Difference between revisions of "History of the Succession Wars"

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The '''Succession Wars''' were one of the most devastating conflicts ever, engulfing the [[Inner Sphere]] in nearly constant fighting for three hundred years following the fall of the [[Star League]].  With the destruction of [[House Cameron]], the [[Successor States|five remaining Great Houses]] almost immediately started fighting each other over the position of [[First Lord]].  The devastation was unimaginable: untold numbers of casualties, hundreds of worlds rendered lifeless, and technological progress pushed back centuries as much of the knowledge humanity had gained in the preceding years became [[lostech]]. <ref>''[[Shattered Sphere]]'', p.7 </ref><ref name=TRO3039>''Technical Readout: 3039'', p. 222</ref>
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The '''Succession Wars''' were a series of near constant conflicts that engulfed the [[Inner Sphere]] for three hundred years following the fall of the [[Star League]].  
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==History==
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===Prelude===
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In the wake of the [[Star League Civil War]], the [[Star League High Council|High Council]] reconvened in the ruins of [[Unity City]] on 10 October [[2780]].  The bickering began almost immediately as, with the death of the Cameron line, the most pressing matter became determining who would assume the position of First Lord.  One of the few things the Council Lords could agree on was the appointment of [[Jerome Blake]] as Minister of Communications to restore the League's communications network.  The other was that [[Aleksandr Kerensky]], hero of the Civil War, would ''not'' become the next First Lord.  On 18 October they formally stripped General Kerensky of his title as Protector of the Star League.<ref name=SL95>''The Star League'', p. 95</ref>
  
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==Background==
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For the next ten months the Council Lords attempted to convince their peers to elect them as the new First Lord; entire planets were up for sale as they haggled with each other to gain support for their claim.  Realization eventually settled in that there could be no agreement on the matter, and finally a short statement was given to the media: "After long months of intense negotiations, we have reached an impasse on the question of who should become the next leader of the Star League.  It is our opinion that the inability to find a new First Lord makes any further decision-making impossible.  Therefore, we officially dissolve the High Council on this day, August 12, in the year [[2781]]".<ref name=SL95/>
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The Succession Wars, while differing greatly in methods and mindset, had the following common characteristics:
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* They involved near-constant warfare between all five Successor States.
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Although there was popular support for his seizing power, General Kerensky was determined to save the Star League, and for two years he shuttled between the leaders of the Great Houses in an attempt to get them to reconcile.  The House Lords were unmoved though and began to massively build up their militaries, recruiting even among [[Rim Worlds Republic]] prisoners.  When the recruiters began soliciting [[Star League Defense Force]] units, General Kerensky decided there was only one way to save the spirit of the Star League. His plan, [[Operation Exodus]], saw himself and the vast bulk of the SLDF disappear from the Inner Sphere on 5 November [[2784]], never to be seen again.<ref>''The Star League'', p. 96-97</ref>  In the power vacuum which followed, the Great Houses began to seize worlds of the [[Terran Hegemony]] for themselves.<ref name=SW4>''Succession Wars'', p. 4</ref>
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* They were fought over the reestablishment of the [[Star League]] under the supremacy of the victor.
 
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* Scientific knowledge was set back to the level of pre-spaceflight Terra <ref>''[[Shattered Sphere]]'', p.7 </ref>
 
  
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==History==
 
 
===First Succession War===
 
===First Succession War===
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Lasting from [[2786]] to [[2821]], the [[First Succession War]] remains the bloodiest conflict in human history.
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When [[Coordinator]] [[Minoru Kurita (28th c.)|Minoru Kurita]] unilaterally declared himself the new First Lord in [[2786]], the other House Lords quickly followed suit, touching off the [[First Succession War]]. The Successor States invaded each other with their massive armies while Jerome Blake [[Operation Silver Shield|seized Terra herself]] to serve as the headquarters for the newly-christened [[ComStar]].  The war would last for 35 years and become the single bloodiest conflict in human history: ignoring the [[Ares Conventions]], all sides made use of weapons of mass destruction, wiping out entire cities and rendering whole planets uninhabitable.<ref name=MW2>''MechWarrior, Second Edition'', p. 111</ref><ref name=SW4>''Succession Wars'', p. 4</ref><ref name=BS14>''BattleSpace'', p. 13-14</ref> 
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Following the [[Operation Exodus|departure]] of the remaining [[Star League Defense Forces]], the [[Successor States|five remaining Great Houses]] almost immediately started fighting each other over the position of [[First Lord]].  
 
  
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After Coordinator [[Minoru Kurita (28th c.)|Minoru Kurita's]] initial declaration of First Lordship, the First Succession Wars saw the destruction of countless worlds with atomic, biological, and chemical weapons, resulting in billions of lives and decades of technology lost.
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When the war finally ground to a halt in [[2821]], it was more out of sheer exhaustion than anything else.  None of the Successor States were any closer to their original goal, but with the sheer atrocities which had been committed none were willing to make a lasting peace either.<ref name=MW2/>  The next few years were dedicated to rebuilding, but with their crippled infrastructures and the deaths of so many scientists and technicians the task was immense.  Nine out of every ten [[WarShip]] and nearly half of all [[JumpShip]]s had been destroyed during the war, but with the heavy targeting of the shipbuilding industry the ability to replace these losses was virtually non-existent.<ref name=SW4/><ref name=BS14/>
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When the war petered out after 35 years, it was simply due to exhaustion, not from any desire of peace.
 
  
 
===Second Succession War===
 
===Second Succession War===
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Lasting from [[2830]] to [[2864]], the [[Second Succession War]] saw the technological decline back to the levels of 21st century Terra in much of the Inner Sphere.
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The [[Second Succession War]] began in [[2830]] when [[Jinjiro Kurita]] launched all-out offensives against the neighboring realms, provoked in part by ComStar secretly feeding information to the [[Lyran Commonwealth]].<ref name=CS23>''ComStar (sourcebook)'', p. 23</ref>  No less bloody than the first, the Second Succession War also ended inconclusively, grinding to a halt in [[2864]].  The technological decline brought about by the first war continued unabated: many worlds regressed to the level of [[20th century]] Terra, if not further.  Even the few worlds which were able to maintain some advanced technology were of a level with the early years of the [[Age of War]].<ref name=TRO3039><ref name=SW4/>  This decline was helped in no small part by ComStar itself, whose [[Operation Holy Shroud]] actively sought to destroy any knowledge which it didn't monopolize.<ref>''ComStar (sourcebook)'', p. 29-30</ref>
  
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Following the brief lull required to rebuild the battered forces of the Successor States, the Second Succesion War was no less bloody than the first. While the Successor States began the war with the last of their remaining [[WarShips]], by the end of it, [[JumpShip]] theory and [[Hyperpulse Generator]]s had become quasi-magical, and advanced military technology had become irreplaceable.
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Their ability to reproduced advanced computers, large fusion engines and other technological devices severely hampered, the Successor States took to cannibalizing existing equipment just to keep their current inventory of war machines operational.<ref name=MW2/>  The last WarShips were lost in battle during the war, rendering the class extinct in the Inner Sphere. With a similar fate awaiting the few remaining JumpShips (and with them all hope of interstellar travel), an unwritten agreement was formed whereby these ships were now off-limits in battle.<ref name=BS14/>  Thanks to the [[Communications Protocol of 2787]], ComStar was able to preserve the [[Hyperpulse Generator]] network, though under Blake's successor [[Conrad Toyama]] their operation began to take on a quasi-mystical nature.<ref name=CS23/>
  
 
===Third Succession War===
 
===Third Succession War===
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Lasting from [[2866]] to [[3025]], the [[Third Succession War]] was a prolonged low-level conflict characterized by a steady loss of technology and the rise of neo-feudalistic traditions in all of the Successor States.
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The [[Third Succession War]] began similarly to the second, with ComStar secretly supplying information to the Lyrans, thereby provoking [[Miyogi Kurita]] into attacking them.<ref>''[[ComStar (sourcebook)]]'', p.32</ref>  Lasting from [[2866]] to [[3025]], the war was characterized by its low-tensity nature and the rise of neo-feudalistic traditions in all of the Successor States.
  
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Started due to [[Operation Holy Shroud]]<ref>''[[ComStar (sourcebook)]]'', p.32</ref>, the Third Succession War was fought with technology that was considered mystical. Technological regression had allowed the survival of scant high-tech factories, and the developing noble MechWarrior families were forced to repair their machines with the gutted remains of their enemies'.
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An informal set of rules took hold as the Successor States realized the few remaining vital resources had to be protected.  With JumpShips too precious to destroy, ground combat began to play a more prominent role, with aerospace forces taking on an increasingly supporting nature.<ref name=BS/>  Vital objectives like factories and cities were were still fought over, but very rarely within them so as to avoid collateral damage.  Battles, particularly between [[mercenary]] units, were conducted in stages to allow Techs to scavenge the battlefields while [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarriors]] were more willing to surrender to a superior force so they could pay their ransom and escape off-world.  Meanwhile, the destruction of the two previous wars had made it more difficult for the Great House families to exert centralized control over their realms, forcing them more and more to rely on the [[nobility]] class to govern their state.<ref name=MW2/><ref name=SW4/>
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Towards the end of the war, and despite ComStar's best efforts, the Successor States had made small gains to recovering some of what had been lost over the last few centuries.  However, the greatest development came in [[3028]] with the discovery of the [[Helm Memory Core]]. The unveiling of an intact Star League database brought with it the promise that humanity would be able to claw its way out of the darkness of the Succession Wars.<ref name=TRO3039/>
  
 
===Fourth Succession War===
 
===Fourth Succession War===
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Lasting from [[3028]] to [[3030]] the [[Fourth Succession War]] was a short and brutal war between two emerging power blocs.
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Lasting from [[3028]] to [[3030]] the [[Fourth Succession War]] was a short and brutal war between two emerging power blocs. Declared during the marriage of [[Hanse Davion]] and [[Melissa Steiner]], the Fourth Succession War was a conflict started by the newly formed [[Federated Commonwealth]] against the ComStar-sponsored [[Concord of Kapteyn]].
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Declared during the marriage of [[Hanse Davion]] and [[Melissa Steiner]], the Fourth Succession War was a conflict started by the newly formed [[Federated Commonwealth]] against the ComStar sponsored [[Concord of Kapteyn]].
 
  
 
One of the few conflicts that had a clear winner, the Fourth Succession War saw the [[Capellan Confederation]] halved in territory and power and the emergence of the new Federated Commonwealth, the most powerful nation since the original Star League.
 
One of the few conflicts that had a clear winner, the Fourth Succession War saw the [[Capellan Confederation]] halved in territory and power and the emergence of the new Federated Commonwealth, the most powerful nation since the original Star League.

Revision as of 13:47, 13 May 2017

The Succession Wars were one of the most devastating conflicts ever, engulfing the Inner Sphere in nearly constant fighting for three hundred years following the fall of the Star League. With the destruction of House Cameron, the five remaining Great Houses almost immediately started fighting each other over the position of First Lord. The devastation was unimaginable: untold numbers of casualties, hundreds of worlds rendered lifeless, and technological progress pushed back centuries as much of the knowledge humanity had gained in the preceding years became lostech. [1][2]

History

Prelude

In the wake of the Star League Civil War, the High Council reconvened in the ruins of Unity City on 10 October 2780. The bickering began almost immediately as, with the death of the Cameron line, the most pressing matter became determining who would assume the position of First Lord. One of the few things the Council Lords could agree on was the appointment of Jerome Blake as Minister of Communications to restore the League's communications network. The other was that Aleksandr Kerensky, hero of the Civil War, would not become the next First Lord. On 18 October they formally stripped General Kerensky of his title as Protector of the Star League.[3]

For the next ten months the Council Lords attempted to convince their peers to elect them as the new First Lord; entire planets were up for sale as they haggled with each other to gain support for their claim. Realization eventually settled in that there could be no agreement on the matter, and finally a short statement was given to the media: "After long months of intense negotiations, we have reached an impasse on the question of who should become the next leader of the Star League. It is our opinion that the inability to find a new First Lord makes any further decision-making impossible. Therefore, we officially dissolve the High Council on this day, August 12, in the year 2781".[3]

Although there was popular support for his seizing power, General Kerensky was determined to save the Star League, and for two years he shuttled between the leaders of the Great Houses in an attempt to get them to reconcile. The House Lords were unmoved though and began to massively build up their militaries, recruiting even among Rim Worlds Republic prisoners. When the recruiters began soliciting Star League Defense Force units, General Kerensky decided there was only one way to save the spirit of the Star League. His plan, Operation Exodus, saw himself and the vast bulk of the SLDF disappear from the Inner Sphere on 5 November 2784, never to be seen again.[4] In the power vacuum which followed, the Great Houses began to seize worlds of the Terran Hegemony for themselves.[5]

First Succession War

When Coordinator Minoru Kurita unilaterally declared himself the new First Lord in 2786, the other House Lords quickly followed suit, touching off the First Succession War. The Successor States invaded each other with their massive armies while Jerome Blake seized Terra herself to serve as the headquarters for the newly-christened ComStar. The war would last for 35 years and become the single bloodiest conflict in human history: ignoring the Ares Conventions, all sides made use of weapons of mass destruction, wiping out entire cities and rendering whole planets uninhabitable.[6][5][7]

When the war finally ground to a halt in 2821, it was more out of sheer exhaustion than anything else. None of the Successor States were any closer to their original goal, but with the sheer atrocities which had been committed none were willing to make a lasting peace either.[6] The next few years were dedicated to rebuilding, but with their crippled infrastructures and the deaths of so many scientists and technicians the task was immense. Nine out of every ten WarShip and nearly half of all JumpShips had been destroyed during the war, but with the heavy targeting of the shipbuilding industry the ability to replace these losses was virtually non-existent.[5][7]

Second Succession War

The Second Succession War began in 2830 when Jinjiro Kurita launched all-out offensives against the neighboring realms, provoked in part by ComStar secretly feeding information to the Lyran Commonwealth.[8] No less bloody than the first, the Second Succession War also ended inconclusively, grinding to a halt in 2864. The technological decline brought about by the first war continued unabated: many worlds regressed to the level of 20th century Terra, if not further. Even the few worlds which were able to maintain some advanced technology were of a level with the early years of the Age of War.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

Their ability to reproduced advanced computers, large fusion engines and other technological devices severely hampered, the Successor States took to cannibalizing existing equipment just to keep their current inventory of war machines operational.[6] The last WarShips were lost in battle during the war, rendering the class extinct in the Inner Sphere. With a similar fate awaiting the few remaining JumpShips (and with them all hope of interstellar travel), an unwritten agreement was formed whereby these ships were now off-limits in battle.[7] Thanks to the Communications Protocol of 2787, ComStar was able to preserve the Hyperpulse Generator network, though under Blake's successor Conrad Toyama their operation began to take on a quasi-mystical nature.[8]

Third Succession War

The Third Succession War began similarly to the second, with ComStar secretly supplying information to the Lyrans, thereby provoking Miyogi Kurita into attacking them.[9] Lasting from 2866 to 3025, the war was characterized by its low-tensity nature and the rise of neo-feudalistic traditions in all of the Successor States.

An informal set of rules took hold as the Successor States realized the few remaining vital resources had to be protected. With JumpShips too precious to destroy, ground combat began to play a more prominent role, with aerospace forces taking on an increasingly supporting nature.[10] Vital objectives like factories and cities were were still fought over, but very rarely within them so as to avoid collateral damage. Battles, particularly between mercenary units, were conducted in stages to allow Techs to scavenge the battlefields while MechWarriors were more willing to surrender to a superior force so they could pay their ransom and escape off-world. Meanwhile, the destruction of the two previous wars had made it more difficult for the Great House families to exert centralized control over their realms, forcing them more and more to rely on the nobility class to govern their state.[6][5]

Towards the end of the war, and despite ComStar's best efforts, the Successor States had made small gains to recovering some of what had been lost over the last few centuries. However, the greatest development came in 3028 with the discovery of the Helm Memory Core. The unveiling of an intact Star League database brought with it the promise that humanity would be able to claw its way out of the darkness of the Succession Wars.[2]

Fourth Succession War

Lasting from 3028 to 3030 the Fourth Succession War was a short and brutal war between two emerging power blocs. Declared during the marriage of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner, the Fourth Succession War was a conflict started by the newly formed Federated Commonwealth against the ComStar-sponsored Concord of Kapteyn.

One of the few conflicts that had a clear winner, the Fourth Succession War saw the Capellan Confederation halved in territory and power and the emergence of the new Federated Commonwealth, the most powerful nation since the original Star League.

References

  1. ↑ Shattered Sphere, p.7
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Technical Readout: 3039, p. 222
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Star League, p. 95
  4. ↑ The Star League, p. 96-97
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Succession Wars, p. 4
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 MechWarrior, Second Edition, p. 111
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 BattleSpace, p. 13-14
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 ComStar (sourcebook), p. 23
  9. ↑ ComStar (sourcebook), p.32
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BS

Bibliography

Dates

  • Start Date - 2786
  • End Date - 3030

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