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World of Warcrafthas been defined by the conflict between the two main factions for as long as anyone can remember, yet that conflict seems to have come to a close. The Alliance and the Horde are no longer at each other’s throats and are more ready than ever to tackle the ever-growing threats to their world.
Yet the conflict between these two factions didn’t start in World of Warcraft, but in the Warcraft trilogy that predates the MMO. Those games set the foundation of what would be one of the biggest conflicts in gaming history, the war between the Horde and the Alliance.
The First War
To understand how the very first conflict between the Horde and the Alliance took place, you first need to knowhow these two factions worked back in the day.This war is depicted in the game Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and as you’d expect from such a title,only Orcs and Humans are involved.
First we havethe Alliance of Azeroth, which wasn’t much of an alliance back then, sinceit only involved the Humans of Stormwind.It was a prosperous kingdom, but they weren’t strangers to conflict,having won many battles against the Gnoll and Troll tribes.
Then there isthe Horde of Draenor, a faction of Orcs with a brutal capacity for battle.They conquered their own lands from the hands of the mighty Ogres, being the biggest dominant force in the whole of Draenor.
Draenor and Azeroth are different planets, with nearly all conflicts of the war between the Alliance and the Horde happening in Azeroth.
The real instigator of the conflict, however, was neither of these two factions, but a third party:The Burning Legion, a Demonic force from the Twisting Nether.These world-conquering Demons had a mighty force at their disposal, butthey always preferred to have others do their dirty workfor them.
Corruption Of The Orcs
The Demonic forces got in contact withan influential figure among the Orcs, Gul’dan, and gave him the ability to control their demonic power. He was used as a way toconvince the Horde to drink demonic blood, turning them intohot-blooded slaves of the Demonsthat would lay waste to the world of Draenor.
Orcs are green due to their demonic corruption. Their natural skin color can be a combination of red, brown, and gray, as seen with the unlockable Allied Race, the Mag’har Orcs.
After the Orcs nearly destroy Draenor(now called Outland), the Demons decide to send them on a new invasion. Azeroth, the planet where the Alliance of Stormwind resides,was already a target for the Demons, but they needed a way in.
Corruption Of The Guardian
The Demons had tried to invade Azeroth millennia agobut failed, so their plan was touse the Horde to weaken Azeroth, so they could later invade it with full force. For this, they needed a way in, and that way wasMedivh, the Guardian of Azeroth.
A Guardian is a powerful Magetasked with preventing the Burning Legion from invading Azeroth, but Medivh had beencorrupted by the Demons since childhood.Now an adult, he uses his power and influence to contact Gul’dan and open a Dark Portal,letting the Horde into Azerothfor the first time.
Stormwind Stands Alone
The Humans of Stormwind weren’t the only Human nation on Azeroth, or the only capable nation for that matter, butthey happened to be near where the Dark Portal was opened.This made the Horde invasion their problem, something difficult when each Orc hadthe strength of about ten Humans.
With their strength and battle supremacy,the Orcs eventually conquer the city of Stormwind, forcing the Humansto flee to the northern kingdom of Lordaeron.This is where the real Alliance was formed, uniting many of the Human kingdoms into one single force.
While this was a win for the Horde, it wasn’t so for the Burning Legion:Medivh died during the conflict, andGul’dan was losing his grip on the Horde. The battles between the Horde and the Alliance would continue, butthe hand of the Burning Legion would take its time to be seen again.
The Second War
The Second War started immediately after the first, but it is considered a different war since this is where the Alliance was truly formed. Outside the lore,the events of the Second War happen in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, so it is best to keep the events separate.
As stated before,here is where the Alliance is formed in earnest, not only including most of the Human kingdoms but alsothe Gnomes and Dwarves that are being invaded by the Orcs.Slowly but surely, the civilizations of Azeroth are rising to face off against the Horde, who are in turn losing their upper hand.
The High Elves also join the Alliance, but after the many losses they suffered over the three Wars, their faction is small, so they weren’t initially playable in World of Warcraft.
Eventually,the Orcs end up scattered throughout Azeroth, some being kept in captivity while others hide in small groups and settlements. While some tried to escape through the Dark Portal,the Alliance eventually destroyed itso no more Demonic creatures could come through.
The Third War
The Third War wasn’t a conflict between the Horde and the Alliance, rather it wasbetween the combined forces of Azeroth and the Burning Legion.While the Horde and the Alliance teamed up against their foe,the tensions were still high due to their troubled history.
A New Horde
The scattered Orcs banded together under Thrall, a powerful Shaman who believed in honor and peace.He wanted to take the Horde down a different pathand wished to make Azeroth a home for the Horde, and that meantprotecting and preserving the planet.
His leadership led to the Horde welcomingthe Trolls and the Tauren into their fold, not only becoming a mightier faction but also one more attuned to Azeroth. All Thrall wanted for his people was for them to have a place to live in peace.
The Alliance Remembers
The Humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes of the Alliancestill remember the horrors of the Horde invasions, and while this might be a “new Horde,” the countless lives lost during the first two Wars are hard to forget, let alone forgive.
Still,the Alliance did yearn for peace, so they reluctantly agreed to a truce between the factions. They wouldn’t soon forget the transgressions of the old Horde, butwith Azeroth constantly under otherworldly threats, the new Horde was an ally the Alliance needed to count on.
The Aftermath Of The Lich King
The Demonic invasions left a lasting mark on Azeroth in the form ofthe Lich King, who killed and subjugated many, turning them into Undead slaves.He was eventually defeated and forced to retreat, but his actions made both the Alliance and the Horde gain new members for their ranks:
A Troubled Peace
The next few years would see the Alliance and the Hordehave a fragile peace with each other, always at risk of sparking a new War. The common threats that kept appearing helped keep things civil, but borders had to be respected; otherwise, blood would be spilled.
The conflict between the factions is what justifies PvP in World of Warcraft, letting you fight against the other side for dominance.
Warchief Thrall of the Horde and King Varyan Wrynn of the Alliance wouldalways put Azeroth before anything else, which allowed them to focus their efforts on external threats rather than on each other. This would change when Thrall heeded the call of the elements during the Cataclysm andleft Garrosh as acting Warchief of the Horde.
Warchief Garrosh Hellscream
The Orc Garrosh Hellscream wanted toreturn the Horde to their glory days of conquest, seeing Azeroth as a world open for domination.He led the Horde in open defiance of the Alliance, something that didn’t sit well with plenty of members of the Horde, who joined in the days of Thrall with promises of peace.
While there were many battles between the Alliance and the Horde,it never escalated to an all-out War. During the events in Pandaria, a rebel faction within the Horde manages to remove and imprison Garrosh,making the Troll Vol’jin the new Warchief.
Sylvanas And The Fourth War
Vol’jin led the Horde in the style of Thrall, buthis rule was not meant to last.During the last invasion of the Burning Legion, Vol’jin was fatally wounded, and with his dying breath,he appointedthe Undead Sylvanas Windrunneras the new Warchief.
This was an elaborate ruse set in motion bythe Jailer, an otherworldly entity from the realm of death(also known as the Shadowlands), who needed someone to create death and chaos, so his plans could be set in motion.Sylvanas was that someone, and once the threat of the Legion was dealt with, she set forth to start a carnage in Azeroth.
Meanwhile, the Alliance suffered a heavy loss whenKing Varian Wrynn died fighting the Legion.Many within the faction blamed the Horde (and, more specifically, Sylvanas) for the loss of their dear King, so once the Legion was defeated,tensions between the factions were at an all-time high.
Battle For Azeroth
Sylvanas’s rule ended up being strikingly similar to that of Garrosh,pushing the Horde towards conquest and domination.Yet she showed herself to be even more bloodthirsty than Garrosh,burning Teldrassil, the giant tree that served as home for the Night Elves, and killing countless civilians.
The new conflict hadthe Alliance once again joining forces with Horde rebels, forcing Sylvanas to flee towards the Shadowlands to her master.Each faction slowly pulled itself together, needing to continue their cooperation against the threats to their world.
The War During Current Times
While players can still engage in PvP within World of Warcraft,the Alliance and the Horde are currently at peace, and a lasting one at that. The events of Shadowlands and Dragonflight have shown that a world without war is possible, and The War Within, will havea truly united Azerothface off against the threat of the Old Gods.
A Horde Without Warchief
After the events of Battle for Azeroth,the Alliance remains largely the same; Anduin remains as King, even though he’s been missing for a while, but the structure of the faction is unchanged. The Horde, however, experienced some massive changes since the leaders realized thatno one person should hold that much power.
While the Alliance has one King who leads them, that individual never made decisions that went against the wishes of the many, nor did he do anything without council from the other members of the faction.
Hence,the Horde declared the title of Warchief defunct, andthe faction is now led by a Council. Each member of the council represents the desires of their race, letting a more unified Horde work towards a lasting peace with the Alliance and the rest of Azeroth.
