The Universal Century (Universal Century in international version, abbreviated UC, 宇宙世紀 / Uchuu Seiki in Japanese version) is the chronology considered as the main one of the Gundam Saga. This Universe is the richest in terms of works that are placed within it both in number of anime, manga, novels, and other media.
In many Gundam works, the Universal Century is a calendar whose years are indicated like this: "UC 0001", or "1st year of the Universal Century" and whose starting point has remained deliberately vague and contradictory. The event that marked the passage of the Gregorian Calendar (the Anno Domini, our calendar) was the colonization of space by the human species with the construction and migration of populations in space. These colonies are grouped into different regions called "Sides" which are located at a Lagrange point.
The geopolitical context of the Universal Century presents a planet Earth whose Nations have united to form a single government: the Terrestrial Federation. The government also runs the Space Colonies. This governance of the colonies by the Terrestrial Federation will then generate a number of tensions and conflicts.
Chronology
The Gregorian calendar (Anno Domini) ends and gives way to that of the Universal Century (Universal Century), the exact date is subject to controversy, the debates rage between those who consider that 2045 (date of the beginning of the construction of the first space colony Side-1) and those who claim that 2088 (date of the inauguration of the colony Side-1) is the closing of the Anno Domini for the benefit of the Universal Century. The first settlement on Side-1 will be named Shangri-La.
The UC will be marked in its first year by the Laplace tragedy (UC0001), space colonization is announced on the Laplace orbital station by the Prime Minister of the Terrestrial Federation. A terrorist attack then came to tarnish this day, targeting the Prime Minister and the other leaders, who will perish in the attack. A young man, Syam, will recover from the debris a relic which will then be baptized "Laplace's box".
We are now in UC0053, a philosopher arrives at colony Side-3, the furthest colony from Earth. The philosopher in question is called Zeon Zum Daikun , he thinks that men living on Earth (earthnoid) are perverted and that only the inhabitants of space colonies are pure (spacenoid). This ideology thus gathers many supporters on the Side-3 colony. He will also take the idea that humanity will evolve into a new stage of consciousness, he will call them NewTypes.
The Terrestrial Federation will then precipitate, without wanting it (or almost), the ascent towards the conflict. In UC0060 the Federation decides to create a large Federal army, it will then install a military base on each colony. Zeon Zum Daikun declares independence from Side-3 following this, but the Federation that doesn't take this declaration seriously will do nothing, just some economic sanctions.
In UC0068, when he has to make a speech, he will be assassinated by a more ambitious man who claims to be his friend, Degwin Sodo Zabi . Zabi will claim to follow the ideals of Zeon Zum Daikun, he proclaims Side-3 principality of Zeon (in honor of his friends") and thus declares a war between the Federation and Zeon. This cold war is actually a war on the armament, because in the greatest secrecy Zeon is developing a new type of armament, the Mobile Suit (MS).
The first MS developed will be the Zakuin UC0073, much more mobile and maneuverable in space than what existed at the time, humanoid in shape and fearsome. But it will only be the prototype, we will have to wait for UC0074 to see the first real combat Zaku, the MS-05A Zaku.
Later that same year, the Federation would steal the Zaku blueprints, and they would build in UC0075 the RX-75 Guntank and the FF-X7 Core Fighter. The Federation will not stop there, in UC0077 it will develop the RX-77 Guncannon and in UC0078 the famous RX-78 which will be made famous during the one year war.
UC0079 thus begins the one-year war, the conflict begins when Zeon executes "Operation British", which consists of crushing a colony on Earth. Colony 8 Side-2, previously emptied of its occupants, is then rushed to Earth. The initial target of this operation was the headquarters of the Federation located in Jaburô (in South America), the Federation will succeed in deflecting the colony, but only deflecting it. Colony 8 Side-2 will crash into Earth, Australia, where it will ravage much of the continent, causing many billions of deaths.
Negotiations between the Federation and Zeon will lead to the prohibition of chemical, bacteriological and nuclear weapons, as well as the proclamation of the Side-6 colony.
Despite everything, Zeon remains in technological superiority against the Federation. The Federation will then set about catching up with the V project, consisting in the creation of new models. Guncannon, Guntank and the famous Gundam, which will be piloted by Amuro Ray(his father created the Gundam). Information from the Gundam's on-board computer will be used to develop the GM's Mass Produce Mobile Suit.
The Federation's technological catch-up will accelerate the conflict which will end in UC0080.
UC0083, Zeon which was defeated will be dismantled to become the Republic of Zeon. This new Republic is not to the liking of all former soldiers of Zeon, they will form a movement that will try to resurrect Zeon. Their goal is to steal the Federation's new MS, specifically the RX-72GP02 Physalis, which is equipped with a nuclear cannon.
They will manage to capture the new MS, the Federation will then do everything they can to recover it, whole or not. The Gundam Physalis will eventually be destroyed, and the new Zeon threat annihilated. This crisis will lead the federation to create a new elite unit which it will name the TITANS.
UC0085, the elite group the TITANS sows terror among the population, the consequences are such that a new opposition movement will be formed, the AEUG (Anti-Earth Union Group) which will fight the TITANS.
Two years later, we are in UC0087, the AEUG will attempt to steal 3 RX-178-MKII prototypes. The confrontation will lead to a violent and bloody civil war. At the end of the conflict the TITANS are defeated (battle of Gryps), but the AEUG which defends the colonies finds itself greatly weakened.
Taking advantage of this state of weakness of the AEUG and the Federation, Haman Karn will initiate the revival of Zeon, she thus creates Neo Zeon. UC0088, our heroes from the Battle of Gryps are either missing or incapacitated. It is then a band of young people who will resume the fight on the Argama ship, this one being on the Shangri-la colony for repair. Neo Zeon will lose, the Federation will then reintegrate the AEUG by renaming it Londo Bell.
Peace finally reigns, but not for long, Char Aznable who had disappeared during the conflict between the TITANS and the AEUG is back, he is now at the head of Zeon, again recreated. UC0093, Char wants to expand his vision of Zeon, for him every human living on earth should live in space, thus forcing humanity to evolve into NewTypes. He then wants to bring down the asteroid Axis on Earth, to force this exodus. He will find himself again facing his lifelong rival, Amuro Ray who, at the controls of the Nu Gundam, will manage to stop the fall of the asteroid.
UC0096, the 3rd Neo Zeon War breaks out. The conflict will have as stakes the "Boîte de Laplace", which would contain the secret capable of overthrowing the Federal government. A group of Ne Zeon named "Cuffs" will then go hunting for this box, to be able to find it they will try to steal the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, which has the La+ program, this program gives its pilot the keys to find the "LaPlace box" by directing it to precise coordinates. Most of the conflict will therefore be the control of this MS to find the box. The conflict will end with the revelation of the contents of the box, the arrest of the top corrupt leaders of the Federation.
A year later, in UC0097 will see a new small threat from some resisters of Neo Zeon. NewTypes are now recognized as such, along with their rights. The MS of the RX-0 Series have been dismantled, except for one, the RX-0 Unicorn 03 Phenex. This supposedly disappeared MS resurfaces, which will generate some fights without much impact.
UC0105, the conflicts do not seem to want to stop, a new terrorist organization named Mafty, led by a man named Mafty Navue Erin attacks the Federation. This retorting forcefully against Mafty, she develops MS again. Mafty then attacks a congress of senior Federation leaders with the new Xi Gundam they stole from the Federation, in an effort to diminish the Federation's powers.
UC0123, while peace has reigned for ten years, a new rebel group claiming Zeon appears, Crossbone Vanguard. The splinter group attacks the colony Frontier Side (formerly Side-4), this will be the starting point of this conflict aimed at establishing Cosmo Babylon. Crossbone Vanguard leader Meitza Ronah wants to force humanity into space, much like Char Aznable before him, but his son, Karozzo, is far more radical and wants to exterminate the people of Earth. Karozzo will also create new autonomous robots, the Bugs. The conflict will end with the failure of the establishment of Cosmo Babylon.
10 years later the conflict is not really over, the empire of Jupiter wishes to invade and conquer the terrestrial sphere. To counter this Cecily Fairchild (Cecily Ronah) resumes her original name of Berah Ronah, she reestablishes the Crossbone Vanguard to fight Jupiter's empire. The Crossbone Vanguard are now a band of space pirates, freedom fighters.
UC0153, the Federation has been constantly under attack throughout its history, and it begins to weaken, taking advantage of this state of weakness of the Federation the Side-2 colony declares its independence, it then becomes the Zanscare empire . With military and technological superiority, this new empire attacks Earth without encountering resistance, establishing a policy of terror there. To rebel, a new group was created, the Military League. The fighting will rage and many victims will be deplored, the children are then the soldiers who will try to save the peace.
Pieces
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (0068)
MS IGLOO - The hidden One year war (0079)
MS IGLOO 2 - The Gravity front (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam - The blue destiny (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team: Battle Against 3 Dimensions (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team: Miller's Report (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (0079)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the pocket (0080)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (0083)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Zeon Twilight (0083)
Char's deleted affair: Portrait of the young comet (0084)
