First Succession War

The First Succession War was a conflict of unparalleled brutality and horror that raged across the Inner Sphere from 2787 until 2831. At the beginning of the conflict, humanity was at the apex of its technical achievements. At the cessation of hostilities in 2831, the Inner Sphere was slipping rapidly into a technological abyss.

Beginning of the War

Following the Exodus of General Aleksandr Kerensky and three-quarters of the Star League Defense Forces in November of 2787, the Successor Lords braced for war. They had been building up their household forces since the regency of First Lord Richard Cameron (2751-2762). Once Kerensky and the Star League forces had withdrawn from the Inner Sphere, the Successor Lords were quick to come to blows. In December, 2787, Minoru Kurita declared himself the new First Lord of the Star League. The other house leaders quickly followed suit and within months the Inner Sphere was plunged into conflict.

War

The war lasted thirty-four years and was a horrific and brutal affair. The Ares Conventions went largely ignored during the conflict and hundreds of millions of civilians lost their lives. The Successor Lords used every means at their disposal to assail their enemies, including biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. By 2788, the war had progressed primarily to quick raids behind enemy lines to cripple industrial or technical targets. Some forces, in particular those of the Lyran Commonwealth, were ill-equipped to carry out these kinds of attacks and paid heavy prices.

Hardest hit were planets that relied upon water purification technology to make them habitable. Many of these facilities became military targets and residents of these planets needed to import water or locate elsewhere. Unfortunately for many, trade was seriously disrupted during this period and water ships were few and far between. By the end of the war, water-rich planets were as valuable as they had been at the beginning of humanity's expansion to the stars.

Cessation of Hostilities

The war ended more from exhaustion than any significant peace deals. The Lyran Commonwealth and the Free Worlds League signed the Peace Accord of Bella I, ending the conflict between the two houses, but it was announced without the pomp or flourish typically expected.

House Losses

Each of the houses had depleted its resources in fighting the conflict and needed time to recover before launching additional attacks. Some gained resources, others lost, but all lost technology and scientific reserves. Industrial output had slowed significantly and trade was almost non-existent.

Lyran Commonwealth

The Commonwealth paid a heavy price during the war, losing more than thirty worlds, including Nox, Juniper, and Alula Australis. It also lost twelve full regiments of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces and most of the the remaining 110 regiments had suffered heavy losses. In fact, only three regiments could muster more than sixty percent of their pre-war force. The navy had been completely decimated as well with the LCS Invincible remaining as only major Lyran warship.

Draconis Combine

The Draconis Combine claimed victory at the end of the war, primarily because they had gained territory. In all, the Combine claimed nineteen worlds from the Lyran Commonwealth and six from the Federated Suns. However, it had lost sixty percent of its manufacturing capacity in the Dieron military district. Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita was less than pleased with the performance of the military, however, and demoted many of those who had failed in their duties. Politicians were also removed from their posts and despite the temptation he felt, Jinjiro only executed a handful of officers and politicians.

Aftermath

The period following the end of the major operations was uneasy at best. Leaders quickly recognized the need to protect their scientific and technological assets. The calm only lasted for nine years before the Inner Sphere was once again engulfed in conflict - the Second Succession War.