Sabbat Civil Wars

The Sabbat Civil Wars were a series of internal conflicts in the Sabbat. The sect has been wracked by three civil wars to date. Each of the Civil Wars has upset the sect's power structure; only the Black Hand has remained unscathed through all three conflicts. The recent death of Regent Melinda Galbraith has left a power vacuum in the sect's leadership that some fear could spark a fourth Sabbat Civil War.

First Sabbat Civil War
The First Sabbat Civil War began in North America around the time of the American Revolution. The conflict began as younger Lasombra and Tzimisce in the New World turned against one another in competition over mortal resources &mdash; resources that had became bitterly contested as more and more Cainites emigrated from Europe or sired new childer. These younger Cainites had little supervision from their elders in Europe and little connection with the Sabbat outside the Americas; as a result, they had come over time to see their fellow Sabbat as competition rather than compatriots. The strife of this civil war allowed the Sabbat to lose much of their territory in the American East Coast to the Camarilla. This war ended with the signing of the Purchase Pact in 1803, which declared all internal grievances void and decreed that any Sabbat who waged war against his fellows was to be hunted down and destroyed by any and all Sabbat. Following this war, adherence to the Code of Milan became more widespread within the sect.

Second Sabbat Civil War
This war occurred in Mexico and Canada during the latter years of the 19th century. The conflict is generally said to have begun with the assassination of Regent Gorchist by Ravnos antitribu in Mexico City in 1863. The conflict was exacerbated by rivalries between the Lasombra and Tzimisce that had been simmering since the prior Civil War. Fighting continued until December 21, 1933, when the Code of Milan was formally acknowledged by the sect and further revised into its current form.

Third Sabbat Civil War
This war occurred in in 1957, and lasted for only a hundred nights. The conflict began when Brujah antitribu in New York attempted a coup against the Lasombra and Tzimisce that had dominated the sect since its inception. This war was settled by diplomacy, as the Lasombra and Tzimisce finally recognized their antitribu compatriots as equals within the sect. As a result of the success and loyalty of the faction headed by the Caitiff "antitribu" Joseph Pander, the Caitiff were granted a position as an honorary clan within the sect: the Panders.