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{{Sidebar military conflict |
{{Sidebar military conflict |
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+ | | conflict name = Federation-Klingon War |
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+ | | part of = the [[Dominion cold war]] |
| image = Ajilon Prime Klingons.jpg |
| image = Ajilon Prime Klingons.jpg |
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+ | | caption = Klingon troops during the Battle of Ajilon Prime |
| date = [[2372]]–[[2373]] |
| date = [[2372]]–[[2373]] |
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| location = [[Klingon-Federation border]] |
| location = [[Klingon-Federation border]] |
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| − | | result = |
+ | | result = Militarily indecisive<br />Martok Changeling exposed<br />Khitomer Accords reinstated |
| − | :Exposure of the [[Martok (Changeling)|Martok changeling]]<br/><br/>Khitomer Accords reinstated |
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| − | | combatant1 = [[File:United Federation of Planets |
+ | | combatant1 = [[File:United Federation of Planets logo.svg|22px]] [[United Federation of Planets]]<br />[[File:Logo Bajorans.svg|22px]] [[Bajoran Republic]]<hr/>[[File:Cardassian Union logo.png|22px]] [[Cardassian Union]] |
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| − | ''Co-belligerents'':<br/>[[File:Logo Bajorans.svg|22px]] [[Bajoran Provisional Government|Bajor]] |
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| − | ''Co-belligerents'':<br/>[[Shakaar Edon]]<br/>[[Kira Nerys]]<br/>[[Gul]] [[Dukat]] |
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| − | | losses1 = |
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| − | Moderate |
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| − | ''Co-belligerents'':<br/>[[File:Maquis insignia.png|22px]] [[Maquis]] |
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| − | ''Co-belligerents'':<br/>[[Michael Eddington]] |
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| − | | losses2 =Heavy |
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}} |
}} |
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| − | {{aquote|After today, the only real threat to us from the Alpha Quadrant are the Klingons and the Federation, and I doubt that either of them will be a threat for much longer.| |
+ | {{aquote|After [[Battle of the Omarion Nebula|today]], the only real threat to us from the Alpha Quadrant are the Klingons and the Federation, and I doubt that either of them will be a threat for much longer.|{{dis|Lovok|Changeling|A Founder}}|2371|The Die is Cast}} |
| − | The '''Federation |
+ | The '''Federation-Klingon War''' was a brief but intense conflict fought primarily between the [[United Federation of Planets]] and the [[Klingon Empire]], from late [[2372]] to mid-[[2373]]. |
| + | Intermittent hostilities, and later open war, between the two powers followed from the breakdown of the [[Federation-Klingon Alliance]] in the wake of the [[Klingon-Cardassian War]], which were engineered by [[Changeling]] agents to weaken the [[Alpha Quadrant]]. A fragile [[cease fire]] was signed after the involvement of the [[Dominion]] was exposed, but the resumption of the alliance did not occur until the Dominion made a full-scale incursion through the [[Bajoran wormhole]]. |
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| − | The war was primarily instigated by a [[Dominion]] [[Changeling|changeling infiltrator]], masquerading as celebrated [[Klingon]] [[General]] [[Martok]], as part of an overall [[Dominion cold war|Dominion strategy]] to destabilise the political landscape of the [[Alpha Quadrant]]. |
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| − | |||
| − | The war was born out of rapidly deteriorating relations between the [[Federation]] and the [[Klingon High Council]] as a result of [[Dominion]] political manipulation that triggered an unprovoked Klingon [[Klingon-Cardassian War|invasion of Cardassian territory]], an action the Federation harshly condemned. |
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| − | |||
| − | A ceasefire was agreed after [[General]] {{dis|Martok|Changeling}} was exposed as a [[changeling]] formalised after a brief skirmish on [[Ajilon Prime]]. After the [[Dominion]] established a foothold in the [[Alpha Quadrant]], the Klingons and the Federation revived the [[Khitomer Accords]] against the Dominion, officially ending the war. |
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| − | |||
| − | Though the war was primarily confined to brief, savage skirmishes along the [[Federation-Klingon border]], with the Klingons concentrating the bulk of their efforts against the [[Cardassian Union]], the triggering of open war between two hitherto close allied powers remained one of the most successful coups of [[Dominion]] infiltration in the [[Alpha Quadrant]]. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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| + | In the early [[2370s]], the Dominion sent several Changeling agents to weaken the Alpha Quadrant powers in preparation for an invasion. {{dis|Lovok|Changeling|One such agent}} drew the [[Romulan]] [[Tal Shiar]] and the [[Cardassian]] [[Obsidian Order]] into a [[Battle of the Omarion Nebula|trap]] in the [[Omarion Nebula]] in [[2371]]. With these organizations decimated, the last bastion of resistance to the Dominion was the Federation-Klingon Alliance. ({{DS9|The Die is Cast}}) |
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| − | In the early [[2370s]], the superpowers of the [[Alpha Quadrant]] faced a new, and highly aggressive threat from the [[Gamma Quadrant]]; the [[Dominion]]. |
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| + | Freed from the watchful eye of the Obsidian Order, the [[Cardassian dissident movement]] succeeded in toppling the [[Cardassian Central Command|Central Command]] in early 2372 and restoring power to the civilian [[Detapa Council]]. {{dis|Martok|Changeling|Another Changeling}}, having replaced the prominent [[Klingon]] [[General]] [[Martok]], convinced [[Chancellor]] [[Gowron]] that the ''coup'' had been a Dominion plot and that the Klingon Empire must conquer the [[Cardassian Union]] for the sake of the quadrant's security. ({{DS9|The Way of the Warrior}}) |
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| − | Following Dominion manipulation, the [[Obsidian Order]] and the [[Tal Shiar]] launched a joint pre-emptive invasion of the Gamma Quadrant, intending to destroy the [[Changeling|Founder's]] homeworld and sever effective Dominion leadership. The joint fleet was destroyed at the [[Battle of the Omarion Nebula]] in [[2371]], severely weakening the [[Tal Shiar]] and ending the existence of the [[Obsidian Order]] entirely. |
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| + | == Breaking the alliance == |
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| − | The power vacuum left behind by the absence of the [[Obsidian Order]] enabled a [[coup]] on [[Cardassia]] that shifted power from the [[Cardassian Central Command]] to civilian authorities in the [[Detapa Council]]. Encouraged by a [[Martok (Changeling)|changeling posing as General Martok]], the [[Klingon High Council]] became convinced the coup had been engineered by the Dominion. Fearing the further spread of Dominion influence, [[Chancellor of the Klingon High Council|Chancellor]] [[Gowron]] ordered a massive [[Klingon-Cardassian War|invasion of the Cardassian Union]] in early [[2372]]. |
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| + | [[Starfleet]] refused to support the Klingons' aggressive actions, which included the searching of all ships leaving [[Bajoran space]] for Changelings. One such search of the Federation freighter {{SS|Xhosa}} nearly led to an exchange of fire between the {{IKS|M'Char}} and the {{USS|Defiant|2370}}. The [[Federation Council]], failing to dissuade the Klingons, condemned their invasion of Cardassia. Gowron retaliated by withdrawing from the [[Khitomer Accords]], recalling his [[ambassador]]s, and expelling all Federation citizens from Klingon territory, thus ending the alliance between the two governments. |
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| + | [[File:K't'ingas attack DS9.jpg|thumb|The Klingons begin their attack on Deep Space 9]] |
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| − | The [[Federation Council]] roundly condemned the unprovoked invasion, and in response, Gowron withdrew from the [[Khitomer Accords]], recalled his ambassadors and expelled all Federation citizens from the Empire, thereby formally ending official relations between the two powers. After [[Starfleet]] rendered aid to the [[Detapa Council]], the Klingons launched a large, but ultimately [[First Battle of Deep Space 9|unsuccessful attack]] against Deep Space 9. |
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| + | {{Captain}} [[Benjamin Sisko]] rescued the Detapa Council from the Klingons, which led to a massive Klingon [[First Battle of Deep Space 9|assault on Deep Space 9]]. The Klingons were repelled by the station's upgraded defenses and the arrival of Starfleet reinforcements. ({{DS9|The Way of the Warrior}}) However, Gowron continued to see the Federation as weak and war inevitable. ({{DS9|Sons of Mogh}}) |
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| + | In the following months, the Klingons continued to prosecute their war with the Cardassians while escalating hostilities along the rest of their border, probing for exploitable weaknesses. ({{DS9|Hippocratic Oath|Return to Grace}}) They also attempted to secretly place a [[cloak]]ed [[minefield]] that would isolate the [[Bajoran system]]; the minefield was destroyed by the USS ''Defiant'' with the assistance of [[Kurn]]. ({{DS9|Sons of Mogh}}) The Federation Council kept pressing the Klingons to return the Cardassian colonies they had seized, which was angrily rejected. ({{DS9|Broken Link}}) |
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| − | Throughout the rest of the year, the Klingons began to show increased aggressiveness against other powers, particularly the [[Romulan Star Empire|Romulans]], the [[Federation]] and the [[Bajorans]]. In particular, Klingon ships fired on the [[Starfleet]] vessel {{USS|Defiant|2370}} when escorting a humanitarian convoy to Cardassian space, in an attempt to discredit Starfleet's integrity among other [[Alpha Quadrant]] powers. |
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| + | Klingon and Federation vessels clashed again when Starfleet agreed to [[escort]] seven Cardassian [[humanitarian]] [[convoy]]s bound for the [[Pentath system]]. In an attempt to discredit Starfleet and force it to cease its support of the Cardassians, the Klingons staged a "massacre" wherein a [[Klingon civilian transport]] decloaked in front of the ''Defiant'' amidst a battle, leading to its destruction by [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Worf]]'s orders. The deception was exposed by [[Odo]], who uncovered evidence that the transport was in fact empty. ({{DS9|Rules of Engagement}}) |
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| − | Tensions rose so much, that in late 2372, Federation colonies along the [[Federation-Klingon border]] began pressing the [[Federation Council]] to authorise [[Starfleet]] to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Empire. ({{DS9|The Way of the Warrior|Broken Link|Rules of Engagement|The Die is Cast}}) |
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| − | ==Open war |
+ | == Open war == |
| + | Near the end of 2372, the Martok Changeling influenced Gowron into reasserting the Klingon Empire's claim to the [[Archanis sector]], which it had relinquished to the Federation [[2270s|a century prior]]. Gowron sent an ultimatum demanding that the Federation leave the sector, abandoning all [[starbase]]s and military installations. The Federation attempted to stall and negotiate, though Federation worlds along the [[Federation-Klingon border|Klingon border]] began calling for a [[preemptive strike]] against the Empire. |
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| − | With the [[Federation Council]] unable to establish a dialogue with [[Chancellor of the Klingon High Council|Chancellor]] [[Gowron]], encouraged by [[General]] [[Martok]], an ultimatum was issued to the Federation; a complete withdrawal from the [[Archanis sector]], upon which the Klingons had previously claimed, within ten days, or face war. ({{DS9|Broken Link}}) |
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| + | Finally, Gowron dispatched a [[task force]] to conquer Archanis, giving Starfleet ten days to withdraw or be fired upon. In response, Starfleet and the [[Bajoran Militia]] prepared for war. Meanwhile, the [[Founder]]s deceived Odo into believing that Gowron had been replaced by a Changeling, hoping that Starfleet would [[assassinate]] him and leave the false Martok in control. |
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| − | The [[Federation]] refused to acquiesce to the demands of the [[Klingon Empire]], and in response, the Klingons launched an invasion of Federation territory, committing all resources it had available. Federation defences along the border proved woefully inadequate; several dozen starships and colonies were engaged by Klingon forces, across a wide swath of territory from Archanis to the [[Bajoran sector]]. Recovering from the initial shock of the invasion, [[Starfleet]] rallied its forces and repelled the Klingons from Federation space. |
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| + | [[File:Martok attacks Kodrak.jpg|thumb|The Changeling Martok reveals his true nature]] |
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| − | With the bulk of the [[Klingon Defense Force]] committed to the [[Klingon-Cardassian War|war of attrition in Cardassian space]], Starfleet was able to launch a counter-offensive into Klingon territory itself, winning a notable victory at [[Ganalda IV]]. Although the Klingons were successful in blunting the speed of Starfleet's advance, they were not able to fully expel them from their territory. It was predicted that, eventually, the Federation would emerge victorious from the conflict, with the Klingons unable to disengage from the Cardassian front. |
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| + | In early [[2373]], the Klingons invaded Federation space along a broad front from Archanis to [[Bajor]], committing all available resources. Federation defenses proved inadequate and Starfleet was only able to slow their advance; the {{USS|Armstrong|24th century}} and the {{USS|Drake|2373}} were among the starships that took heavy casualties. Gowron relocated Klingon military headquarters to [[Ty'Gokor]], a heavily fortified [[planetoid]]. Based on Odo's information, Starfleet sent a team, led by Sisko, to infiltrate Ty'Gokor with [[Dukat]]'s [[Dukat's Bird-of-Prey|captured Bird-of-Prey]] and expose Gowron as a Changeling. The team ultimately discovered the Changeling to be Martok, who was killed by the Klingons. |
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| + | Gowron was reluctant to end the war unless the Empire were allowed to [[annexation|annex]] [[Archanis IV]] and the other worlds it had captured. Nevertheless, Sisko prevailed on him to push the [[Klingon High Council]] into accepting a cease fire. ({{DS9|Broken Link|Apocalypse Rising}}) The Federation and the Klingon Empire subsequently engaged in peace talks. ({{DS9|Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places}}) Many Klingons continued to clamor for war despite having proof of Dominion machinations, confident the Empire would emerge victorious. ({{DS9|Let He Who Is Without Sin...}}) |
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| − | == Martok changeling exposed == |
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| − | Meanwhile, acting on information provided by [[Odo]], having [[Great Link|recently linked with the Founders]], the Federation became aware of a Dominion infiltrator in the Klingon Empire, believing it to be [[Chancellor of the Klingon High Council|Chancellor]] [[Gowron]]. Unwilling to ignore the possibility of such a breach of [[Alpha Quadrant]] security, [[Starfleet]] approved a covert operation to expose the changeling, led by [[Captain]] [[Benjamin Sisko]], aided by [[Gul]] [[Dukat]] in a captured [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey|Bird-of-Prey]]. |
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| + | The cease fire was briefly violated several weeks later when Klingon troops [[Battle of Ajilon Prime|attacked]] the Federation [[colony]] on [[Ajilon Prime]], possibly as revenge for their defeat at [[Ganalda IV]]. Many colonists were killed and the planet nearly fell before the cease fire was reinstated; the {{USS|Farragut|NCC-60597}}, sent to relieve the colony, was also destroyed by the Klingons near the [[Lembatta Cluster]]. During the resumption of fighting, Starfleet began assembling a fleet to retake the Archanis sector, spearheaded by the {{USS|Tecumseh}} and the {{USS|Rutledge}}. ({{DS9|Nor the Battle to the Strong}}) |
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| − | The team infiltrated the Klingon military headquarters on [[Ty'Gokor]], intending to expose the changeling at an awards ceremony. However, it was ultimately discovered that {{dis|Martok|Changeling}}, not Gowron, was the real infiltrator. The information [[Odo]] had been privy to in the [[Great Link]] had been deliberately misled, hoping to have the [[Federation]] assassinate the [[Chancellor of the Klingon High Council]]. For helping to expose an enemy spy, Sisko's team was allowed to leave Klingon space unhindered, and Gowron convinced the [[Klingon High Council]] to affect a cease-fire. ({{DS9|Apocalypse Rising}}) |
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| − | == |
+ | == Restored alliance == |
| + | In mid-2373, an unexpected game-changing event forced the Federation and the Klingons to resolve their conflict. [[Gul]] [[Dukat]] announced the incorporation of the Cardassian Union into the Dominion, with himself as the Cardassian leader. A [[Jem'Hadar]] fleet crossed the Bajoran wormhole and joined the Cardassians' fight against the Klingons. In three days, the Klingons suffered severe losses, leaving Gowron with no choice but to order a general retreat from Cardassian territory. |
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| − | The ceasefire was briefly violated several weeks later, when Klingon forces landed on [[Ajilon Prime]], allegedly as revenge for the Federation victory at [[Ganalda IV]]. [[Starfleet]] also prepared to retake the still-occupied Archanis sector, an effort spearheaded by the Starfleet vessels {{USS|Tecumseh}} and the {{USS|Rutledge}}. However, before the attack could be launched, the ceasefire was reinstated, but not without heavy casualties on Ajilon Prime, and the destruction of the {{USS|Farragut|NCC-60597}}. |
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| + | Gowron and his battered fleet arrived at [[Deep Space 9]], where Sisko convinced him to revive the Khitomer Accords and make a united stand with Starfleet at the station. With the alliance restored, the Klingons established a permanent military presence on Deep Space 9 commanded by the real General Martok, who had recently escaped from Dominion [[Internment Camp 371]]. ({{DS9|By Inferno's Light}}) |
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| − | Concurrently, the Klingons had suffered severe casualties at the hands of the [[Dominion]] on the [[Klingon-Cardassian War|Cardassian front]]. Their erstwhile allies, the [[Maquis]], had been completely annihilated by the [[Jem'Hadar]], and the Cardassians had been able to re-establish full military control over all of their territory. In response, [[Chancellor of the Klingon High Council|Chancellor]] [[Gowron]] ordered his battered forces to affect a complete withdrawal from Cardassian space, intending to fortify the Empire and fight the impending Dominion invasion. |
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| − | |||
| − | However, [[Captain]] [[Benjamin Sisko]] was able to convince Gowron to re-instate the [[Khitomer Accords]], formalising a defensive alliance between the [[Empire]] and the [[Federation]] once again. ({{DS9|Nor the Battle to the Strong|By Inferno's Light}}) |
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== Aftermath == |
== Aftermath == |
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| + | Though the Founders' disruption of the Federation-Klingon alliance proved temporary, the war they incited between the two powers was costly to both. By the time the Dominion entered the Alpha Quadrant in full force, Starfleet's strength had been depleted to the point that defeating the Dominion was assessed to be impossible. ({{DS9|In Purgatory's Shadow}}) The two allies would later be hard-pressed to resist the Dominion advance in the opening months of the [[Dominion War]]. ({{DS9|A Time to Stand}}) |
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| − | Though brief, the skirmishes fought in the war were savage and brutal in nature. The fact that [[Dominion]] political manipulation had been able to bring two close allies into open conflict, as well as concurrently causing a destructive war between the Klingons and the Cardassians is testament to their strategic initiative and prowess. |
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| − | |||
| − | Although the [[Khitomer Accords]] had been reinstated, arguably an antithesis of Dominion intentions, [[Starfleet]] had been spread thin across the [[Alpha Quadrant]], while the [[Klingon Defense Force]] had suffered severe casualties, enabling a Dominion foothold to be made far easier than prior to their involvement. As a result of the Klingon invasion of Cardassia, weekly convoys of Dominion military personnel and equipment were made from the [[Gamma Quadrant]] to Cardassia, forcing the Federation and the Klingons to mine the [[Bajoran wormhole]]. |
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| − | |||
| − | This action prompted the [[Dominion]] to [[Second Battle of Deep Space 9|launch an attack on Deep Space 9]], triggering the [[Dominion War]]. ({{DS9|Call to Arms|}}){{Federation wars}} |
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| + | {{Federation wars}} |
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| + | {{Klingon wars}} |
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| + | == External link == |
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| + | *{{mbeta|Federation-Klingon War of 2372-2373}} |
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[[de:Föderal-Klingonischer Krieg (2372/73)]] |
[[de:Föderal-Klingonischer Krieg (2372/73)]] |
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| − | [[ja: |
+ | [[ja:連邦・クリンゴン戦争（2372年～73年）]] |
[[nl:Federatie-Klingon oorlog (2372-73)]] |
[[nl:Federatie-Klingon oorlog (2372-73)]] |
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[[Category:Federation]] |
[[Category:Federation]] |
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Revision as of 17:47, 14 November 2020
The Federation-Klingon War was a brief but intense conflict fought primarily between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, from late 2372 to mid-2373.
Intermittent hostilities, and later open war, between the two powers followed from the breakdown of the Federation-Klingon Alliance in the wake of the Klingon-Cardassian War, which were engineered by Changeling agents to weaken the Alpha Quadrant. A fragile cease fire was signed after the involvement of the Dominion was exposed, but the resumption of the alliance did not occur until the Dominion made a full-scale incursion through the Bajoran wormhole.
Background
In the early 2370s, the Dominion sent several Changeling agents to weaken the Alpha Quadrant powers in preparation for an invasion. One such agent drew the Romulan Tal Shiar and the Cardassian Obsidian Order into a trap in the Omarion Nebula in 2371. With these organizations decimated, the last bastion of resistance to the Dominion was the Federation-Klingon Alliance. (DS9: "The Die is Cast")
Freed from the watchful eye of the Obsidian Order, the Cardassian dissident movement succeeded in toppling the Central Command in early 2372 and restoring power to the civilian Detapa Council. Another Changeling, having replaced the prominent Klingon General Martok, convinced Chancellor Gowron that the coup had been a Dominion plot and that the Klingon Empire must conquer the Cardassian Union for the sake of the quadrant's security. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")
Breaking the alliance
Starfleet refused to support the Klingons' aggressive actions, which included the searching of all ships leaving Bajoran space for Changelings. One such search of the Federation freighter SS Xhosa nearly led to an exchange of fire between the IKS M'Char and the USS Defiant. The Federation Council, failing to dissuade the Klingons, condemned their invasion of Cardassia. Gowron retaliated by withdrawing from the Khitomer Accords, recalling his ambassadors, and expelling all Federation citizens from Klingon territory, thus ending the alliance between the two governments.
The Klingons begin their attack on Deep Space 9
Captain Benjamin Sisko rescued the Detapa Council from the Klingons, which led to a massive Klingon assault on Deep Space 9. The Klingons were repelled by the station's upgraded defenses and the arrival of Starfleet reinforcements. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior") However, Gowron continued to see the Federation as weak and war inevitable. (DS9: "Sons of Mogh")
In the following months, the Klingons continued to prosecute their war with the Cardassians while escalating hostilities along the rest of their border, probing for exploitable weaknesses. (DS9: "Hippocratic Oath", "Return to Grace") They also attempted to secretly place a cloaked minefield that would isolate the Bajoran system; the minefield was destroyed by the USS Defiant with the assistance of Kurn. (DS9: "Sons of Mogh") The Federation Council kept pressing the Klingons to return the Cardassian colonies they had seized, which was angrily rejected. (DS9: "Broken Link")
Klingon and Federation vessels clashed again when Starfleet agreed to escort seven Cardassian humanitarian convoys bound for the Pentath system. In an attempt to discredit Starfleet and force it to cease its support of the Cardassians, the Klingons staged a "massacre" wherein a Klingon civilian transport decloaked in front of the Defiant amidst a battle, leading to its destruction by Lieutenant Commander Worf's orders. The deception was exposed by Odo, who uncovered evidence that the transport was in fact empty. (DS9: "Rules of Engagement")
Open war
Near the end of 2372, the Martok Changeling influenced Gowron into reasserting the Klingon Empire's claim to the Archanis sector, which it had relinquished to the Federation a century prior. Gowron sent an ultimatum demanding that the Federation leave the sector, abandoning all starbases and military installations. The Federation attempted to stall and negotiate, though Federation worlds along the Klingon border began calling for a preemptive strike against the Empire.
Finally, Gowron dispatched a task force to conquer Archanis, giving Starfleet ten days to withdraw or be fired upon. In response, Starfleet and the Bajoran Militia prepared for war. Meanwhile, the Founders deceived Odo into believing that Gowron had been replaced by a Changeling, hoping that Starfleet would assassinate him and leave the false Martok in control.
The Changeling Martok reveals his true nature
In early 2373, the Klingons invaded Federation space along a broad front from Archanis to Bajor, committing all available resources. Federation defenses proved inadequate and Starfleet was only able to slow their advance; the USS Armstrong and the USS Drake were among the starships that took heavy casualties. Gowron relocated Klingon military headquarters to Ty'Gokor, a heavily fortified planetoid. Based on Odo's information, Starfleet sent a team, led by Sisko, to infiltrate Ty'Gokor with Dukat's captured Bird-of-Prey and expose Gowron as a Changeling. The team ultimately discovered the Changeling to be Martok, who was killed by the Klingons.
Gowron was reluctant to end the war unless the Empire were allowed to annex Archanis IV and the other worlds it had captured. Nevertheless, Sisko prevailed on him to push the Klingon High Council into accepting a cease fire. (DS9: "Broken Link", "Apocalypse Rising") The Federation and the Klingon Empire subsequently engaged in peace talks. (DS9: "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places") Many Klingons continued to clamor for war despite having proof of Dominion machinations, confident the Empire would emerge victorious. (DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
The cease fire was briefly violated several weeks later when Klingon troops attacked the Federation colony on Ajilon Prime, possibly as revenge for their defeat at Ganalda IV. Many colonists were killed and the planet nearly fell before the cease fire was reinstated; the USS Farragut, sent to relieve the colony, was also destroyed by the Klingons near the Lembatta Cluster. During the resumption of fighting, Starfleet began assembling a fleet to retake the Archanis sector, spearheaded by the USS Tecumseh and the USS Rutledge. (DS9: "Nor the Battle to the Strong")
Restored alliance
In mid-2373, an unexpected game-changing event forced the Federation and the Klingons to resolve their conflict. Gul Dukat announced the incorporation of the Cardassian Union into the Dominion, with himself as the Cardassian leader. A Jem'Hadar fleet crossed the Bajoran wormhole and joined the Cardassians' fight against the Klingons. In three days, the Klingons suffered severe losses, leaving Gowron with no choice but to order a general retreat from Cardassian territory.
Gowron and his battered fleet arrived at Deep Space 9, where Sisko convinced him to revive the Khitomer Accords and make a united stand with Starfleet at the station. With the alliance restored, the Klingons established a permanent military presence on Deep Space 9 commanded by the real General Martok, who had recently escaped from Dominion Internment Camp 371. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")
Aftermath
Though the Founders' disruption of the Federation-Klingon alliance proved temporary, the war they incited between the two powers was costly to both. By the time the Dominion entered the Alpha Quadrant in full force, Starfleet's strength had been depleted to the point that defeating the Dominion was assessed to be impossible. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow") The two allies would later be hard-pressed to resist the Dominion advance in the opening months of the Dominion War. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")
| Federation wars |
|---|
| Klingon War (2256-57) • Klingon War (2267) • Cardassian War • Galen border conflict • Tzenkethi War • Dominion cold war • Klingon War (2372-73) • Dominion War • Temporal Cold War • Klingon War (2340s-2366) |
| Klingon wars |
|---|
| Federation War (2256-57) • Federation War (2267) • Klingon Civil War • Cardassian War • Dominion cold war • Federation War (2372-73) • Dominion War • Federation War (2340s-2366) |
External link
- Federation-Klingon War of 2372-2373 at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works