Imperial Civil Wars

The Imperial Civil Wars were a series of political and military conflicts between opposing coalitions within the Galactic Empire. The most important conflict occurred between Emperor Trey Connel and the naval officers loyal to the recently departed Grand Admiral Gorn Veynom. The resulting hostility continued during the subsequent reigns of Connel's successors, Mccarthur and Charon, and gave birth to various separatist movements.

The following is a list of civil wars in the Galactic Empire. There have been four Imperial Civil Wars to date.

First Imperial Civil War

Main article: First Imperial Civil War

Drayson

• The First Imperial Civil War (Year -2 — Year 0), which occurred during a turbulent era known as "the Dark Years," refers to an extended period of political instability and social unrest that culminated in a conflict between the incumbent Emperor Suntzu and his ally Vodo Bonias against a separatist movement known as the Order of Darkness led by former emperor Hiram Drayson and General Diablirus Balseraph. According to many Imperial historians, Suntzu was a weak ruler and, during his brief reign, "the Imperial spirit itself was crushed beneath acts of corruption and treason." Suntzu enacted unpopular policies which caused dissent within the Galactic Empire. The commander of the Imperial Army, General Balseraph, accused Emperor Suntzu of implementing policies that favored the Imperial Navy. Balseraph soon gained the support of a former emperor, Drayson. Together, Balseraph and Drayson formed the Order of Darkness. This latter collective claimed that Suntzu was a puppet of Vodo Bonias. As these beliefs gained prevalence, Suntzu was viewed as weak by his subjects and forced to abdicate. The instability within the empire continued during the subsequent reign of emperors Bonias and Spytek. The ascension of Piett to the Imperial throne ended the so-called "dark years" and inaugurated a golden age.

Second Imperial Civil War

Main article: Second Imperial Civil War

Veynom

• The Second Imperial Civil War (Year 1 Day 307 — Year 3 Day 290), also known as the Great Imperial Civil War, began as a series of political quarrels during "the golden age" of Emperor Piett's rule between Grand Admiral Gorn Veynom and his political supporters in the Imperial Navy, against Surface Marshal Trey Connel who was supported by Imperial Army and its legions. When Piett abdicated the Imperial throne, he appointed Connel as his successor on the condition that Connel would later choose Veynom to rule as the next emperor. However, after ascending the throne, Emperor Connel accused Veynom of treason and permanently denied him consideration for the position of emperor. In disgust, Veynom departed the Empire for the Unknown Regions. Despite Veynom's departure, several fleets in the Imperial Navy rebelled against Connel's rule and, on Year 1 Day 307, formed a separatist movement known as the Imperial Core. The Core later merged with Vodo Bonias' Order of the Sith to form the Dark Empire. After a long politico-military struggle, the Galactic Empire during the reign of Emperor Charon later reunified with Bonias' Dark Empire. Following reunification in Year 3, a lengthy subversion of the Imperial government's institutions by Bonias and his adherents led to Charon's overthrow. After a transitional period under Greyson Uebles which saw a mass exodus of Imperial personnel, Bonias became dictator of the Empire. The animosities created by this conflict would later trigger the Third Imperial Civil War.

Third Imperial Civil War

Main article: Third Imperial Civil War

Cherokee

• The Third Imperial Civil War (Year 6 Day 318 — Year 10 Day 160), also known as the Imperial Reformation, was a prolonged conflict that sundered Emperor Vodo Bonias's Galactic Empire circa Year 6. The conflict began as a protest movement by lower-ranking personnel against the incompetent administration of Grand Moff Daelin Zerk, Bonias' Chief of Staff. Zerk's fractious relations with Imperial officers and enlisted personnel resulted in a widely-touted petition for his removal. However, many officers involved in the protest were formerly supporters of the deposed Emperor Charon and thus, within days, the movement became a general uprising against Emperor Vodo Bonias himself due to his reluctance to address internal bureaucratic problems within the Empire. Following Bonias' initial refusal to demote Zerk, an exodus of Imperial personnel occurred and chaos ensued. On Year 6 Day 303, Emperor Vodo Bonias of the Galactic Empire condemned the Imperial "reformists" to death. Arrest and execution warrants were issued shortly thereafter. In each case, the charges were the same: "Defection, Mutiny, Treason." Asynchronously, Emperor Bonias had dispatched several "death squads" to arrest the reformists. The resulting civil war led to the removal of Zerk as Chief of Staff and the creation of an anti-Vodoist separatist movement known as the New Imperial Order (NIO) led by Steward Garen Karrade and Thomas Cherokee. Four years later, following diplomatic negotiations, the New Imperial Order was reunified with the Galactic Empire on Year 10 Day 160.

Fourth Imperial Civil War

Main article: Fourth Imperial Civil War

Imperium

• This war was between Vodo Bonias and Grand Moff Orphaea Imperium with the objective of removing Bonias from the throne. Imperium led a coup d'état against Bonias and Thomas Cherokee ascended the Imperial throne as Emperor.