Like the Earth Federation, the origin of the Earth Federation Forces predates the Universal Century. By some accounts, it was formed from the United Nations Forces in A.D. 2009.[1] Compared to the former United Nations Forces, the EFF was given far more power, allowing the Earth Federation government to respond to regional conflicts and natural disasters far more efficiently.[2]
The deployment of EFF to regional conflicts continued into the Universal Century. However, after the Earth Federation declared the eradication of conflicts on Earth in U.C. 0022, these conflicts began reducing in scale. In response, the Earth Federation Forces began a gradual reduction of armaments.[2]
At this point, the EFF was made up of only three branches: Ground Force, Navy and Air Force. Even as space colonization expanded the Federation's territory into space, the EFF did not create a space force.[2]
Creation of the Space ForceBy the U.C. 0040s, however, Spacenoids - second generation space immigrants - began increasingly demanding autonomy. In response, the Federation government founded the Earth Federation Space Force (EFSF) in the U.C. 0050s. In U.C. 0058, in response to Side 3's declaration of independence as the Republic of Zeon, the EFF initiated the 60s Military Armament Enhancement Plan, a plan to reorganize the entire EFF with the Space Force at its center.[2]
As part of this plan, two new military organizations were formed, the Department of Space Force and the Department of Earth Force, with the latter in charge of the Ground Force, the Navy and the Air Force. Since the development of new space colonies was frozen at the time, the Space Force was given a massive budget. In addition, since current-duty military officials were able to become assemblymen in the Federation assembly, a political faction derisively nicknamed "Federation warlords" began arising within the Federation government.[2]
Even though the Republic of Zeon was used to justify this expansion of military power, the Republic of Zeon's military power was far too weak for a war with the Federation. In addition, the Republic's founder Zeon Zum Deikun sought to obtain independence and autonomy through diplomatic means. It was believed that the true goal for the creation and enhancement of the EFSF was to enhance the Federation garrison in colonies and increase the political pressure on all Sides.[2]
Prelude to WarIn U.C. 0069, the Repbulic of Zeon transformed into the Principality of Zeon. Due to the increased tension with Zeon, the Federation assembly approved the budget for the 70s Military Armament Enhancement Plan.[2]
The rise of the Principality was a pleasant surprise for the EFF leadership. The military-industrial complex was invaluable in the enhancement of the Space Force, and the increased threat from Zeon allowed them to increase pleasure on the assembly. The economic boosting effect of war was most effective when war does not actually oocur. As the military expanded, old products would have to replaced with new ones after a certain amount of time, just as the military industry hoped. However, if this state continued for too long, there would be those who question the expansion of the military, so for the military-industrial complex, the best case scenario would be for small scale conflicts to break out at certain times. Therefore, they believed the Principality's increasing militarization and intervention in small scale conflicts was a great opportunity for them.[2]
Meanwhile, the EFF leadership did not actually expect Zeon to declare war on them, believing that their powerful Space Force could effortlessly crush Zeon within a short time, and that Zeon would not start a war that they could not have won.[2]
One Year war
In U.C. 0079, the Principality of Zeon declared war on the Earth Federation. Due to Zeon's use of new tactics and weapons, including mobile suits, Minovsky particle interference, and even the use of a space colony as a projectile, the Earth Federation Forces was completely caught by surprise and suffered massive casualties in the early stage of the war. To make matters worse, General Johann Abraham Revil was captured during the disastrous Battle of Loum.
Under the effects of Minovsky particle interference, guided weapons and computer-based fire-control systems were rendered useless, leaving the Federation space fleets helpless against Zeon's mobile suits. Following General Revil's rescue and the Antarctic Treaty, Zeon began their Earth Landing Operations. As the battlefield shifted to Earth, the Federation Ground Force found their communications severed by Minovsky particle interference and their guided weapons similarly unusable, causing them to lose large swaths of territory to Zeon's Earth Attack Force.
However, the tide of the war began shifting as the Federation began its mobile suit development program: the RX Project and Operation V. The 13th Autonomous Corps, which carried three Operation V prototype mobile suits back to Earth, not only collected valuable combat data for the future development of mobile suits, but managed to kill Garma Zabi, commander of the Earth Attack Force, throwing Zeon forces on Earth into chaos. Taking advantage of Garma's death, the Federation Ground Force launched Operation Odessa, a large-scale European counteroffensive, which ended up recapturing the single largest Zeon base on Earth, shifting the battlefield into space.
Following the loss of Odessa, Zeon launched a last-ditch attack on the EFF headquarters at Jaburo after Zeon ace pilot Char Aznable discovered its secret entrance. However, the attack was repelled, allowing the EFF to launch its space counteroffensive. Soon after, the Earth Federation Space Force captured the Zeon space fortress Solomon and renamed it "Confeito", using it as a staging point for the next phase of the counteroffensive.
Prior to the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Zeon wiped out a third of the Federation attack force using the super weapon Solar Ray, killing General Revil. Though the Federation won the battle and took A Baoa Qu, it was too exhausted to launch the planned offensives against Granada and the Zeon homeland. Ultimately, on January 1, U.C. 0080, the Earth Federation and the Republic of Zeon signed the Granada Treaty, ending the war.
Post-War EraFollowing the Federation victory in the One Year War, the EFF leadership maintained semi-wartime readiness in the Earth Sphere, using the presence of Zeon Remnants as justification. During this period, the EFF's influence within the Federation government grew to the point where civilian control of the military was crumbling.
Within the EFF, a power struggle began growing between the reformist faction led by Vice Admiral John Cowen and the conservative faction led by Admiral Gene Coliny. In order to defeat the reformist faction, Coliny decided to use Operation Stardust, a large-scale counteroffensive plan by the Zeon Remnants group Delaz Fleet, to his advantage. Using his powers, Coliny interefered with Cowen's attempts to stop Operation Stardust while having his subordinate Bask Om stand by in Earth orbit with the 1st Earth Orbital Fleet and the superweapon Solar System II.
When the Delaz Fleet began the final phase of Operation Stardust - a colony drop on Earth - the 1st Earth Orbital Fleet attempted to destroy the colony using the Solar System II. Unexpectedly, the Solar System II control ship was destroyed by Delaz Fleet ace pilot Anavel Gato, allowing the colony drop to succeed in falling onto North America, the Federation's food production center.
In the aftermath of what was later known as the Delaz Conflict, the colony drop was covered up as an accident during transportation, and the conservative faction used the Delaz Fleet's actions as an excuse to call for the formation of the Titans, an elite branch of the EFF dedicated to hunting down Zeon Remnants. The Titans was founded with Coliny's backing by Jamitov Hymen, Coliny' right hand.
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