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star trek - Why was Captain Archer so important?


Somehow I cannot understand the key plot of the "Shockwave. Part II" episode. Why did taking Captain Archer out of his original timeline



cause the Federation to be never ever created?



What was so unique about him? Why couldn't someone else continue his work, now or later?


It is said in that very same episode that



space exploration by Humans will continue and Earth only needs 10 or 20 more years to re-start.




So, what am I missing? What was so important (actually crucial) about Jonathan Archer?



Answer



(spoilers ahead!) All of this information is revealed in later episodes of the series, so read this answer at your own risk.


It ultimately comes down to a combination of factors:



  • Xindi Conflict - Archer and the Enterprise crew essentially saved the entire human race by destroying the Xindi weapon that aimed to destroy planet Earth. Additionally, he and his crew essentially paved the way for peaceful Xindi-human relations and made the Delphic Expanse inhabitable for the majority of the galaxy.

  • Vulcan-Andorian relations - After the incident in the episode season one "Shadows of P'Jem," it seemed like the interactions between the Andorians and Vulcans would only get worse and eventually escalate into all out war. They nearly did, due to extremist members of the Vulcan High Command attempting to initiate war with the Andorians. However, Archer was able to present the Vulcan Kir'Shara, the original record of Surak's teachings, to the High Command and prevent them from starting such a conflict. This got the Andorians and the Vulcans on speaking terms and eventually paved the way for the Federation.

  • Andorian-Tellarite relations - Oh, the Andorians. They really can't get along with anyone, can they? For a reason I can't remember, the Andorians and the Tellarites were feuding. The Romulan Star Empire took advantage of this feud and destroyed an Andorian ship disguised as a Tellarite vessel. The two races were about to enter a war with each other when Archer intervened. Despite a few hiccups, he was also able to get the two groups on hand-shaking terms, eventually paving the way for the Federation.

  • Terra Prime incident - As the Coalition of Planets (the precursor to the Federation) was being formed, the xenophobic human terrorist group known as Terra Prime took control of an array on Mars that could essentially destroy Starfleet Headquarters. Archer prevented Terra Prime from succeeding in their quest, and the Coalition of Planets was created.


  • Federation Charter - In the final, and probably worst, episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, Archer signed the charter that ratified the United Federation of Planets.

  • Other Notable Accomplishments - Archer also served as the Chief of Staff of Starfleet Command post-captaincy of the Enterprise, ambassador to Andoria, Federation Councilman, and eventually President of the Federation.


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