The Romefeller Foundation is an evil, aristocratic organization in the animated series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
History
European aristocrats came together many years ago to create the industrial combine known as the Romefeller Foundation. They backed the Alliance and funded its forces, as well as OZ's, and it was they who began production of mobile suits for military use in AC 176. Their main goal, however, is to gain control of the entire earth.
Romefeller spearheaded the movement to bring mobile dolls into the OZ forces. Treize Khushrenada disagreed with it, and Duke Dermail, head of Romefeller, pushes him to resign. When this happens, OZ splits between those loyal to Romefeller, which now come out of the background of the world scene, and those loyal to Treize. Romefeller was still the dominant power, crushing its opposition. It then set its sights on the countries that opposed its rule, calling this military action Operation Nova. One of these countries attacked is the Sanc Kingdom, which had influence over Romefeller's supporters. Its ruler, Relena Peacecraft, dissolves the nation to avoid the bloodshed.
The general public greatly dislikes Romefeller, so Dermail decides to install Relena as a puppet ruler. She accepts, becoming Queen, and made a rousing speech about how they could now peacefully rule the earth as a World Nation. Surprisingly, with the exception of Dermail, all the Romefeller members take her side. Dermail goes off into space to gain support there, but his shuttle is destroyed by members of the newly formed White Fang and he is killed. Following the destruction of Libra, the Romefeller foundation is eventually dissolved.
After Colony
In the After Colony years, the Romefeller Foundation continued in their manipulation of world affairs including inciting conflict between nations since its members owned the munitions factories and supply routes necessary for most nations to wage war against one another. When the United Earth Sphere Alliance was formed the Foundation gladly supported it and began to place its members in the upper echelons of the Alliance's leadership. This would make the Foundation the de facto rulers of the Earth Sphere.
As time went on the Foundation slowly but surely pushed for military action towards the Colonies in order to gain complete control over Earth and Space. The military wing of the Foundation, the Organization of the Zodiac, or OZ became an integral part of the Alliance Military giving the Foundation defacto political and military control of the Earth Sphere.
By AC 195, the leader of Romefeller was Duke Dermail, the uncle of Treize Khushrenada and the grandfather of Dorothy Catalonia. It was Duke Dermail who engineered the overthrow of the Alliance by using the coming of the Gundams as an excuse to go to war with the Colonies. OZ became the prime target of the Gundam Pilots while the Foundation continued to influence the course of the world's politics.
Romefeller was beginning to solidify its control over the world by bringing more nations into its fold when the Sanc Kingdom came back into existence. The Sanc Kingdom continued spreading the ideal of total pacifism at a time when some were becoming war-weary. This began to draw some nations away from the Foundation and so it began to try and discredit or destroy the Sanc Kingdom. Duke Dermail realized that the leader of the Sanc Kingdom, Relena Peacecraft, was able to capture the attention of and persuade world leaders and that she was someone who the people would follow. Thus, a plan was executed that resulted in the invasion and surrender of the Sanc Kingdom. Relena was taken to the Foundation's headquarters in Germany where Dermail made her Queen Relena of the new nation the Foundation engineered, the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Duke Dermail's plan worked too well and the Foundation began to listen more to Relena than to him and was sent to space. During his trip, his shuttle was attacked and he was killed. With his death, the Foundation began to falter and with the end of the war and the death of Treize Khushrenada the Foundation ceased to exist.
Notable Members
- Duke Dermail
- Chief Engineer Tsubarov
- Dorothy Catalonia
- Marquise Weridge
- Relena Peacecraft
- Treize Khushrenada
Trivia
- LOGOS from the Cosmic Era is very similar to the Romefeller Foundation, as both were a military industrial complex that would profit from causing conflicts.