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Jerry Pournelle's Future History
Framed Site
Timeline
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Star - Map
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Reading Order
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Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and High Justice
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Ambiguities and Difficulties
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Bibliography
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Links
A few quick notes:
Other mercenary units, including the Cossack Adventurers and the Cameron Highlanders, are later absorbed into the CD Armed Services. [FL 206]
The CoDominium rules dozens of worlds but rests on an unstable alliance back on Earth. The Soviet Union and the United States retain approximately their twentieth-century structures, but with a much greater level of corruption. The CD's military force continues to ruthlessly enforce world peace.
In the USA, the Republican and Democratic parties have fused into the "Unity Party" which espouses the CD platform. American society has become a two-caste system: the productive, educated, and privileged "taxpayers" hand out benefits (but not real power) to the welfare-dependent "Citizens".
The political situation in the USSR is chaotic. The Communist Party continues to be the upper-class, but now devoid of any ideology – dogmatic Marxism exists only in Western universities. It is unclear whether the symbols of pre-1917 Russia are ever in vogue. Around 2040 (during Lermontov's youth) the military briefly rules the USSR (At some point the East Prussian city of Kaliningrad returns to its German name of Koenigsberg: why?) It is likely that St Ekaterina is founded by involuntary Russian colonists, but this is not stated. It should be noted that there is no explicit mention of voluntary Soviet colonists on any planet! [FL 215; GTS 71.]
In countries other than the USA and the USSR, the CoDominium is resented but not resisted. It does manage to prevent the use of nuclear weapons almost completely – although Bakersfield is nuked by a militant group and Seattle is held ransom by nuclear-equipped criminals. [FL 230; PS 320.]
The CD itself is governed by the Grand Senate located underground on the moon (Luna). The Fleet – the CD Space Navy and Marines – has complete control of nuclear weapons and space weapons, and effective veto power over all human military actions. The Fleet includes:
The Grand Admiral of the Fleet commands from the moon and worries about the preservation of the human race and the safety of the colony worlds. Meanwhile, most Grand Senators angle to maximize their profits from the colonies.
- the Navy: an armada of Alderson Drive space cruisers and smaller ships,
- the Fleet Marines: prestigious upper-class fighting units,
- the Garrison Marines: police-style riot suppressors stationed on the colonies,
- the Line Marines: rugged low-class fighters preserving the Foreign Legion military traditions.
By 2050, there are over 40 human colonies (not counting fuel stops and asteroid mines). Many human colonies now have limited self-government, but all remain subject to CD rule. Voluntary emigration levels off as the hardships of frontier life become more well-known. Some ethnic and separatist groups are "encouraged" to emigrate: this includes Eskimos, Inuits, Black Separatists, Mormons from the USA, and Finns and Russian Nationalists from the USSR. And after 2040, forced emigration of convicts and "undesirables" eventually reaches 15 million persons per year. Only a handful of colonies become truly pleasant places to live (usually those planets which were settled and subsidized by parent nations on Earth). [FL 302; PS 2; WWCD 111; WWD 119, 173.]
A tremendous increase in nationalism in all countries. Outside the USA and the USSR, this involves outright hatred of CoDominium. In the USA and the USSR, this means a revival of the 20th Century rivalry and demands that the superpower alliance be dissolved. The American and Soviet governments continue to support the CD, but compromise with nationalists by slashing the CD budget repeatedly.
The Unity Party, formed by the merger of the Democratic and Republican parties, has ruled the USA for many decades, and its loyalists are convinced that only the CD stands between mankind and nuclear war. But its power is waning; President Lipscomb maintains his power through blatantly dishonest methods. The "Green" environmentalists have lost much of their power [GTS 51]. The welfare-dependent "Citizens" are freely supplied with the Tanith-grown drug "borloi" to keep them passive. Peace is no longer a novelty. New political factions begin to grow:
The situation in the USA seems typical: very few true democracies still exist on Earth. [PS 83.]
- the Patriot Party, led by Harmon, demands an end to the CD and a strong stance against the USSR.
- the Freedom Party, led by Bertram, aims to end corruption and attracts many young idealists.
- the Liberation Party, led by Millington, wants to abolish the Citizen/Taxpayer division. This is a radical left-wing party with ties to violent Marxists. It is outlawed sometime between 2082 and 2093. [FL 223; PM 34, 156; "Dark Hole" 20.]
In the USSR, anti-CD sentiment takes two main forms. One is the revival of hard-line Communism, led by Kaslov. The other is the Pamyat movement, which advocates a return to pre-Soviet Russian nationalism. [FL 213; WWCD 300.]
CoDominium Space is now 200 light-years in maximum diameter and contains 70 inhabited worlds. [These numbers are given on FL 297. GTS 248 counts "more than 100" human colonies, while PS 2 counts "more than 130" and the Mote prologue claims "200" by the end of the century. And New Washington is 320 light-years from Earth, per FL 432.] But as the CD weakens, it abandons worlds far from Earth or minor in economic value. It maintains Tanith and Fulson's World as common destinations for exiled convicts, and Haven as the main dumping ground for "undesirables" of every sort.
Science on Earth remains at a standstill (except for medical science, which develops sophisticated regeneration techniques). The main scientific marvels of this century are the Alderson Drive and advanced materials such as Nemourlon. However, scientific reserach is being quiely revived on Meiji, Xanadu, and Sparta. [GTS 97, 316, 335; PS 40. For technical details on the Drive, see "Building the Mote in God's Eye" 125-128 and "Dark Hole" 23-25. Despite Horvath's statement in the prologue to Mote, the Langston Field does not seem to exist in the 21st Century.]
The strongest planets are becoming independent and establishing their own spheres of influence. Planets which possess their own space navies include Xanadu (by 2082), Danube (by 2082), Friedland (by 2087), Meiji (between 2081 and 2087), Dayan (by 2094), and Frystaat (by 2094). Covenant and Churchill may have small fleets as well. These planets are all quite rich and have populations as high as 50 million. [FL 229, 351; PM 143; GTS 20, 55-56, 102, 299.] Many national wars begin to break out on the individual worlds, but the CoDominium still manages to prevent interplanetary wars of conquest.
Unable to use their military for off-planet conquests, some of the worlds (Friedland, Covenant, Xanadu) begin hiring out their national armies as mercenary bands to serve on other planets. This trains their soldiers and raises substantial revenue [FL 348]. As this practice proves successful, truly independent mercenary units begin to appear as well. Through the early 2080's, the badly-enforced "Anti-Mercenary Codes" forbid such groups. Eventually the CD permits mercenary bands but requires the Fleet to enforce the "Laws of War". The Fleet is scrupulous in enforcing these conduct codes, especially in the case of atrocities against CD personnel or Earth corporations. As a result, the successful mercenary groups – the Nouveau Légion Étrangère, Moolman's Commandos, the Katanga Gendarmerie – tend to pride themselves on their precision and on their care in distinguishing combatants from civilians. [FL 205-209, 335-336.] As Earth moves towards nuclear war and the colonies move toward interstellar anarchy, Senator Martin Grant, CIA Director John Grant Sr., Admiral Sergei Lermontov, Dr. Caldwell Whitlock, the Blaine family, and the Leontin family meet to discuss whether the CD is doomed and what might follow its demise. They contact King Alexander Collins of Sparta to discuss possibilities. The date of these discussions is unknown, except that Whitlock was invited around 2075/6. ["Dark Hole" 20; GTS 21; PS 73.]
After the campaign, Owensford and Barton join Falkenberg's Legion, which has a recruiter on Thurstone.
[Note: It never stated that Falkenberg's Legion is involved in the civil war. It is equally possible that they have recruiters on many planets, or that they are on Thurstone to purchase rifles from the city of New Aberdeen. It is stated that the Legion was involved in some military action in one of the nations of Thurstone during the next decade. GTS 11; PM 170.]
July to Nov: PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Ch 5-6. (Silent Leges 3-4.)
Tanith, spring and early summer: Working the fields.
Late in year:
New Washington: After two years, the war for independence from Franklin is going well. Then Franklin hires mercenaries from Friedland and Covenant; New Washington's rebellion is crushed in three weeks. Franklin begins a blockade of New Washington and contemplates further conquests. The remaining Washington rebels decide to contact Falkenberg's Legion for help.
[FL 349-351]
Nov:
Sparta: King Alexander has second thoughts about his plans for Lermontov and Falkenberg. Prince Lysander leaves for Tanith (five month journey). [PM 97]
Feb to early April: PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Ch 7. (Silent Leges 5.)
Tanith, late summer to harvest: Working the fields.
Mid-April: PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Ch 1-2, 8.
Tanith: Lysander arrives. He meets Ursula Gordon, Gov. Blaine, and Col. Falkenberg.
Late April to Early May: PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Ch 9-10. (Silent Leges 6-7.)
Tanith, autumn: Fuller in Free State for ten days. Raid.
Mid-May: PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Ch 11, 14(end), 15-20.
Tanith, autumn: Parties, plans, and scouting. Falkenberg receives a request for aid from New Washington and sends a reply.
[PM 174, 195]
Late May: PRINCE OF MERCENARIES, Ch 21-28.
Tanith, autumn: Campaign against rebel planters.
Early June:
Tanith: Barton's Bastards absorbed into Falkenberg's Mercenary Legion, bringing its size to around 4400 soldiers. [GTS 11]
June: FALKENBERG'S LEGION, Part 2, Ch 12. (Mercenary 12.)
Luna: Lermontov and Martin Grant learn of Tanith campaign.
July:
New Washington: Falkenberg's reply received. Howard Bannister heads for Tanith (4 month journey) while Glenda Ruth Horton organizes ranchers.
c. July: GO TELL THE SPARTANS One pp. 22-28.
Earth: Senator Bronson and Geoffrey Niles lay plans.
July: GO TELL THE SPARTANS One pp. 8-12, 14-21; Two pp. 38-47.
Tanith: Peter Owensford promoted to Major, commanding 5th Battalion of Falkenberg's Legion. The batallion departs for Sparta (5 month journey).
c. Oct: GO TELL THE SPARTANS One pp. 12-14, 28-34; Two pp. 47-53.
Sparta: Skilly Thibodeau leads the Helot terrorist group. (Around this time, Melissa von Alderheim has an altercation with Dion Croser and Skilly.) [PS 175-6]
Nov or Dec: FALKENBERG'S LEGION, Part 2, Ch 13-14. (Mercenary 13-14.)
Tanith: Bannister arrives and hires remaining four battalions of Falkenberg's Legion. They depart for New Washington (4 month journey).
["Mercenary" gives the year as "2093", but this date was deleted when the story was reprinted in "Falkenberg's Legion". See Falkenberg Ambiguities.]
Late Dec: GO TELL THE SPARTANS Three; Four pp. 69-88.
Sparta: 5th Brigade arrives on Sparta. First progress report sent to Falkenberg. [PS 129]
Feb: GO TELL THE SPARTANS Five.
Sparta, autumn: Riot in the Spartosky.
Before March:
Earth: Vice-Admiral Townsend, grandson of Sen. Bronson, continues to undermine Adm. Lermontov's plans. John Grant Sr. dies. Capt. John Grant Jr., commanding CDSN Intrepid, heads for New Washington (timing unknown, but it's after he learns of his father's death.) Unity Party election prospects look grim. Whitlock prepares to leave Earth permanently.
[FL 429; PS 65]
c. March: GO TELL THE SPARTANS Six - Eight.
Sparta, late autumn: Dion Croser elected to Sparta Senate. King Alexander's Own Regiment formed.
April: GO TELL THE SPARTANS Nine.
Sparta, autumn/winter: Ursula undercover.
[Dates from GTS 205, 256.]
April: FALKENBERG'S LEGION, Part 2, Ch 15. (Mercenary 15.)
New Washington: Falkenberg's Legion lands. Allansport secured. Falkenberg receives Owensford's 12/94 progress report, and sends his own (which is apparently garbled in transmission, confusing Allansport with Astoria).
[PS 129-131]
May?: FALKENBERG'S LEGION, Part 2, Ch 16-21. (Mercenary 16-21.)
New Washington: Battle for Astoria. Falkenberg sends another progress report. Campaigns in the north. Return to Allansport.
[In the text, there is no reason to suppose the gap between the first securing of Allansport and the battle for Astoria is much more than the three day sea journey (FL 366). But Karantov claims this communique is "somewhat more recent" than the first one (PS 151). Oddly, Falkenberg seems to have mentioned Glenda Ruth Horton in the message (PS 374).]
June: ? FALKENBERG'S LEGION, Part 2, Ch 22. (Mercenary 22.)
New Washington: John Grant Jr. arrives in the CDSN Intrepid.
July: GO TELL THE SPARTANS Ten - Fourteen.
Sparta, mid-winter: "Battle of the Dales".
[PS 96 shows this is not the very end of winter; PS 7, 14 show that it is two months prior to spring. Spartan seasons last an average of 4.75 months.]
Late July: GO TELL THE SPARTANS Fifteen.
Sparta, winter: Hal Slater speaks of the need for Empire.
Between July and Nov:
New Washington: Franklin grants independence to New Washington. John Christian Falkenberg III appointed Protector of New Washington. He sends message to Sergei Lermontov (possibly via John Grant Jr.?). [PS 374]
August:
Sparta, late winter: Follow-up campaigns in the Dales. Ursula elopes to Friedland. Around this time, Jason Freedman dies; David Freedman becomes King.
[PS 37, 66, 96]
Sept: PRINCE OF SPARTA One; Two pp. 30-37.
Sparta, early spring: Mopping-up operations.
[PS 14, 24]
Oct: PRINCE OF SPARTA Two pp.38-48; Three pp. 50-54.
Sparta, early spring: Croser plans referendum.
Oct or Nov: PRINCE OF SPARTA Three pp. 54-61; Four.
Sparta, spring: Whitlock arrives from Earth. Referendum begun. Four companies of ex-Helots sent to New Washington.
[Note that Whitlock's comments about New Washington on PS 87 must refer to the parts of that planet already sympathetic to the rebels, since PS 129 makes it clear that there is as yet no news of Falkenberg's campaigns. Also, there is insufficient time for the Helot troops to reach New Washington before the end of "Prince of Sparta", much less send a message back to Owensford. Presumably his comments are in error or refer to their training on Sparta. PS 66, 301.]
Nov or Dec: PRINCE OF SPARTA Five.
Sparta, spring: Lysander at Colchis Gap.
Jan and Feb:
Earth: Major budget crisis in USA. Political crisis in USSR. First mutiny breaks out in a CD warship. By February, probably more mutinies, confusion, disinformation. Admiral Lermontov receives Falkenberg's Summer '95 report.
[PS 261, 304]
Late Feb or Early March:
Luna: Senator Bronson makes speech decrying terrorism on Sparta.
[Dated 17 May 2094 on PS 126, but this contradicts date of council meeting. See Falkenberg Ambiguities.]
Early March: PRINCE OF SPARTA Seven pp.169-177.
Sparta, early summer : Referendum complete.
[Voting did not quite take "half a year", as Croser boasts on PS 170.]
March:
Earth and Luna: Grand Senate dissolved. New elections look unlikely. Rump Senate meets and orders Admiral Lermontov's arrest; Lermontov sends final message. Vice-Admiral Townsend (or General Nguyen?) orders arrest of Falkenberg's troops on Sparta.
[PS 321, 351, 365, 374. Forrest is wrong to interpret this as the "breakup of the CoDominium".]
March: PRINCE OF SPARTA Eight - Ten.
Sparta, early summer (but still snow in the mountains): Incident at the Stora Mine.
April: PRINCE OF SPARTA Eleven - Thirteen.
Sparta, summer: Meeting of CD officers. Spartan Senate meets (17 April). Attack on Helot base.
[PS 274, 284, 287]
May: PRINCE OF SPARTA Fourteen - Eighteen.
Sparta, summer: Battle of Sparta City.
"Exodus of the Fleet": the former CD Navy abandons Earth and seeks a new home. Russian elements of the Fleet choose St Ekaterina as the home for their dependents.
[Date given in timelines as 2103 (misstated as 2108 in WWTO 427). The exact details are unclear. GTS 299 and PS 72, 97, 377-8 suggest that interstellar war would probably follow the collapse of the CD, but it's not clear if this happens before 2111. Mote 179 suggests that the war might not have started right away.]
(This must be the same Lysander as before; he is probably also the "Lysander the Great" of Hand 58, 96. If so, it's unclear what new title or position he is given in this year. Perhaps at this point the dual monarchy of Sparta is abolished; perhaps this refers to his new position as monarch of two planets. Date given in timelines; also see GTS 3-4.)
Earth's Great Patriotic Wars of 2103 are brief but devastating. After this point, Earth will never again be a major player in interstellar politics, and for the next thousand years no human planet will ever approach the population of 20th or 21st Century Earth (Mote 245).
The extent of the damage is unclear. WWIII 9 claims this ends all life on Earth, and this is also implied in WWBS 152, but that can't be correct. WWI 65, 227 refer to the "virtual depopulation of Earth". There certainly are a lot of nuclear weapons in use: WWBS 152 describes "cobalt-encased thermonuclear bombs" used to make the planet (or part of it) uninhabitable. Mote 275, WWTO 426, WWIV 146 also refer to nuclear wars; the last of these speaks of the nuclear winter and the "years without summers" which followed. Entire regions become uninhabitable – Afghanistan is annihilated, per WWIII 37 – , and WWTO 427 states that "large portions of the Earth" are now "a poisonous mass grave". Nonetheless, some areas are spared, including Jamaica and the Tyrolean Alps, per Mote 254, 275.
The loss of Earth devastates those colonies which are not self-sufficient. 75% of Haven's population dies, and the inhabitants of the orbital station Ayesha flee to Haven and found the undersea city of Castalia (WWBF 1; WWIV 32, 185-8).
Among the surviving human worlds this is a period of war and interstellar anarchy. The "Spartan Hegemony" manages to protect Sparta from major damage, but is unable to completely protect St Ekaterina; the Russian planet is badly hurt during the Formation Wars (Mote 179).
There are other small empires besides the Spartan Hegemony. The "Republic of Frystaat" controls a small dominion; it later joins the Spartan Hegemony as a semi-autonomous member, and its "Jarnsveld's Jaegers" become the Hegemony's irregular shock troops (WWI 227-8). The "Falkenberg Protectorate" – presumably based on New Washington – is almost certainly allied with Sparta, but remains somewhat separate for a while. Tanith is part of the Falkenberg Protectorate, and is thus shielded from major damage during the Formation Wars (WWII 166).
By the year 2250, the Spartan Hegemony controls all of human space. (WWI 121 refers to "wars with the Outies in the early days of the Empire", but presumably that refers to the pre-2250 period.)
This era sees the revival of aristocracy. The Spartan royal family is at the head of this, but the names Blaine, Barton, and (surprisingly!) Townsend also become marks of nobility. (But despite John Christian Falkenberg III's comments about founding a dynasty, there will be no "Falkenbergs" mentioned in later stories; nor Grants, nor Lermontovs..... nor Bronsons.) The nobility are quite popular in this early era, probably due to their willingness to lead from the front rather than from the rear, and also due to their perceived concern for their subjects. Nine centuries later (Hand 75), Lysander II will be remembered for tearing down the old CD prison in Sparta City and turning it into a park for his people.
For over three and a half centuries, the Empire of Man rules hundreds of human planets and prevents the outbreak of interstellar war. There are a few minor local wars and rebellions, but the Marines mostly function as planetary police (timelines; WWI 58). The period from 2250 to 2603 is perhaps the longest and most widespread peace in human history.
The exact size of the Empire is not stated. It contains "hundreds of planets" (WWII 35); moreover, since the revived Empire in the early 31st Century does not seem to be settling new planets, we can assume that the First Empire is at least as large as the Second, which is around 1000 light-years in diameter and contains over 400 (and possibly as many as a thousand) human worlds (Mote prologue, 458; Hand 73, 83).
Not much is known about the government of the First Empire, though it may be similar to that of the Second. The Emperor is a descendant of the Collins Kings of Sparta. There is an Imperial Parliament and an Imperial Senate; the latter, at least, does not have representatives from every planet. The armed forces are held in respect, and veterans are given land grants on various planets (KDS 54; WWI 61, 122; WWIII 61, 319).
Despite its Spartan origins, the Empire of Man still retains a number of the characteristics of the CoDominium. Newly-settled planets are divided into American and Russian "spheres of influence", which may merely refer to different internal governmental systems. And unpleasant planets – including Haven – are still used as penal colonies for criminals or other transportees. (These points are only mentioned on WWBV 17 and Hand 138, and this could possibly be an error.) The Imperial standard has an illustration of a Phoenix, but there is no mention of the Eagle-Hammer-Sickle of the CoDominium and the Second Empire (WWIII 319).
The Imperial Orthodox Church – a state-sponsored Christian church – is the official religion of the Empire. However, this fact is only mentioned twice ("Motelight" 122 and WWIV 138), so it is possible that the Church is not as central to the First Empire as it will be to the Second. This church may be the same as the reunified Christian Church led by Pope John XXVI in the 2020's (PM 143). It was probably the monarchy on St Ekaterina that pushed for the idea of an official Church, since it's hard to imagine that Sparta, with its libertarian bent, would have lobbied for an official religion of the Empire! Yet the Church probably makes its home at the city of New Rome on Sparta – as this seems to be the home of the Church in the Second Empire, per Mote 415. In any event, there is complete religious freedom in the Empire. Indeed, some planets have very few members of the established Church – for example, Dayan remains mostly Jewish, Levant mostly Muslim, Covenant mostly Presbyterian, and Sauron mostly atheist. In any event, centuries of peaceful commerce and migration causes the cultures of many planets to blend together (WWI 84).
Science reaches a peak early in the First Empire; by 2350 knowledge of physics reaches a plateau (WWI 83, 85). The Langston Field is discovered accidentally, sometime between 2100 and 2640; by the 2600's entire cities can be covered with Langston Fields (WWII 20, 61; Mote 227; see "Building the Mote in God's Eye" 130 for technical details). Spaceships power their Alderson Drives with deuterium fusion. There are tethers connecting connecting small planets to space stations in geosynchronous orbits which can be used to transfer fuel or personnel. Biology is understood well enough that a computer can design a vaccine and an antidotes for a virus once its genetic structure is read. Other engineering marvels include mono-filament cables, direct-conversion units which draw their power from "the heat in water", guns which can generate contained fusion reactions, food conversion machines, and nearly-indestructible windshields and fabrics. (KDS 245; Mote 28, 468; WWI 66, 82; WWII 171; WWIV 2, 96, 147.)
Sauron launches a sudden and massive attack on St Ekaterina. Around one billion Katerinas perish. Sauron and the Coalition of Secession declare independence. Beginning of the Secession Wars.
[Timelines; Mote 30-31, 179; WWII 35]
As interstellar law breaks down, the war becomes three-sided. In addition to the loyal "Imperials" and the Sauron-led "Secessionists", a royal pretender leads a "Claimant" faction.
[WWI 57, 68, 74, 78, 228; 59, 83, 87. The Claimants appear before the First Battle Off Makassar, which is either 2623 or 2637.]
Haven: Cummings arrives to coordinate the redeployment of the Land Gators. Maj. Adam Soltyk returns to Haven.
[WWIV timeline; WWI 62]
It is probably around this time that Makassar, a sparsely-settled recreation world, is fortified for war. [KDS 64]
The Saurons have been unable to inspire many allies, and their original partners in the "Coalition of Secession" have proved to be less than helpful. Anti-Sauron propaganda has filled the Empire, and even the human-norm Saurons are seen as monsters. Sauron attacks are being rebuffed, although Imperial counter-strikes are rarely successful either.
The damage to the Empire has been awesome. A dozen of their worlds have been sterilized by the Saurons. The Imperials have been forced to compromise with local secessionists ("Outies") so that they can focus on the Saurons.
Hoping for a route into the heart of the Empire, and needing borloi for its anaesthetic properties on Cyborgs, the Saurons begin probing the Tanith Sector again.
[WWII 4-5, 8-10, 31, 79; WWIII 61]
Jan/Feb?: "The Face of the Enemy" (WWII 42-70 only) = BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 5:iv-8:ii.
Imperial convoy (half of the 11th Fleet) and Sauron Second Fleet arrive in Tanith system. Loyalists give no quarter in battle. Sauron First Fleet arrives and turns the tide. Saurons occupy Tanith.
Two Sauron Soldiers desert and take an escape pod to Tanith. They raid the Curtis farm. [WWII 186]
Imperial Command orders all available fleets to Tanith system. [WWII 77]
Feb?: "The Face of the Enemy" (WWII 70-83 only = BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 8:iii-9).
Several Imperial fleets arrive in system. Fomoria escapes with cargo of borloi. The Second Battle Off Tanith: First and Second Sauron Fleets destroyed. Tanith city and spaceport destroyed. Massive Imperial casualties do not deter them from completely annihilating all Saurons in the Tanith system.
[Also WWIII, WWIV timelines; WWIV 322-3.]
Feb/Mar?: BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 10-16.
Sauron: The Fomoria returns to Sauron. Sauron allies arrive. [WWBS 104]
Feb/Mar?:
Sparta: More pretenders to the throne arise – three new nobles claim to be the rightful Emperor. Senate in turmoil. [WWII 79]
Mar/Apr?: BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 17-18.
Sauron: The Wallenstein arrives. Galen Diettinger becomes dictator of Sauron. Preparations for invasion begin. [WWBS 157]
Spring?:
Levant liberated from the Saurons. [WWI 54]
c. May to August: "Brenda" (WWII 170-2, 176-7, 178-182, 185-7, 190-4, 199-201 only).
Tanith: Lt. Terry Kakumee, veteran of the Second Battle of Tanith, meets Brenda Curtis.
[Tanith local time Nov 2640A to March 2640B, thus middle of standard 2640.]
Summer:
The Offensive of 2640. Imperials, flush with victory, drive towards the core of Sauron power.
[WWI 54; WWII 78]
Summer?: BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 19-20.
Sauron: Preparations for invasion continue. [WWBS 179]
c. Oct: BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 21-30.
The Battle of Sauron. Massed Imperial fleets attack Sauron system. Sauron Home Fleet destroyed. Sauron homeworld assaulted with laser and nuclear bombardment. The damage is so great that the planet's crust cracks and magma is exposed; the oceans boil above the obliterated undersea cities.
[Timelines; WWI 145, 150-1; WWIV 323. Invasion begins on December 1 on the Sauron calendar per WWBS 193.]
BATTLE OF SAURON, Ch. 31; "Some Things Survive" (second half of prologue: WWII 221-3 only); "The Coming of the Eye" prologue (WWI 144).
The Fomoria eludes assualt craft of INSS Centurion and makes a "Random Jump" out of the Sauron system.
[Timelines; WWIV 323; WWI 145. See Haven Ambiguities for comments on the "random jump".]
Autumn?: "The Boatswain" prologue (WWIV 125-6).
Haven: Haveners believe the wars are far from their planet.
Late Nov: "The Coming of the Eye" (WWI 145-151, 154-6 only – expanded in BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 292-309, 317-9).
After several Alderson jumps, the Fomoria enters the Byers' System. Vessel First Rank Diettinger and Second Rank Althene choose to hide their ship's Sauron identity by masquerading as pirates, styling their titles after The Lord of the Rings. Fomoria renamed Dol Guldur.
[Also WWIII, WWIV timelines]
Dec 3: "Introduction" (WWIV 1-13); "The Gift of the Magi" (WWIV 188-198 only); "The Coming of the Eye" (WWI 157-9 only – same as BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 322-3).
Fomoria destroys refueling station tethered above Haven's sister-moon Ayesha. A few Ayeshans survive. Sauron fighters begin small raids on Haven.
Dec 4: "The Coming of the Eye" (WWI 151-4, 156-7, 159-178 only – expanded to BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 310-7, 320-2, 323-333, 341-50, 356-7, 360-66); "The Railroad" (WWIV 17-29 only).
Haven: Fomoria's scout craft engage aircraft from Redfield Satrapy and Novy Finlandia.
Dec 5: "The Coming of the Eye" (WWI 178-180 only – expanded to BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 366-8, followed by 334-40, 350-5, 357-60); "The Railroad" (WWIV 29-45 only); "The Boatswain" (WWIV 127-134 only).
Haven: Bombardment of Haven begins. Nuclear destruction of Castell City, Hell's-A-Comin', and Falkenberg (including the University). Other sites destroyed by beam weapons.
[Ft Fornova not nuked, despite WWIV 128-9.]
Dec 6-8: "The Coming of the Eye" (WWI 180-2 only – expanded to BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 369-376).
Haven: Col. Kettler meets iwth Gen. Cummings at Fort Fornova. Bombardment continues for three days. Redfield Satrapy and Khanut nuked.
[Also WWBF 499.]
c. Dec 9-15: "The Boatswain" (WWIV 134-140 only).
Haven: Raft leaves Ellington. Around this time, Saurons begin ground actions in Shangri-La Valley and occupy the Citadel in Karakul Pass.
Dec 28-29: "The Coming of the Eye" (WWI 183-213 only – expanded to BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 377-434).
Haven: Fomoria downed. Citadel becomes new Sauron HQ. Galen Diettinger takes the title of "First Citizen".
Dec 29: BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 435-440).
Haven: Aftermath of the battle.
Dec 29?: "Death's Head Patrol" prologue (WWII 84-86 – same as BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 440-2).
Haven: Baron Hamilton refuses to join the resistance.
Dec 29: "A Better Kind of War" (WWIV 53-54 only – same as BATTLE OF SAURON pp. 443-4).
Haven: Cyborg Rank Koln surveys the Shangri-La Valley.
Dec 29-30: "A Better Kind of War" (WWIV 54-64 only).
Haven: Staff meeting.
Early Jan: "A Better Kind of War" prologue (WWIV 47-52).
Haven: Cummings and Kettler coordinate Haven resistance.
c. Jan 20-30: "A Better Kind of War" (WWIV 64-124 only).
Haven: Cyborgs Koln and Sargun confer. Attack on Russian village.
Feb 9-11: "Death's Head Patrol" (WWII 87-99 only).
Haven: Cummings uses his last nuke on Sauron Firebase One. His militia retakes Fort Kursk. Saurons nuke Fort Kursk.
Mid and Late Feb: "Death's Head Patrol" (WWII 99-139 only).
Haven: John Hamilton joins militia. Sorties against Boyle and Sargun's troops. Cyborg Revolt at the Citadel.
[Not many details about revolt. Also see WWBF 119; WWBV 341.]
Late Feb: "The Gift of the Magi" (WWIV 198, 200-4, 205-9 only).
Haven: Ayesha survivors land on Haven. They soon find Castalia. After another year passes, they will begin covertly supplying helpful technologies to outlying communities.
[Also see WWIV 199.]
The early Secession Wars, from 2603 to 2640, were devastating, yet the villainy of the Saurons also roused a unifying battle spirit within the core of the Empire. After the fall of Sauron, this ended, and the First Empire of Man quickly fell apart.
Second Empire historians will later assign the date of "2640" to the end of the First Empire, but Sparta still claims a small dominion well past this point. The core of the Empire – Sparta, St Ekaterina, Crucis, Dayan (now "Dyan"), Tanith, Frystaat – is still theoretically united in the late 27th Century, but fewer and fewer ships actually travel between star systems. [Timelines; WWI 361-2, WWII 1, 169, 182, 196, 219, 224, 229; WWBF 1]
The later wars, from 2640 to around 2800, are no longer conflicts spanning human space. Most of them are more localized battles between planets trying to secede and planets loyal to the nearly powerless "Empire of Man". Interstellar trade had broken down almost completely. Terry Kakumee's small ship has few competitors when trading from planet to planet, but must avoid the regions controlled by the "Outies". (Kakumee doesn't even know if his ancestral home Nuliajuk is still in the Empire!) There is peace near Frystaat in the 2670's (indeed, its government believes the wars are over). [WWII 182, 196, 219, 224, 226, 229]
Most of the former Empire worlds are entering "dark ages", or even collapsing all the way back to barbarism. This is due to the damage sustained during the wars and the lack of supply shipments from more advanced worlds. Local conflicts and civil wars are widespread. [WWIV 295]
Earth itself was involved in the Secession Wars, and injuries to man's homeworld from these wars are heaped on top of the destruction of the Formation Wars. Most of Earth is ruined and uninhabitable after this era, though a few places (including Jamaica and the Tyrolean Alps) have survived undamaged. [Mote 254, 275; KDS 27, 61; WWBF 408; WWBV 156]
The fate of the planet Sauron is uncertain. The destruction during the Battle of Sauron is portrayed as rendering it completely uninhabitable; Imperial scholars sift through the ruins in the 2640's [WWII 2, 220; WWI 145, 150-1; WWIV 323; WWBF 1]. But there are Sauron natives in the 31st Century who seem to be descended from the original inhabitants [Mote 31; Hand 193; also see WWIII timeline].
On Haven, the descendants of the last Sauron warship have made themselves rulers of the native population. But Haven is completely cut off from the rest of human space, and will remain so at least until the late 31st Century.
(Quilland Base is established about this time, per WWIII 271. Angband Base is already in use, according to WWIV 259, but it must still be under construction, since it will still be unfinished in 2674 per WWIV 283, 291.)
(A variety of quotes from these figures are strewn through the War World books. See WWII 261, 275, 349-350; WWIII 167, 174, 205-6.)
(Hel Diettinger is the last to hold the title of "First Citizen". A "First Soldier" Diettinger will be mentioned in 2708; this is very possibly Hel himself. As late as 2993 there is an "Acting First Citizen" Ansel Diettinger. See WWIII 86, WWBF 491, WWBV 143.)
This will be the last "Grand Muster" of Saurons for two hundred years. After this point, the Citadel begins to lose control of distant groups of Saurons, including those in Angband Base and Quilland Base.
[WWBF 121, 499; WWBV 341; WWIII 272. For dates between the 2790's and the 2990's marked with asterisks, see Blood Feuds / Blood Vengeance Ambiguities.]
By the year 2800, the wars have ended. (Although Second Empire historians will give "2870" as the official end of the Secession Wars, the only interplanetary war mentioned between 2800 and 2870 is between New Scotland and New Ireland, two planets in the same star system.)
The collapse of interstellar civilization is now complete. Sparta manages to keep in contact with a few nearby systems, including Crucis, but for the most part interstellar communication has ended. Although the former Imperial fleet succeeded in defending Sparta during the Secession Wars, it was wiped out in the process. [Timelines, "Reflex" 17; "Motelight" 118-9]
At some unspecified point, the Spartan monarch apparently drops the now-pretentious title of "Emperor of Man". It may even be that the monarchy itself is abandoned for a while, though Lysander's bloodline is not lost.
(A variety of quotes from this text are given. See WWIII 1, 8, 81, 116.)
WAR WORLD: BLOOD FEUDS, Ch 7-9 (pp. 148-209 only).
Haven: Sigrid leaves the Citadel and begins to roam. Aisha found on the steppe by Barak bar Heber and Josepha bat Golda. Hammer-of-God Jackson tells of the haBandari alliance with the Sons of Liberty and the New Soviet Men.
[Much-expanded version of "Seven Against Nûrnen", WWIII 207-228.]
WAR WORLD: BLOOD VENGEANCE, Prologue.
Haven: Shulamit learns the truth about Sigrid.
Around this time, an Imperial ship arrives at Makassar and establishes a small outpost in Jikar. The planet is classified as "primitive"; the Imperials are unaware of the Library in Batav.
[KDS 6, 168-169; Mote 29]
The Second Empire of Man has spread through a large region of space, annexing (peacefully or otherwise) human colonies which were once part of the First Empire. Some of these worlds are actually being rediscovered, although it is hard to picture what kind of disaster in the Secession Wars would have annihilated every electronic and paper atlas on each of hundreds of worlds.
The capital is still on Sparta, although a much-devastated Earth is the "honorary capital". The Imperial Naval Academy is kept at New Annapolis on Earth, and by 3017 it is customary for the royal heir to spend some time in the Navy (KDS 27, 61; Mote 6, 108). The Imperial Seal features a crown-and-spaceship, an American eagle, and a hammer-and-sickle (Mote 6); this may be a deliberate attempt to claim a continuity with the CoDominium, since the Spartan flag was a crowned mountain (PS 378)and the First Empire's standard was a Phoenix (WWIII 319). (Of course, these latter two are from much later writings.)
The government has a variety of deliberating bodies. The multi-house Imperial Parliament has great powers; each Sector also has its own Parliament. The Imperial Council, Senate, and Assembly are also mentioned; these may be part of the Parliament (KDS 162, 350; Mote 75-6). The Imperial Traders Association has great influence over policy, but any defense-related policies are prerogatives of the Crown (KDS 32, 184-5; Mote 79). Aristocrats are given significant roles in the government; by now, the Collins, Blaine, and Townsend lines are over nine hundred years old. (Note, however, that the Blaines have only held the "Marquis of Crucis" title for eleven generations; see entry for "2670's".)
The Imperial Church is the official religion of the Empire; it is based at New Rome (which is probably on Sparta; Mote 415 implies it's a city, not a planet). The Church still finds uses for Latin, and seems similar in structure to the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Churches of the second millenium. [KDS 65-66; Mote 162, 405]
After Sparta, planets subject to the Empire are given various degrees of power:
By the late 2900's, only worlds which have space travel when contacted by the Empire are ranked Class Two or above. These rules were not so strict in the early 2900's. [KDS 27-8, 162, 308, 350; Mote 14]
- The Member Kingdoms are allowed strong militaries and possibly semi-autonomous space fleets. These have representatives in all the levels of the government. Most have aristocratic rulers, but at least one is a republic.
- The "Class One" and "Class Two" worlds are allowed self-government. They each send observers to the Court and one Representative to the Imperial Parliament's lower house. These Classified Worlds also get Imperial Naval protection from aggression, Imperial advice on extra-planetary policy, and open access to all technology.
- "Class Three" (and maybe "Class Four") worlds are Colonies. The Empire appoints Civil Service bureaucrats to administer these planets and noble families to rule them. Generally the Imperial Trade Association is the prime power on these worlds; no new technology may be introduced by any Imperials to colony planets.
- Primitive ("Class Five") worlds may end up with small military outposts or furnish sources of trade, but are primarily left alone under a paternal watch by the Empire. These planets are under strict technological quarantine, though the Empire does not insist that its existence be kept secret from the natives.
A few planets outside of the Empire are advanced enough for space travel. In some cases, these planets are in contact with each other and are maintaining some degree of resistance to the Empire. In other cases, these worlds even forment rebellion on planets already annexed by the Empire. These "Outies" are the most significant military threat to the Empire in the era from 2903 to 3017. [KDS 82, 328; Mote 436, 455, 461, 504]
Technology is not quite as advanced as that of the First Empire, but is similar in most ways. In 3018, Dr. Horvath estimates that the Second Empire will pass the First in science and engineering by the year 3100, but this progress is radically altered by contact with the Mote.
In 3017, the Empire is at least 650 light-years in diameter. In 3029, it contains 200 worlds and has a diameter of around 1000 light-years. By 3046, the Blaine Institute has collected specimens from 400 Imperial worlds and 30 Outie worlds. (Also in 3046, Renner claims the Empire rules "1000 worlds", but this is perhaps an exaggeration.) [Mote prologue, 390, 458; Hand 73, 83]
New Chicago: Rod Blaine lands with at least one company of Marines. Sally Fowler's prison camp liberated.
[Like "Reflex", this was a scene cut from "Mote"; it seems to never have been reprinted. Also Mote 6-8, 19-20.]
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, Ch 1-3.
New Chicago: Rod Blaine given MacArthur. Departure from New Chicago.
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, Ch 4-11.
New Caledonia System: The MacArthur refuels at Brigit and intercepts Crazy Eddie Probe. Political and religious arguments on New Scotland.
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, Ch 13-22.
The Mote System: Ships arrive in Mote System. Rendezvous with Engineer. Ambassador ship arrives with Mediators.
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE, Ch 46-47.
Second passage through Murcheson's Eye. Rod and Sally depart aboard the Hermes.
THE GRIPPING HAND, Part 3, Ch 2.
New Scotland: Meeting with the Commission on Moties.
THE GRIPPING HAND, Part 3, Ch 3-6.
The Sinbad leaves the New Caledonia system for the red dwarf MGC-R-31. Trip through Crazy Eddie's Sister. The Hecate takes a similar route shortly thereafter.
THE GRIPPING HAND, Part 3, Ch 7-8; Part 4, Ch 1-8.
The Mote System: The Sinbad in the custody of Medina. The Hecate in the custody of the Crimean Tartars. More activity through the Sister. Stern Chase.
Chronology of Jerry Pournelle's Future History
Updated 17 May 2012 by Larry King
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