The Post-Imperial Period, or Interregnum, is a major historical era in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
History[]
The Post-Imperial Period, also known as the Interregnum, denotes the chaotic era spanning approximately from the death of the Last Emperor on Neotrantor in 355 FE to the official consolidation of the Second Galactic Empire around the early part of the 1st millennium FE. This period was not one of simple anarchy but a carefully shepherded phase of history, orchestrated by the Second Foundation to fulfill the ultimate goal of the Seldon Plan.
The era began with the final extinguishing of the First Galactic Empire's line. The galaxy fractured into a mosaic of rival kingdoms, warlord states, and commercial coalitions. The most powerful among these was the Foundation Federation, which expanded its influence through its superior technology and economic power, effectively becoming the dominant visible political force. However, this expansion was rife with the intended crises and Seldon Plan corrections that shaped its path to greatness.
The entire period was defined by the unseen stewardship of the Second Foundation. Based secretly on Trantor, its psychologists worked to correct for major deviations from the Plan. Their most critical intervention was the defeat of the Mule (c. 300 FE), a genetic mutant whose unpredictable mentalic powers nearly destroyed the Seldon Plan entirely. His neutralization proved the indispensability of the Second Foundation's role as a guiding force.
The Interregnum culminated in the Galaxia Crisis circa 500 FE. Councilman Golan Trevize of the First Foundation was manipulated into making a choice for the entire future of humanity. He selected Galaxia—a galactic superconsciousness based on the planet Gaia—over continued rule by either the materialistic First Foundation or the mentalic Second Foundation. This decision, itself the final and greatest manipulation by the Second Foundation, resolved the latent conflict between the two Foundations and provided a unified, telepathic framework upon which to build a new empire.
The Second Foundation then began the gradual process of establishing the Second Galactic Empire. They did not conquer but gently guided its formation, with the mentalic psychologists forming a benevolent ruling class. The first ruler was Preem Palver, a powerful Speaker of the Second Foundation. The capital was symbolically returned to a rebuilt Trantor, cementing the continuity between the two empires and marking the end of the Post-Imperial Period.
Time Frame[]
The Final Collapse (255 FE - 355 FE)[]
The reign of the "Neotrantor Emperors" (Dagobert IX and his unnamed successor), ending with the death of the Last Emperor in 355 FE.
The Early Interregnum (355 FE - c. 500 FE)[]
A period of maximum fragmentation and chaos, where no central authority existed. This era included the threat and defeat of the Mule (300-310 FE).
The Foundation Federation Ascendant (c. 500 FE)[]
The First Foundation became the dominant galactic power, setting the stage for the final crisis of the Seldon Plan.
The Resolution & Transition (c. 500 FE - c. 1,000 FE)[]
The Galaxia Crisis (circa 500 FE) resolved the conflict between the Foundations and initiated the guided transition towards the Second Empire, which was fully realized over the subsequent centuries.