In Transformers G1 (The original 1984 series) the war on Cybertron was described in Episode 38 "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2" like this:
Millions of years ago, Cybertron was a planet of peace...until the Decepticons, lusting for power, began a terrible war. Not designed for combat, the Autobots were overwhelmed and subjugated by their evil opponents. While many Autobots fled Cybertron, a few valiant survivors devised new tactics and launched a counter-offensive on their arch-foes. And thus began a terrible series of wars. Many times, both sides have claimed victory, but this has been short-lived, for the Autobots have overthrown Decepticon tyrants, and, likewise, Decepticon treachery has toppled many a peaceful Autobot ruler. And to this day, the war rages on.
The <PERSON> made the Transformers originally, though they didn't transform then, and the Transformers eventually turned on the <PERSON> and drove them off the planet.
Source
After the slaves drove the <PERSON> away from Cybertron, peace reigned. 837
However, the division between consumer goods and military hardware was becoming acute, as the two groups had even named themselves differently: The consumer goods robots called themselves Autobots, and the military hardware robots were known as Decepticons. While the Autobots preferred a peaceful existence, the Decepticons wanted conquest. For a time, the Decepticons succeeded.
The Autobots then developed transformation and the guardian robots to defend themselves, and that was known as the 'Golden Age of Cybertron':
The Matrix was already in existence at this point, apparently being passed from one Autobot leader to the next, as is the practice today.
The Autobots couldn't match the brute strength of the Decepticons, so they turned to stealth, learning the art of transformation. Using this new technology, they defeated the Decepticons and ruled for many centuries in a "Golden Age." Peace was kept with the use of Guardian robots (presumably based upon the <PERSON>' Dark Guardians), sentinels that protected cities, quelled uprisings, and generally did the dirty work of war. However, the Decepticons eventually learned to transform and also developed some form of anti-gravity that allowed them to fly without the use of jets. They also built a powerful leader for themselves: Megatron. 837