182 AG[]
After spending two years planning, Prince Wu and Team Avatar began to convince the Northern states of their plan and were successful for the most part. But later in the year, they began speaking to citizens in some of the smaller states in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. Many wanted the monarchy to stay, but most of them wished for the Earth Empire to come back because they were treated "fairly" when Kuvira was in charge. This led to a huge conflict between these states and their future leader.
The New Earth Empire[]
New Earth Empire mecha suits
By Winter, some of the weary states had discussed Prince Wu's plans and decided that they should take matters into their own hands, so they formed the Si Wong State or, as it was more commonly referred to as, the New Earth Empire. The Si Wong State declared its independence and war on the Earth Kingdom and told the surrounding states to join them and stated that anyone who didn't would be destroyed. Avatar Korra called on her old teacher, Tenzin, and the Air Nomads to help in this situation for they had helped two years prior to take down the first Earth Empire.
The Air Nomads began a huge raid on Jundui Tudi, one of the states that had officially declared their loyalty to the Si Wong State and were regularly attacking their neighboring states. The Earth Empire took a significant blow after this event, but quickly expanded North and eventually captured some major cities and states, such as Omashu and Zhongjian. Further expansion came to a halt thanks to the United Forces, and for a few months, there was peace between the DEN and the Si Wong State, but this changed when the state of Chang decided to annex itself and join the New Earth Empire. This caused destruction in both Omashu and Nitu and allowed the Empire to spread farther North and closer to the URN.
The Fall of Musgravite[]
In the early Summer of 178 AG, the Si Wong State managed to charge through Tu Zin and capture Musgravite, a state known for its incredibly rare minerals. This severely damaged the Democratic Earth Nations because Musgravite had always been a loyal and important state that was part of the wealthiest area in the South. Musgravite was the least of the DEN's worries though, because if the New Earth Empire conquered the whole state, then they would easily be able to reach Jiqiang, which housed many former Earth Kingdom weapons development buildings and secret projects that were important to the DEN.
The Water Tribes Enter the War[]
Waterbending master fighting
After the loss of Musgravite, the DEN thought they would quickly lose Jiqiang, but they were fortunately aided by the Southern Water Tribe and were able to create a barricade around the three Southernmost states. Inspired by their sister tribe, the Foggy Swamp Tribe, along with the Metal Clan, decided to help the DEN and began attacks on Shaohao, an important area of the Si Wong State and eventually helped to remove the New Earth Empire from places such as Tu Zin, Musgravite and Xiao.
In early Spring of 179 AG, the Northern Water Tribe decided that it would also help to get rid of the Earth Empire once and for all. They began placing troops all across the North and some in Chu, Omashu and the Haven Isles. Thanks to the help of the three Water Tribes, the DEN was able to keep the massive Si Wong State from spreading any farther than it already had and now focused on liberating each state that was somehow involved with the New Earth Empire.
The Battle of the Jien Sin[]
The DEN, the Air Nomads, the URN and the Water Tribes worked hard during the next few years and, by 181 AG, they had managed to destroy most of the New Earth Empire settlements and freed many of the POWs that had been locked up in "Reeducation Camps". But they were surprised when more and more Si Wong troops began popping up in Jien Sin, a very wealthy state of the DEN. Soon, flags were planted all across the state's South side that bore the emblem of the Si Wong State. The Democratic Earth Nation knew that the New Earth Empire was planning on using this state to help them spread their influence to the Ba Sing Se States and eventually overthrow the capital, so they called on their allies and surrounded the entire state.
For fourteen days, gruesome battles ensued and many lives were lost due to Earth Empire artillery. But after these two weeks, the Si Wong State was tired of losing troops and wasting their time in Jien Sin, so they decided to retreat and once again began attacking states such as Zaofu and Tu Zin, but they were much weaker now than before and were easily defeated by soldiers stationed there.
The Fall of the Second Earth Empire[]
Imperial troops were pushed out of Omashu and other important areas and back into the Si Wong State's "Circle of Influence". They were attacked by all the allies; even the Fire Nation had joined the battle, and eventually, many of the old Earth Kingdom states decided to secede and join the DEN, thinking it would be better for them than the New Earth Empire. This and the Battle of Jien Sin all led to the Si Wong State's surrender in the late Summer of 182 AG and the formation of a United Democratic Earth Nation.
Post-War Era[]
An industrialized area of the DEN
After the war and formal creation of the Democratic Earth Nation, cleanup began in many of the Southern States. This costed millions of yuans to do, so President Wu suggested that there should be a group of Earthbenders in each state in charge of the cleanup because it would be faster and cost less than having to get construction crews to come to the DEN. So Team Avatar helped pick out special candidates and created the first Bending Cleanup Crews in Tu Zin and soon the other states followed their example and began cleaning up the Democratic Earth Nation and restoring it to its former glory.
Team Avatar helped to rebuild the DEN and many of the Southern states were industrialized and massive skyscraper pagodas were built along with monuments to honor those who were lost during the New Earth Empire's attacks. Things seemed to look up for the newly formed DEN until the Si Wong State declared that they were an independent nation and that they should not be included in the Democratic Earth Nation. Avatar Korra managed to work things out with the state and eventually, they agreed with President Wu's policies, but continued with their hostilities even to this day.
International Trade and Allies[]
The DEN had created many partnerships during the war with the New Earth Empire and decided to help many other nations out by creating major trade with them and eventually selling land. President Wu believed that the Earth Kingdom was too big and that was the main reason that Earth monarchies were unable to keep it under control. So he began by selling land to the Air Nomads, who had been a major help during the war. He sold them parts of Jundui Tudi and Wugou Dong, which had little to no Earth Nation citizens living in them.
President Wu then remembered the bravery of the Water Tribes and sold them huge amounts of land and established major trade with the North and South. This helped to greatly improve the DEN's economy and helped them with post-war cleanup and to rebuild many of the cities that were destroyed by the New Earth Empire.
The Third Century[]
As the world entered the third century, or 200 AG, the Democratic Earth Nation had become a Sovereign State and was respected by all nations, especially the United Republic of Nations. On New Year's Day, President Wu admitted that his country had caused a lot of problems for everybody in the past, but he knew that the Democratic Earth Nation was the solution to these problems and that this new nation would change the world for the better.
Military of the Democratic Earth Nation[]
Hummingbird Mecha Suit Mark I
The DEN's military primarily consists of former Earth Empire soldiers and machinery such as mecha suits and tanks. The Democratic Earth Nation also uses the specialized final design of Future Industries' for Special Ops missions and treks into the hostile Si Wong area of the nation.
National Emblem[]
National Emblem of the DEN
The national emblem of the DEN is very similar to both the insignia of the Earth Kingdom and the Earth Empire. It includes the octagonal shape, which resembles the Earth Empire symbol, but also has classic Earth Kingdom symbolism, such as the Earthbending symbols and the intricate square in the middle, which represents the depth of the new nation, both figuratively and literally.
Sometimes, the National Emblem is completely disregarded and replaced by the Earth Kingdom insignia in some of the Si Wong States. Even in some poorer Southern States, the flag of the Earth Empire still hangs because people believe it represented peace and the well-being for all citizens of the former short-lived empire. Some DEN citizens have even gone as far as to change the currency in the Si Wong States to Ban Liang coins instead of yuans just to show that they hate the new form of government and would like a king or dictator to rule their country instead of a president.
Trivia[]
- The capital of the state of Omashu is still located in the former Si Wong State of Shaohao and the two have fought for more than twenty years over who should have the great city.
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