In 11,884 BBY, the Pius Dea Republic launched the Seventh Pius Dea Crusade, remembered as the Great Northern Crusade. Republic forces attacked alien homeworlds in the northern Outer Rim, including Ithor, Iridonia, and Glee Anselm. The war marked a clear expansion of Pius Dea violence beyond its earlier focus on the Hutts.
The crusades move beyond the Hutts
Zabraks, Ithorians, Nautolans, and other northern species were targeted in operations launched by the Republic military.
Ord Mantell supported attacks toward Ithor, while Ord Cantrell and Ord Meglumine supported operations against Iridonia.
Attack on Ithor
Ithorians had made contact with the Republic centuries earlier and were known for ecological and religious traditions centered on Ithor's forests.
Targeting them showed that Pius Dea crusading no longer depended on a history of Hutt slaving raids. Religious and species identity had become sufficient grounds for war.
Campaigns against the Zabraks
Iridonia and neighboring Zabrak regions became targets of the northern offensive.
The attack helped deepen alien distrust of a Republic increasingly identified with Human Core religious rule.
Republic depots become crusade bases
Ordnance/Regional Depots were created as logistical infrastructure. Under Pius Dea, some became launch points for ideological campaigns.
Infrastructure itself is politically neutral only until institutions decide how to use it.
Anthropological assessment
The Great Northern Crusade demonstrates how an ideology initially mobilized against an external enemy can widen its definition of threat. Once alien identity itself became associated with impurity, long-standing Republic members could become targets.
The campaign also shows the importance of military infrastructure. Ord Mantell, Ord Cantrell, and Ord Meglumine became staging points, converting old supply networks into tools of religious war.
Sources and further reading
- Jason Fry with Paul R. Urquhart, Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare, Del Rey, 2012.
- Great Northern Crusade, Wookieepedia