Any user is allowed to reference the contents of this article in their work.
Although the addition, removal, or alteration of the content requires the permission of the author, the author allows any user to reference this article's content in their work. Check the talk page for any conditions the author has attached.
The Union has betrayed us, they refuse to accept our natural right to a nation of our own and are invading us! Now we must fight to defend our nation, our people and our liberty! Freedom will not die! May Aersif and God protect us, their children, in the coming battles. Fellow Aermen, the blood of the Dragon Mother flows through our veins, we are the children of a dragon, be true to your dragon blood and you will fight like one, you will break these oppressors!
—President of the Confederacy Jane Zarkan, head of state of the Confederate States of Earth, in a message to the Confederate people on the Union invasion of the Confederacy.
The First Battle of Earth (also known as the Battle of Earth) was a battle in 21 BBY of the planet Earth, with its almost unlimited resources, between the Union of Earth States, with help from the Galactic Republic (known as the "Reps", "Unionists", "Republic Fanatics" and "Williamites" by the Confederate Earthlings), against the Confederate States of Earth, who were being helped by the Confederacy of Independent Systems (known by the pro-Union Earthlings as the "Seps", "Confederates", "Confeds", "Rebs", and, simply, as "Traitors"). The battle was a Seperatist victory and the C.S.E remained a free nation and was admitted into the Separatist Alliance.
We cannot lose this battle! Earth has almost unlimited resources which the Separatists want to fuel their war machine, and Earth has the potential to be a great shipbuilder, possibly even being able to rival Kuat! That aside we cannot afford another Jabiim.
—Maksi Hikar, commander of Republic forces during the battle, to Rho-47, commander of Clone Army forces
Background
Earth was discovered by Confederate scouts in 21 BBY, at the time they Earth was covered by states which had their own leaders, though each nation had voluntarily joined two global organizations known as the "Union of Earth States" and the "Confederate States of Earth", which in 21 BBY was led by President Richard Williams and President Jane Zarkan, respectively. The Confederacy had only seceded from the Union mere days before, and only consisted of 10 members.
The scouts were welcomed by the Confederates, specifically by President Jane Zarkan herself, who was intrigued by their appearance, President Zarkan asked them to identify themselves, after which they told her about the history of the galaxy and their nation, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, viewing the CIS as her brothers-in-arms she asked the scouts for an alliance, the scouts reported their findings to their commander, which then passed the information on to his commander, the reports eventually reaching Count Dooku himself, Dooku showed interest in this newly-discovered world, he believed that Earth had shipbuilding facilities, and were capable of building space battleships. He decided to agree to an alliance with the Confederate States of Earth.
A CIS diplomatic envoy visited the planet so after and met with the Confederate Parliament, bringing with him a goodwill message from Count Dooku, Dooku told the senators about his decision to agree to ally with them, and that their nation would be admitted into the CIS and have a seat in the Seperatist Parliament. The senators agreed to Dooku's plans and expressed her wish for further talks.
Dooku felt he had found hiself a worthy ally and member of the CIS, and had the members of the Confederate Parliament brought to Raxus Secundus, the Separatist capital and home of the Separatist Parliament, to sign an alliance with them, in which the CIS would provide arms and other support for C.S.E as it joined the CIS, and in case either the Union or Republic attacked.
The Republic discovers Earth's CIS dealings, and tries to counter them
It wasn't long until the Galactic Republic discovered talks and dealings between roughly half of the states of Earth and the CIS, as well as the alliance. Worried that the CIS would develop Earth's shipbuilding capabilities and use them to build battleships for the CIS Navy, the Republic decided to try and disrupt Confederate-Separatist dealings and sabotage Confederate Earth's entrance in the CIS.
The Republican attempts to subvert Earth's growing pro-Confederate and pro-Separatist feelings and sympathies and entrance into the CIS failed, though the Republic did form an alliance with the Union, who would help them in case of war coming to Earth. The Republic decided military intervention was the only way to stop the C.S.E entering the CIS.
The battle
The Republic has failed to subvert our internal politics! They tried to destroy our nation with their lies, tried to prevent us entering the CIS, they have allied with our Union brothers in an attempt to get our brothers to fight us, they even tried to get us to join the Republic! Since they have failed in their underhand tactics to undermine our internal politics they have decided to resort to an armed invasion, foolish! They are fools for thinking we will just accept their rule! We are free people who will fight their greed, corruption and bullying tactics! Our Separatist allies will help us, I have received word that Foreman Wat Tambor himself, leader of the Techno Union, has expressed his wish to pledge support to us, with the support of our Techno Union benefactors we will drive the Republic slime from our planet!
—Confederate broadcast to the citizens of the C.S.E and pro-Confederates
The decision to invade the C.S.E won a majority vote in the Republic Congress, with only a few pacifist senators, like Padmé Amidala, voting against it.
The Republic invasion fleet was pounced upon by CIS and CSEN naval forces, although the Republic was able to break through the Separatist defences, they lost enough troop transports and warships to possibly make a Separatist victory certain. The Republic losta significant number of ships to the Ion pulses of the Velociraptor, President Jane Zarkan's Subjugator-class heavy cruiser flagship, which disabled multiple ships with each blast.
Republic ground forces did manage to land, but were few in number, and only managed to fight for about 3 days, the Republic tried to retreat from Earth, but a rescue force was unable to break through the defence fleet, the Separatists won the battle, and Earth defended its position in the CIS, and earned respect from other CIS leaders for having beaten back the Republican invasion forces.
The Jedi commander of the battle, Maksi Hikar, was captured by CSE forces and taken to the Confederate Parliament, on Jane Zarkan's orders, the Confederacy would later have Maksi publically executed for mass-murder, and trying to conquer their nation.
Aftermath
Many Union states are rallying to our cause, so appalled are they at the betrayal of their nation's ideals by their own government, and at their government's illegal invasion of our motherland, they are rallying round the banner of the right, they join us in our fight for they realize ours is a war for freedom, for the freedom of our nation, our fight is a crusade against tyranny, corruption and unfair taxation!
—Jane Zarkan on the many secessions from the Union as a result of the unprovoked Republic-Union invasion of the Confederacy
The unprovoked attack of the Republic and Union forces upon the Confederacy was a political disaster as it greatly angered many Union citizens, and resulted in the picking up of the ongoing First Secessionist Crsis, the states of which seceded then joined the Confederacy, resulting the weakening of the Union and strengthening of the Confederacy. Within a week after the battle the Confederacy had gone from having only 10 member states to 59.
Realising that this was a nail in the coffin of the Union war initiative the Union lost a lot of respect for the Republic due to the Republic's rash action effectively crippling them at the very start of the war, after the first battle of the Earth Civil War the Republic fled Earth in defeat, and the Union was more or less left to fend for itself against a much stronger enemy, which was, naturally, angry at being invaded without provocation.
I dare you to try and conquer us! We beat you once already! And we can beat you again! Right now, as we speak, our nation is providing ships and resources to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which is fighting for her freedom against you oppressors! You can never defeat us Separatists! We will never lay down our arms because we are free, and we will fight to stay free! The one fighting for liberty will triumph over the one fighting for greed and money!
—President Jane Zarkan during her hologramatic address to the Republic senate, in which she is arguing with an angry Republican hardliner, who was threatening a Republic full-scale invasion of Earth as revenge for the Battle of Earth
The battle was a catastrophy for the Republic, like Jabiim had been, Earth had not been defeated and knocked out of the war, and provided the CIS with ships and resources, in addition it greatly weakened the Republic's Union of Earth States ally, and effectively crippled their war effort at the very outbreak of the Earth Civil War, the decisive Confederate-Separatist victory was broadcast around the entirety of Separatist space via the CIS Shadowfeed, and further bolstered the morale of the Separatist people, giving them yet another example of brave Separatist freedom fighters successfully defending their independence from the oppression of the corrupt and decadent Galactic Republic.
The brave and indomitable forces of the Confederate States of Earth have today won a victory in the cause for Separatist freedom, by defeating the would-be Republic conquerors, and their Union of Earth States puppets, the Confederate States have successfully defended their liberty, their brave and honourable fight to defend their nation and their independence from the oppressive Republic is just one of many cases of Separatists fighting with true conviction, bravery, and honour in the defence of our freedom, Count Dooku has personally sent a message of congratulations to President Jane Zarkan, leader of the Confederate States, and has given recognition to the role the Confederates of Earth have played in their triumphant defence of Separatist values and self-determination.
—A report on the Confederate victory on the CIS Shadowfeed
The battle was used by Republican hardliners as an excuse to launch a full-scale invasion of Earth.
Senators like Padmé Amidala, however, believed that re-invading Earth would be a mistake, however due to the anger of Republic hardliners and their outspoken vocal desires for full-scale war with Earth, her views were largely ignored.
The Republic later launched a full-scale invasion in early 19 BBY, however, whilst the Republic Navy was able to destroy Jane's first flagship, the Velociraptor, losing several of their own ships to the Velociraptor, she transferred her flag to the Lucrehulk-class battleship Independence, the remaining Republic ships were unable to destroy the Independence, and one by one were destroyed by her and the other ships of the defence fleet.
After the break-up of the CIS and the replacement of the Republic with the Galactic Empire Earth was conquered by the Empire after the Third Battle of Earth, causing a rebel force called the Force for the Restoration of Separatist Earth (FRSE) to be created.