Cardassian history

This page details the history of the Cardassians and the Cardassian Union

The Hebitian Age
The first civilization on Cardassia was that of the Hebitians. They were an advanced sophisticated culture on every level, they used solar technologies but also lived in harmony with nature, valuing the soil and living a sustainable self-sufficient life envied by the surrounding planets.

The Hebitian society eventually fell when Cardassia suffered catastrophic climate change, the rainforests and grasslands transformed into desert and scrubland. Disease killed millions; and the survivors formed the militaristic and expansionistic society known as the Cardassians. (DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time)

In the later 24th century a newly discovered Hebititan ruin included artwork depicting Bajorans, indicating the Hebitian civilization may have been influenced by ancient Bajorans. This connection was further compounded with the discovery of a jevonite figurine of a Bajoran/Cardassian hybrid found on Bajor in 2376. The figure, made from the material notably exclusive to Cardassia pre-dated the Hebitian civilization. (ST short story: "The Glories of the Hebitians"; DS9 novel: Avatar)

Cardassian Union
The Detapa Council, Cardassian Central Command and Obsidian Order were jointly established in the 19th century together forming what would eventually be known as the Cardassian Union. (DS9 episode: )

The Cardassian First Republic existed during the latter part of the 21st century. (DS9 episode: Destiny)

Tret Akleen ws remembered as the "father" of the Cardassian Empire; Akleen was a Cardassian from Ventani II. (DS9 episode: "Tears of the Prophets")

The Cardassians had entered space relatively near to future Federation space as early as the 2150s. One Cardassian became a victim of the automated repair station when he was captured and integrated into the station's computer. Prior to 2154 a Cardassian ship well victim to a silicon-based virus whilst under observation by the Organians. (ENT episodes Dead Stop, Observer Effect)

At least one Cardassian resided on Vulcan as early as the 2240s. (DS9 episode: Destiny)

In 2167 a Cardassian farmer stumbled upon a Hebitian tomb. The near bankrupt Cardassian government saw an opportunity and began to excavate other tombs and sell the valuables prizes they unearthed. With there growing riches they financed attacks on neighbouring worlds, and won the resources of the worlds they conquered. The attacks rejuvenated the Cardassian people and distracted them from their world's ill state. More and more tombs were unearth and sold and the Cardassian military grew in power. (ST short story: "The Glories of the Hebitians")

Occupation of Bajor

 * See main article: Occupation of Bajor.

In 2309, Cardassians first arrived at the planet Bajor, stating a desire to help the Bajoran people. They soon occupied the planet, and by 2328, had officially annexed it. Their occupation of the planet was notoriously cruel, as the Cardassians took the Bajorans' homes, and violated and tortured the people. While occupying the planet, the Cardassians were frequently targeted by terrorist attacks. Although the Federation was not an advocate of this occupation, they did not interfere, as Bajor was within the designated borders of the Cardassian Union. (TNG episode: "Ensign Ro", DS9 episode: "Emissary")

After spending decades stripping the planet of valuable resources (as well as eight of the nine Bajoran orbs), the Cardassians abandoned Bajor in 2369. As the Cardassians had severely impaired the Bajorans' self-sufficience, Bajoran territory, as well as the mining station Terok Nor, soon came under the protection of the Federation. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")

The Union continued to suffer from Bajoran terrorist attacks, largely perpetrated by the Kohn-Ma faction. (DS9 episode: "Past Prologue")

Conflicts with the Federation

 * See also: Federation-Cardassian War.

By some accounts, first contact between the Federation and the Cardassian Union occured circa 2321, on the human colony world of Juhraya. (ST novel: The Brave and the Bold)

The first official talks between the Cardassians and the Federation took place in 2327, however the Cardassians were using the talks as a pretence to disrupt relations between the Federation and Legarans to make Legara IV susceptible to annexation by the Cardassians. Fortunately the plan was uncovered and the Federation placed extra Starfleet protection around Legara. (TOS comic: Enter the Wolves)

In the 2330s, a tense stalemate existed between the Cardassian Union and the Federation, especially in the "Oblivion" sector, where tensions between the two powers and the bordering Ubarrak Primacy were high. (STA novel: Oblivion)

The Cardassian Union engaged in a war against the United Federation of Planets for at least a decade. The Cardassians rejected at least one offer, made by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, to end the conflict diplomatically. One infamous conflict of the war was the Setlik III Massacre. The war finally ended in 2366 (circa stardate 43400). A treaty was signed, but the Cardassians upheld a strong military presence along the border, which included several innocuous-looking starships and facilities that were really serving covert purposes. For some time, it was not considered wise to "stay too long on a Cardassian border without making your intentions known." (TNG episode: "The Wounded")

Hundreds of thousands of Cardassian citizens were killed during the war, which had a very demoralizing impact on the people of the Union. The Union's food supplies were also depleted. (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")

In 2367 (circa stardate 44400), an armistice was reached between the Union and the Federation; Edward Jellico was among those who helped to negotiate. The armistice resulted in several disputed territories being ceded to both parties, with allowances for further negotiations. Another diplomatic resolution between the two powers was the Seldonis IV Convention, which related to the treatment of prisoners. (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")

Shortly after the armistice was signed, two days before stardate 44429.6, the USS Phoenix destroyed a Cardassian outpost in the Cuellar system (sector 21505). Many Cardassians assumed this to be an undeclared rebirth of the war, and reacted accordingly. However, it was an isolated incident, which was resolved by Captain Picard and Chief Miles O'Brien of the USS Enterprise. During this incident, the Cardassians gained the ability to read Starfleet transponder codes; Starfleet was already capable of reading Cardassian codes. The Cardassian death toll from the actions of the Phoenix numbered over seven hundred. (TNG episode: "The Wounded")

Months later, on stardate 45076.3, Cardassian ships attacked a Federation colony on Solarion IV. The Bajoran terrorist Orta was implicated, and a Cardassian liaison met discreetly with Starfleet's Admiral Kennelly to discuss ways of eliminating Orta's threat. Two Galor-class warships intercepted the USS Enterprise in the Valo system while she was escorting a ship carrying Orta home; the Cardassians destroyed Orta's ship, only to find that the escort had been staged, and the ship empty. The Cardassians' duplicity was discovered, and they returned home. (TNG episode: "Ensign Ro")

After the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor in 2369, many forces were redeployed along the Federation border. The Union intended to take possession of several territories that had been ceded to the Federation by the armistice. On stardate 46358, a Cardassian delegation led by Gul Lemec of the Reklar met with Captain Jellico of the Enterprise to negotiate a Federation withdrawal from the border. A Cardassian fleet was stationed in the McAllister Nebula, waiting to attack should it become necessary. Meanwhile, the Cardassians carried off an elaborate ruse involving metagenic weapon signatures on Celtris III for the purposes of capturing Jean-Luc Picard, who would have a pivotal role in the Federation defense plans, should a conflict ignite. A team from the Enterprise surreptitiously mined the Cardassian fleet, and the Union was forced to withdraw and return Picard. (TNG episode: "Chain of Command")

The Union had another close call with the Federation days later, when the Bajoran wormhole was discovered. A ship commanded by Gul Dukat entered the wormhole to negotiate for Prophet technology, and was immediately lost when the wormhole disappeared. The Seventh Order, under the command of Gul Jasad, came looking for Dukat and was unwilling to believe the story of the wormhole's temporary existence. Jasad traded shots with Major Kira Nerys of Deep Space Nine before the wormhole reappeared. Although the system had once again become a valuable commodity, the Cardassians departed after witnessing Dukat's ship saved by Commander Benjamin Sisko. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")

The discovery of the wormhole renewed the Union's interest in possessing Bajoran territory. In 2370, the Cardassians secretly supplied the Alliance for Global Unity, an anti-Federation political movement on Bajor, with weapons. However, The Alliance's political strength was undermined when news of the Cardassians' involvement was spread. (DS9 episode: "The Circle")

Civilian uprising
In response to the fear of changeling infiltration sparked by initial contacts with the Dominion in 2371, the Cardassian Union sealed their borders. As a result, other powers in the region, such as the Federation and the Klingon Empire, had limited information coming from Cardassian space. However, reports that a civilian uprising had overthrown the Central Command to instate the Detapa Council as the ruling body did succeed in making it into Federation and Klingon hands.

The Klingons, already restless for battle, believed this to be due to the influence of the Dominion. They sent a fleet of vessels to Deep Space 9 with the intent of invading Cardassian space. Though the Federation condemned the action, they couldn't officially warn the Cardassians, though Captain Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space 9 leaked this information to them through Garak, and later rescued the leaders of the Detapa Council with the USS Defiant. Though the belief that the government had been infiltrated by changelings proved incorrect, it led to an increased state of tensions between the Klingons and Cardassian for the next year and a half.(DS9 episode: "The Way of the Warrior").


 * For more information, see Second Klingon-Cardassian War.

The Detapa Council remained in control of the Cardassian government until the Union joined the Dominion in mid-2373.(DS9 episode: "In Purgatory's Shadow").

Dominion War

 * See also Dominion War.

Due in part to continued hostilities with the Klingons, as well as Maquis activities in the Demilitarized Zone between Federation and Cardassian space, the Detapa Council opened negotiations with the Dominion, with Gul Dukat heading the negotiations. Through Dukat's mediations, the Cardassian Union surprised the Alpha Quadrant and joined the Dominion in mid-2373. The Dominion sent a fleet of some fifty ships through the Bajoran Wormhole and entered Cardassian space. (DS9 episode: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

Dukat, the newly appointed leader of the Union, promised to retake all that had once belonged to Cardassia. Over the next few days, the Dominion forces successfully forced the Klingons from Cardassian territory and all but wiped out the Maquis. The new threat caused the restoration of the Khitomer Accords between the Federation and the Klingons, and brought together a joint Federation-Klingon-Romulan fleet at Deep Space 9. The Dominion was nearly successful in destroying this entire fleet when a changeling impersonating Dr. Julian Bashir tried to destroy the Bajoran sun. He was stopped by station personnel, however, and war was temporarily averted. (DS9 episode: "By Inferno's Light")

Over the next few months, obstacles to Cardassians desire to expand their borders were removed as the Dominion signed nonaggression pacts with the Miradorn, the Tholian Assembly, and most notably the Romulan Star Empire. New fleets of Dominion ships also arrived from the Gamma Quadrant every week, bringing Cardassia back to its earlier strength.

In late 2373, the Federation finally decided to prevent the Dominion threat from gaining more strength, and mined the Bajoran Wormhole. This marked the beginning of the Dominion War, as a Dominion-Cardassian fleet attacked and occupied Deep Space 9, but not before the minefield was in place. (DS9 episode: "Call to Arms")


 * See Second Battle of Deep Space 9

Over the next few months, the Cardassians and Dominion won battle after battle against the Federation-Klingon forces. With reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant still unable to get through, they could not achieve the victory as quickly as they wished. This looked to change as Gul Corat Damar, an aide to Dukat, found a way to detonate the entire minefield. (DS9 episode: "Call to Arms", "Behind the Lines")

The Federation attempted to prevent this by launching an attack toward the station in Operation Return, but the minefield was detonated before the fleet could arrive. The Dominion forces poured into the wormhole, facing only the USS Defiant. As the Defiant's crew prepared for a hopeless battle, the Bajoran Prophets contacted their emissary, Benjamin Sisko, and destroyed the entire fleet to save Sisko's life. Without the reinforcements, the Federation Alliance fleet was victorious, and the Dominion and Cardassian forces withdrew into Cardassian space.(DS9 episode: "Favor the Bold", "Sacrifice of Angels")

At the very end of the war the Cardassians turned on their Dominion overlords, thus turning the tides in the final battle of war, allowing the Federation allied fleet to make it all the way to Cardassia and end the conflict. Unfortunately in those final the Cardassian's treachery also earnt them the Dominion retribution as the Jem'Hadar attempted to wipe them out, killing 800 million of the people and reducing Cardassia to a smouldering wreck. (DS9 episode: What You Leave Behind)

Post-war recovery
Following the Dominion War, the Cardassian Union was occupied by the Federation, as well as the Klingon and Romulan Empires.

On Cardassia life was hard, at the place were Enabran Tain's house once stood Elim Garak returned to make his home. There he built a memorial to his dead mother buried in the rubble which became and icon to the local people and the site of a flashpoint between growing political movements in the site; The democratic Reunion Project led by Alon Ghemor and the more traditionalist Directorate. The two parties eventually agreed to compete in a ballot which the Reunion Project won, taking four out of the six sectors of Cardassia City. (DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time)

Elements of the Cardassian Union attempted to negotiate with the Ferengi in order to gain access to the Omega molecule in 2376. They would be thwarted in this endeavour by the Romulans. The Cardassians would not actively participate against the Borg invasion of the quadrant. (TNG video game: Armada)


 * In an alternate timeline, the Borg had succeeded in their invasion and assimilated Earth. Presumably, in this timeline, they had also assimilated the Cardassian Union.

Over the next six months, a high ranking military commander known as Gul Kentar secretly began building up the Union's military forces. He would recieve covert aid from the Romulans and make many advances to bolster the strength of the Cardassian fleet. When Starfleet began a tactical strike against Borg Collective territory in the Delta quadrant through the Borg Transwarp Portal, Kentar made his move. He struck at the reserve Federation fleet at the Pearl Nebula and devastated it. However, the Klingon Empire quickly worked to defend their ally and fought against Kentar's forces. Gradually, the Cardassians would lose more and more assets to the Klingons which began with the loss of aid from the Romulans after they were discovered by the Klingon Empire. Cardassia itself would be assaulted as would Kentars stronghold in the Hubrik system before his military strike was finally ended. (TNG video game: Armada II)