What likely happened to the Cardassian Union after the war

Oh, don't take me too literally. "To annoy someone" is a valid way of describing why the US wanted a strong postwar Germany in Europe, even if a bit flippant. It's exactly the sort of game the Romulans would play. And "for sport" is what conquerors do for valid strategic reasons: they need to keep giving their forces manageable "baptisms of fire" against foes of optimal strength before tackling their "real" opponents, and Klingons and Germans have realized this equally well.

This does not appear realistic at all. Cardassia is the only expansionist power in Trek described as having a profit motive, a need for land. The other powers do just fine without having to worry about new worlds and civilizations. France had a massively expansionist empire a hundred years ago, yet no desire to acquire any land in Europe; even Nazi Germany lacked plans for exploiting the conquered areas, beyond the single vital commodity of oil, and was interested in conquest only for the purpose of denying its enemies the strength inherent in the land. As already mentioned, this is a "fashion" thing, something empires sometimes do and at other times do not. We have no objective or a priori reason to assume either of these options for the TNG empires, but we can witness them in action and then decide.

Opportunist exploitation of resources is common in Trek: many a plotline revolves around a "secret slave mine", for example. Yet e.g. the Klingon actions in the conquered areas before the war wasn't described as resources extraction: rather, it was indicated that the Klingons pumped resources in, in order to fortify their holdings.

Timo Saloniemi

 

First, I did not know this about Finland! Wow, unfair.

Second, I actually agree with you on the Cardassia thing. Taking some colonies away is one thing, stripping them of resources and breaking up their fleet, or dividing their entire territory (as has been suggested), are quite different matters.

 

Leaving Cardassia with it's colonies is one thing, but leaving them with conquered worlds is another, where they had subjucated the people like they did with Bajor is another.

 

I think we all agree on that one.

 

The reason is pretty simple: since Finland wasn't on the route to Berlin, Stalin never got around to conquering us in full on his way there. Yet we were clearly in his sphere of influence, not the west's, so we couldn't get Marshall aid or comparable western pardons, yet OTOH weren't actually a fixture of the east block so Stalin had no incentive to pardon us, either. So, not being in the forefront of the Cold War had its downsides, too!

The Cardassian Union may feature similar stories. Before the war, it appeared to have quite a few allies or satellites in the "neutral" space around Bajor. During the war several parties joined fates with the Dominion; even if none of Cardassia's allies (Xepolites, Kressari, perhaps Klaestron) was explicitly mentioned, they could have been part of Dukat's wartime empire - and might have paid for it later on, but with less than their independence.

Timo Saloniemi

 

For me I think the Federation will aid them as much as possible. The Klingons weakened as they are and with there main focus being to rebuild .there contribution will be more based on punishing them rather then to build them back up. The Romulan having only been in the war for a year and with the chaos at the top level of there government it uncertain what they will want to do to or for the Cardasians. It may even be that the home world could be split into 3 sectors one for each power. Not to dissimilar to post war Germany in 1945. If the Cardasians are allowed to remain whole then I could see the Feseration taking the lead in terms of rebuilding and creating a government of and for the people and after the Romilians and Klingons loose interest in them then I could see the Cardasians joining the Federation.

 

I like to think that following the war, much of Cardassian space was occupied by the three allied powers. But as the region quietened down and stablised, they withdrew and a new Cardassian Union began to emerge--one led by the likes of Natima Lang and the other dissidents. However, generations of paranoia and military dominance take their toll and the Union fractures along political lines, becoming three distinct territories: one heavily militaristic, refusing to accept the limitations imposed on them by the treaty, but close their borders and lock themselves away for a time; another very progressive and eager for Federation support, though as the smallest and weakest they may be a little over-reliant on external forces; the last being democratic though pragmatic, proud of who they are but willing to work with the Federation and others to help build bridges, they are the largest (and also managed to hold onto Cardassia Prime). It's only in this state that the former Union finally quietens down, for a time...

 

They joined the Khitimer Accords and Garak became the leader.