Ustio, officially known as the Republic of Ustio, is a small landlocked nation located on the Osean continent. It is bordered by Belka to the north; Recta and Ratio to the east; Sapin to the south; and Osea to the west. Ustio's capital, Directus, is situated near the center of the nation.
Formerly Belkan territory, Ustio seceded in May 1988 as a result of the former's ongoing economic crisis. The country appears to be largely agrarian, featuring rolling patchworks of farmland and remote towns, such as Solis Ortus, situated in the rugged mountain ranges. Ustio's northern regions are known to be rich in natural resources. As a fledgling nation, Ustio supports a modest military force, which has been known to employ mercenaries to bolster its numbers.
Ustio is the player character's employer in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
History
Pre-20th century
An aerial view of Ustio's capital, Directus
It is unclear how long the Ustian territory was claimed by Belka. However, there is evidence that the ethnic Ustios regarded the Belkans quite unfavorably: by the time Ustio gained its independence, the Ustian citizens were vehemently opposed to any form of Belkan presence in their country.[1]
Secession and independence
In the wake of its heightened military expansion during the Cold War, Belka descended into an economic recession.[2] In December 1987, the Belkan government underwent an internal Federal Law Review with the goal of stabilizing the national economy. This review ultimately resulted in the secession of Belka's eastern territories. On May 12, 1988, the Republic of Ustio officially declared independence and established its new capital in the city of Directus.[3]
Over the next seven years, Ustio underwent little industrial growth; its economy was largely based on skilled craftsmanship and agriculture.[4] Although Directus experienced some development, the country as a whole remained stagnant. This was echoed in the nation's modest military force, which remained relatively insignificant by the mid-1990s. However, sometime in early 1995, vast deposits of valuable natural resources were discovered along Ustio's northwest border with Belka.[3] It is unknown what steps, if any, were undertaken by Ustio to mine and profit from these resources.
Belkan War
Invasion
Belkan bombers flying over Dinsmark, the country's capital, during the Belkan War's initial stages
On March 25, 1995, Belka invaded Ustio in an effort to acquire the newly found resource deposits for its own benefit. Ustio's nascent military was caught off-guard and quickly overwhelmed by the strength and technological superiority of the Belkan Army and Air Force. Within a matter of days, the Belkan Army swept through Ustio, occupied Directus, and controlled a majority of Ustio's territories, except the mountain ranges.[3]
Outmatched and unable to counterattack, Ustio's government in exile allied itself with the Osean Federation and Kingdom of Sapin to form the Allied Forces and resist the Belkan onslaught. As a result of the modest army's and air force's considerable losses during Belka's opening offensive, Ustio resorted to employing mercenary pilots, such as Galm Team, to bolster its numbers and contribute to the coalition.[5]
Allied counterattack
- "This route is Ustio's lifeline. I'll get it back."
- ― Larry Foulke[6]
After Galm Team prevented a Belkan bomber strike on Valais Air Base (April 2)[5] and secured Route 171 as a transport line (April 15),[6] the Allied Forces began mounting a counterattack. Ustio's liberation became one of the primary objectives of Offensive Campaign No. 4101, which was the Allies' largest offensive operation to date. The retaking of the Futuro Canal on April 24 allowed the Allies' naval forces access to the inland Great Lakes,[7] and by mid-May, the Allied armies had advanced into the mountains outside Directus. On May 12—the seventh anniversary of Ustio's independence—the Allied Forces launched an airborne invasion of Solis Ortus in preparation for an assault on the Ustian capital.[8]
Liberation
The following day, May 13, at 1630hrs, Allied and mercenary fighters, including Galm Team, attacked the Belkan occupation forces headquartered in Directus. The city's five administrative wards were eventually freed from Belkan control, and citizens flooded into the streets, ringing the city's bell towers and celebrating their reclaimed freedom.[1] Following the liberation of Directus, the Belkans' hold on Ustio crumbled, and the Allied Forces advanced on all fronts toward the Belkan border.[9]
Post-war era
Although Ustio had been ravaged by the conflict, it continued to support the Allies with its mercenary forces until the end of 1995.[10] In the years after the Belkan War, Ustio presumably maintained friendly relations with Osea and Sapin. The Ustian people remain outspokenly proud of their independence, and Directus's bell towers chime every day at sunset to commemorate the city's liberation during the war.[11]
Gallery
Cloth national flag render
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Diapason, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ WORLD / WORLD NEWS / ПОСЛЕДУЙТЕ, Ace Combat 5 Website. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cutscene 02, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ BACKGROUND, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, Bandai Namco Entertainment (JP). Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Glacial Skies, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Annex, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Juggernaut, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Flicker of Hope, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Cutscene 03, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ The Valley of Kings, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Cutscene 13, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.