National Rivalries (Ajax)
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Rivalries in Ajax have occurred between nations past and present. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, shared history, ideological differences, international incidents, and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.
The importance of these various factors has varied widely throughout the history of Ajax.
Rivalries
Yisrael and Sydalon
North and South Ottonia
The hostile relations between The Federation of Ottonian Republics and United Kingdom of Ottonia dates back to the original unification of Ottonia in 1872, and then the Partitioning of Ottonia in 1922 which split the Ottonian Federation between a republican government in the North and a monarchist government in the South in a cold war. The conflict would turn hot in the Great Ottonian War between 1935 and 1942, and again in the winter of 1954 to 1955 with the Midwinter Offensive, with the balance of power initially favoring the South in 1936 to reaching a situation similar to the current status quo in the spring of 1955.
Between 1954 and 1967, the state of cold war would persist, until a summit between Premier Eleonur Hendrsunn and Erobran Karlus I in Zamorodna ended the state of war between the two governments. While both sides stopped short of granting full diplomatic recognition to the other, relations were established along with a hotline between the respective heads of state and government with an eye towards preventing further armed conflict. Between 1967 and 2004, there was a general detente between the two governments, and the rivalry largely shifted to one of cultural competition as well as in the arena of sports.
In 2004, the election of hardline Premier Ruger Skmyt undid much of the good will that had been built up between the two governments, and while the cold war did not resume entirely, tensions rose to a level where there was fear or resumed hostilities, with some in South Ottonia and its allies fearing that the North meant to destabilize and annex the South by force. Ultimately, this turned out not to be the case, and when Skmyt was voted out of office in 2007, his successor, Sofya Rudulf spent the next several years attempting to mend relations back to their previous state. A summit between Rudulf and South Ottonian monarch Adelhaed I, her son and heir, Rodrik, and Prime Minister Theodur Junnsunn not only saw the resumption of the pre-2004 status quo, but a relaxation in tensions beyond that, including reduced restrictions on travel and commerce through the intra-Ottonian border.
Current relations are still guarded, and the two states are still working at cross-purposes, but the risk of armed conflict has never seemed smaller.
