Star Trek: 10 Starfleet Decisions With The Most Devastating Consequences
2. Relegating Captain Picard To Patrolling The Neutral Zone
The results of the Battle of Wolf 359 were two-fold. First, there was an increase in militarism within Starfleet. This led directly to the design of the Defiant, which was a positive move, though it also led indirectly to the attempt by Admiral Leyton to overthrow the Federation council.
The greater fallout was the estimation of Captain Picard by his superiors. As he had been assimilated, he was absolved from any responsibility for Locutus's actions during the battle. However, he was kept at arm's length when it came to facing the Borg again. This meant that Admiral Hayes ordered him, along with the Enterprise-E, to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone when the Borg finally returned.
The Battle of Sector 001, as seen in Star Trek: First Contact, was a quick affair. However, in lore, this wasn't the case. The fight actually lasted days, with dozens of starships destroyed by the Cube as it came within a hair's breadth of Earth. It was only the arrival, at the eleventh hour, by the Enterprise-E that allowed Starfleet to finally prevail. Sidelining Picard took their best player out of the fight, with hundreds of dead officers at the feet of those who made that call.