 |
 |
|
|
Ships of the Earth-Romulan War
Overview
Scenes
 The fleet has assembled created by Fabio Passaro © 3D Gladiators |
 The fleet has assembled created by Fabio Passaro © 3D Gladiators |
 The fleet has assembled created by Fabio Passaro © 3D Gladiators |
 Preparations in drydock created by Dávid Metlesits |
 Approaching the Romulan border created by Dávid Metlesits |
History
After more than 200 years, controversy still surrounds the causes, conduct, and resolution of the Earth-Romulan War of 2156 to 2160 which, until the recent conflicts with the Borg and the Dominion, was the most destructive interstellar conflict in human history. Some historians charge that this tragic war might have been avoided had United Earth (UE) diplomats made greater efforts to resolve early conflicts with the Romulan Star Empire. However, in hindsight we can probably conclude that few at that time thought that war was likely until events spiraled dangerously out of control. At that point it was only a matter of time before an incident similar to the "ambush" of a UE attack squadron at Devron IX made war inevitable. Hard as it is to believe today, certain groups within the UE (such as the League for Humanity and the Sons of Terra) actually sought war and welcomed its coming. These groups saw the war as an opportunity to fulfill what they believed was the manifest destiny of human civilization to expand across the galaxy. In addition, during the war, and for many years later, some in the UE harbored great suspicion toward the Vulcans, until that time Earth's closest allies, because their refusal to join the UE-led military alliance and their efforts to mediate an end to the fighting were interpreted as attempts to thwart human ambitions. Whether the Vulcans or the UE Executive Council or both knew, as several historians have charged, that the UE's enemy was descended from the Vulcans, remains unclear.
However, what is clear is that the affects of the war continue to be felt to this day. The victorious UE Alliance was the basis of the United Federation of Planets with the United Earth Stellar Navy (UESN) as the nucleus of Starfleet, its exploratory and defensive arm. After their humiliating defeat, the Romulans entered a state of self-imposed isolation, from which they were not to emerge for another century. The advanced propulsion technologies developed during the war allowed the confident young Federation to expand its power and influence across this corner of the galaxy with little resistance. These expansionist policies and the power vacuum caused by the Romulan withdrawal brought the Federation into direct conflict with the Klingons, who later allied themselves with the Romulans, despite years of conflict along their common border, because of mutual fears of Federation power. (Recent information obtained by Ambassador Worf, Federation envoy to Qo'noS, suggests that the disappearance of UES OGUMA [CCM-8], a KRECHET-class cruiser presumed destroyed by the Romulans near the Narendra system in 2259, may have actually involved the Klingons, some 60 years before their disastrous, official "first contact" with the Federation in 2218.) One may even argue that this state of perpetual conflict between the Romulans, Klingons, Humans, and, later, Cardassians blinded these races to their true underlying kinship and prevented them from presenting a united front against even greater enemies from the Delta and Gamma Quadrants until it was nearly too late. Only after 200 years have the major races of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants started to learn to settle their differences peacefully.
This Starfleet Museum Report focuses on UESN ships of the Earth-Romulan War. Because this report is primarily a technical history, readers seeking more general information about the causes, conduct, and outcome of the war should refer to "The First Stellar War" by Tyo Pohan-McClintock; "Eagles of War: A Short History of the Earth-Romulan War" by Rei Toei Gibson; and "Galactic Diplomacy, Volume 4: The Earth-Romulan War and the Birth of the Federation" by Samson Zhang Xiu-feng. For a more personal view we also recommend "My War With the Romulans" by Hari Seldon III, and for a Romulan point of view, "Glorious Victory" by T'ummerik.
 |
Last modified: 08.10.09 |
