Operation Divide and Conquer

Operation Divide and Conquer, (AUDIO: The Dalek Conquests) remembered by the Dalek Litigator as the Draconian Gambit, (AUDIO: Vengeance) was the Dalek plot to start a war between the Earth and Draconian Empires in the 26th century, assisted by and the Ogrons. (TV: Frontier in Space) Part of a wider Dalek strategy to invade the galaxy, (TV: Planet of the Daleks) the deception directly led to the Second Dalek War. (PROSE: Love and War, Deceit)

Earth and Draconian relations
By the 25th century, the empires of Earth and Draconia had carved out their own respective galactic spheres of influence in Mutter's Spiral. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War) Around the turn of the century, one faction of Draconians attempted to provoke Earth into hostilities over the issue of Catastrophea (Kastopheria). The two sides ultimately ended up co-operating over a crisis with the planet's natives. Though a cause for optimism, some contemporary commentators warned that maintaining friendly relations could be difficult going forward. (PROSE: Catastrophea)

In 2520, a planned meeting between representatives of Earth and Draconia went horribly wrong when a neutron storm damaged both ships. All senior officers aboard the Earth vessel were killed, forcing Lieutenant John Williams to take command. With communications severed, the Earth ship misjudged the intentions of the (unarmed) Draconian warship and attacked it. This led to the three-day Human-Draconian War which cost hundreds of millions of lives. Hostilities were quickly ended and the boundaries of the empires were agreed upon in the subsequent treaty, but both sides continued to treat each other with volatile mistrust and suspicion. (TV: Frontier in Space)

Planning
The Daleks harboured an intense hatred for humanity stemming from the failure of the invasion of Earth during the 22nd century, to the point where they were willing to cooperate with other non-humans to act against Earth despite viewing all other races as inferior. As such, the Daleks agreed to listen when they were contacted by the renegade Time Lord known as, (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe) who had arranged a meeting on Skaro after tiring of numerous failures of his own to conquer 20th century Earth. (PROSE: Verdigris) At this meeting, the Master proposed to the Supreme Council a plan to destroy the Earth Empire, as well as the Draconian Empire, and open up the whole space sector to Dalek conquest by engineering a second war between the two space empires. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)

The Supreme Council deliberated and consulted the Dalek Emperor, the transmission of which was recovered and recorded in The Dalek Conquests. The plan, entitled Operation Divide and Conquer, was for the Master to co-ordinate attacks on Earth and Draconian spacecraft. The attacks would be carried out by a force of Ogrons equipped with hallucinogenic technology, causing Earthlings to perceive the attacking Ogrons as Draconians and Draconians to see the Ogrons as Earthlings. With the two empires' volatile relations ensuring a devastating conflict, the Daleks would be able to invade in the aftermath. The Emperor approved the plan. (AUDIO: The Dalek Conquests)

From the Third Doctor's perspective, the Daleks had previously employed the Ogrons in their attempt to perfect the 22nd century Dalek invasion. (TV: Day of the Daleks) In fact, their use of the Ogrons was a result of future Daleks' temporal manipulations in the later Last Great Time War. (AUDIO: Planet of the Ogrons)

The Master, who took to reading The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells in his downtime, asked that after the success of the Dalek invasion, he be allowed to "rule the planet Earth in [their] name". Privately, however, he held his nominal allies in contempt, grumbling them off as "stupid tin boxes", and hid ambitions of ruling the galaxy himself. (TV: Frontier in Space) He estimated that "millions [would] die in the first few minutes of the war." (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War)

"Divide and Conquer" enacted
The attacks were targeted at Earth and Draconian cargo ships, some of which were carrying cargo as inoffensive as flour. Hypnosound devices successfully disguised the Ogrons and made the crews believe they were under attack by forces of the rival empires. Some crewmen were killed in these attacks but most were kept alive in order to report the attacks as witnesses, although these reports were invariably inaccurate. The hypnosound changed victims' perceptions of reality and left them to fill in any details that didn't add up with other explanations supporting their suspicions. As the number of such attacks increased, they gave rise to fierce diplomatic rows between the Earth and Draconian governments. (TV: Frontier in Space)

As the Daleks observed the developments from behind the scenes, they began to learn much about alliance warfare and the psychology of their enemies. The Supreme Council compiled much of this into ongoing research. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)

Earth reaction
News of attacks allegedly carried out by the Draconians was met with widespread outrage among the people of Earth. The Draconians became more commonly referred to by the derogatory term of "Dragons". Anti-Draconian riots broke out in Tokyo, Belgrade, Peking and Helsinki, where the Draconian Consulate was burned to the ground. Congressman Brook, the Leader of the Opposition, voiced his support of the protests to undermine the position of his main opponent, (TV: Frontier in Space) the incumbent President of Earth, Dora (AUDIO: The Transcendence of Ephros) of the People's Party. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War) Demonstrators in Los Angeles burned an effigy of the President as calls were increasingly made for retaliation against Draconian transgressions. (TV: Frontier in Space) The Peace Party, which historically supported the People's Party when it followed a program of peace, turned against the President when they felt she was yielding to the pressure of "warmongers". A number of activitsts were sent to the Lunar Penal Colony on the Moon. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War)

Dora had been elected to office on a platform of peace with the Draconians, and she stuck strongly by these policies. She even appointed General John Williams, the instigator of the previous war, and an old friend, as her military advisor partly so he could be more easily kept in check. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War) She attempted to keep news of Draconian attacks quiet through means of censorship but the news services had sources allowing them to bypass the restrictions. Williams continually urged Dora to take action in order to secure her own position as President. After repeated failures to reach understandings with Draconian officials, Dora agreed to sever diplomatic relations. She remained reluctant to declare war until, citing a lack of conclusive evidence of Draconian responsibility, but events continued to spiral out of her control. (TV: Frontier in Space)

Draconian reaction
Draconian culture was less liberal than that of the Earth Empire (PROSE: Love and War) and they considered various human customs "strange", an attitude which underlined the tone of various aspects underpinning Earth-Draconian relations. Nevertheless, the Draconians lived by strict codes of honour and nobility. They therefore took Earth accusations of piracy and unprovoked hostilities as an outrageous insult to that honour, and were equally affronted when their own counter-accusations were denied as untruths. Once diplomatic relations between Earth and Draconia were severed, the Draconians decreed that intruders found in Draconian space would be sentenced to death.

The Draconians held firmly to the existing treaty terms. The Draconian prince warned President Dora that the Draconian Empire would "destroy" the Earth Empire should a war break out, but this was little more than a deterrent. Privately, the Draconian Emperor knew a war could bring down both Empires. They were willing to believe that the President was not at fault. Yet their ire was drawn towards General Williams, whom the Draconians viewed as a prejudiced warmonger. The Embassy staff believed Williams was undermining Earth policy and activities in order to force his own government into another war. After diplomatic relations were severed, the Prince eventually urged his father to permit a preemptive strike against Earth. (TV: Frontier in Space)

Involvement of the Doctor
The Dalek plan gradually began to unravel when the Third Doctor arrived on Earth cargo ship C982, which was shortly after attacked by the Ogrons. The Earth crewmen believed the Doctor and Jo Grant to be Draconians, but the Doctor was unaffected by the hypnosound. He realised hypnotic technology was at work when Jo herself was affected and perceived the crewmen to be Drashigs. The subsequent Ogron attack on the ship alerted him to the work of a hidden third party commanding the Ogrons, intent on driving Earth and Draconia into a second war. Jo herself suspected the Daleks due to a previous encounter with them and the Ogrons, but the Doctor dismissed the idea because the Ogrons were mercenaries who had served under the employ of many races.

The cargo was stolen, though the crewmen were spared, and they accused the Doctor of being a Draconian spy. He was returned to Earth for interrogation, and from there he devoted every effort to warning the relevant individuals that Earth and Draconia were being manipulated. However, in the heated climate of suspicion, and without proof, he met no one prepared to believe him. Not helping was a genuine Draconian raid to bring the Doctor to the Embassy for interrogation; his temporary escape only increased Earth suspicions that he was a spy trying to stir up trouble. Time and time again, the Doctor was locked up on the suspicion of espionage, with his warnings apparently getting nowhere. He was eventually sent to the Lunar Penal Colony. (TV: Frontier in Space)

Yet the Doctor's meddling brought him to the attention of the Daleks, who learned of his presence while listening to Earth communications. Shelving their observational research, the Daleks ordered the Master to capture the Doctor immediately and ascertain the extent of his interference. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe) The Master had learned of the Doctor's presence independently, after the Ogrons returned from the C928 raid with the Doctor's TARDIS. Seeking to safely remove the Doctor and Jo from the picture, the Master posed as a commissioner from either Sirius IV (TV: Frontier in Space) or Alderberan IV, (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War) and presented the President with forged evidence "proving" the Doctor and Jo were citizens of the Earth dominion. The two were transferred into his custody and locked up on his ship, in which they were to be transported to the Ogron homeworld. (TV: Frontier in Space)

The deception exposed
En route to the Ogron planet, the Master's ship passed into Draconian space and was consequently boarded by a Draconian patrol. Though threatened with execution, the Doctor persuaded the Draconian captain that he had information of vital importance to the Draconian Emperor. The Doctor, Jo and the Master were arrested and taken to Draconia, where they are allowed an audience with the Emperor in which the Doctor made used of his long-held status as a noble to gain the monarch's trust.

Ogrons, disguised as humans, stormed the throne room to rescue the Master after he activated a silent distress signal upon his arrest. The Master escaped but one Ogron was captured, and after the hypnosound wore off, the deception was laid bare before the Draconians and the Emperor himself. The Draconians at once moved to show the Ogron prisoner to the Earth government, but the prisoner escaped in another Ogron raid. Despite this, the Draconian Prince proceeded with a further audience with President Dora and General Williams. The Prince gained Williams' cooperation after clearing up and laying to rest the accidents which led to the last war. Learning that he had fired upon an unarmed Draconian cruiser at the start of the last war, Williams agreed to lead the joint expedition as a means of making amends for his past mistakes. (TV: Frontier in Space) The Doctor also negotiated the release of the Peace Party prisoners on the Lunar Penal Colony after the success of the mission. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War)

With the situation spiralling out of the Master's control, the Daleks decided that it was time to take direct action. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)

Joint expedition to the Ogron homeworld
The latest development did not mean the crisis was over but officials from both parties were now more willing to cooperate with each other. To find conclusive proof of the malevolent actions of a third party, Williams, the Draconian Prince and the Doctor all took part in a small expedition to the Ogron homeworld. Although Ogrons mounted an ambush, they were driven off by the sudden appearance of one of their predators. The Master instead mounted his own counter-expedition to capture the team with support of the Daleks. The armed escorts were exterminated while the Doctor and the government officials were taken prisoner.

War between the empires still seemed likely, and the leading Gold Dalek promptly left the planet with its subordinates in order to continue the preparations for their invasion. The prisoners were left under the supervision of the Master, who anticipated "a very short war." The Doctor used one of the hypnosound devices against the Ogron guarding their cages and urged Williams and the Prince to flee home and warn their respective government about the Dalek plot. He advised that a joint expedition be mounted to the planet to capture the base as soon as possible.

Williams and the Prince made their escape but the Doctor and Jo stayed back to locate the TARDIS. The Master attempted to apprehend them but the Doctor threw the Ogrons into panic with the hypnosound device. The Master fled in the chaos, but a stray shot struck the Doctor, badly injuring him. (TV: Frontier in Space)

Fate of the Master
A following account agrees that the Doctor was injured escaping the Master, and that this initially hampered his subsequent efforts. (TV: Planet of the Daleks) By alternative accounts, however, the Doctor grabbed the Master's gun after the Ogrons fled. The Doctor was tempted to return the Master to Earth to serve his prison sentence but addressing the more serious threat of the Daleks took priority. The Master was allowed to go free. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War) Subsequently, the Doctor and Jo set off in pursuit of the Daleks but they were caught in a Dalek ambush, resulting in the Doctor's injuries. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Planet of the Daleks)

Aftermath
"Divide and Conquer" was only part of the Daleks' wider strategy for invasion. In the TARDIS, the Doctor contacted the Time Lords with the telepathic circuits, appealing for them to send him in pursuit of the Daleks. The Time Lords obliged and the Doctor was brought to Spiridon, where the Daleks were attempting to wake an army from hibernation. The Doctor and a Thal expedition buried the army underneath molten ice and the Daleks were forced to abandon their facility. (TV: Planet of the Daleks)

With conclusive evidence that the Daleks had conspired against both empires, Earth and Draconia formally united to face the common threat. (PROSE: Love and War) The incident led directly to the Second Dalek War, (PROSE: Deceit) which lasted more than forty years. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks) For much of the conflict, however, the Daleks focused on the Earth Empire to avoid a two-front war. The successive Draconian Emperor pursued a de facto neutrality. (COMIC: Star Tigers)

During the Spiridon campaign, (PROSE: Remembrance of the Daleks) the Doctor assessed that the size of the Dalek army - which numbered 10,000 - suggested that the Daleks intended to invade the galaxy regardless of whether the Earth and Draconian Empires went to war. Although "Divide and Conquer" was a failure, the Doctor surmised that the entire scheme was of secondary importance to the Daleks; it would only have served to make the Dalek invasion easier, but the launching of said invasion did not hinge on its overall success. (TV: Planet of the Daleks)

Confronting after learning that he had survived his execution by the Dalek Prelature, the Dalek Litigator accused him of betraying "the Draconian Gambit, the army on Spiridon". The Master retorted that he chose to abandon those strategies as they "weren't working". (AUDIO: Vengeance)

Historical assessments
In 2544, Alcide Esposito painted Doomed Alliance, which depicted the Dalek Council meeting with a shadowy figure. Historians believed this figure to be the Master, thus depicting the meeting in which "Divide and Conquer" was initially proposed.

Historians also pointed to the Gold Dalek's decision to spare the Doctor at the Master's request as "a decision that would have far-reaching consequences for the Dalek race". It allowed the Doctor to escape captivity and interfere in the Spiridon campaign, leading to the loss of another Dalek on the Supreme Council. According to this assessment, the Gold Dalek, having spared the Doctor, likely felt responsible for the twinned disasters which set the Dalek Empire's war against humanity back centuries. Seeking to make amends, the Gold Dalek furthered progress in the field of time travel by drawing upon what had been learned from the Master. Soon, exploiting a temporal paradox in Earth's history, the Gold Dalek and other veterans of the mission to the Ogron planet established an alternate timeline in which the Daleks were able to reverse the failure of the 22nd century invasion. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe) The gambit also failed due to the interference of the Third Doctor — whom the Gold Dalek initially failed to recognise — after he wiped out the Daleks and averted the timeline. For the Doctor, this occurred earlier in his personal timeline than his discovery of "Divide and Conquer". (TV: Day of the Daleks)

The relationship between the Daleks and the Master was another point of historical intrigue as so little was known about it. Some scholars believed, although it was never proven, that the two parties formed future alliances to face the Doctor, but the Master ultimately fell foul of the Daleks and was executed after a trial on Skaro. The Daleks instead came to view the Ogrons as more dependable allies, as their raw strength and stupidity made them ideal slave workers and muscle. (PROSE: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)

The narrator of The Dalek Conquests noted the assistance provided to the Doctor by the Time Lords' once the plot was exposed was one of an increasing number of examples of the Time Lords directly involving themselves in Dalek affairs. He suggested that such instances, in the much longer term, may have generated the hostilities between the Time Lords and the Daleks which resulted in the Last Great Time War. (AUDIO: The Dalek Conquests) It was during the Time War that the Daleks, through the Overseer, rewrote history so that they used Ogron mercenaries during a number of skirmishes with the Doctor, but did not rewrite it enough so that their outcomes changed. As a result, the Eighth Doctor recalled the Ogrons' presence in these pre-war incidents. (AUDIO: Planet of the Ogrons)

Behind the scenes

 * The Discontinuity Guide claimed that the Daleks' Draconian Gambit and the Spiridon campaign took place after the Exxilon Gambit, which itself followed their unrecorded first encounter with the Third Doctor, which fell somewhere between the 23rd and 25th centuries. It is further noted that, since the Fourth Doctor inadvertently changed Dalek history so that Davros survived, this event would have occurred vastly differently if it happened at all in the new timeline.