Craftian reunification

Craftian reunification (Simplified Chinese: 克拉夫地亚统一, Pinyin: Kèlāfūdìyà Tǒngyī, Indonesian: Reunifikasi Kraftia) was the process in 2004 in which the Republic of West Craftia (RWC) joined the Republic of Craftia (ROC/East Craftia) to form the reunited nation of Craftia. The end of the unification process is celebrated as Reunification Day on 20 May. Following reunification, Bankera was designated as the capital city of a united Craftia.

The People's Republic of Craftia (PRC/West Craftia), a socialist single-party state which became independent from the Miners Republic in 1992 as the successor to the Province of West Craftia, saw the democratic Republic of Craftia (ROC/East Craftia), which gained independence in 1987, as an illegitimate state and claimed the entire island as part of its territory. East Craftia also claimed West Craftia's territory as its own. In this way, both countries claimed all of the island and neither recognised the other.

The socialist West Craftian People's Party regime started to falter in early 1994 as a result of economic recession, increasing nationalism and societal changes. The government's attempt to further strengthen its closed borders with East Craftia backfired as many West Craftians circumvented the land border via sea through Lumina. Civil unrest ensued in early 1994 in response to West Craftia's increased militarism. After a non-violent uprising and overthrowing of the government, the Republic of West Craftia was established on May 25, 1994 (now commemorated as Proclamation Day) with free and fair elections taking place later that year. The new Craftian Reunification Party won almost 70% of the vote and a landslide majority in the Parliament of West Craftia. Political reforms quickly followed and the highest priority of the new government was to reunite the two Craftias. West Craftian Prime Minister Ken Moto remained in power for six years due to the increasing popularity of reunification.

On the other side, East Craftian politics were more divided. The National United Party, established in 1991, was originally formed with its main focus on campaigning for Craftian reunification, while the Craftian Conservative Party was split on the issue. The first East Craftian Prime Minister to take action towards Craftian reunification was NUP Prime Minister Peter McDonald (in office from 1995 to 1998), though his predecessor Marcus Pierce signed the official peace treaty and initiated bilateral relations recognising the Republic of West Craftia and abandoning East Craftian territorial claims to West Craftia in early 1995.

In both nations, the process of reunification was significantly improved after a joint-referendum was held on both sides of the border on the proposal of reunification. The proposal was carried with a clear majority in both countries and legally obliged both governments to continue the reunification process. The process was slightly slowed down by the election of the Conservative Party to government in the East in 1998 and the rise of the far-right, West Craftian Nationalist Party in 1999. The centre-right and tacitly pro-reunification Republican Party of West Craftia entered government in 2001, continuing the reunification process. United Prime Minister James Herbert played a major role in advancing towards reunification before he was assassinated by anti-reunification terrorists in 2002. Liberal Ashley Karlhoff, the fifth Prime Minister of West Craftia, began coordinated and cooperated talks and agreements with Steve Bergensten, Herbert's successor, for a proposal for an eventual reunified Craftia. The two Craftian nations signed treaties agreeing on unions of many types, including economic, political and social. By the start of 2004, the reunification process was already well in progress, and on 20 May 2004, the two nations merged into a single sovereign state known as the Republic of Craftia.

Today, the territory of West Craftia is divided into the state of Western Craftia on the mainland and the island state of Lumina.

Precursors to reunification
Craftian nationalist sentiments became increasingly violent in the 1970s, as a result of Minean intervention in Craftia's economic, political and social affairs. Civil disobedience broke out into guerrilla warfare in June 1978, which began the Craftian War of Independence. Although the war was severely one-sided in favour of the Miners Republic at the time, the Minean army was unable to defeat the Craftian Revolutionary Army and the war continued into the 1980s without much change to territorial control. The CRA remained in full control of approximately 30% of the island's area, mainly in the north and west.

By 1984, the situation had switched, albeit remaining in a stalemate, with the CRA controlling approximately 70% of the island and the Minean army retaining 30%, focused in the southwestern corner and Victoria Peninsula. Both sides were struggling to overpower the other, although a number of countries had established diplomatic relations with the Provisional Government of the Republic of Craftia, in CRA-controlled territory. The Ollimende Accords were signed in 1984 to temporarily split the island into two zones, divided by the Ross Border Line. The eastern zone was to be governed by the Provisional Government, while the western zone was to be occupied by Minean forces and handed over to a civilian government once the fighting had stopped.

The fighting continued, although UN peacekeeping missions prevented further warfare near the Ross Border Line, which became a militarised and de facto international border. By 1986, CRA forces had begun overpowering the Minean forces on the eastern side of the border and pushed the Mineans back to the RBL. On December 10, 1986, the CRA and Minean forces agreed to a ceasefire and signed the Craftian Peace Treaty. All territory west of the RBL became part of the Minean Province of West Craftia and the CRA-controlled territory became the Autonomous Region of Craftia, which later became the Republic of Craftia (East Craftia) on 16 September 1987.

West Craftia remained under control of the Miners Republic until 1992, when it was granted de jure independence as the People's Republic of Craftia. Although it was governed by a nominally independent civilian government, it was in practice a socialist puppet state of the Miners Republic. The one-party state was ruled by the People's Party, which imposed strict border protection laws to combat West Craftian immigration to East Craftia.