GT:ISW -- How much of the Terrans' victory over the Ziru Sirka is owed to the Vargr?

[Mike Wightman]

From CT Vargr Alien Module:

It will never be known just how much impact the Vargr had on the decline and fall of the First Imperium; the more obvious military victories of the Terran Confederation are generally considered to be the main force in bringing down the Vilani empire, but inroads by the Vargr surely accounted for much of the collapse.

The irony is it was a Vilani provincial governor with ambitions beyond their station that paved the way for Vargr raids:

One such governor, who controlled the area now comprising portions of Deneb, Corridor, and Provence sectors, is believed to have been the first human to have had dealings with the Vargr, probably after Vargr corsairs raided a world at the edge of his province. This governor supplied arms and equipment to a large corsair group who were employed in his bid for power. Though he was defeated, he had set a precedent; the Vargr knew about the First lmperium and were interested in the wealth of that decadent civilization

[jason taylor]

"Accounted for much" is not the same as, "Was the main source" let alone, "Was overwhelmingly the main source" or even "Every claim made for the Terran Confederation is propaganda for the Solomani Confederation." It is not contradictory to say that the Vargr "accounted for much" and to say that the Terrans were the main cause.

In ISW it says, "The Emperor deliberated and then made a crucial decision. The Imperial Core fleet would be dispatched to the rim to crush the Terrans once and for all.
Given what the Emperor knew at the time this was probably a wise decision. Although the ''urbarrani'' were much closer to Vland they did not pose a threat to the legitimacy of Imperial rule. They were simply barbarians and non-human barbarians at that. On the other hand the appearance of a powerful ''human state'' on the rim might cause whole sectors to defect...The subsequent battle was a devastating defeat for the Imperium. The Imperial grand admiral was killed in the first battle of Muan Kwoyen. Arashir Sharrakin was killed while trying to rally fragments of the armada a few weeks later. Less then 10% ever escaped from the Rim Province.

In other words the Core was ignoring both wars(so it really can't be said the Vargr were distracting forces from the Rim). When it chose to pay attention it overwhelmingly payed attention to Terra(which meant the Ziru Sirka at least thought the Terrans more of a trouble). And Terra wiped out the Vilani fleet leaving the initiative to-whomever wanted it.

[Hero of Canton]

Amigos,

I think I've gotten a sufficiently detailed and Canon supported answer to my OP in this thread.

From this I conclude that the Vargr inroads during the ISWs were a considerable factor in the collapse of the Ziru Sirka, but not the primary factor.

The blunder of the Vilani Governor in arming the Vargr and then using them in his failed bid of power seems straight out of the history of the Late Roman Empire doesn't it? Just substitute Goths, Vandals or Huns for Vargr.

Hero of Canton