Cardassian Union
The Cardassian Union was the official governing body of the Cardassian people. The capital world was Cardassia Prime. The Cardassian Union was regarded as one of the great powers in the Alpha Quadrant, until its collapse at the end of the Dominion War.
The Cardassian Union was formed under a treaty that established a power-sharing agreement between the military branch (the Cardassian Central Command) and the Intelligence branch (the Obsidian Order). Friction always existed between the two organizations as the Central Command worked to expand the reaches of the Union and the Obsidian Order worked to suppress the Union. The civilian Detapa Council was established to serve as the chief governing body between the two branches, however, in practice, the Council was virtually powerless, and the Union functioned as a totalitarian military dictatorship.
After decades of exploitation of its neighbors, in 2372 the Obsidian Order was destroyed at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula, the Detapa Council and the Cardassian dissident movement overthrew the Central Command in a coup d'état, establishing civilian control over the Union.
In 2373, Gul Dukat secretly negotiated with the Dominion for the Cardassian Union to become its newest member. The Detapa Council was abolished in another coup and Gul Dukat was made the leader of the new Cardassian government. The Cardassians were supposed to be autonomous agents of the Dominion however in practice they were subservient to the Vorta and the Founders like all other Dominion species.
Initially the combined Cardassian-Dominion forces achieved many victories and made significant gains within the Alpha Sector, eventually the Federation and allied forces were able to reverse those losses. Gul Dukat was captured and his replacement, Gul Damar, became increasingly marginalized within the Dominion. In 2375 when the Dominion negotiated with the Breen to enter the war on their side they ceded Cardassian territory without consulting Gul Damar first. Gul Damar organized a rebellion against the Dominion. In retaliation the Dominion's Jem-Hadar began exterminating the Cardassians and ultimately 800 million Cardassians were slaughtered before the Federation and its allies could break the Dominion hold on Cardassia Prime.
After the conclusion of the Dominion War the power of the Cardassian Union was all but broken. Its military was severely depleted, its homeworld was wracked by plague and famine and recovery from the war would likely take decades if not longer.
Notable Members
