Earth Alliance (Babylon 5) - Rise of A Dictatorship

Rise of A Dictatorship

In the years after the Earth-Minbari War, the Earth Alliance began a massive effort to rebuild its military strength. Great emphasis was placed upon the development of new and improved weapons and warships. By 2257 a planetary defense grid protected the Earth; the defense grid consisted of orbital platforms armed with antiship missiles, particle-beam cannons, and plasma energy cannons. Additionally, larger and more powerful warships, such as the new Omega-class Destroyers, were built, and a new class of fighter was developed that was faster and better-armed than the older versions, and which could fly into a planetary atmosphere as well as space. The Earth Alliance also hoped to prevent another war by starting the Babylon Project. With help from the Minbari, the Earth Alliance planned to construct an enormous space station which would serve to create better understanding between humans and aliens, and would allow ambassadors from various galactic governments to peacefully debate their differences without resorting to war. The first three Babylon stations were sabotaged or destroyed by anti-alien terrorists from Earth. The Babylon 4 station was successfully built, but it mysteriously vanished just a few hours before coming on-line. Finally, the Babylon 5 station was built and opened in 2257 to interstellar commerce and diplomacy.

However, despite the successful opening of Babylon 5, trouble was brewing within the Earth Alliance. A growing number of people within Earthgov - including high-level politicians, generals, and members of PsiCorps - became determined to sabotage the Babylon Project. These people were deeply suspicious of alien races (especially the Minbari) and wanted Earth to become more isolationist and xenophobic. Eventually this group was aided by a mysterious man named Morden, who spoke for an ancient and extremely powerful alien race known only as the Shadows. With Morden's help and encouragement, a group of Earthgov officials, led by Vice-President Morgan Clark, conspired to assassinate Luis Santiago, the President of the Earth Alliance. In 2258 Santiago was brutally assassinated with his staff and crew in an "accidental" explosion of his starship, EarthForce One, and Vice-President Clark assumed the Presidency. Clark had abandoned a goodwill tour and left EarthForce One with an alleged viral infection. Once secure in office, Clark secretly but steadily put his loyal followers in positions to control EarthForce and EarthGov. He also began turning the Earth Alliance into a fascist, Orwellian military state, organizing groups such as "Nightwatch", a para-military police force, to spy on "disloyal" humans. He also renamed several Earthgov agencies, so that the Ministry of Defense became the "Ministry of Peace", and the Ministry of Information became the "Ministry of Truth" (apparently as a homage to the Novel Nineteen Eighty-Four). However, the Chairman of the EarthForce Joint Chiefs of Staff, General William Hague, suspected foul play in Santiago's death. He covertly formed his own network to uncover the truth. ("All Alone in the Night") If Clark was implicated, Hague planned to present his evidence to the Earth Senate to have Clark impeached and removed from office. One of the members of Hague's network was Captain John Sheridan, a hero of the Earth-Minbari war and the commander of Babylon 5. Sheridan eventually brought the rest of Babylon 5's command staff into the network, and together they slowly but steadily accumulated evidence implicating Clark in Santiago's death. ("Hunter, Prey", "Voices of Authority")

In 2260 Commander Susan Ivanova, B5's executive officer, uncovered solid proof that Clark had planned and participated in President Santiago's death. When this evidence was presented to the Earth Senate, Clark suddenly declared martial law and suspended the Earth Alliance Constitution, using an attack on an EarthForce research facility as cause to enact such orders. Now a dictator in all but name, Clark disbanded the Earth Senate, placed military troops in charge of all the Earth's major cities, crushed any open opposition, and seized control of the news media, such as the Interstellar Network News. He used the news media to spread propaganda supporting his views and to broadcast the lie that he declared martial law to prevent aliens from taking control of the Earth. Such traditional rights as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and free elections were all abolished by Clark.

However, a resistance movement quickly developed. Led by General Hague, a number of EarthForce warships refused to obey Clark's orders and started a rebellion. Several Earth colonies, such as Mars, refused to carry out Clark's martial law orders; EarthForce ships loyal to Clark then bombed Mars and attacked any colony which resisted Clark's rule. Two major Earth colonies, Proxima 3 and Orion 7, seceded from the Earth Alliance; they were joined by Babylon 5. This led Clark to send a sizable fleet of warships loyal to him to seize control of Babylon 5 and arrest its command staff. However, Captain Sheridan joined with the rebel Earth warships EAS Churchill and EAS Alexander, and Minbari warships, to defeat the attacking Earth fleet and force them to retreat. ("Severed Dreams") Babylon 5 then became an independent state, and was cut off from the Earth Alliance for the next two years. However, the Civil War quickly took a backseat to the second Shadow War, and Babylon 5's command staff paid little attention to events in the Earth Alliance until that epic conflict was over.