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Guerra del Dominio
USS Sitak and USS Majestic hit

La USS Sitak (in basso a sinistra) viene distrutta e la USS Majestic (al centro) è gravemente danneggiata durante l"Operazione Ritorno", una delle faticose vittorie dell'Alleanza della Federazione.

La USS Sitak (in basso a sinistra) viene distrutta e la USS Majestic (al centro) è gravemente danneggiata durante l"Operazione Ritorno", una delle faticose vittorie dell'Alleanza della Federazione.
Data 2373-2375
Ubicazione Quadrante Alpha
Esito Vittoria dell'Alleanza della Federazione;
La Federazione occupa Cardassia;
Ritiro delle forze del Dominio nel Quadrante Gamma
Contendenti
Alleanza della Federazione
Federazione
Impero Klingon
Impero Romulano
Fronte di Liberazione Cardassiana
Forze del Dominio
Dominio
Unione Cardassiana
Confederazione Breen
Son'a
Comandanti degni di nota
Federazione:
Benjamin Sisko
William Ross

Impero Klingon:

Martok
Gowron

Impero Romulano:

Kimara Cretak
Velal
Dominio:
Mutaforma femmina
Weyoun

Unione Cardassiana:

Dukat
Damar

Confederazione Breen:

Gor
Pran
Forze coinvolte
Numero di navi ignoto. Al culmine: 30.000 navi stellari
Vittime e danni
Ignoti, gravi Oltre 807 milioni di Cardassiani, distruzione quasi completa delle forze Jem'Hadar nel Quadrante Alpha, numero di perdite Breen ignoto
"You have no idea what's begun here."
Eris, 2370 (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")
"A war may be our only hope."
"Una guerra potrebbe essere la nostra unica speranza."
- Benjamin Sisko

La Guerra del Dominio è stato un conflitto interstellare durato quasi due anni (tardo 2373-primi anni del 2375) tra il Dominio e l'Alleanza della Federazione che consumò l'intero Quadrante Alfa in una delle più distruttive e sanguinose guerre della storia galattica. Entro la fine della guerra, il Quadrante Alfa aveva perso una notevole potenza; l'Unione Cardassiana ; la Forza di Difesa Klingon, portando ad un bilancio di vittime catastrofico.

Preludio

La Guerra Fredda Federazione-Dominion è stato il periodo, durato tre anni, in cui i calcolati successi del Dominion hanno destabilizzato il Quadrante Alpha. Il Dominion fu capace di annientare l'Ordine Obsidiano e indebolire gravemente la Tal Shiar (vedere: la Battaglia di Omarion Nebula), e quasi causò una guerra tra la Federazione e i Tzenkethi, e più tardi ebbe successo nel causare una guerra tra la Federazione e i Klingon (vedere la guerra Federazione-Klingon (2372-73)), mentre simultaneamente causavano una guerra tra i Klingon e i Cardassiani (vedere la guerra Klingon-Cardassiani).

Il conflitto Federazione-Klingon fu risolto quando fu scoperto che il Generale Klingon Martok era un Mutaforma. (DS9: "Inizia l'Apocalisse")

Dominion invasion

Il Dominion invade il Quadrante Alpha

Alcuni mesi dopo, tuttavia, il Dominion guadagnò una base nel Quadrante Alpha attraverso un alleanza con Gul Dukat e l'Unione Cardassiana, organizzata alla metà 2373. Essi immediatamente iniziarono a mandare una flotta di navi da guerra e navi di rifornimento attraverso il tunnel Bajoriano nel territorio Cardassiano su una base settimanale. I Klingon non poterono resistere contro un tale avversario, e si ritirarono dallo spazio Cardassiano. Gli Accordi di Khitomer furono ritirati; la guerra fu inevitabile, e solo l'alleanza Federazione-Klingon resistette contro le forze del Dominion. (DS9: "Alla Luce dell'Inferno")

Il rafforzamento dell'Unione Cardassiana, combinata con la garanzia del trattato di non-aggressione con importanti potenze, per esempio i Miradorn, i Tholiani, i Bajoriani, e più importanti di tutti, con i Romulani, rende chiare le intenzioni del Dominion. La Federazione viene forzata ad agire, ma non potendo mostrare l'aggressiva presa di posizione di qualcosa così audace con un attacco preventivo. Invece, la decisione che viene presa è di minare il tunnel Bajoriano per impedire ad ulteriori rinforzi del Dominion a ragiungerli. (DS9: "Estasi", "Chiamata alle armi")

La Guierra Totale Inizia

Dominion fires

The first shots of the war being fired on Deep Space 9

The maneuver was sure to provoke the Dominion into attack, and this end was achieved. Despite a seemingly successful negotiation between Weyoun and Capitano Sisko, which would have limited Dominion vessels from the Gamma Quadrant to medical and economic supplies to help the Cardassian Union rebuild, the Dominion prepared to attack Deep Space 9. Strangely, the Federation turned down Captain Sisko's request for reinforcements, leaving the station to fend for itself against the Dominion fleet. Shortly afterward, General Martok on board his Klingon Bird-of-Prey near the Cardassian border, contacted Deep Space 9, informing them that a large contingent of Cardassian and Dominion vessels were heading towards the station. His transmission was cut short when the Dominion fleet jammed his communications. Gul Dukat then contacted the station, asking if the Federation was willing to surrender the station and avoid "unnecessary bloodshed". Captain Sisko spurned the invitation, leading to Dukat ending the conversation with the comment "I was hoping you'd say that."

Shortly afterward, the Dominion fleet arrived, and began their attack on Deep Space 9. Despite the Dominion's arrival prior to the minefield's activation, the USS Defiant was able to successfully complete the deployment of the mines and activate it, thus preventing reinforcements from arriving in the Alpha Quadrant. Although the Dominion had failed to prevent the activation of the minefield, they continued their assault on Deep Space 9, eventually forcing all Federation forces on board to evacuate. With the battle over, the Dominion had successfully captured the station, winning the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 (not to be confused with the First Battle of Deep Space 9 that opened the Federation-Klingon War in 2372).

During the attack on Deep Space 9, the Federation-Klingon alliance dispatched a task force to attack the Dominion shipyards at Torros III, which required all available vessels, thus preventing reinforcements to Deep Space 9. Their mission was successful, and the destruction of the shipyards set back Dominion ship production for months. Although the Dominion successfully took over Deep Space 9, the station itself would prove to be of little use during the war, as the wormhole had been mined, the Starfleet officers who fled the station had disabled much of its equipment prior to their evacuation, and the Bajoran contingent formed an active (though subtle) resistance. (DS9: "Chiamata alle armi", "Dietro le linee")

Dominion Success and Stalemate

Dukat and weyoun

Dukat and Weyoun

During the first few months of 2374, Dukat was leading an extremely successful campaign against the allies, forcing them to retreat on nearly every front. It was projected that even without reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion would triumph, although the war would take much longer. However, due to a shortage of Ketracel-white in the Alpha Quadrant, Weyoun was adamant about taking down the minefield and reopening the supply lines through the wormhole to guarantee success. In an attempt to stop the Dominion's advance into their territory, the Federation dispatched its Seventh Fleet – a force composed of 112 vessels – to the Tyra system. Unfortunately, a mere fourteen ships were able to make it back to their lines – a disastrous defeat for the Federation. (DS9: "Il momento di resistere").

By the second quarter of that year, it was revealed to the Federation that the Dominion was close to deactivating the minefield blocking the wormhole, and Sisko told Starfleet that the station's recapture must be seen as the top priority of the war. Ammiraglio Coburn objected to the plan, fearing too many ships would be diverted away from Terra, allowing the Dominion to attack it. Sisko was able to convince him that the key to winning the war was preventing Dominion reinforcements from the wormhole. With only days before the minefield could be deactivated, the Federation was forced to launch what ships they had been able to gather to attack Deep Space 9. Without any ships from the Klingon Empire to back them up, it seemed like a hopeless cause. Nevertheless, a Federation fleet of over 600 vessels departed from Starbase 375 towards the station. Realizing that the Federation forces were heading towards Deep Space 9, Dukat pulled 1,254 ships off the front lines to crush the enemy fleet and prevent them from retaking the station. With only hours left until the minefield was destroyed and reinforcements could come through, Weyoun assured Dukat that all the ships lost during this engagement would be easily replaced with those currently stranded in the Gamma Quadrant, and that holding onto the station was the top priority. (DS9: "Aiuta gli audaci")

File:Klingon fleet, Sacrifice of Angels.jpg

The Klingons assist the suffering Federation forces during the mission to retake Deep Space 9

Eventually, both the Dominion and Federation fleets clashed, and the battle to retake Deep Space 9 began. Captain Sisko attempted to draw out Cardassian forces and open a hole in the Dominion's lines, in order to punch through and reach the station in time. Dukat, realizing Sisko's plan, saw an opportunity of his own; he would allow the Federation to force its way through, only to be surrounded and closed in by the overwhelming force at his disposal. With the Federation forces taking heavy casualties, the battle seemed almost lost. In the nick of time, however, a massive Klingon fleet decloaked and engaged the Dominion forces, turning the tide of the battle to the allies' favor and enabling the Defiant to break through the lines to Deep Space 9. Although Dukat made good on his promise to destroy the minefield, it proved useless to the Dominion, as Captain Sisko was able to convince the Prophets to wipe out the Dominion reinforcements entirely. With no reinforcements on their way, and the fleet battle in favor of the Federation-Klingon forces, the Dominion was forced to withdraw from the station. Operation Return was the first major alliance victory of the war, and also saw the end of Dukat's leadership of Cardassia. His underling, Damar, replaced him. (DS9: "Il Sacrificio degli Angeli")

The war entered a temporary lull at this point; the Dominion retreated to within Cardassian space, and activity along the border was rare. During this lull, the Dominion sued for peace with the Federation, even offering to withdraw their forces from a sizable amount of territory which would be ceded back. An analysis by a genetically engineered think tank led by Doctor Julian Bashir determined that the Dominion was merely trying to acquire the Kabrel system, which would allow them to produce ketracel-white in the Alpha Quadrant, addressing the supply problem they were facing without wormhole access. However, Bashir's think tank projected that it was actually favorable to take the territory without a fight while they had the chance, despite giving the Dominion the ability to produce ketracel-white in the process, because it would be more difficult for them to retake all of the Dominion's large amount of controlled space without incredible casualties if they did not. Although the Dominion would use the opportunity to regroup its forces, they warned, the Federation and Klingons were in far more need of a respite than the Dominion, and would take away more from a short pause in fighting. Weighing the pros and cons, the augments suggested the Federation accept the peace proposal. Fighting resumed some weeks later. (DS9: "Resurrezione", "Probabilità Statistiche")

Despite their successful retaking of Deep Space 9, the Federation and Klingon forces were far from victory. Ships patrolling the Cardassian border were frequently destroyed, including the USS Cortéz. (DS9: "Lontano, oltre le stelle") The Dominion also began breeding Jem'Hadar in the Alpha Quadrant, thereby removing their need for reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9: "Una piccola grande nave")

In late 2374, the Dominion was able to capture Betazed. With the capture of this system, the Dominion was in a position to invade Vulcan, Andor, Tellar and Alpha Centauri. Furthermore, the Federation was suffering a manpower shortage after sustaining massive casualties up to that point, and many of their shipyards were still being rebuilt. The Dominion's shipyards, on the other hand, were producing at 100% capacity, and legions of Jem'Hadar were being bred at an incredible rate. Without the help of the Romulans, it was only a matter of time until the Dominion would defeat both the Klingons and the Federation. (DS9: "La coscienza di un ufficiale")

Turning of the Tide

The Romulan Star Empire had to this point declared itself neutral in the conflict, though they were allowing Dominion ships passage through their space. Realizing the war was lost without the assistance of the Romulan Empire, Sisko undertook an act of coercion with the help of Elim Garak, implicating the Dominion in an assassination plot against a high ranking Romulan senator. Their ploy was successful, and the Romulans joined the alliance. Within hours of joining the war against the Dominion, the Romulans attacked fifteen bases along the Cardassian-Romulan border, opening up a new front and drawing forces away from the Federation and Klingon lines. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Federation Alliance fleet

The Federation Alliance takes the Chin'toka system in 2374

With the Romulans now part of the Federation Alliance, the Allies had the necessary resources, ships and manpower to go on the offensive. Realizing that the only way to achieve a lasting victory against the Dominion was to go on the offensive and begin to destroy their shipyards and cloning facilities, Sisko was able to convince both the Romulans and Klingons to join the Federation in the invasion of Cardassian territory. Having diverted the majority of its defenses to the Romulan front, the Chin'toka system was an ideal target. However, Damar had already begun to deploy Orbital weapon platforms, which would replace the need for starships to defend the system. Although the weapon platforms were nearly successful in defeating the allied fleet, their main weakness was discovered and exploited by Garak, which allowed the allied fleet to destroy the platforms' power grid, thus winning the First Battle of Chin'toka. This was the Allies first push into Cardassian territory, and was a monumental morale booster. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")

With Romulan reinforcement, the alliance had forced something of a stalemate. Early and middle 2375 was spent with neither side offering a firm push forward into the other. Sisko had temporarily left his duties as a Starfleet officer after the death of Jadzia Dax and the closing of the Bajoran wormhole by Dukat. With one of Starfleet's major tacticians and leaders out of the picture, the Dominion had time to regroup and hold off against further invasion attempts. The Cardassians were able to halt the Klingons' advance at Monac IV, inflicting at least thirty percent casualties against the Klingons, forcing the Allies to remain bottled up in the Chin'toka system. (DS9: "Image in the Sand")

One very important event that changed the shape of the war was occurring behind the front lines: a debilitating disease was attacking the Founders. It would later be claimed that Section 31 had a hand in the infection. The Founders' abilities as leaders were being compromised just as their military was taking severe punishment from the emboldened alliance. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

Gradually, Damar began openly criticizing the war effort and deriding the Founders' leadership. It seemed to him that Cardassian troops were withstanding the worst of the assault, and statistics proved him correct. Dominion leaders decided that a change was necessary, and in late 2375 they sought the help of the Breen, a mysterious but powerful race. In the ensuing months, the Breen took more and more of the Cardassians' responsibility, their leadership and even Cardassian territory. The tide had turned in favor of the Dominion, but Cardassians grew more restless by the day. (DS9: "'Til Death Do Us Part")

USS Defiant destroyed

The Breen crush the Allies while retaking Chin'toka

With assistance from Breen energy-draining weapons, the Dominion won the Second Battle of Chin'toka with ease, destroying all but one of the three hundred and twelve allied vessels, thus regaining control of the system. The Breen even staged an attack on Earth, dealing a heavy blow to Federation morale. Starfleet and Romulan vessels were annihilated by the new Breen technology, forcing the Klingons – whose ships could be modified to be immune to the weapon – to hold the front lines on their own until a countermeasure could be found. To do this, General Martok brought 1,500 starships to the border as the Allies' defense. Even with this sizable fleet, the Klingon force was outnumbered twenty-to-one by the Dominion, Breen and Cardassian forces. To compensate, Martok would have his fleet operate in small battle groups, remaining cloaked until they would engage the enemy, in an attempt to keep them off balance. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil", "When It Rains...")

Although the war turned significantly in the Dominion's favor with the Breen's entry into the war, the Dominion's obvious favoring of the Breen finally frustrated Damar to the point that he formed an active resistance on Cardassia. A number of Cardassian officers, including Gul Rusot, who shared Damar's frustration, remained loyal to him. Joining his rebellion, they attacked the cloning facilities on Rondac III. Although the fleet was successful in destroying the facility, half of Damar's entire military force was destroyed in the battle. Despite this, the Dominion realized they could not hope to win the war against the allies until the internal rebellion was crushed. This gave the allies the time they needed to obtain a counter measure to the Breen's energy dissipator. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil")

Realizing Damar's rebellion would be crushed without a necessary change in strategy and outside support, the Federation dispatched Kira Nerys (with a new commission as a Starfleet commander), Elim Garak, and Odo to help train the Cardassian liberation forces in guerrilla tactics, while also providing food replicators to sustain the rebellion. With Kira's knowledge of guerrilla warfare passed on to Damar's forces, the rebellion began destroying individual ships via sabotage, and was successful in the destruction of the Tevak shipyards. (DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind")

Unfortunately for the allies, Chancellor Gowron took control of the Klingon forces in an attempt to defeat the Dominion without assistance from the Federation or Romulan Empire. During his brief campaign, he ordered General Martok to engage the Dominion at Avenal Seven – a world deep inside Dominion territory. Outnumbered six-to-one, the raid on Avanal Seven was an utter failure, losing seven ships, with another five seriously damaged. Realizing that these useless raids could not continue, Sisko ordered Commander Worf to deal with Chancellor Gowron. After killing him in battle, Worf declared Martok the new Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. (DS9: "When It Rains...", "Tacking Into the Wind")

With the help of Odo, the Cardassian rebellion was able to capture a Jem'Hadar attack ship fitted with one of the Breen's energy dampening weapons from the Kelvas repair facility. With the weapon delivered to the Federation, a counter-measure was able to be produced for both Federation and Romulan ships, thus returning the tactical advantage into the Allies' favor. Shortly afterward however, the Cardassian forces were completely wiped out by the Dominion after Gul Revok betrayed them, allowing all eighteen rebel bases to be found and destroyed. Even after this success however, the Dominion realized that the Federation Alliance had developed a counter measure to the Breen's weaponry, and withdrew all of their forces from Klingon, Federation and Romulan space in order to shorten their supply lines and fortify within Cardassian territory until they were able to rebuild a sufficient armada to win the war. (DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind", "The Dogs of War")

Although Damar's military rebellion was crushed, his brief but effective campaign gained massive support from the Cardassian civilian population. After a raid on a Jem'Hadar barracks on Cardassia Prime in late 2375, Damar was able to rally the support of the entire civilian population on Cardassia, which proved to be vital during the allies' final invasion. The determination was made by the allied commanders that the best hopes of success for an invasion was now, before the Dominion was allowed to strengthen itself any further. A three-pronged attack into Cardassia was organized and led by Admiral William Ross, Chancellor Martok, and (presumably) Velal. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

Female Changeling signs Treaty of Bajor

The Treaty of Bajor is signed, officially ending the war

The Battle of Cardassia was one of the largest space battles in galactic history. During the battle, the civilian population on Cardassia Prime was able to cause a planet-wide blackout, cutting off all communication from the Dominion Headquarters to their fleets in combat. In retaliation for this, the Female Changeling ordered the destruction of Lakarian City as a deterrent to further acts of rebellion. This action had the opposite effect however – when the Cardassian Guard found out about the fate of Lakarian City, it switched sides and began fighting the Dominion and Breen ships along with the allies. The Dominion responded typically – the head Founder ordered the Jem'Hadar to offer no quarter and fight to the last man, as well as commanding the annihilation of the entire planetary population of Cardassia Prime. Finally, members of the resistance were able to break into Dominion headquarters with Kira and Garak. Odo thought he could change the Founder's mind by meeting with her, so he beamed to their location. He convinced the head Founder to give up the war by linking with her and thus curing her of the virus. He also offered to return to the Great Link and cure his people of the virus that had been crippling them. The war was officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Bajor, and all Dominion forces returned to the Gamma Quadrant, with the exception of the head Founder, who was to stand trial for war crimes. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

Foremost in the aftermath, however, was the state of Cardassia Prime. Eight hundred million civilians were dead, and the entire Cardassian Union was in danger of total collapse. The Alpha Quadrant had lost a major power, and the effects on galactic politics would continue to be seen for many years to come. Template:Dominion War battles

Other battles

  • Attack on Avenal VII
  • Battle of Tyra
  • Battle of Betazed
  • Battle of Ricktor Prime
  • Battle of Torros III
  • Invasion of Septimus III
  • Liberation of Benzar
  • Raid on Trelka V
  • Raid on Monac Shipyards
  • Battle of Rondac III
  • Siege of AR-558

Associated events

  • Raid on San Francisco (2375)
  • Cardassian Rebellion of 2375

See also

  • Starships in the Dominion War

Template:Federation wars

Background

  • Ira Steven Behr and Ronald D. Moore were the writers most involved with the creation and development of the Dominion War. Rick Berman wanted the war to be over within three or four episodes at the most. Behr and Moore knew the series would never be able to wrap up the war in that many episodes. Berman also criticized the "depressing" and "violent" stories. Moore later said "It's a fuckin' war! What do you mean it's too violent?!" [1]

See also

  • Story arcs

Apocrypha

In Rising Son, it is revealed that the inhabitants of the Gamma Quadrant refer to the war as the "Quadrant War".

The war is frequently mentioned in Pocket Books novels and reference books, and there is also a section on it in the Star Trek: Star Charts.

Novels

  • Tales of the Dominion War
  • Star Trek: The Dominion War
    • Behind Enemy Lines
    • Call to Arms
    • Tunnel Through the Stars
    • Sacrifice of Angels
  • What You Leave Behind
  • The Battle of Betazed
  • Hollow Men

Video games

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Dominion Wars

External links

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