Who comes out on top post-Dominion War?

[MacLeod]

jmampilly

You didn't consider the powers which didn't take part in the dominion war - such as the tholians, gorn or even ferengi. They most definitely increased their military spending - and their infrastructure was not affected by the war. They are the ones which gained the most power, relative to their previous position.

Also - the federation got pounded throughout the war - its infrastructure and economy included. You compare it with USA after WW2 when you should compare it with UK instead. One doesn't get stronger by being pounded for years, as happened with UK - as opposed to remaining untouched, fighting exclusively on foreign soil, as happened with USA.
The federation economic potential was diminished by the dominion war, not increased.

All this means, the federation position relative to the alpha quadrant non-combatants - indeed, its standing in general - was weakened by the war, not strengthened.

UK actually did quite well after WW2. Much of its loss of market position came after WW1, so war production in this case allowed a small turn around: bombing was contained to certain areas of the country, production centers outside the south (UK's economy was very well decentralized) were emphasized, the government was positioned to rationalized production, and greater emphasis was placed on colonies. However, this last point ended up being a problem: manufacturing centers outside the British Isles themselves gained experience in production that enhanced those areas politically, effecting decolonization over the next several decades.

However, the larger point, that fighting and winning a war is not necessarily an economic boon, is essentially correct. It depends a lot on the specifics of the war, things that we don't get to see. Did the arms buildup lead to the creation of new shipyards in new areas of the Federation? Did the general population gain technical and scientific skills? Those are the question I would like to see answered.

The UK in many respects came out of WWII in a weaker position.

It's cities where blitzed

Rationing didn't end until the 50's for some products

It took circa 50 years or so to repair it's war debt to the US under the lend-lease programme

It started the war in essence as a Super-Power and at best ended the war as a Major-Power.

But back to the topic question, one thing that might have come out of the war was that most of the Major power had lost many of their older ships the ones being more obsolete and came out with fleets of newer types of vessels. With now doubt several other new designs coming off the production lines.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

The UK in many respects came out of WWII in a weaker position.

It's cities where blitzed

Rationing didn't end until the 50's for some products

It took circa 50 years or so to repair it's war debt to the US under the lend-lease programme

It started the war in essence as a Super-Power and at best ended the war as a Major-Power.

But back to the topic question, one thing that might have come out of the war was that most of the Major power had lost many of their older ships the ones being more obsolete and came out with fleets of newer types of vessels. With now doubt several other new designs coming off the production lines.

This broadbrush ignores numerous significant realities, most importantly that the British economy was already foundering in the 1920s and 1930s. Most of that was due to a 15% contraction in exports and the difficulty of turning the economy around from what were becoming less profitable sectors, most notable steel and cotton cloth. It was almost impossible to maintain the two-power standard without the contraction of competing navies (because of global economic crises of the 20s and 30s), and by 1936 it was abandoned. And while some rationing continued, in part because the global economy was still struggling to meet demands in the early 1950s, the British economy was "recovering" quite well, so much that British politicians of the 50s and 60s referred to it as a "Golden Age."

 

[jmampilly]

IMO Out of the Alpha Quadrant powers the rankings are:

1. Federation
2. Romulan Star Empire
3. Klingon Empire
4. Breen Confederacy
5. Tholian Assembly
6. Gorn Hegemony
7. Ferengi
8. Bajoran Provisional Government
9. Cardassian Union

Plus, the Federation has that God Mode tech that Janeway brought back. I'd say the Federation is the strongest in the galaxy, above the Borg and Dominion.

Haha! I'm not the only one who sees the Federation as number one postwar!!!!!

 

[-Brett-]

IMO Out of the Alpha Quadrant powers the rankings are:

1. Federation
2. Romulan Star Empire
3. Klingon Empire
4. Breen Confederacy
5. Tholian Assembly
6. Gorn Hegemony
7. Ferengi
8. Bajoran Provisional Government
9. Cardassian Union

Plus, the Federation has that God Mode tech that Janeway brought back. I'd say the Federation is the strongest in the galaxy, above the Borg and Dominion.

Haha! I'm not the only one who sees the Federation as number one postwar!!!!!

Don't think anyone said you were. Just that that position is based more on wishful thinking and speculation than anything canon. The Federation is "us", after all, and who doesn't want to imagine themselves as number one?

The closest we have to canon puts the Federation and Romulans as more or less evenly matched. At least until the supernova.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Winners
Prophets: Positioned to regulate interaction between Alpha and Gamma Quadrants, thus contact between Federation and Dominion. Proved ability to intervene in military affairs.

Federation: Increased ability to build ships of the line. Political prestige of organizing major assault on Cardassian territory, especially Cardassia itself. Survived attacks on core worlds. Functionally allied to the Prophets, who control conduit to Gamma Quadrant. Position symbollically recognized by other powers as negotiations and treaty signing held at Bajoran-Federation station Deep Space Nine.

Klingon Empire: Intimate ally of Federation. Recognized for sacrificing men and material in key battles. Removed erratic leadership. Uncertain how new chancellor might reform empire politically and socially.

Bajor: Minimal impact of "occupation." Pivot of Federation's relationship with Prophets. Political assistance to Federation and allies. Bajoran now commands Bajoran-Federation Deep Space Nine at junction to Gamma Quadrant.

Romulan Empire: Difference in overall course of the war. Developed working relationships with Federation and Klingon Empire. War caused internal political and social unrest, whose resolution after the fall of Shinzon is unclear.

Losers
Cardassian Empire: Complete fall of government and occupation. Major loss of civilian life. Major loss of production capacity. Depletion of leadership class. Unclear direction with decapitation of liberation movement at end of war.

Breen: Sacrifice of men and material in war effort. Not clear if any part of war was fought in Breen territory. Neutralization of weapons advantages. Embarrassment of defeat.

Founders: Politically and militarily ejected from the Alpha Quadrant. Loss of Cardassia and Breen as Alpha Quadrant allies. Potential for political reforms with return of Federation changeling. Unclear what effect loss would have on control of worlds in Gamma Quadrant. Unclear what effect the integration of "Alphas" into general Jem'hadar might have. Loss of leading diplomat. Arrest and imprisonment of leading Founder.

 

[jmampilly]

IMO Out of the Alpha Quadrant powers the rankings are:

1. Federation
2. Romulan Star Empire
3. Klingon Empire
4. Breen Confederacy
5. Tholian Assembly
6. Gorn Hegemony
7. Ferengi
8. Bajoran Provisional Government
9. Cardassian Union

Plus, the Federation has that God Mode tech that Janeway brought back. I'd say the Federation is the strongest in the galaxy, above the Borg and Dominion.

Haha! I'm not the only one who sees the Federation as number one postwar!!!!!

Don't think anyone said you were. Just that that position is based more on wishful thinking and speculation than anything canon. The Federation is "us", after all, and who doesn't want to imagine themselves as number one?

The closest we have to canon puts the Federation and Romulans as more or less evenly matched. At least until the supernova.

I jsut find it hard to believe the Romulans were really that powerful. In Trek, the D'deridex class Romulan warship was pretty much the only ship we ever saw from the Romulans. And that ship was on par with the Galaxy class, which might as well have been a cruise ship. If the Federation actually decided to build warships like the Defiant and Akira, it would seem like the Romulans, who built the D'Deridex as a true warship, would all behind.

...And yes, I am completely biased towards the Federation.