Terra (SR 1827) (world)/World History

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Timeline Before and During the Terran Confederation[edit]

Terran History

Timeline Under the Rule of Man[edit]

No information currently available.

Timeline Under the Long Night[edit]

No information currently available.

Timeline Under the Third Imperium[edit]

Imperial/Terran Timeline

The dates of the various wars vary depending on the source.

Pre-Contact History[edit]

Age of Crisis[edit]

Canon: The early 21st Century (Imp -2523 to -2499/ 2000 - 2024 AD) was a period of crisis, as rapid population growth combined with environmental degradation, natural resource depletion, and endemic warfare in less developed regions pushed the planet to the verge of societal collapse. The United States of America was the most powerful nation of this period, and tried to assume the role of single world leader. However, the escalating crisis proved to be beyond any one nation's ability to manage it, and by 2010 AD, nations started to look towards the United Nations (UN) as the only organization capable of coordinating the international community.

A period of restructuring occurred, leading to the Treaty of New York (in Imp -2499 / 2024 AD) which redefined the power of the UN, the Secretary General and Secretariat and the Security Council. A Major point was that many nation states placed their armed forces under UN control.

After the treaty was signed, there were still problems, including the USA and People's Republic of China. The UN also became more interventionist than previously, sending Peace Keeping forces into hot spots around the world, and the "blue helmets" were more aggressive than in the previous century. Whether the UN was successful in defusing Terra's tensions is debatable, but by the late 2040's AD, the global "crisis" was lessening in intensity.

Space Exploration and Colonization[edit]

Archimedes Station on Luna, the first offworld colony, was established in 2013 AD. However, true space colonization movement occurred in the 2040's AD, as the planetary crisis lessened. Orbital Lagrange stations where established, lunar colonies rapidly expanded and Mars was colonized. The job of coordinating space colonization and exploration was handled by the UN Space Coordination Agency (UNSCA). The UNSCA also maintained research labs in many of these colonies. It was the Luna UNSCA labs in 2052 AD that discovered "Grav Modules" and the Ceres UNSCA labs which discovered reactionless drives in 2064.

The European Space Agency created generation ships. The first, Europa was launched to Alpha Centauri in the 2050's AD, with many more being sent out to the galaxy to find Human compatible worlds.

Jump Drive[edit]

The Terran jump drive was invented in 2088 AD, by the UNSCA Ceres labs. Fuel intensive and short range, it was used for insystem travel only. In 2098 AD, a Jump-1 drive was created. However, the utility seemed limited as no world was reachable from Terra. None of the space nations used the drive, and the ESA continued with their generation ship program. The exception was the USA. The US Space Force started an ambitious plan for a interstellar expedition using jump drives. Led by the USSF, but with UNSCA approval and multinational help, the expedition planned to go to Barnard's Star, not Alpha Centauri (the closest star). The discovery of a rogue planet one parsec away from Terra allowed a refueling station to be built, making Barnard's Star reachable with the Jump drive. (Terran drives before contact were still fuel intensive).

The StarLeaper One expedition launched in 2097 and spent a full year in interstellar space. The USA planned a major publicity effort when StarLeaper One returned, but instead imposed a media blackout when it returned to the Sol system. After conferring with US officials, a special session of the UNSCA governing board was called. News of the mission was finally released in late 2098: Intelligent life was discovered, and it was human!

Unification[edit]

News of the contact with the Vilani Imperium sent a shockwave through Terran society. It took time for the ramifications to sink in, but for the main, the reaction was fear and anger.

Given the size, technology and age of the Imperium, it seemed that if the Vilani chose to exercise their power, there would be little Terra could do against it. Moreover, there was a new impulse toward exploration and expansion in Terran culture which the mere presence of the Imperium prevented from being realized.

So, while initial contact with the Imperium was peaceful, many Terrans fully expected - and even welcomed - eventual war with the Imperium.

Contact: Vilani[edit]

Flashpoint: Barnard's Star[edit]

Since first contact, communications were kept open with Barnard's Star. Several nations founded colonies, and co-existed with the Kimashargur mining base, and the later "official" Sharurshid base. Soon the system became an intergalactic bazaar, with much trade between the two branches of humaniti.

Meanwhile, Terra began to militarize. Previously, space had become almost a de-militarized zone under the aegis of the UNSCA, but now many space weapon treaties where quietly repealed. While the Treaty of New York placed much of the planet-bound military in the UN hands, there was no such agreement for space, and many nations built their own space navies, and some private organizations did so as well.

Meanwhile the Imperium took little notice of all this. Fueled by a misunderstanding of Terran ethnic diversity, the Vilani classed Terra as barbarians (or an alliance of minor races). The Imperium tried to fit them into the Imperial system, but soon tired of these new and arrogant barbarians.

Finally, in 2114 AD a Sharurshid merchant convoy strayed too near the American base in Barnard's Star. When the vessels failed to contact traffic control, the Americans, fearing an imminent attack, open fire. Two ships where lost before the others could move out of range. The First Interstellar War had begun.

First Interstellar War[edit]

Interstellar Wars UWP A867A49-9

The punitive mission sent by the Vilani Saarpuhii Shana Likushan in 2115 AD totally destroyed the Chinese and American fleets at Barnard's Star, and then the rest of the Terran space flotillas where smashed and the Terran ground facilities where devastated, with the loss of almost all of their personnel. If the Vilani had wanted to continue, they could have taken Terra itself. However, the Vilani fleet commander believed that the "barbarians" had been punished enough and withdrew.

The Terran defeat was a result of the technological gap between Vilani and Terra, despite the "crash" development work carried out on Terra. More telling was the inexperienced and poorly-integrated command structure, with some national fleets refusing to engage the Vilani, leaving the Chinese and Americans to bear the initial attack on their own. However, the Vilani failure to follow through after the first battle allowed Terra to re-evaluate and restructure.

A second Imperial expedition was sent in 2122. This time the Terrans were ready, and while the battle was effectively a draw, Imperial losses where sufficient to upset Saarpuhii Likushan's budget. In order to avoid further distraction from pursuing her own larger ambitions elsewhere, Likushan offered an unofficial agreement recognizing Terra's claim to Barnard's Star in an exchange for its promise to stay out of Imperial space.

The Free Trade Movement[edit]

From the 2110's AD, a movement of free trade began to rapidly grow on Terra. Originally concerned with planetary trade, the concept spread to Terra's extra-planetary trade. Proponents of free trade resented the UN and national regulations of business. With contact with the Vilani, the movement expanded to promote free trade with the Imperium, and agitated for removal of both UN and Imperial barriers to such trade. The movement found a political voice when a Japanese industrialist Yukio Hasegawa created the Free Traders Foundation, which quickly became a political force in several of Terra's most powerful nations. With the Foundation's help, many "Free Traders" built starships and began trading with the Imperium, much to both UN and Imperial disapproval.

Uneasy Peace (2122 AD - 2125 AD)[edit]

The UNSCA began a crash development project, leading to a Terran Jump-2 in 2124, breaking an Imperial monopoly that it held for thousands of years, and allowing Terra ships to trade and military force directly into Imperial space.

After the Barnard's Star battle, it was clear that the Imperium was too daunting for a disorganized world to manage effectively without strong centralized command. Immediately after the armistice, the UN admitted Luna and Prometheus into the organization, and changed its name to the United Worlds Organization. It quickly began the process of creating a true and viable unified government, leading to a new constitution in 2124 AD and a new name the Terran Confederation. While not all nations originally signed the new charter, no nation ever challenged the Terran Confederation during the rest of the Interstellar Wars period.

The Second Interstellar War (2125 AD-2134)[edit]

Despite Saarpuhii Likushan's hopes, the Terrans did not meekly avoid further provocations.

Terra still felt confined by Vilani control of surrounding space, and was willing to defy the Imperium in order to find expansion room. By 2125, Terran Jump-2 ship began to appear within Imperial space. These ships explored Imperial space, made contact with local dissidents, and searched for some path around the Imperium (many of them being the "free traders" supported by the Free Traders Foundation.

All this infuriated the Sharurshid officials, who sent their complaints to Likushan. Finally she decided to send another punitive expedition into Terran Space. The new invasion fleet arrived on the Imperial frontier in late 2125 AD.

Terra received prior warning of the expedition, and a Confederation screening force engaged the expedition at Agidda. The unified Confederation Fleet soon arrived and a major action took place, with both sides deploying cruiser class ships for the first time. The Battle of Agidda was a tactical draw, as both fleets unable to press the attack, but a strategic victory, since they retained control of the system and established a base soon afterward.

A sitzkreig ensured, with neither side attempting an offensive. Terran commerce raiding across the Sirus gap and Imperial attempts to contain the expanding Terran influence.

By early 2130's, it became clear that something was distracting the Vilani (it was in fact a civil war far coreward of Terra]. With Likushan stretched by her support of her Sharrukin family and keeping Terra at bay, The Confederation mounted a raid against Nusku in 2134. Although repulsed with heavy losses, Likushan sought another armistice. After a token attack against Procyon for final battle honours, Likushan seeded nominal control over everything between Agidda and Procyon

The Rule of Man[edit]

No information avaiable.

The Long Night[edit]

Twilight[edit]

Twilight hit Terra less hard than on most other worlds, as Terra is a naturally hospitable world for humans. Terra was able to fall back on its own trade fleets and maintain a trading community with the Old Earth Union.

Night[edit]

The Long Night was not noticed by Terra in -1526 nor -1527. But at the same time Terran culture turned from expansionist to static. Massive incentives were needed for high risk or hard working jobs off planet, compared with the comfortable lifestyle that Terra offered.

Dawn (Imperial Contact)[edit]

The Third Imperium IISS stared to reach the Solomani Rim in 100. Trade was established early, and by 200 Most of the worlds in the Rim were trading with themselves, notably the Near Boötes Cluster and Old Earth Union. Imperial expansion took time, with Terra absorbed in 588.

The Third Imperium[edit]

Rise of the Solomani Movement[edit]

No information avaiable.

  • Solomani Autonomous Region (704): n/a
  • Solomani Confederation (871): n/a
  • Solomani Rim War (990-1002): n/a
  • Imperial Occupation (1002-1100): n/a

Terra in the Milieu 1116[edit]

n/a

Terra in the Rebellion[edit]

n/a

Terra in Milieu 1120[edit]

Superficially, Terra is relatively unchanged from the dawn of space flight. The planetary climate has risen over 3,500 years, with sea levels rising 15' (5 meters). Climate is maintained by an elaborate weather control system. Several regions have changed dramatically. The north African - central Asian desert has been reduced in size, with much of the Sahara turned into a garden, particularly the old Libyan Desert. Here a hydrological project during the Rule of Man diverted the old Nile River into the Quatta Depression. Egypt lost the Nile irrigation as a result, however the inland sea brought a cooler moister climate to vast stretch of the Sahara. The is dwarfed by the flooding of the Siberian Plain around -1500, creating a new arm of the Arctic Ocean about the size the Mediterranean Sea. These changes combined with global warming have created new fertile and productive areas.

Children of Earth Milieu[edit]

Non-canon: Terra has in its history been a capital for several interstellar governments, the Terran Republic being the latest. The Republic controls or occupies 32 star systems, and has a total population of around 56.22 billion inhabitants, most of these on Terra itself. Though officially the Republic has as its form of government a civil service bureaucracy led by an Executive Council, the real power lies with the Gabreelist faith, its leader Shoshanna Dahnara-Avila, and her family. Despite its incorporation of theocratic elements, the Republic is somewhat more tolerant than most of its Solomani-centric predecessors, and openly disavows the racist tenets of the Solomani Movement.

All the worlds within the Republic with the exception of Terra (which has its own Executive Council) are administered locally by a bureaucracy and a governor which acts as the chief executive. It is the primary responsibility of the governor to see that the central government's policies are implemented, act as the civilian commander-in-chief of the local system defense and militia forces, and to oversee the Republic's interests locally. Governors are appointed by the Republic's Executive Council for a single 10 year term (the exception being Prometheus, which has a hereditary governor). While not elected, they are subject to recall if they become unpopular, prove incompetent, or stray too far from the central government's line.

A Hiver colony, consisting of over 200,000 individuals, was stranded on Terra during the Collapse. Located in the southern continent known as Australia, the colony (along with human-run research centers in Nepal and North America) was the focal point of much of the effort toward the final defeat of the Virus on Terra. Some years ago, the Hivers planned an expedition to find out what, if anything, may be left of the Hive Federation. The Terran government was reluctant to back such an expedition at the time because of a shortage of high jump capability (in this case, jump-3) starships. This no longer being the case, the Terran government is now expected to assist the Hivers in the effort, which will travel through the Alpha Leonis Sector. Other similar expeditions in other directions (particularly coreward) are also planned.

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