Should Hugh Have Been Used To Destroy The Borg?

[McAvoy]

What Federation/Cardassian Alliance?

[SolkaTruesilver]

What Federation/Cardassian Alliance?

Eddington commented on the help the Federation was sending the Cardassians, so they could "one day join the big family that is the Federation".

Ultimately, if you compare, I think the Cardies would make better allies than the Klingons. They have powerful ship design, and good intelligence network. Combined with Federation's PR and technology, they would be quite an influencial force indeed.

[Captain Seafort]

Ultimately, if you compare, I think the Cardies would make better allies than the Klingons.

Not even close. The Cardies' industrial and military potential is poor, so weak that a mere third of the Klingon fleet was enough to overwhelm them in short order in WotW. They are a local power only, not a quadrant-wide one.

[Mark]

Not to mention that Cardassians are basically "schoolyard bullies", and unless a mass reform (would take more than a new government), Cardassians are agressive, arrogant, and seek expansion.

I would say the best potential allies would be a reformed Romulan government. I don't see how the Federation and Klingons stayed allies so long, with such fundimental different outlooks on the universe.

[Deepcrush]

Not to mention that Cardassians are basically "schoolyard bullies", and unless a mass reform (would take more than a new government), Cardassians are agressive, arrogant, and seek expansion.

Of that came back to bite them real nasty in the DW.

I would say the best potential allies would be a reformed Romulan government. I don't see how the Federation and Klingons stayed allies so long, with such fundimental different outlooks on the universe.

Well it was more then likely because they had no reason to fight each other and being allies is helpful in keeping the peace... Unless Sisko just blows the shit out of a few Klingon ships...

[SolkaTruesilver]

Not to mention that Cardassians are basically "schoolyard bullies", and unless a mass reform (would take more than a new government), Cardassians are agressive, arrogant, and seek expansion.

We sadly never got to see the actions of the new civilian government, nor how they would have acted regarding their neighbours.

And I'd be willing to accept your argument about them being smashed appart by the Klingon fleet, which is still a consequential 1/3 of their military. But we have to remember that the organisational structure of the CU was in chaos at the time. You don't seal your borders for fun.

[kostmayer]

I wonder is Spocks reunifacation movement gained any momentum after the Tal Shiare got splatted, or after the Romulans allied with the Federation during the war.

[Captain Seafort]

I wonder is Spocks reunifacation movement gained any momentum after the Tal Shiare got splatted, or after the Romulans allied with the Federation during the war.

Given that they were discussing war with the Federation in Nemesis even before Shinzon's coup, less than five years after the end of the Dominion War (confirming Sloan's assessment from IAESL) I doubt it.

[Mark]

Not to mention that Cardassians are basically "schoolyard bullies", and unless a mass reform (would take more than a new government), Cardassians are agressive, arrogant, and seek expansion.

We sadly never got to see the actions of the new civilian government, nor how they would have acted regarding their neighbours.

And I'd be willing to accept your argument about them being smashed appart by the Klingon fleet, which is still a consequential 1/3 of their military. But we have to remember that the organisational structure of the CU was in chaos at the time. You don't seal your borders for fun.

True, but if Cardassia was fully mobilized and ready for a Klingon invasion, they still would have gotten clobbered. The surprise didn't last very long thanks to Sisko's warning, and the Cardassian fleet was only able to slow down the advance, not really stop it.

[SolkaTruesilver]

True, but if Cardassia was fully mobilized and ready for a Klingon invasion, they still would have gotten clobbered. The surprise didn't last very long thanks to Sisko's warning, and the Cardassian fleet was only able to slow down the advance, not really stop it.

Yhea. But they haven't actually steamroller and destroyed the Cardassian military. It has been stated that the Klingon Forces have "broken through the Cardassian's line". Klingon Forces who managed to get through probably rushed toward Cardassia Prime to try to decapitate the government and the military. They never actually managed to reach Cardassia Prime.

Otherwise, the Klingons haven't managed to capture any core planet, just the outlying colonies with strategic surprise, which can be explained by a rushed scramble of the Cardassian military aimed toward defense. Combined with the government's lack of organisation... I'd say it isn't surprised that the Klingons managed to win qui a large number of early battles against the Spoonheads.

Overall, the Klingon's beating the Cardies could be explained with strategic surprise, combat force prepareness and organisational efficiency. The Klingons saw an opportunity for expansion, and they seized it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to conquer the Cardies without the Federation help.

If Sisko hadn't warned the Cardies, the Cardies would never have been able to scramble their fleet, and they would have been steamrolled, that, I agree. It's a simple matter of logistic. Think a little if the French had been warned 3 days in advanced of the Nazi's strategic plan through Belgium. They'd have to shuffle their defence around desperatly, and would have been out of position. They would have loss some ground, but they wouldn't have lost the war as quickly as they did historically.


I'm just sad we never saw any real action when it came to Cardassian ships during the Dominion War. When they needed an ennemy, it was always "Jem'Hadar fighter". The Cardies just had the backseat