The Romulan Star Empire is led by the Vulcanoid Romulan people from the twin planets Romulus and Remus, and is a organized, fascistic and warlike state positioned close to Federation and Klingon space. The Romulan government seems to consist of a social system similar to the Roman Empire on Earth, with positions analogous to senators, tribunes, praetors, consuls, proconsuls, and perhaps an emperor at some points in it's history - as well as all the developments in statecraft since. It is possible that the conquests of Romulus's legions, and it's alien auxiliary armies must be justified to the senate in terms of national security, profitability and opportunity - the citizenry may enjoy some freedoms, but are subject to a thought police and surveillance state that keeps them ideologically pure.
Like Rome, which was huge, diverse and encompassed many nations, the Romulan state appears extensive - at least one of the larger empires of the galaxy, but possibly as large as the Federation itself, representing a rival social system based on principles at odds with the Federation; nominally an imperial democracy, fixated on order and security, that believes it's social system is superior, but to a greater or lesser extent totalitarian, perhaps depending on the political climate. It is unknown how many alien worlds are subjects of the empire, but the Romulan state may employ auxiliary armies and legions composed of subject species. It has extremely powerful state institutions such as the Tal Shiar and a scientific capability on par with the Federation.
The Empire's strategic behavior probably mirrors Roman policy within it's sphere of influence - targets are encouraged to become protectorates and vassals, but if they are deemed to threaten the strategic interests of the Romulan Empire, or hold an important resource, they are incorporated as full member provinces, under the pretext of order and stability. The Romulan Commander and Centurion in "Balance of Terror" mentioned they had fought over a hundred campaigns together - testament to the bloody reality of the Romulan military's conquests and police actions. Outwardly, when dealing with other empires, the Romulan state's policy is more akin to the brinkmanship of 20th century Earth nation states such as China or Russia - a strategic rivalry the Federation, Klingons, Breen and other neighbors, trying to maneuver events clandestinely or overtly into their favor. In 2266, they perfected plasma torpedo and cloaking technology and tested them against the Federation in a suprise strike, and in 2268, they conducted a catastrophic test into Polaric Ion Weapondary, which almost destroyed their colony of Chaltok IV, and led to the Polaric Test Ban Treaty - a testament to Romulan scientific ambition and attempts to continually find a form of strategic advantage for their star fleets.
During the Romulan War, possibly launched as an attempt to prevent the birth of the Federation by conquering the Alpha Quadrant before individual planets had chance to sign a union, the Romulans launched the most aggressive campaign in their history. It was the most bloody conflict the quadrant had ever witnessed prior to the Dominion War - the Romulan state was analogous to the Empire of Japan or Nazi Germany - launching surprise strikes and pursuing unrestrained expansionism in order to bring about a new order and rule unopposed.
Since their defeat, principally at the hands of Earth and it's allies, their policy has become more circumspect - the establishment of the Romulan Neutral Zone, a border region several light years deep in which neither side is permitted to establish any kind of military presence, has served to contain the empire's westward expansion in the galactic disc.
- Earth Romulan War (ends with the signing of the peace after Battle of Cheron) (2156-2160)
- [Long Isolation] (2160-2266 - 106 years)
- Balance of Terror attack tests the Federation and deploys functional cloaking device (2266-2268)
- Attempt to disrupt the Federation-Klingon peace by supporting Chang and Cartwright (2293)
- [Short Isolation] (2311-2364 - 53 years)
- Reemergence in TNG in response to Borg attacks on Romulan and Federation bases (2364)
- Attempt to disrupt the Federation-Klingon peace through regime change on Qo'noS (2367)
- Attempt at re-unification of Vulcan and Romulus via a coup led by Romulan troops (2368)
- Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order launch a first strike on the Founders of the Dominion (2371)
- The Dominion War (ends with the signing of the peace after Battle of Cardassia) (2374-2375)
What we do know is that the Klingons and Romulans briefly allied around this time and exchanged starship designs and cloaking devices - this two against one situation was of grave strategic importance to the Federation, but didn't last - and decades later the situation was permanently reversed with the Federation and Klingons being aligned against the Romulans - a situation that preoccupied them for the next 70 years, as they tried to destabilize relations between the two and shift the balance of power back to a Romulan-Klingon entente via the House of Duras.
Romulans are biologically stronger than humans, like their Vulcan cousins. Romulan military figures generally maintain a clean cut appearance, but their working classes, such as the miners of the Romulan mining platform Narada, have demonstrated that there are probably many sub-cultures, geographical differences and social classes - with this particular one being seen to wear tattoos as a sign of mourning for the loss of their planet. In this diversity of Romulan everyday life, it is possible that not all Romulans feel the same antagonism toward the Federation that their leaders do. It is currently unknown if this isolationist power will appear in Star Trek: Discovery, but they remain Earth's oldest adversary.
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