Galactic Empire (Star Wars)
Galactic Empire | |
---|---|
Universe | Star Wars |
In-universe information | |
Type | Absolute monarchy Stratocratic fascist military dictatorship |
Founded | 19 BBY from the Galactic Republic |
Defunct |
|
Location | Star Wars galaxy |
Leader | Galactic Emperor:
Leader of the Contingency:[b]
Legislative:
Executive:
|
Key people |
|
Affiliations |
|
Enemies | |
Currency | Galactic Standard Credit (Imperial Dataries) |
Capital | Imperial Basic |
The Galactic Empire, also known simply as the Empire, is a fictional
At its peak, the Galactic Empire sprawls over much of the known Star Wars galaxy, which consists of millions of star systems and billions more fringe colonies, shipyards, fortress worlds, and outer territories. The Empire's origins are depicted in the prequel film
Palpatine falsely accuses the Jedi of causing the Clone Wars, a
With Emperor Palpatine keeping mostly to the shadows, his Sith apprentice,
The Galactic Empire collapses following the events of Return of the Jedi, but the First Order is formed by Imperial remnants in the sequel trilogy, set 30 years later.
Appearances in the chronological order
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020) (Briefly)
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021–present)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
- Andor (2022–present)
- Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
- The Mandalorian (2019–present) (Mentioned only)
- Ahsoka (2023) (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Resistance (2018-2020) (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) (Mentioned only)
Themes
Star Wars creator
The visual appearance of Darth Vader in his all-black uniform combined with his devout obedience to Palpatine has allusion to the black-uniformed Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS).[3] According to a Lucasfilm-authorized source, Darth Vader's relationship with Palpatine is akin to SS leader Heinrich Himmler's relationship with Hitler.[5] The uniforms of Imperial military officers also bear resemblance to uniforms used in Nazi Germany as well as 19th century Polish ulans (mounted lancers)—who wore a tunic, riding breeches, and boots like the Empire's officers wear—as well as the Imperial officers' cap resembling the field caps historically worn by German and Austrian troops.[2]
In addition to Nazi Germany, there was also at least one portion of the Galactic Empire that was based on the
Lucas has also indicated that the Galactic Empire's struggle against a smaller guerilla force was inspired by America's involvement in the Vietnam War and his surprise at how few people spoke up against the war.[7][8]
Palpatine's rise to power has been related to those of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Hitler.[5] Palpatine's consolidation of power and declaring himself emperor is like the Roman political figure Octavian (Augustus), in that Octavian manipulated the Roman Senate as Palpatine did with the Galactic Senate; he legitimized authoritarian rule by saying that corruption in the Senate was hampering the powers of the head of state; he pressured the Roman Senate to give him extraordinary powers as Consul of the Republic to deal with a crisis and he falsely claimed that he would rescind those powers once the crisis was over; and, as with the transition of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, Octavian, like Palpatine, relied on his strong control over military force.[5]
Many Imperial officers speak with the
Depiction
Origins
The Galactic Empire is born out of the collapsing Galactic Republic. However, its seeds of decadence are planted and nurtured by the Sith over a period of centuries, that bore fruit during the Clone Wars, the epic war between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) depicted in Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The CIS droid army was never intended to be victorious in quick, early decisive battles, the Sith's plan was to have a long, persistent and costly war so Sidious would slowly gain more and more "emergency power" in the Senate to a point where him becoming the emperor de jure was just a formality change in title to match his de facto absolute despotism. Because of a corrupt senate, and a civil war, Palpatine is easily able to take control over the Republic.
In
As fighting intensifies in Episode II, the
The
Palpatine reveals himself as a Sith Lord to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, promising to save Padmé, Skywalker's secret wife, from dying while giving birth to their children. Skywalker reports Palpatine's true identity to the Jedi. However, when Jedi Master
Secure in his power and position, Palpatine reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor for life.
The Old Republic symbolisms were discarded on favor of the Imperial crest and emblem which itself comes from the vendu galactic Randall symbol. Originally this was a symbol of unity and non-confrontation; Palpatine would pervert this peaceful symbol by removing two spokes from the wheel; similar to how
.Government
Legislature
The Senate, now known as the Imperial Senate, nominally continues to exist, though it is virtually powerless. Palpatine dissolves the Senate (off-camera) in A New Hope after discovering that several members of the Senate are founding members of the
Executive
With the end of the Clone Wars, the purge of the Jedi Order and the formation of the First Galactic Empire, Palpatine rules with absolute power as Emperor. Between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Palpatine rules the galaxy from the confines of his heavily guarded Imperial Palace on
Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) depicts Palpatine as intentionally having no clear line of succession, desiring either immortality or the destruction of the Empire.
Imperial Ruling Council
Unwilling to embroil himself in the day-to-day running of the Galactic Empire, the Emperor leaves the mundane work to the Imperial Ruling Council (IRC), an advisory body with whom he confers on vital affairs of state. The group is made up of Imperial Advisors, "yes-men" that serve as ministers and counselors who are rarely far from his side and have a noted taste in extravagant clothing. The spokesman of the Imperial Ruling Council is the Grand Vizier Mas Amedda, who attends most of the Imperial Senate's sessions. Lord Amedda functions as an intermediary for Emperor Palpatine, managing his schedule, screening his calls and contacting other Imperial dignitaries and officers on his behalf; despite this, he is deemed a mere sycophant by many. The Imperial Ruling Council also keeps tabs on the progress of the Imperial Military and delivers news from Imperial High Command to the Emperor.
Imperial High Command
The Emperor leaves the actual martial management to Imperial High Command (IHC), a central command structure that notably coordinates the Galactic Empire's war effort. The cabinet enjoys much power within the government's hierarchy, being responsible for: sanctioning weapons programs (such as the TIE Defender project), supervising the armed forces, forming strategies and organizing expansionary or pacification campaigns. Despite this, Imperial High Command was unable to take any serious action against rebel sympathizers with allies in the Imperial Senate. The group worked closely with the Council of Moffs and notified the Imperial Ruling Council on important developments. Imperial High Command's demanding overseer is Darth Vader - also a Sith Lord - who relentlessly hounds the fledging Rebel Alliance, in addition to quelling insurgencies and purging the last of the Jedi Order. As Emperor Palpatine's handpicked second-in-command, Lord Vader is treated with almost the same deference as his master and has his personal battalion and armada- the 501st Legion and "Death Squadron" respectively - at his beck and call. Imperial High Command maintained a number of subdivisions, each charged with directing the naval, ground and intelligence assets of the Imperial Military. The most important of these were the Joint Chiefs, an executive group of senior officers who advised both the Emperor and the Commander-in-Chief on all martial-related matters. Other members included the Grand Admirals, a cadre of the twelve highest-ranking naval officers that helmed large Imperial fleets and policed Imperial Space; Grand Admiral Thrawn, the commander of the 7th Fleet, was the most famous of their number.
Council of Moffs
Aside from the Imperial Ruling Council and Imperial High Command, power resides in the hands of "administrators" (planetary governors) that form the Council of Moffs. The cabinet is composed of twenty Moffs (sector governors) and their superiors, the "Grand Moffs" (oversector governors), all of whom answer directly to the Emperor. The Moffs are senior officials who held the governorship over Administrators of minor provinces and commanded a Sector Fleet-size imperial armed forces at the sector level.[c] The Grand Moffs are among the Galactic Empire's top figures, being on equal-footing with the Grand Vizier and the Commander-in-Chief and having been similarly appointed by the Emperor himself. The Council of Moffs works closely with Imperial High Command and is therefore able to dispose of the Imperial Military's assets to enforce the Emperor's authority in its "provinces". Governor Wilhuff Tarkin is the most prominent Grand Moff, having suggested the creation of the role[citation needed] and thus holds the distinction of being the very first.[15]
Judiciary
In the series Andor, the Galactic Empire is depicted as arbitrary and cruel in its rule over ordinary people, particularly when it comes to certain agencies such as the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), which acts as a secret police force. In the latter part of the series, the autocracy takes to retroactively extending the sentences of prisoners, moving prisoners around to different facilities after they are due to be released, euthanizing labor camp prisoners when they become too ill to work, not permitting defendants in criminal cases to present a defense, and committing mass murder when its officers feel they are losing control of a situation. It also engages in torture of subjects of interest and carries out arbitrary executions for political purposes. ISB agents are assigned to spy on political dissidents in the Imperial Senate, such as Senator Mon Mothma.
Imperial Security Bureau
The Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) is the civilian intelligence branch of the Galactic Empire that is charged with matters of internal state security and law enforcement, being analogous to the Gestapo or the Schutzstaffel, as well as the KGB. Consisting of several supervisors overseeing multiple sectors, they are charged with matters of counter-terrorism, criminal investigation, internal affairs, state security, state-sponsored propaganda and ensuring the political loyalty of citizens to the Galactic Empire. Each supervisor had at least one ISB attendant assigned to them that helped them do their duties. Veteran Colonel Wullf Yularen acts as ISB's main figurehead and spokesman, answering to the likes of Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader and Amedda.
Towards the end of the Galactic Empire's reign after the death of Emperor Palpatine, ISB officers were entrusted with carrying out Operation Cinder.[d] When that operation fails and the empire collapses, some former ISB officers, such as Moff Gideon, become warlords and part of the Imperial remnants.[17]
Sith Order
Outside the formal
Military
Notable officers
- Battle of Endor.
- Aftermath: Empire's End.
- Battle of Yavin.
- Thrawn – Grand Admiral of the 7th Fleet of the Imperial Navy, until being MIA upon his defeat in the liberation of Lothal.
- Battle of Scarif.[19]Krennic was also the Head of Advanced Weapons research.
Tarkin Doctrine
In Star Wars, the Tarkin Doctrine was the plan presented by Tarkin himself to Palpatine in 18 BBY that outlined the Empire's goal and structure: bringing order to the galaxy and restoring rule of law to sectors overtaken by piracy and organized crime, ending destructive conflicts through grand strategy and military doctrine, a plan for maximizing social control and propaganda, maintaining economic order and increasing security in the Galactic Empire. Tarkin believed the chief factor that contributed most to the demise of the Republic was not, in fact, the war, but rampant self-interest, which left the body politic feckless and corrupt.[20][21]
Consider the self-interest of the Core Worlds,
Star Wars: Tarkin
The plan which Palpatine ultimately had implemented in its entirety contained three main principles: territorial consolidation, rapid communication, and
Plans for the Death Star first appear (in universe chronology) in Attack of the Clones and construction begins at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Summarized measures set forth by the Tarkin Doctrine:
- Establish "Oversectors" which contain tumultuous systems; to monitor and react to rebellious activities within those systems. Oversectors would be formed without regard for the borders of standard sectors and would receive more forces than other regions of the Empire. This Imperial presence would be designed to stop small rebel factions before they could become a larger established threat. An average of three Sector Groups would be deployed in an Oversector.
- Assign command of each Oversector to a single individual who reports directly to the Emperor, in order to eliminate any delays created by political opportunism by Imperial advisors.
- Improve communication resources and Imperial response time by placing modified HoloNet transceivers (cannibalized from existing HoloNet transceivers) aboard each flagship of every Sector Group within an Oversector command. Place similar facilities aboard the Emperor's flagship and in Imperial City on Imperial Centre (formally Coruscant).
- Control unruly portions of the Galaxy through a fear of force rather than force itself. Through the combination of superior coordination of multiple Oversector groups and the control of information (news media) an impression of overwhelming force will be installed within the citizenry, thereby instilling the idea that resistance is futile.
- Continue to research and develop new and more powerful starships and weapons designed to inspire fear in the resistant systems. Present the citizen with a weapon so powerful, so immense as to defy all conceivable attack against it, a weapon invulnerable and invincible in battle, that shall become a symbol for the Empire. This weapon must possess a power great enough to dispatch an entire system. Only a handful or one of these weapons would be required to accomplish this task.
The Imperial Naval Command (INC), also referred to as the Imperial Starfleet, is the foremost military arm of the Galactic Empire in charge of maintaining security, peace and order in the galaxy. Led by Darth Vader, it absorbed the military forces of the Galactic Republic after Emperor Palpatine's declaration of the New Order.
At its peak, the Imperial Navy fields millions of warships, including an estimated 25,000 Star Destroyers, fulfilling the Emperor's will throughout the galaxy. The Empire's central warship cadre is well structured and uniformed, but the Imperial Navy suffers against strike craft, largely due to the inadequacies of its own starfighters and point defense. The Empire's focus on size, firepower, and terror comes at the expense of a well-balanced fleet. After its defeat at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire splits up into warring factions, and the Imperial Starfleet along with it. While much of the remnants of the Imperial Navy are later reunited under impressive Imperial commanders, the military organization ceases to exist shortly after the death of the Emperor.
Specific responsibilities of the Imperial Navy include defending Imperial citizens from space-based threats (such as pirates, smugglers and rebel contingents), enforcing Imperial will, and overseeing commerce through customs and blockade operations. The Imperial Navy also performs orbital bombardments and transports major ground force deployments, supporting them with space, orbital, and aerial support. Imperial Navy officers wear the same standard uniform that their Army counterparts use but is colored grey, and both services use colored chest plaques to denote rank.
Imperial Starfighter Corps
The Imperial Starfighter Corps (ISC) was the starfighter pilot branch of the Galactic Empire. Although the Corps was a component of the Navy,[23] most pilots were assigned to ground operations with the Imperial Army.[24] Imperial starfighters include TIE (Twin Ion Engine) fighters, TIE interceptors, TIE Defenders, TIE Brutes, TIE strikers, and TIE bombers. The Corps were scattered after the Battle of Endor (4 ABY).
Imperial Army
The Imperial Army was the ground based force. Imperial Army enlisted soldiers wore gray uniforms with a mandarin collar and four pockets along with chest pieces similar to Stormtroopers but in black. Corporals displayed their rank on one of their shoulder pauldrons with a single white diagonal stripe. They also wore a gray Imperial kepi or Imperial Combat Helmet
Imperial Stormtrooper Corps
Imperial Stormtrooper Corps (ISC) are elite corps of rapid response all-environment
Galactic Civil War
After the formation of the Empire and the purge of the Jedi, Palpatine declares martial law throughout the galaxy. Those in hiding, or attempting to either flee from or oppose the New Imperial Order, are subject to persecution or death. This is the start of the bloody decades-long Galactic Civil War fought between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance.
As portrayed in the animated series
The Death Star, a moon-sized battle station with sufficient firepower to destroy an entire planet, is designed to be the supreme weapon of the Empire's power. Tarkin, the station's commander, demonstrates that power in A New Hope when he destroys
After the
In Return of the Jedi, after four years of conflict and near constant harassments by Vader's forces, the Alliance achieves a decisive victory over the Empire during the
The dual loss of the Emperor and his right-hand, the Commander-in-Chief, creates a power vacuum of chaos and instability. By design, the Empire had no clear line of succession; and there was no next-in-line after Palpatine and Vader. Revolts, infighting,
Palpatine left posthumous orders. Upon verification of his death, messenger droids are sent to select Imperial officers to relay his last orders: to begin Operation: Cinder, a
A year after the Battle of Endor, the bolstered Rebellion defeats the weakened Empire during the
New Republic Era
By the time of
Djarin later returned to Nevarro, reuniting with his allies
Successor
The most successful remnants of the Empire reformed as the First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke and former Imperial officers. They become a major faction in the galaxy in The Force Awakens and face a reformed Rebel Alliance called the Resistance. The First Order rises to power through the use of Starkiller Base, a planet-converted superweapon that later destroys the Hosnian system, the location of the New Republic's capital. Starkiller Base is destroyed by the Resistance in The Force Awakens. In the sequel The Last Jedi, however, First Order forces draw the Resistance out of hiding and wipe out a majority of their fleet. During the battle, Snoke is killed by his apprentice Kylo Ren, who assumes the title of Supreme Leader.
In
With help from the spirit of Luke Skywalker, Rey eventually makes her way to Exegol, guiding the Resistance away to the planet to take down the Sith Eternal forces, including the Sith fleet. With help from a redeemed Ren and the spirits of Jedi past, she resists Palpatine's promises of power and turns his own
Legends
With the 2012 acquisition of
Thrawn trilogy
In
Agent of the Empire
Agent of the Empire is a 10-issue comic book series published by
Jedi Prince
In the
Dark Empire
In the
Jedi Academy trilogy
In the
Darksaber
In the 1995 novel
New Jedi Order
By the time of the
Legacy
The
In 138 ABY, the Galactic Alliance Remnant led by Admiral Gar Stazi, Fel's forces known as the Empire-in-exile led by Empress Marasiah Fel, and the New Jedi Order led by Jedi Master K'Krukk unite against Krayt's empire and eventually destroy it in the Battle of Coruscant, after a grand total of 157 years of its existence. The three united factions form a new galactic government called the Galactic Federation Triumvirate.
The One Sith, led by Darth Wredd, remains at large and wages a war against the GFT. One year later, the former Empire-in-exile works with the other two factions, killing Wredd, rounding up all surviving members including their new leader Darth Nihl, and permanently dissolving the One Sith and the Sith religion itself for good. The next year, the GFT defeats the secular alliances of the One Sith and in the aftermath of that conflict, the galaxy after 172 years of Palpatine's influence, enters an era of peace and unity.
See also
- Isaac Asimov's Galactic Empire
- Imperium of Mankind
- List of Star Wars characters
- Utopian and dystopian fiction
- State terrorism
Notes
- ^ The following, (disputed) commissionary heads of the Galactic Empire, Mas Amedda (4 ABY–5 ABY), Rae Sloane (5 ABY) and Gallius Rax (5 ABY), were not called Emperors and did not hold full powers
- ^ Which later becomes the First Order.
- ^ A standard Sector Group was composed of 2,400 military assets, of which 24 were Imperial-class star destroyers; an additional 1,600 were escort and auxiliary warships
- ^ As seen in Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game), and introduced in the 2015 Marvel Comics miniseries Shattered Empire.[16]
References
- ISBN 0-345-40227-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-553-37810-8.
- ^ a b c Henderson (1997), p. 146
- ^ a b Henderson (1997), p. 153
- ^ John Wiley & Sons.[page needed]
- ^ George Lucas, commentary, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1.
- ^ Taylor, Chris (2015). How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise. New York City: Basic Books. pp. 87–88.
Lucas was fascinated by the notion of how a tiny nation could overcome the largest military power on Earth, and this was baked into The Star Wars right from its earliest notes in 1973
- ISBN 978-0375709821.
The message boiled down to the ability of a small group of people to defeat a gigantic power simply by the force of their convictions. [...] The rebel group were the North Vietnamese, and the Empire was the United States. And if you have 'the force,' no matter how small you are, you can defeat the overwhelmingly big power.
- ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "'Star Wars': Why do The Empire speak in posh British accents?". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Smith, Alyssa; Romano, Nick (December 6, 2019). "'A long time ago': A Star Wars timeline". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (December 14, 2016). "Star Wars: The State of the Empire and the Jedi in Rogue One". IGN. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Borrelli, Christopher (May 24, 2017). "Novelist Timothy Zahn is the man who saved 'Star Wars,' according to fans". CNN. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Page, Thomas (December 12, 2017). "Building an empire: Exploring the architecture of 'Star Wars'". CNN. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ McCluskey, Megan (December 12, 2016). "A Guide to the Returning Star Wars Characters in Rogue One". Time. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Donna Bowman (2010-10-04). "How I Met Your Mother "Unfinished"". The A.V. Club. The Onion.
- ^ Saavedra, John (December 27, 2019). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian - Who Is Moff Gideon?". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ "Who is Grand Moff Tarkin and Why is He Important to Star Wars?". 15 December 2016.
- ^ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Disney 2016.
- ISBN 9781780893686.
- ISBN 9780345477620.
- ^ Potomac Books. pp. 59–61.
- ISBN 978-0062466822.
- ^ "Magazines @ Titan Comics".
- ^ "Darth Vader". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- Aftermath: Empire's End, Palpatine
- ISBN 978-1368003063.
- ^ The Mandalorian
- ^ "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
Further reading
- ISBN 0-553-57879-0
- Star Wars Battlefront II: Inferno Squad, published 2017, Christie Golden
External links
- Galactic Empire in the StarWars.com Databank
- Galactic Empire on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- DomusPublica.net (No longer active, this archive as of September 27, 2005 has at least some of the essays intact)
- The Case for the Empire, The Weekly Standard
- Web.Archive.org, "No Case for the Empire"
- GalacticEmpireDatabank.com
- Why did The Galactic Empire Hate Aliens?
- Tarkin in the Star Wars Databank
Fan societies
- The Empire Reborn - Roleplaying and gaming society (PC Games)
- The Galactic Empire - Roleplaying game with strong emphasis on political and military training.
- The Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet - PC Gaming club for all Star Wars games and Star Conflict.