Galactic Empire / DARTHVADER

“We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society, which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An Empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body and a sovereign ruler chosen for life.” ―Emperor Palpatine, in his Imperial Inaugural Address

The Empire can be said to have begun with the scheming aspiration of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, whose alter ego was Senator Palpatine of Naboo. A great manipulator of events, he furtively instigated the Naboo crisis, using the Trade Federation as a pawn, which led to Queen Amidala calling for a “Vote of No Confidence” in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, effectively replacing him. When his first apprentice, Darth Maul, was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sidious took on the former Jedi Count Dooku as his new apprentice. Dooku then helped found the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which in turn ignited the Clone Wars.

Palpatine was an efficient and effective leader who quickly brought to an end the corruption in the Senate; his power was greatly increased as a result of the Clone Wars, while the Senate willingly furnished more and more emergency powers to him. Eventually, the Senate lost most of its power and became little more than a formality that Palpatine had to go through to pass his laws. Yet the Senate did have a symbolic power at least; Chancellor Palpatine still hid behind the pomp and circumstance of appealing to the Senate, but his power existed in his control over thousands of Senators that he had brought into his own web of corruption. However, Anakin Skywalker discovered that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, and after having informed Jedi Master Mace Windu of his discovery, a Jedi task force, led by Windu himself, attempted to arrest him. After a brief duel, Palpatine appeared to be defeated. Skywalker arrived and demanded the Sith Lord’s life be spared, that he might stand trial. Deeply troubled, Skywalker nonetheless helped Palpatine kill Windu, prompting him to be held under Palpatine’s sway as his new apprentice and enforcer, Darth Vader. Palpatine then proceeded to carry out the Great Jedi Purge, which eliminated almost all of the Jedi, while simultaneously wiping out the remnants of the Confederacy at Mustafar, thus bringing an end to the Clone Wars. Secure in his power and position, Palpatine used the so-called Jedi rebellion to issue the Declaration of a New Order and declared himself Emperor of the galaxy in 19 BBY, replacing the Galactic Republic with the Galactic Empire. Likewise, Palpatine vowed that the newly-formed Empire would reign with ten thousand years of peace.

Many people under the new Empire enthusiastically supported the vision outlined in the Declaration of a New Order, largely due to the violence that had plagued the galaxy for so long. Many Senators wholeheartedly supported the new government while a number of more cautious senators chose to watch and wait to see how the new government would handle the affairs of state. It promised to trade frailty for strength, chaos for order, and uncertainty for decisiveness. In retrospect, the foundation of the Empire had already been set down during Palpatine’s chancellorship and all potential threats eliminated; therefore, the transition from Republic to Empire was relatively smooth.

It is important to note that not all of the Senators liked what they saw. In fact, the Petition of 2000 sought to bring the worries of these Senators to Palpatine. This petition was led by Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Padmé Amidala. Palpatine’s dismissal of their concerns was one factor that led Organa and Mothma to help found the Alliance to Restore the Republic.