Bloody Valentine War

The Bloody Valentine War is a fictional conflict in the Cosmic Era (CE) era of the Gundam franchise. This event is covered in the television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

In this timeline, humanity has moved into space and built massive space colonies and conflict arises between Coordinators, genetically enhanced humans who are mostly space colonists, and Naturals on Earth, alongside hostilities between the Earth Alliance, composed of four major governments on Earth, and PLANT, a nation of space colonies located at Lagrangian point 5.

Military innovation prior to the conflict

Heavy space fighters called mobile armors had been in use by the Atlantic Federation since the early fifties of the Cosmic Era, but had many limitations in capabilities. Their small size meant they were tough targets to hit, but they were also difficult to armor adequately. A larger machine, PLANT strategists theorized, could do more than a mobile armor could, for relatively cheaper costs and would be able to carry more armor as well. To give these new mecha the best multi-environment combat capacity, a humanoid shape was chosen - an enlargement and upgrade of heavy industrial exoskeletons that had been in use since the closing years of the Anno Domini calendar. Because of the humanoid shape, they were dubbed mobile suits, and the first mobile suit, the YMF-01A "Proto GINN", was rolled out in CE 65. The first combat mobile suit, the ZGMF-1017 GINN, was rolled out two years later. In CE 69, the Atlantic Federation's Captain Lewis Halberton publishes a paper, "The Combat Effectiveness and Applications of Mobile Suits", which prompts the Atlantic Federation to begin development of its own mobile suits, the GAT-X series (or "Gundams", as pilot Kira Yamato would later call them). After a short development period, the Earth Alliance rolls out its own first mass-production mobile suit, the GAT-01 Strike Dagger, in late May CE 71.

January CE 71, marked the rollout of the Earth Alliance's first mobile suits: the base unit, the GAT-X102 Duel, the heavy assault unit GAT-X103 Buster, the stealth unit GAT-X207 Blitz, the high-powered commander unit GAT-X303 Aegis, and the most famous of the five, the multi-mode GAT-X105 Strike. The Strike combined aspects of all four of the other units, and was able to change configurations with ease using bolt-on weapon systems called Striker Packs. Many additional units would be built by both sides during and after the war (see Cosmic Era Mobile Units for a complete listing and development history).

Bloody Valentine War

Declaration of War (February 11, CE 70)

After a terrorist attack at a peace conference on the Moon wipes out the United Nations' leadership on February 5 (Tragedy of Copernicus), the Earth Alliance unilaterally declares war against the PLANTS six days later on February 11.

Bloody Valentine Tragedy (February 14)

Three days later, the Earth Alliance, specifically the Atlantic Federation, sends the Agamemnon-class carrier Roosevelt and its escorts to the Junius region of the PLANTs for a "show of force". However, Blue Cosmos members decide to change its mission to starving off PLANTs' food supplies, as the sector was entirely agricultural. The Atlantic Federation gives permission to use nuclear warheads aboard the Roosevelt. While ZAFT Laurasia-class frigates, Nazca-class destroyers and ZGMF-1017 GINNs fight against the Roosevelt's escorts, a group of Earth Alliance TS-MA2 Moebius launch to fire the warheads. One Mobieus crosses the ZAFT defense lines and makes contact with the Junius Seven colony, killing 243,721 civilians. This incident is dubbed the Bloody Valentine Tragedy and marks the beginning of Coordinator/Natural hostilities.

Battle of Yggdrasil (February 22)

The first major battle between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT is near the pre-war international space station Yggdrasil. The month-long conflict results in the total destruction of the space station.

Operation Uroboros: April Fools Crisis (April 1)

In response to the direct nuclear attack on Junius Seven, ZAFT modifies N-Jammer technology, initially intended to be used against the Earth, as a countermeasure against nuclear weaponry in space. Unfortunately, due to a corrected production schedule, the N-Jammers are not dropped on the planet until April 1, as the first phase of ZAFT's Operation Uroboros.

The use of N-Jammers on Earth, and the subsequent energy crisis, is known as the April Fool Crisis, provoking mass human starvation, due to the heavy reliance of nuclear energy.

The second phase of the operation is the actual offensive on the Earth's surface, where ZAFT seizes control of Africa, Australia and many Asian regions, including three of Earth's five major spaceports (locations of a mass driver): Victoria (Africa), Gibraltar (Europe), and Kaohsiung (Taiwan), leaving Porta Panama (Central America) in Earth Alliance hands and the Kaguya Mass Driver at Onogoro Island in the Orb Union control.

A sixth spaceport, the mobile Giga-Float, under the auspices of the Junk Guild, does not become functional until late in the war.

Battle of Carpentaria (April 2)

One of ZAFT's earliest landings takes place in the friendly Oceania Union territory. The Earth Alliance Pacific Fleet attacks ZAFT's forces, but ends with a ZAFT victory two days later in the Battle of Carpentaria. ZAFT immediately begins construction of the Carpentaria Base.

First Battle of Jachin Due (April 17)

The Earth Alliance ordered its 5th and 6th Fleets stationed on the Moon to attack the PLANTs on April 17 CE 70. They are intercepted by ZAFT forces and engaged at the resource satellite Jachin Due.. Following the battle, the PLANT Supreme Council votes to convert the entire asteroid of Jachin Due into a defensive base.

Battle of Endymion Crater (Grimaldi Front) (May 3 - June 2)

The Battle of Endymion Crater occurs on the Moon, ending with the destruction of the resource base, when the Earth Forces activate their ice melting microwave-emission Cyclops System, destroying their own resource establishment, causing heavy casualties and damage on both sides. The 3rd Earth Alliance Fleet is wiped out, along with its elite TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero corps, except for one Moebius Zero pilot, Mu La Flaga. ZAFT is forced to abandon the Endymion Crater and withdraws from the Moon.

First Naval Battle of Casablanca (May 25)

The Mediterranean Fleet of the Earth Alliance engages a ZAFT submarine carrier fleet near Casablanca. ZAFT achieves a victory and forces enter the Mediterranean, where they begin constructing the Gibraltar Base and advance further into Southern Africa.

Battle of Suez (May 30)

The Battle of Suez, won by ZAFT invading forces, ensures them the key Black Sea territories and the control of the Suez region, A huge linear tank corps, led by the Earth Alliance's Morgan Chevalier, is routed by ZAFT's Andrew Waltfeld at El Alamein, earning Waltfeld the Desert Tiger reputation, as a master of desert-based combat.

Battle of Nova (June 14 - July 12)

ZAFT launches a drawn out series of raids against the Earth Alliance resource satellite Nova at Lagrangian point 4. Skirmishes between both sides last for nearly a month, with neither one ever decisively defeating the other. Ultimately, the Earth Alliance abandons Nova and ZAFT begins to move the station towards the PLANTs. Despite minor raids by Earth Alliance forces, Nova reaches Lagrangian point 5, where ZAFT converts it into the space fortress Boaz.

By late August, a territorial stalemate on Earth is reached, with Northern Africa and Australia firmly in ZAFT hands, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eurasia, South Asia and the Americas in the Earth Alliance, and the majority of Oceania neutral.

Battle of Kaohsiung (January 15-23, CE 71)

Nearly six months later, the Battle of Kaohsiung takes place on Taiwan, where ZAFT successfully attacks the Earth Alliance spaceport, located in the city of Kaohsiung. This is the first mass driver ZAFT captures from the Earth Alliance.

Battle of Heliopolis (January 25)

To put an end to the Earth Alliance mobile suit development plans, ZAFT plans an operation to seize the mobile suit prototypes, secretly developed on the neutral colony of Heliopolis, which is owned by the Orb Union, and to destroy their prototype warship, the Archangel. Although ZAFT is able to hijack four out of five units and heavily damage the colony's harbor, the GAT-X105 Strike remains in Earth Alliance hands, and is activated in battle. The resulting Battle of Heliopolis between the Archangel, the Strike and ZAFT forces causes the complete destruction of the colony from collateral damage dealt by both sides, and is the first of a series of battles between the Rau Le Creuset Team and the Archangel crew.

Fortunately, civilian casualties are kept to a minium, as hundreds of lifeboats are ejected prior to the colony's collapse.

Battle of Artemis (January 27)

The Archangel, pursued by the Le Creuset Team, docks at the Eurasian Federation base Artemis. Here, the Archangel is taken into custody because of its lack of a friendly ID code on the ship, and partly due to the Eurasian Federation's rivalry with the Atlantic Federation, who built the Archangel and the GAT mobile suits. Soon after, ZAFT forces attack the base, when its defenses are disabled by the GAT-X207 Blitz, and the battleship is able to escape amidst the chaos. Artemis takes considerable damage, but remains somewhat intact, however pirates raid the facility days later whilst its defenses are still down. As a result, Commandant Garcia, the head of Artemis, hires mercenary group Serpent Tail to protect it. Following Serpent Tail's run-in with the Junk Guild's Astray Red Frame, Artemis is once again damaged, but as of June CE 71, remains a functional military outpost to the Eurasian Federation.

Battle of Orbit/Second Battle of Victoria (February 13)

The Archangel finally receives reinforcements from the Earth Alliance's 8th Fleet and is ordered to bring the GAT-X105 Strike to OMNI Headquarters at JOSH-A. The Le Creuset Team attacks just before its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Earth Alliance Rear Admiral Lewis Halberton orders the entire fleet to defend the Archangel, and though the 8th Fleet is numerically superior to the ZAFT forces, its Drake-class escort ships and Moebius units prove no match for the stolen units and ZAFT's GINNs, as well as their heavily-armed Laurasia- and Nazca-class warships. Admiral Halberton loses the entire fleet and his own life, but the Archangel successfully descends to the planet.

The battle also results in the deaths of several hundred Orb Union civilians, many refugees from Heliopolis, killed as they retreated from the battle in an Earth Alliance shuttle, vaporized by ZAFT pilot Yzak Joule. He is later tried for war crimes against civilians after the Bloody Valentine War.

On the same day, Earthbound-ZAFT forces successfully captures the Victoria spaceport and its mass driver.

The Northern Africa Campaign (February 15-28)

After descending to Earth, the Archangel participates in the Desert Dawn resistance movement battles against ZAFT. It continues to operate with Desert Dawn until the defeat of the Andrew Desert Tiger Waltfeld on February 28.

Battle of JOSH-A: Operation Spitbreak (May 8)

The Battle of JOSH-A, or Operation Spitbreak, is ZAFT's plan to seize JOSH-A, the Earth Alliance's Atlantic Federation headquarters. ZAFT counterintelligence allows the majority of ZAFT and Earth Alliance Forces to believe ZAFT's next target is Porta Panama and its mass driver. Thus, OMNI transfers a large contingent of its forces to Panama. However, this leaves JOSH-A open to an attack, yet through the leaking of information by rogue ZAFT commander Rau Le Creuset, the Blue Cosmos came to know beforehand ZAFT's operation, thus sets a trap for both ZAFT and the Eurasian Federation. The base is primarily staffed and defended by Eurasian personnel (as well as other unwanted forces, such as the Archangel), while the Atlantic Federation quietly slips away with its own personnel elsewhere.

When ZAFT attacks, the Eurasian defenders put up a fierce resistance, but are effectively wiped out in the face of overwhelming enemy numbers. ZAFT's attack force is then lured into the central bay of JOSH-A, when the base's Cyclops System is activated, killing a majority of ZAFT and any surviving Eurasian defenders, in addition to leveling the installation and everything else within a 10-mile radius of JOSH-A. Fortunately, the Archangel escapes, along with other ZAFT and Earth Alliance Forces who heeds Mu La Flaga's warning of the detonation, after he discovers the Cyclops System beneath JOSH-A.

The battle alters the balance of power within the Earth Alliance, leading to an Atlantic Federation majority among its allies. With the Atlantic now mostly in control of the Earth Alliance and its military, the Blue Cosmos are able to ensure its focus of the war changes to the extermination of not just PLANT, but all Coordinators. Following the fall of JOSH-A, the Atlantic Federation begins forcing all neutral nations not allied with ZAFT to concede to the Earth Alliance.

According to Athrun Zala, in the manga series Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge, many official documents after Operation Spitbreak were lost or destroyed, due to confusion in the ZAFT chain of command (presumably refering to the purge of the moderates by ZAFT Chairman Patrick Zala), resulting in the truth of the final days of the war being hidden from the public.

Battle of Porta Panama (May 25)

Nearly two weeks later, ZAFT retaliates by attacking the Panama mass driver with a heavier attack force. While the Earth Alliance introduces their mass-produced GAT-01 Strike Daggers, ZAFT deploys the Gungnir EMP weapon, disabling all Alliance military equipment in the area, resulting in an overwhelming victory for ZAFT. Porta Panama, the last mass driver in Alliance hands, is thereby destroyed, cutting off the Earth Alliance space forces from Earth-based resources.

Battle of Orb (June 15-16)

With the destruction of their last mass driver in Porta Panama, the Atlantic Federation turns its interest to the Kaguya mass driver in the neutral Orb Union, one of the last mass drivers operating on Earth. The Earth Alliance's chief "negotiator" and leader of the Blue Cosmos Muruta Azrael delivers an ultimatum: either Orb joins the war effort against "humanity's evil enemy: the Coordinators" and submit its government and military to the Earth Alliance or be declared a PLANT supporter and face military takeover. With both sides knowing the terms are totally unacceptable, the Orb Union deploys their recently completed MBF-M1 Astray units at its defensive lines, while the Atlantic Federation sorties mass numbers of Strike Daggers for the unavoidable battle. According to Rau Le Creuset, ZAFT did offer military assistance, but Orb declines their offer of help.

In the first phase of the Battle of Orb, Orb holds their own against the Earth Alliance with their Astray's superior performance over the Strike Dagger, as well help from the defected Archangel and its mobile suit complement. But the Atlantic forces push Orb to the breaking point with overwhelming numbers of Strike Daggers and three newly completed prototypes: the GAT-X252 Forbidden, the GAT-X131 Calamity and the GAT-X370 Raider. Fortunately, under his own volition, ZAFT's Athrun Zala volunteers to assist Orb with the ZGMF-X09A Justice (he was originally sent to recover the hijacked ZGMF-X10A Freedom from Terminal), prolonging the battle and prompts a short halt in the Earth Alliance's advance.

In the final phase of the battle, Orb's Representative Uzumi Nara Athha orders the evacuation of all Astray units to the battleship Kusanagi. The Archangel follows suit, via the Kaguya mass driver, using the Kusanagi's spare boosters. Immediately after the launch, Athha activates Morgenroete Incorporated's self-destruct mechanism, completely destroying its factories and the mass driver. Athha, alongside other Orb politicians who do not wish to surrender to the Earth Alliance, die in the blast. From the first shot fired in the battle to the mass driver's destruction, Orb falls in less than 24 hours of combat.

Third Battle of Victoria (June 18)

Despite the determined efforts of ZAFT, the Earth Alliance recaptures the Victoria mass driver in equatorial Africa, with another mass deployment of Strike Daggers and their prototype units. It is rumored ZAFT planned to destroy the mass driver during the battle, but is stopped in time by an Alliance commando team.

Battle of Mendel (July 12)

After the assassination of former PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne, his daughter Lacus Clyne, Andrew Waltfeld and members of the Clyne Faction hijack the Eternal battleship from ZAFT, finding shelter in the abandoned colony of Mendel. The Archangel and the Kusanagi summarily joins them, forming the Three Ships Alliance. Unfortunately, their location is quickly discovered, as the Earth Alliance and ZAFT attack, although both sides are unaware of the other's presence. The Alliance's objectives are to capture either the Freedom or the Justice, as well as the destruction of the Archangel, while ZAFT's include retaking or destroying the Eternal.

In the ensuing battle, both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT witness the battle capabilities of the Three Ships Alliance. The Three Ships Alliance repels both forces and destroys Rau Le Creuset's command ship Vesalius. During the battle, N-Jammer Canceller intelligence is successfully passed to the Earth Alliance. This battle also sees the first deployment of the Dominion, the Earth Alliance's second Archangel-class battleship and captained by former Archangel XO Natarle Badgiruel.

Battle of Boaz: Operation Peacemaker (September 23)

After recovering N-Jammer Canceller technology in July during the Battle of Mendel, the Earth Alliance originally plans to use the technology to solve Earth's energy crisis, but under the Blue Cosmos' influence, OMNI mass-produces and mounts them on nuclear warheads instead, launching Operation Peacemaker, the Alliance's gambit to quickly end the war by destroying all the PLANTs with nuclear missiles. They begin the operation by hastily destroying the ZAFT space fortress Boaz with an all-out nuclear strike.

Second Battle of Jachin Due (September 26-27)

The Second Battle of Jachin Due is the apex of Operation Peacemaker and the decisive battle of the Bloody Valentine War.

As the Earth Alliance preps its space fleets, the ZAFT superweapon GENESIS enters into its final stages and ready to fire. Both sides are strongly determined not only to eliminate the opposition, but also to exterminate the other's civilian population: the Blue Cosmos' main objective is the destruction of the PLANTs, while ZAFT Chairman Patrick Zala intends to fire the GENESIS not only at the Earth Alliance's Ptolemaeus Lunar Base, but also directly at Earth, which will not only have cataclysmic consequences on the climate, but will also wipe out most, if not, all biological lifeforms on the planet. Additionally, Rau Le Creuset secretly rigs the GENESIS to fire when the ZAFT fortress Jachin Due self-destructs. Between the two warring superpowers, there is the Three Ships Alliance, whose objectives include thwarting any attack on civilians, and a ceasing of hostilities, if possible.

During the battle, the Earth Alliance's Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider clears a path for its nuclear strike force to bypass ZAFT's defensive lines. With little to no forces standing between them and the PLANTs, an easy Alliance victory seems inevitable, however, the warheads fired at the PLANTs are intercepted by the Freedom and the Justice, thus the colonies are spared. Meanwhile, the GENESIS fires twice, with the first shot destroying half of the main Earth Alliance fleet attacking the PLANTs, while the second hits Alliance reinforcements sent from the Ptolemaeus Lunar Base on the Moon and the base itself. To cease the GENESIS' use, Athrun Zala manages to detonate the nuclear-powered Justice inside the superweapon, disabling it before it fires on Earth.

The Earth Alliance fleet loses the Dominion, sunk in battle against the Archangel, with Blue Cosmos leader Muruta Azrael perishing aboard the ship, while the the Calamity, Forbidden and Raider are destroyed by the Three Ships Alliance and ZAFT mobile suits. Soon after, moderate factions overtake both militaries, requesting a ceasefire on both sides, as the crippled Earth Alliance and ZAFT fleets retire to Earth and the PLANTS, respectively.

Junius Treaty

By the start of Cosmic Era 72, the Earth Alliance's nuclear stockpile is destroyed, as is the GENESIS. More importantly, the instigators of the war, Blue Cosmos leader Murata Azrael, ZAFT Supreme Council Chairman Patrick Zala (who is assassinated by his own officers aboard the GENESIS), and rogue ZAFT commander Rau Le Creuset are all killed in action. Parties amendable to peace are now in control of the major factions. On March 10 CE 72, their representatives meet at the ruins of Junius Seven and sign a formal treaty, effectively ending the Bloody Valentine War. The plan comes from Prime Minister Lindemann of the Kingdom of Scandinavia and is accepted by all involved parties.

The Junius Treaty specifically outlines several points:

• All national boundaries on Earth are to be restored to "status quo ante bellum". Thus, the Orb Union and the United States of South America, which were seized by the Earth Alliance, regains their independency. Also, ZAFT must leave any areas they conquered during the war. However, they are allowed to operate the Gibraltar and the Carpentaria Base on Earth, as well as established facilities where allowed by the nations of Earth, including the Atlantic Federation (an example is a ZAFT base in San Diego, which is attacked by Blue Cosmos-affiliated group, Holy Land, shortly before the Armory One Incident).
• The Orb Union is forbidden to transfer any military technology (either in weapon shipments or aid) to either the Earth Alliance or ZAFT, though either side can apparently use any Orb technology acquired before the treaty.
• Nuclear technologies (N-Jammer and N-Jammer Canceller, as well as Mirage Colloid technology) are prohibited from military use, including a specific clause regarding their use on mobile suits.
• There is a limit as to how many mobile suits can be built and maintained by both sides.

A black marble monument is placed upon the ruins of Junius Seven on the same day, to both honor those who perished in the Bloody Valentine Tragedy and as a pledge by the signatories of the treaty to protect peace. Nuclear power plants on Earth are fitted with N-Jammer Cancellers, restoring their operations and satisfying the power needs of the severely crippled terrestrial economy. The long and costly process of digging out hundreds of N-Jammers dropped on Earth during the war begins.

Aftermath

The Junius Treaty's main shortcoming is the failure in dismantling the Blue Cosmos organization. Two years after the war in CE 73, the Blue Cosmos already rebuilds their power base in the Atlantic Federation, reorganized under the leadership of Lord Djibril. As before, the Blue Cosmos has major influence on the Earth's political elite, still driven by their racial hate towards Coordinators. The Armory One Incident, and soon the Junius Seven colony drop, leads again to open conflict between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, breaking out into the Second Bloody Valentine War.

Ultimately, the treaty fails in all its objectives. Both factions secretly continues their development of nuclear and stealth weaponry, with the Earth Alliance deploying them again in the first day of the second war. The Orb Union allies with the Earth Alliance shortly thereafter, rendering the ban on technology sharing a moot point.

References

• "Cosmic Era timeline". GundamOfficial. Retrieved 2007-04-17.