Klingon Civil War

The Klingon Civil War was an internecine conflict fought within the Klingon Empire in late 2367 and early 2368. The war was waged between the supporters of the House of Duras and of Gowron, over who would be the rightful successor to K'mpec as Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. The forces backing Gowron were ultimately victorious, after it was revealed that the House of Duras was receiving backing and material support from the Romulan Star Empire.

Prelude to War
A time of great turmoil came to the Empire when Chancellor K'mpec died. He appointed an Arbiter of Succession which would be Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Starfleet, a Human, which was an unprecedented move in Klingon history. Picard decided between the two challengers who sought the leadership of the Empire, Duras and Gowron. It was eventually learned that Duras's father, Ja'rod, was responsible for the Massacre at Khitomer due to his alliance with the Romulans.

However, despite this, his position was strong among the Klingon High Council. Following Duras' death, his son Toral challenged Gowron for leadership of the empire. The Arbiter of Succession denied Toral's claim due to his age and concluded that Gowron would be the new Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. Despite this decision, half of the High Council sided with the House of Duras. This started the Klingon Civil War.