Eugenics Wars

The Eugenics Wars were a series of conflicts fought on late 20th century Earth, resulting in nearly 30 million deaths and pushing the planet to the brink of another Dark Age. Scientific attempts to bring humanity to the next evolutionary level through genetic engineering and selective breeding caused the war. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Borderland")

Pre-Bellum
Records from this period of time remained fragmentary, so Federation historians had speculated on several areas and events about the Eugenics Wars.

Scientists, in an effort to improve the human race through genetic engineering and selective breeding, created a race of "supermen" (known as the Augments): a race of mentally- and physically-superior humans, with strength up to five times more than the average and lung efficiency approximately 50 percent better than the average. Augments also bragged intelligence double that of the average human and enhanced senses, including supersensitive hearing. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12")

With their creators overlooking Augment personalities, the Augments demonstrated aggressive and arrogant behaviors; the scientists were unable to correct these deficiencies due to genetic engineering and selective breeding being sciences both in their infant stages. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Cold Station 12", "The Augments")

Rise to Power
In the early 1990s, the Augments conquered major populations of humanity. One of the more notorious Augments was Khan Noonien Singh, who, by 1992, ruled over a quarter of Earth, including Asia and the Middle East.

In 1993, a group of Augments took power in over 40 nations, treating some people under their rule as slaves. Khan, on the other hand, did not massacre his subjects and did not subject them to any aggressive wars or attacks on other powers; he only attacked when attacked. His notoriety for this stance placed him into the "most admired" category for tyrants, which continued well into the 23rd century. (TOS: "Space Seed"; ENT: "Borderland")

The Wars
Details Federation historians hold on this era remained sketchy. Some records claimed the Eugenics Wars started when humanity rose up against Khan and the Augments, while other reports detailed Augment in-fighting as starting the wars. The wars devastated Earth, bombing entire populations out of existence. (ENT: "Cold Station 12"; TOS: "Space Seed") While the battles decimated some areas of Earth, others (including Los Angeles in the United States of America) remained relatively intact. (VOY: "Future's End") Other areas, such as North Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Chicago (USA), were affected. (ENT: "Hatchery"; Star Trek: The Prospect Chronicles; Star Trek: The Cantabrian Expeditions)

Humanity eventually defeated the Augments in a worldwide revolt, Khan being the last to be overthrown in 1996. As his last parting gift to humanity, Khan launched various biogenic weapons on populations, killing and severely injuring many. Over 80 Augments (including Khan) went unaccounted for; governments in power at the time kept this secret from the general population. In 2267, the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) discovered Khan and 83 Augments fled Earth aboard the early sleeper ship SS Botany Bay. (TOS: "Space Seed", Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek: The Prospect Chronicles; Star Trek: The Cantabrian Expeditions)

Casualty figures from the Eugenics Wars ranged from 30 to 35 million. The United Nations placed some victims in cryosatellites to keep in Earth orbit until cures for their conditions, mostly resulting from Khan's final biogenic weapons launch in 1996, but several of these satellites disappeared without a trace. Although the wars ended, humanity still feared genetically-engineered humans and other races: a fear still harbored in the 24th centruy. (ENT: "Cold Station 12"; Star Trek: The Prospect Chronicles; Star Trek: The Cantabrian Expeditions; DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")