Re-Imagined Series
- Additional information is available on the Cylon War.
The First Attack
As told by the Video Game, the Cylon Wars began as Humanity's bastard children, the Cylons, turned on their "parents" in a night of "blood and fire". Their rebellous acts caused the slaughter of countless thousands, if not millions.
Across the Twelve Colonies of Man, the Cylons waged a war against their masters that lasted many years. This war was waged amongst the stars as well as the Colonies. There are no specific battles to indicate the turning of the tides of war, though it is known that the Cylons were expelled from the now-combined Colonies of Man, and left to the stars.
There was an armistice and an attempt to maintain diplomatic relations with the Cylons, though this was ignored by the Cylons.
The first attack is depicted in a painting on the wall of Commander William Adama's cabin onbaord the Battlestar Galactica.
The Final Attack
The final attack came 40 years after the cessation of hostilities, the opening shot being the destruction of the Armistice Station by a Cylon basestar.
Carefully planned out by the Cylons, Humanity's defeat was ensured by Humano-Cylon agents, such as Number 6; Number 6 ensured that backdoors were placed in the Command Navigation Program, thus eliminating the Colonials ability to resist.
As a result of the re-emergence of network technologies (see: Cylon War), the Cylons could now repeat a tactic they had previously used.
As the Colonial Fleet, under the command of Admrial Nagala onboard the Battlestar Atlantia, was ripped asunder by Cylon forces, the Cylons began deploying nuclear warfare against the Colonies. Out of billions of humans, only 50,000 survived and escaped their Cylon enemies under the leadership of the battlestar Galactica (Mini-Series) or another surviving battlestar, while a resistance movement was formed on Caprica.
Original Series
- Additional information is available on the Thousand Yahren War.
The Cylon Attack was a sneak attack, similar to Pearl Harbor. After 1000 yahrens of war, the Humans vied for peace under Lord Baltar. (see: Cimtar Peace Accord) The peace was to take place at Cimtar, a moon in what is believed to be neutral territory. Instead of peace, the Cylons launched their largest onslaught against the Colonials.
The Cylons began their two-pronged attack:
First Prong: Elimination of the Battlestars at Cimtar
- Additional information is available on the Battle of Cimtar (TOS).
The Cylons used Cimtar as a launch platform for fighter groups, supported by Cylon tankers for fuel operations. Using their Raiders, the Cylons attacked the battlestars there. All battlestars, save the already prepared Galactica, were destroyed; the Cylons were thwarted from destroying the entire presence there. Leaving the survivors and Viper pilots of that battle, the Galactica headed towards the Twelve Colonies (TOS) in a vain effort to protect their homeworlds.
Second Prong: The Attack on the Colonies
Cylon basestars snuck by Colonial defenses, allowing an unstoppable attack on the Colonies. Whole planets were in flames and the Cylons exterminated all humans that remained, save those who were fortunate enough to flee the Colonies to join the Fleet Commander Adama assembled.