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Dominion War
The Federation fleet advances to engage the Dominion
Date: 2373 - 2375
Location: Alpha and Beta Quadrants
Result: Federation Alliance victory
COMBATANTS
United Federation of Planets
Klingon Empire
Romulan Star Empire
Ferengi Alliance
Dominion
Cardassian Union
Breen Confederacy
COMMANDERS
Various including General Martok, Admiral William Ross, Captain Benjamin Sisko Various including Female Changeling, Weyoun, Gul Dukat, Legate Damar, Thot Gor, Thot Pran
CASUALTIES
91 million in the United Federation of Planets 900 million Cardassians, unknown Dominion and Breen losses
CONFLICT CHRONOLOGY
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Federation-Klingon War (2372-73)

The Dominion War was a conflict fought between the Federation Alliance and the Dominion in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants from 2373 to 2375. The Dominion fought to extend the will of the Founders over the two quadrants, while the alliance battled to remain free from Dominion influence. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

The Romulan Star Empire referred to the conflict as the War of Foes United (Rihan: Akh nnea Htirrnen Anna'erien). (Bait and Switch: "Emael Mosekhesailho, Part I")

Prelude[]

Dominion invasion

The Dominion fleet enters the Alpha Quadrant

After a three year campaign to weaken the major Alpha quadrant powers the Dominion managed to gain a significant foothold in the quadrant after striking a deal with Gul Dukat that resulted in the Cardassian Union joining the Dominion. With a base of operations in the Alpha Quadrant, the Dominion started to send large convoys of warships and troops to secure their new dominion and prepare for the inevitable war against the Federation and Klingon Empire. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow", "By Inferno's Light", "Call to Arms")

In an effort to halt the build-up of Dominion forces the Federation took drastic measures. With approval from Starfleet Command Captain Benjamin Sisko mined the Alpha Quadrant side of the Bajoran wormhole cutting the vital supply line between the Dominion's presence in the Cardassian Union and its industrial base in the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

The war[]

Dominion fires

The Dominion fleet begins the war with their attack on Deep Space 9.

The opening battle occurred at Deep Space 9 when the Dominion fleet attacked the Federation run starbase to stop the completion of the minefield. At the same time a joint Starfleet-Klingon Defense Force task force crossed into the union and attacked the shipyards at Torros III. The results were a victory for each attacking side, however, the Federation come out better in the two engagements with the minefield completed and a larger number of Dominion vessels destroyed. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

The Dominion went immediately onto the offensive extending their borders. At the same time, Starfleet continued to reinforce its positions to defend against the Dominion. (DS9: "Valiant")

Three months into the war the morale for the Federation and Klingons was low with the constant retreats and high losses such as those suffered by the Seventh Fleet at the Battle of Tyra. (DS9: "A Time to Stand"; Star Trek: The Adventures of Argus; Star Trek: Lambda Paz)

Sacrifice of Angels 8

Dominion and Federation forces meet during Operation Return.

This low morale would finally be turned around with Operation Return. In a crucial victory for the allies, they not only routed a numerically superior Dominion fleet but they regained Deep Space 9 and effectively ended any hopes of Gamma Quadrant reinforcements for the Dominion forces for the rest of the war. (DS9: "Favor the Bold", "Sacrifice of Angels")

The war entered a brief lull as the Dominion reorganised after losing Deep Space 9. During this time the Dominion approached the Federation for a diplomatic settlement to the war, which would prove to be a ploy. After the negotiations failed the tempo of the war increased. (DS9: "Statistical Probabilities")

In 2374, the Dominion attempted to simultaneously test an experimental torpedo and use it for plans of destruction. A fleet of their ships were able to destroy the Tiloniam system star using the torpedoes; but a few malfunctioning torpedoes were unsuccessful in an attack against the USS Phoenix. (Star Trek: Phoenix-X: "The Tiloniam System")

In the same year, the USS Phoenix-X encountered a problem in their transwarp engine that sent them into the Gamma Quadrant. While there, they engaged in combat with Dominion ships and took on some prisoners of war. Rather than submit being prisoners, the captured soldiers all committed suicide, traumatizing Captain Daniel. (Star Trek: Phoenix-X: "The Cloud Aloft")

The Dominion fleet won a crucial victory in the Battle of Betazed late in 2374. This victory was a big loss to the Federation and placed several important core worlds at risk of Dominion invasion. In a desperate move Starfleet sanctioned a plan to lure the Romulan Star Empire into the war on the Federation's side. In an operation spearheaded by Captain Sisko with the help of former Obsidian Order agent, Elim Garak it was a success and the Romulans broke their treaty with the Dominion and entered the war. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

With a third front opened the newly formed Federation Alliance gained the advantage over the Dominion. The Dominion's forces now spread out allowed it to take the war into the Cardassian's backyard. Captain Sisko was again given the task of planning the operation and chose the Chin'toka system. In a brief but somewhat costly battle for the alliance, they captured the system. (DS9: "Tear of the Prophets")

In 2375, Task Force Epsilon was assigned to patrol the Flortarios sector, to protect it against possible Dominion threats. This grouping of ships was commanded by Captain Daniel of the USS Phoenix-X, but was short-lived when the Dominion War ended in the same year. The remaining six ships remained in patrol of the Flortarios sector for a year, after the Phoenix-X left, causing a hint of collective resentment with the Captains. (Star Trek: Phoenix-X: "Home", "The Bajoran Trove", "Loyalties")

Aftermath[]

Cardassia in ruins

The capital city on Cardassia Prime at the end of the war.

All the powers involved suffered significant losses during the war. In particular the Cardassian Union, which suffered huge casualties both militarily and to its civilian population and was occupied by the Federation Alliance. The military forces of the alliance suffered heavily, and the Klingon Defense Force in particular would need decades to replace its losses. (DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", "What You Leave Behind")

In 2375, while patrolling the aftermath of the war in the Alpha Quadrant, the USS Phoenix-X discovered a Vorta and group of Jem'Hadar survived in a pile of space debris. After being permitted freedom on the ship, the group eventually fought back at mistreatment they felt they received. Feeling guilty, Captain Daniel set them free on a passing M-Class planet. (Star Trek: Phoenix-X: "Factors of Humanity")

Tuition in the Klingon university system underwent a hike during the Dominion War, which was frozen until 2401, at which point the Klingon High Council decided to lower the tuition by 300 darseks/year. (Star Trek: The Stoneship Files: "The Defector")

The Federation Alliance disintegrated in the years following the war, and the Klingons fell to infighting for some years due to succession crises in the Great Houses: many families' heirs and patriarchs had fallen in battle. The Romulan Star Empire saw this as an opportunity to further destabilize their old enemies. (Bait and Switch: "Emael Mosekhesailho, Part I")

Under provisions of the Treaty of Bajor, the Cardassian Union underwent a reorganization, with the democratically elected Detapa Council restored after two years of military rule, and the Cardassian Guard downsized and restructured as the Cardassian Defense Force. The CDF was legally limited in size and banned from operating outside Cardassian borders. A number of Cardassian Guard officers disagreed with this, eventually coalescing into an ongoing insurgency under the banner of the True Way. (Star Trek Online: The Path to 2409)

Statistics[]

Dominion War Timeline[]

The final death tolls in the war were:

  • One million Starfleet officers and enlisted personnel;
  • 90 million Federation citizens on occupied member worlds;
  • 200,000 Klingon warriors, with nearly as many Romulans;
  • 900 million Cardassians, military and civilian;
  • Breen losses are unknown. ("End of the War and Aftermath: January-September 2376")

The War of the Masters[]

Federation civilian losses included 47 million Benzites and 70 million Betazoids on their occupied homeworlds. ("A Good Compromise")

Other battles[]

Associated events[]

See also[]

Alternate timelines[]

In an effort to prevent Captain Limis Vircona from being captured by Dominion forces in late-2374, 31st century temporal agent Jonas Grabowski transported her to his time period. The result was the timeline he sought to prevent in which the Dominion emerged victoriously and presumably laid waste to Bajor, the effects of which would still be felt seven centuries later. That timeline was erased when Limis returned to the 24th century using the Orb of Time. (Star Trek: Lambda Paz: The Tides of War, Part II)

External links[]

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