Korhal

"As you may know from your research, Captain, Korhal was a hotbed of anti-Confederate sentiment for years. The Confederacy hoped to contain Korhal's civil unrest by decimating it and its population with a massive nuclear barrage. Though the radiation levels on the planet are at an all time low, its surface is now nothing more than a smoldering desert."

- United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov before an assault on Korhal IV

Korhal IV is a Terran colony founded by the Terran Confederacy. A world of affluence and enlightenment, Korhal contributed greatly to the military and technological advancements of the Terran Confederacy.

Korhal possesses at least one moon, its size in the sky indicating that it may be tidally locked with the planet.

The Rebellion of Korhal
The planet's populace rose up against the Confederacy, led by its Senator, Angus Mengsk. The citizenry of Korhal instigated numerous riots against the local Confederate militia. The Confederates responded in kind and declared martial law throughout the colony. This only seemed to agitate the populace even more; the citizens eventually chased the Confederates from the planet.

The Confederates believed that if their most treasured and pampered colony could turn against them, then all of their other colonies might revolt as well. The Confederacy assassinated Mengsk, but he was replaced by his more dangerous son, Arcturus.

The junior Mengsk led the Rebellion of Korhal against the Confederacy, amassing a huge army on Korhal and creating an alliance with the Umojan Protectorate. In retaliation for the alliance, the Confederacy launched a massive planetary bombardment of nuclear weaponry aimed at eliminating the dissents, killing four million people, transforming the planet into a nuclear desert and causing mutations in surviving organisms, such as Scantids.

Many of the survivors of the rebellion called themselves the Sons of Korhal, and some others joined other rebel organizations. This attack hardened the remaining men and women of Korhal into some of the fiercest warriors in the Koprulu Sector. Due to the nuclear devastation of their homeworld, they have demonstrated complete willingness to use their own nuclear arsenal against any potential enemy.

The New Order
By the time of the fall of the Confederacy, the planet had detoxified enough to allow resettlement at high cost, using Dominion tax dollars. In addition, it has been modernized and beautified, with statues of Arcturus Mengsk commonplace.

Sons of Korhal leader Arcturus Mengsk made it the throne world of the Terran Dominion, the successor to the Sons of Korhal.

During the United Earth Directorate invasion of the Koprulu Sector, the UED conquered Korhal and populated it with their captive Zerg.

It was during this period that the Dark Templar terrorist, Ulrezaj, hid strange Khaydarin Crystals on the planet, protected by Schezar's Scavengers and enslaved Zerg. The Scavengers left the world when they were defeated by Protoss forces led by Praetor Mojo.

The planet fell into the hands of the Terran Dominion again when an alliance between the Dominion, Praetor Fenix's Protoss warriors, Raynor's Raiders and Infested Kerrigan's Zerg Swarm defeated the UED and their enslaved Zerg. Kerrigan left the world, but not before unleashing a surprise attack on her former allies.

Cities

 * Augustgrad (capital)
 * Styrling (former capital, also served as a military base)

Installations

 * Simonson Munitions Factory

Regions

 * Broken Mesa
 * Scorpion Ravine

Trivia
Korhal is referred to as Korhal IV in the Arcturus Mengsk section of the Roster of Heroes in the original StarCraft manual. It is almost always referred to simply as Korhal, however.