Ivan Wolfe
Ivan Wolfe | |
In office 1004 to 1012 | |
Preceded by | Lily Magruder |
---|---|
Succeeded by | Unknown |
Race | Solomani |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Solomani Confederation |
Rank | Admiral |
Unit | Diaspora Sector Fleet |
Commands | Grand Fleet |
Ivan Wolfe was a Solomani politician and military leader. He served as an admiral in the Confederation Navy during the Solomani Rim War and was elected as Secretary General of the Solomani Confederation after the war. He is remembered as a hero and reformer.
History & Background (Biography)[edit]
Ivan Wolfe was born within the Solomani Sphere during the period of the Solomani Confederation. He joined the Confederation Navy and reached the rank of rear admiral in the Diaspora Sector Fleet prior to the start of the Rim War.
Solomani Rim War[edit]
At the outbreak of the war Rear Admiral Wolfe was stationed with the Diaspora Sector Fleet serving under the Sector Admiral Donnovan. Due to his reputation as a capable strategist he had been influential in the development of the Solomani offensive plans in that sector. The task force under his command captured the important Imperial worlds of Layne and Depot. His plan was successful at destroying the Imperial Diaspora Sector Fleet, but it also resulted in significant losses to Solomani war assets.
In 1001 Wolfe was promoted to Grand Admiral and the single Solomani Grand Fleet was placed under his command. He was able to strike a significant blow against the Imperial 17th Fleet at the Battle of Agidda. At the Battle of Dingir he was forced to retreat when facing the combined strength of the Imperial 1st and 17th fleets. This defeat led directly to the capture of Terra due to Wolfe retreating the Grand Fleet beyond the Rimward Gap.
The final act of Wolfe during the war was to meet the Imperial Admiral Adair during the negotiation of the armistice. Despite protests from radical elements of the Solomani Party, he reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities.
Secretary General[edit]
In 1003 the election of the Secretary General of the Solomani Confederation occurred. Ivan Wolfe and Vera Ricasoli of Turin both ran for the position; Wolfe won and was inaugurated in 1004.
As Secretary General, the first action he took was the founding of a new capital for the Solomani Confederation on the world of Home in the Aldebaran Subsector. It was chosen due to its distance from the Imperial border and because the main world is very similar to Terra.
The 12 years of war with the Imperium created two challenges for Wolfe to solve. The first was the rebuilding of the Solomani economy and the second the reorganization of the Solomani military.
To address the loss of industry, the Wolfe administration provided funding to establish industrial centers far from the Imperial border. The goal was not only to rebuild but to also prevent the same catastrophe experienced during the Rim War when Imperial raiders bombed those worlds. Additionally, the government opened trade negotiations with the Hive Federation. The result of these policies strengthened the economic importance of Alpha Crucis Sector and Aldebaran Sector at the expense of Magyar Sector.
Rebuilding the Confederation military required more than constructing new capital ships and training new soldiers. The Wolfe administration recognized that the lack of sufficient Home Guard forces caused the Confederation Navy to be stretched too thin if they attempted to defend every world. A centralized Home Guard system was implemented that required all worlds to maintain a minimum level of military funding, with the Confederation providing matching funds for those unable to meet the requirements. The Navy Home Guard was reorganized on a district rather than planetary level which allowed worlds to train together and pool their funding together.
Wolfe served for eight years, stepping down from the position in 1012.
Legacy[edit]
Ivan Wolfe is remembered as a war hero and reformer that saved the Solomani Confederation from complete occupation and ruin. His birthday, August 20th, is celebrated all across the Confederation. Orbiting the capital of Home is the asteroid satellite named Wolfe's Rock, which houses the Ivan Wolfe Naval Base and the Albadawi Naval Academy.
References[edit]
- Michael Taylor. Fighting Ships of the Solomani (QuikLink Interactive, 2009), 9-12.
- David L. Pulver. Solomani (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), 37,39-40,50,70-76,128,131.
- David L. Pulver. Solomani Rim (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), 107.
- Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), 25-26.