View source for Avatar:Harmony Restoration Movement

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{{Quote|neutral|I'll remove those colonies, I'll do whatever it takes.|[[Fire Lord]] [[Zuko]] to [[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] [[Kuei]].<ref name="P1">{{Cite comic|P1}}</ref>}}

{{Event infobox
| prev           = [[Hundred Year War]]
| conc           = * [[Resistance against Fire Lord Zuko|Assassination attempts on Fire Lord Zuko]]
* [[Battle for Yu Dao]]
* [[Southern Reconstruction Project]]
| next           = * [[Bending Supremacist Uprising]]
* [[Restorationist–Loyalist conflict]]
| image          = Harmony Restoration Movement.png
| conflict       = 
| date           = 100 [[History of the World of Avatar#Dates|AG]] - 101 AG
| place          = [[Fire Nation colonies]], [[Yu Dao]]
| outcome        = * Conflict between [[Avatar]] [[Aang]], [[Fire Lord]] [[Zuko]], and [[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] [[Kuei]]
* Colonies adopt coalition governments
* Deportation of Fire Nation colonials
* Eventual founding of the [[United Republic of Nations]]
* Founding of the [[Air Acolytes]]
| participants   = * [[Team Avatar]]
* [[Fire Nation]]
* Fire Nation colonies
* [[Earth Kingdom]]
* [[Freedom Fighters]]
| appearance     = ''[[The Promise Part One]]''
| lastappearance = ''[[The Pirates of Crimson Sails]]''
}}The '''Harmony Restoration Movement''' was a campaign to remove the [[Fire Nation]] presence in the [[Earth Kingdom]] by transferring the Fire Nation [[Fire Nation colonies|colonials]] back to the Fire Nation. It was proposed by [[Avatar]] [[Aang]] at [[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] [[Kuei]]'s re-coronation ceremony and was greeted with cheers from the Earth Kingdom citizenry.<ref name="CH-4">{{Cite Republictour|CH|4}}</ref> However, the movement eventually led to a conflict between Earth King Kuei and [[Fire Lord]] [[Zuko]], mediated by Avatar Aang.

== History ==
=== Prelude ===
Before the beginning of the [[Hundred Year War]], Fire Lord [[Sozin]] occupied Earth Kingdom territories<ref name="AFL">{{Cite episode|1|306}}</ref> and transferred Fire Nation citizens to the area. When Avatar [[Roku]] confronted him about it, Sozin attacked, but Roku defeated him. However, despite his defeat, the Fire Lord never dissolved the colonies, and these first colonies would continue to thrive until 0 [[History of the World of Avatar#Dates|AG]].<ref name="P1" /> As the Hundred Year War began, more land was occupied by the Fire Nation and more colonies were formed. These practices continued through the reign of Fire Lord [[Ozai]], over 130 years after the occupation of Yu Dao.

=== Disbandment of newer colonies ===
{{See also|Resistance against Fire Lord Zuko}}
[[File:Zuko and Kori fighting.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Kori Morishita]] attempted to murder [[Fire Lord]] [[Zuko]] in the [[Fire Nation Royal Palace]].]]

Immediately following the end of the War, Zuko, Aang, and Kuei met to discuss restoring peace. Zuko pledged to rid the Earth Kingdom of the colonies at all costs while Aang volunteered to ensure everything went peacefully. The process started without incident for nearly a year, as many residents of the newer Fire Nation colonies were eager to return home. However, problems arose when it came to disbanding the older colonies; interracial families had been formed over the years, and the colony was the only home many of the Fire Nation residents had ever known. With tensions quickly rising, [[Kori Morishita]], daughter of Mayor [[Morishita]] in the colony of [[Yu Dao]], made an attempt to take Zuko's life. When she revealed her origins within what was the oldest Earth Kingdom colony, which also happened to be the center of the resistance against the Harmony Restoration Movement, Zuko decided to personally remove the colony by going to Yu Dao himself.<ref name="P1" /><ref name="CH-5">{{Cite Republictour|CH|5}}</ref>

=== Escalating conflict ===
[[File:Aang entering the Avatar State.png|thumb|right|200px|Convinced that [[Zuko]] had changed and forgotten what they had fought for during the [[Hundred Year War]], [[Aang]] entered the [[Avatar#Avatar State|Avatar State]], intending to follow through on his promise to kill the [[Fire Lord]].]]

Invited by Mayor Morishita and [[Mrs. Morishita|Morishita's wife]] to spend some time in the colony, Fire Lord Zuko noticed how intertwined the citizens of both nations had become by working together, as they were living in the same neighborhoods and even marrying each other. This led Zuko to abandon the movement and to believe that reforming the colonies was a better and less disruptive solution than total abandonment.<ref name="CH-5" /> He barricaded the city, announcing that no one was to leave or enter the city without his permission. When Aang arrived, several [[firebending]] [[Military of the Fire Nation|guards]] attacked him and [[Katara]]. The brawl came to and end when Zuko bound Katara with hopes of making the duo give up. The arrival led to a scuffle, during which Zuko agreed to another talk with Earth King Kuei in hopes of achieving future peace.

As Aang was leaving Yu Dao, he met up with [[Smellerbee]], [[Longshot]], and [[Sneers]], who explained the situation. Smellerbee was angry at Aang's decision to support peace and gave Aang an ultimatum: complete negotiations within three days or the [[Freedom Fighters]] would attack Yu Dao.<ref name="P1" />

[[File:Kuei determined.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] [[Kuei]] declared that troops would be sent to [[Yu Dao]] in order to enforce the Harmony Restoration Movement.]]

To come up with a peaceful solution, Aang and Katara traveled to the [[Earth Kingdom Royal Palace]] and invited the Earth King to a negotiation with Fire Lord Zuko. However, Earth King Kuei, determined to make up for his weak ruling of his nation in the past, refused such a meeting and immediately ordered General [[How]] to send troops to Yu Dao and reclaim it by force. His military campaign did not pass by the Fire Lord unnoticed, as Zuko had sent spies to the Earth Kingdom; in response to hearing of the Earth King's campaign, he led his armies toward Yu Dao as well.<ref name="P2">{{Cite comic|P2}}</ref> These events further complicated the movement.{{Clear}}

=== Collapse of the movement ===
{{Main|Battle for Yu Dao}}

[[File:Battle for Yu Dao.png|thumb|right|200px|The [[Fire Nation]] [[Military of the Fire Nation|Army]] and [[Yu Dao Resistance]] faced the [[Earth Monarch|Earth King's]] [[Military of the Earth Kingdom|army]] and the [[Freedom Fighters]].]]

Aang and Katara traveled back to Yu Dao to warn the Fire Nation civilians of the impending advance; however, they were unable to convince them to leave. True to Smellerbee's word, the Freedom Fighters entered the city by distracting Aang with a battering ram decoy while a drill broke through the wall, plunging Yu Dao into war. The Freedom Fighters fought against the mob of protestors until Smellerbee and Longshot discovered Sneers' relationship with Kori. The fighting seemed to end until a protester was seen wreaking havoc. Next, both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation armies arrived. General How implored Aang to kill Zuko to leave the Fire Nation Army leaderless and utterly disabled, but Aang started to argue with How.

At that point, [[Sokka]], [[Suki]], and [[Toph Beifong|Toph]] sabotaged the Fire Nation tanks, leaving the warriors to fight on foot against the larger Earth Kingdom Army. Assuming that the Fire Nation's sudden removal of their tank forces had crippled them, How ordered his troops to attack and reclaim Yu Dao; while Zuko's officers were initially caught off-guard, Zuko ordered them to defend the city's inhabitants. The two armies clashed, but neither side was able to gain an advantage. Enraged at the sudden upsurge of violence, Aang triggered the [[Avatar#Avatar State|Avatar State]] and began to yell at Zuko until Katara snapped him out of it and convinced him to travel away from the chaos to a place where he could think clearly. There, Katara expressed her change of mind about the Harmony Restoration Movement, explaining that when she saw Kori's family that she also saw her and Aang's future as an [[Air Nomads|Air Nomad]] and [[Water Tribe]] family. Katara later left to quell the violence while Aang flew away from the battle and consulted with Avatar Roku.

Suki and Toph were fighting the firebending soldiers and appeared to be losing until Toph's [[metalbending]] students saved them, while Aang's fan club was aiding Sokka in forcing the Freedom Fighters away from Yu Dao. At the same time, Katara arrived back at the colony, and, after sweeping several ranks of earthbending troops aside, she used her [[waterbending]] to propel herself up to Earth King Kuei's [[Hot air balloon|war balloon]]. She convinced him to come down the city and see for himself the lives of the Yu Dao civilians that he wanted to change.

[[File:Kuei needs to see.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] [[Kuei]] declared that it was time he saw for himself what [[Yu Dao]] was really like.]]

Aang arrived at Yu Dao while in the Avatar State, separating the earth surrounding the entire colony, thus ending the fight. Believing Aang was there to kill him, Zuko removed his helmet, though the Avatar merely pushed the two armies onto either side of the chasm. Zuko was caught in the separation and started plummeting, likely to death. However, at the last moment, Aang grabbed the Fire Lord's hand and saved him from the otherwise fatal fall. Bringing the two leaders together, Aang explained to Kuei that he was not only fighting the Fire Nation, but the Water Tribe, Air Nomads, and the Earth Kingdom itself. He went on to say that the world had changed so much that the separation of the [[four nations]] could no longer apply in the post-war era as it had before. Kuei realized Aang was right and went to inspect Yu Dao for himself. At the same time, Zuko also realized that the choice he had made was indeed the right choice and not the legacy of his father's hatred, causing him to faint. Aang spoke with Kuei after the Earth King had finished touring the city, and they agreed that, after Zuko had recovered from his ordeal, the Fire Lord and the Earth King would meet again to negotiate the future of the remaining colonies, as it was clear they could not belong to either nation.<ref name="P3">{{Cite comic|P3}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==
[[File:Yu Dao election.png|thumb|right|200px|After the Harmony Restoration Movement's collapse, coalition governments were established in many former colonies.]]

Although the original purpose of the movement was defeated, its collapse led to a peaceful and more integrated coexistence between all four nations. The colony of Yu Dao and the older Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom would soon elect coalition governments comprised of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom representatives<ref name="R1">{{Cite comic|R1}}</ref> and would later merge into the [[United Republic of Nations]], a society where people from all over the world could live together in peace and harmony. The capital was called [[Republic City]], built from the resources of both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.<ref name="WRC">{{Cite episode|2|101}}</ref> On the international stage, Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei signed the Treaty of Yu Dao helping to secure peace between their two nations. Additionally, Zuko agreed to pay war reparations to the Earth Kingdom to help them rebuild, which was an unpopular choice with some Fire Nation citizens.<ref name="CoreBook-70">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. [[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Core Book|Core Book]], Version 1.0, 2022, p. 70.</ref>

In spite of the eventual successes of the new peace process, the collapse of the Harmony Restoration Movement also left problems in its wake. Different groups had different stances on how to resolve [[Economy in the World of Avatar|economic]] inequalities. Some locals of Earth Kingdom heritage called for lucrative private property owned by colonists and their descendants to be given directly to local communities.<ref name="Quickstart-2024-35">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. [[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Quickstart|Quickstart]], 2024, p. 35.</ref> However, this radicalized some former colonists, who viewed large changes in ownership as a potential threat to Fire Nationals as a whole.<ref name="Quickstart-2024-39">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. [[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Quickstart|Quickstart]], 2024, p. 39.</ref> Some former colonies saw new sectarian and ideological divisions as a result, with sporadic violence often breaking out.<ref name="Quickstart-2024-35" /><ref name="Quickstart-2024-42">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. [[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Quickstart|Quickstart]], 2024, p. 42.</ref> Notable unrest affected the towns of Machi and [[Linsho]], including the [[Restorationist–Loyalist conflict]].<ref name="Quickstart-2024-42" /> However, many governors and mayors were still dedicated to peace in the region, and the general direction of the new political settlement between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom.<ref name="Quickstart-2024-35" /><ref name="Quickstart-2024-42" />

The Earth Kingdom citizenry largely accepted the formation of the United Republic, but a few people within the kingdom were angered by Kuei agreeing to cede the land. These people believed that the colonies were stolen land from the Earth Kingdom and that the Earth King had demonstrated weakness by letting the colonies become an independent nation. Among these believers were Kuei's heir to the throne, [[Hou-Ting]], and [[Kuvira]], the latter of whom would use this argument as justification for [[Invasion of the United Republic of Nations|invading the United Republic]] in 174 AG.<ref name="EQ">{{Cite episode|2|303}}</ref><ref name="KG">{{Cite episode|2|411}}</ref> Even after her defeat, among Kuvira's most dedicated Earth Empire loyalists, only some still believed the United Republic of Nations should belong to the Earth Kingdom, and that the kingdom is no place for people from other nations.<ref name="CoreBook-87">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. [[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Core Book|Core Book]], Version 1.0, 2022, p. 87.</ref>

The movement also led to the creation of the [[Air Acolytes]], formed from the [[Official Avatar Aang Fan Club]] chapters in Yu Dao and [[Ba Sing Se]]. It would continue the traditions and customs of the Air Nomads so that their culture would not be completely wiped out and lost to history.<ref name="P3" />

== Trivia ==
* Sokka conceived the name "Harmony Restoration Movement".<ref name="P1" />
* The Harmony Restoration Movement was inspired by various movements that China went through in the 1800s and early 1900s, such as the Self-Strengthening Movement and the May Fourth Movement.<ref name="TPLE">{{Cite comic|TPLE}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Scroll|{{Reflist}}}}

[[de:Bewegung zur Wiederherstellung der Harmonie]]
[[fr:Mouvement de Restauration de l'Harmonie]]
[[pl:Ruch przywrócenia harmonii]]
[[ru:Движение За восстановление гармонии]]
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:Events]]