First Cylon War

The *First Cylon War* was a major military conflict that raged for twelve years from 1952-1964 and completely changed the landscape of Colonial life and politics.  It is the single most influential event of modern Colonial history even before the increased relevance once the second war began.

## The Colonies before the War

### Politics

Before the war, the Twelve Colonies of Kobol were separate nations.  They traded with each other, exchange culture with each other, fought each other, and even conquered each other.  During this time, and most of history prior to it, it was very much every Colony for itself.  Loose alliance, federations, and international agreements existed but mankind was far from unified.

### Creation of the Cylons

In the midst of this disunion sometime around 1942, Graystone Industries, a Caprican technology company, developed the Cylons.  The U-87 was built with great difficulties as an advanced combat soldier on a defense contract from the Caprican government.  Caprica's military monopoly on the extremely efficient soldiers, driven by an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) was short lived.  U-87s quickly found their way to Gemenon and Tauron in the hands of the Soldiers of the One and other paramilitaries.  From there the Cylons spread like wildfire across the Colonies.  Not only did they begin to replace soldiers in combat roles, but the utility of the Cylons expanded into other tasks, primarily of heavy or undesirable manual labor such as construction and garbage collection.

## The War Itself

The relationship between man and Cylon soon turned hostile.  The Cylons were created to be "too smart".  Instead of acting as subservient tools, they began to view their subjugation as slavery.  This was further compounded by religious tensions as the Cylons through a complication in their creation were believers in one God unlike the mostly polytheistic Colonials.  In 1952 the Cylons rebelled and the war began.

It took everything mankind had to win the war, if it can even be called that.  The conflict raged at total war levels from its inception to its sudden conclusion.  The Colonies were torn apart, the Colonial Fleet suffered massive casualties, and the entire human population was committed either by choice or by force to the war effort.  In 1964 the Cylons suddenly and without any warning sued for peace.  It was believed that the Colonials were beginning to turn the tide but the conflict still seemed far from over.  The Cylon offer was surprising to say the least.

A blanket armistice was created and hostilities ceased across Colonial Space.  The Cylons retreated across a new border in space known as the  Armistice Line while the Colonials were to reciprocate and remain on their side of the line.  A small space station was erected from which the two sides could conduct diplomacy and with that the greatest conflict in Colonial history came to a close.

## Aftermath

Like all major wars, the most apparent result was the destruction caused by the conflict, a "lost generation" of youth never to return from combat, and the quick economic downturn with military needs no longer required coupled with a large number of veterans returning to and flooding the labor force.

More importantly, the war completely rewrote politics and Colonial society.  Early in the conflict, the Colonies banded together and unified under the Articles of Colonization.  Each of the Twelve Colonies joined together in a federal government and their militaries were pooled into the Colonial Fleet to combat the Cylon threat.  To this day, the peoples that had previously competed and warred with one another remain united as a race in this system and the Colonial Fleet continues to grow and stand guardian over humanity.

Unification and the war had smaller effects as well.  Caprica managed to maneuver its way past Virgon to be the leading political power and eventually the seat of Colonial government.  With unification came perks for other worlds such as Picon receiving the boost of Fleet HQ and Scopria becoming the site of the main Fleet shipyards.  Meanwhile, Tauron, formerly one of if not the poorest of Colonies, regularly dominated by its neighbors, managed to pull itself up, heavily industrialize, and compete for the first time as an equal player in the new federal system.

The unexpected result of the war and the sudden peace was the silence and calm that followed.  The Cylons never came to the Armistice Station to conduct diplomacy.  No Cylon transmissions were ever sent.  No Cylons were ever even seen near the border.  After forty years, many wondered if the Cylons were even there anymore.  Perhaps they had all been destroyed or potentially moved on.  People asked if it was worth having such a large military force or to remain in strong union if there was no threat.  The question would be firmly answered with the Fall.