Campaigns of Persuasion

Campaigns of Persuasion
Start Date From 2316 to 2338 Result Terran Hegemony expands Great Houses and Capellan states remain independent
Factions
Attacker Terran Hegemony	Defender Federated Suns Capellan Commonality Various independent worlds
Commanders and leaders
Director-General James McKenna
Forces involved
Hegemony Armed Forces	Federated Peacekeeping Forces Various Capellan and independent militaries
Conditions
Normal

The Campaigns of Persuasion were a series of military operations waged by the newly formed Terran Hegemony during the early 24th century with the aim of reuniting all of humanity under Terran rule. Initially successful in reclaiming many former Terran Alliance worlds, the Hegemony Armed Forces were eventually fought to a standstill by the nascent Great Houses.

Background

After eight decades of isolationism following its defeat in the Outer Reaches Rebellion, the moribund Terran Alliance was finally overthrown by popular uprisings and a military coup by the Alliance Global Militia's leader Admiral James McKenna. Under McKenna, the Terran Hegemony which succeeded the Alliance soon began undertaking its self-proclaimed mandate of reunifying all human worlds.

McKenna started by ensuring that all of the former Terran Alliance worlds transferred their allegiance to its successor. While most of these worlds willingly joined the Hegemony, a dozen required political pressure before acquiescing, while Caph and Altair were only secured after military intervention.

The First and Second Campaigns of Persuasion

With the former Alliance systems all firmly under Hegemony rule by 2316, Director-General McKenna turned his attention to the neighboring worlds. His 'carrot and stick' approach utilized both political propaganda and flooding their markets with cheap consumer goods intended to foster economic dependence upon Terra. A few worlds did join the Hegemony but most had grown used to independence from Terra and intended to remain free of Terran rule.

McKenna made it clear that he was resolved to unify all human worlds under Terra's banner, peacefully or by war, and resorted to the latter in dealing with a newly-formed anti-Hegemony alliance between three wealthy planets: Quentin, Errai, and Helen. In March 2316 a large HAF fleet including WarShips departed Terra and proceeded to successfully conquer all three worlds. Their inhabitants, utilizing converted civilian craft as naval vessels and trained militia ground forces, put up a determined fight but were ultimately beaten. From the hard-won lessons of this campaign the HAF drew up its blueprint for future conquests.

A standard Hegemony campaign would typically begin months prior to the assault with comprehensive intelligence gathering efforts. From this a plan would be crafted and the armada begin its journey. Two large WarShips and space fighter-carrying JumpShips would secure the target system's two jump points, then the troop transports would follow. Armed reconnaissance of the planet itself was then carried out, sometimes in the face of native opposition. With detailed information now available, the updated invasion plan would be carried out, with the transports and their WarShip escorts swiftly arriving in orbit and deploying their DropShips. Priority targets tended to be major population or industrial centers, and often water sources; planetary governments tended to surrender once the HAF had seized control of these.

These tactics proved successful, and the first "Campaign of Persuasion" ended a year later with the fall of Towne.

In 2320 a second offensive was launched, with Hegemony troops occupying worlds from nearby Terra Firma to Nanking to distant Capella. All in all, the two campaigns between saw over forty worlds added to the Terran Hegemony. However, by the early 2320s several equipment-related problems with the HAF, such as the lack of a true aerospace fighter, interfered with its operations and caused McKenna to call a halt to the Hegemony's armed expansion.

Diplomatic Lull

In addition to the HAF's military technology shortfalls there was also the dwindling number of easy conquests to consider. With most independent worlds near Terra already conquered, the Hegemony now faced several small but increasingly powerful states on all sides, at least some of which had formed specifically to resist Terran expansionism. While the Hegemony was still the strongest nation in industrial and military might, the limits of interstellar transport meant that it would struggle to totally subdue even one of these new nations.

Realizing this, McKenna switched to diplomacy throughout the 2320s and early 2330s, softening his rhetoric - promoting Terra as humanity's cultural and academic center rather than the overlord of human space - while overseeing improvements to the HAF's fighting capabilities. Diplomatic relations were established with many of the surrounding nations, with the Hegemony consistently favoring the Free Worlds League and Federated Suns in disputes with the Capellan Zone states and refusing to recognize any of the latter as legitimate governments. In contrast, Shiro Kurita, founder of the Draconis Combine, not only declined McKenna's offer for his realm to join the Hegemony but after this message refused to even communicate with him.

Third Campaign of Persuasion

By 2335 McKenna felt able to begin a new campaign. This time the Hegemony focused its efforts coreward and anti-spinward of Terra; this area of space contained most of the remaining independent worlds that had not yet joined one of the emerging interstellar nations. The HAF, having improved in equipment and training, easily conquered Denebola, Milton, Alioth, Mizar and Lyons.

July 2335 Terran Hegemony 3rd Offensive: invades Galatea

2338 New Rhodes III Assault - The Terran Hegemony's attack on New Rhodes III was part of Director-General James McKenna's 3rd Offensive launched in 2335. While most of the focus of the attack was on worlds located near the Federation of Skye, there were a few attacks launched against planets in other areas of space. The people of New Rhodes III knew they could not stand up to the Terran Hegemony by themselves. They requested help from the Federated Suns. The Federated Suns agreed to help in return for a hefty payment. During the first attack by the Terran Hegemony, the Federated Sun's Federated Protection Force Navy managed to board and capture the THS Dragonfly. Shortly after the capture of the Dragonfly the Federated Suns forces retreated from New Rhodes III in face of a vastly superior Terran Hegemony force, leaving the people of New Rhodes III at the mercy of the attackers

August - September 2338 SYRMA ASSAULT - With the help of the Federation of Skye, both jump points were rigged with spacemines. Only two of the first wave's 29 assault ships make it through. Another six ships were destroyed in the 2nd wave of attacks. The Navy's Vice Admiral Harris Cather is blamed for the failure of the Terran Hdgemony's invasion of Syrma.

Bibliography

• House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)
• House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)
• Jihad Hot Spots: Terra
• The Star League