The Ba'al Purge

The Ba'al Purge was the violent internal conflict that thinned the ranks of Gilead's elite class, weakened the regime, and instigated a military putsch and popular revolt, ultimately leading to the collapse of Gilead. It was triggered by the release of a microdot containing discreditable personal secrets about high-level officials, smuggled out of Gilead by the half-sister Nicole.

Origins and Trigger

The Ba'al Purge was set in motion by the successful escape of the half-sisters Agnes Jemima and Nicole from Gilead. Nicole carried a microdot embedded in a scarified tattoo on her arm, which contained a cache of documents that revealed a great many discreditable personal secrets pertaining to various high-level officials. Especially noteworthy among these were a handful of plots devised by Commanders to eliminate other Commanders. The release of this information by the Canadian media touched off the purge.

Course of the Purge

The purge thinned the ranks of the elite class, weakening the regime. It instigated a military putsch as well as a popular revolt. The civil strife and chaos that resulted enabled a campaign of sabotage coordinated by the Mayday Resistance and a series of successful attacks from within certain parts of the former United States, such as the Missouri hill country, the areas in and around Chicago and Detroit, Utah—resentful of the massacre of Mormons that had taken place there—the Republic of Texas, Alaska, and most parts of the West Coast.

Consequences and Aftermath

The Ba'al Purge was instrumental in initiating the final collapse of Gilead. The civil strife and chaos enabled the Mayday Resistance to coordinate a campaign of sabotage and successful attacks from various regions. The purge was a key turning point that led to the downfall of the regime.