United Earth Government
From Gineipaedia, the Legend of Galactic Heroes wiki
The United Earth Government (Japanese: 地球統一政府) was the first global government, or complete human hegemony, in human history. The UEG was founded 90 years after the apocalyptic Thirteen Day War between the United States of Eurafrica and the Northern Condominium, and oversaw massive reconstruction efforts all over the Earth. The UEG also began a number of impressive construction projects that helped to usher in an era of peace and prosperity: a golden age. One such project was the construction of a massive city on the surface of the Moon — named simply as Luna City — which housed the headquarters of the UEG's Ministry of Space. It was under the auspices of the Ministry of Space that a team of scientists led by Antonel Yanosher first discovered the basic principles of the warp drive, allowing for faster-than-light travel between the stars.
The United Earth Government's capital was located in Brisbane, Australia. The UEG was a representative democracy, whose ruling body was the Central Committee of the Humanity Congress.
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History
Golden Age
The United Earth Government was founded in 2129, after a 'dark age' that lasted nearly 100 years.
By the mid-22nd century, the UEG had succeeded in rebuilding the social, industrial and economic infrastructure of Earth, ushering in a golden age of prosperity for all of humankind.
In the mid-24th century, the UEG began exploring options for interstellar travel. In 2253, the UEG launched the Alpha Centauri Expedition, which ultimately ended in failure. In 2360, UEG researchers led by Dr. Antonel Yanosher developed the warp drive. The technology was finally perfected by 2391. The UEG begins exploring nearby star systems.
In 2402, a habitable planet is discovered in orbit of the Canopus star. Many other habitable planets were discovered afterward, bringing about a new era of interstellar colonisation.
In 2404, the UEG's Navigation Safety Department in the Ministry of Space was reorganised into a the Space Force, a military arm of the UEG tasked to oversee colonisation and commerce between the colonies. The Space Force would become increasingly powerful, culminating in the 2527 Military Expenditure Hearings, which did little to stem the increasing power of the UEG military. (LOGH: 'To Earth')
Internal Strife
By the late 27th century, the political dominance of the Humanity Congress began to wane. The limitations of Warp technology limited further expansion of the UEG, and the natural resources of Earth herself were completely depleted. There was growing economic imbalance with Earth having shifted to financial services and control of capital to generate a flow of wealth to Earth from the colonies. Dissatisfied with unfair congressional representation, with Earth having disproportionate representation in the congress, various colonies formed an Anti-Earth Movement. The anti-Earth movement presented the Humanity Congress with a series of demands in the 2682 Ultimatums, but were ignored by the UEG.
The colony of Sirius quickly rose to prominence within the Anti-Earth Movement, and became a target of the UEG's The Sirius Threat propaganda campaign.
In 2685, the Sirius colony forms the Sirius Revolutionary Congress, increasing tensions between the colony worlds and Earth. (LOGH: 'To Earth')
The Earth–Sirius War
The Earth–Sirius War began in 2689 when the UEG launched a surprise attack on Rondolina. The UEG quickly moved on to attack the city of Laglane, culminating in the Bloody Night massacre. With Sirius occupied by the UEG, the Sirius Revolutionary Congress fled to Prosperina, in the Proxima Starzone. In 2691, the exiled Sirians formed the Black Fleet. Led by Carle Palmgren, the Black Fleet attacked the UEG Space Force throughout colonized space, eventually retaking Rondolina from the UEG.
After Sirian admiral Joliot Frankul defeated the Space Force fleet at the Second Battle of Vega, the tides of war turned against the United Earth Government. In 2704 the UEG suffered total defeat at the Battle of Sol. Palmgren's Black Fleet assaulted the Earth itself, killing most of the population and utterly destroying the United Earth Government. The Sirius Revolutionary Congress reformed into the short-lived Sirian Republic and replaced the UEG as the primary power in space. (LOGH: 'To Earth')
Legacy
Only 1 billion inhabitant of the Sol Starzone survived the Battle of Sol.
After the downfall of Earth, it would be nearly 100 years before humanity was once again united by the second hegemony, the Galactic Federation.
One of the key components of Terraism, the ideology behind the Terraist Church, was the re-establishment of the United Earth Government — the creation of a new hegemony of humankind, reaching out across the stars, with the charred husk of Earth as its centre. It is possible that the initial roots of Terraism were a desire to take revenge upon the colonies that had done such terrible things to humanity's home planet. (LOGH: 'To Earth')
