"Deneba Campus: Old Republic History"

1-Introduction

Greetings students and welcome to my classroom. Here, you will learn about the Old Republic that existed before the rise of the Galactic Empire. The Old Republic was one of the largest Galactic governments in history. It governed much of the Galaxy in its peak and one can learn from both the Old Republic’s successes, as well as its failures. Now, listen carefully, students, and, when you feel you are ready, ask for the test. The three Sith Empire history courses may also help provide some more context for some of the subject matter discussed here.

2-History

A-Formation

The Republic was formed when the Galactic Constitution was signed in 25,000 BBY after the Unification Wars (not to be confused with the Unification Wars of the Koros System). During the Unification Wars, clever Humans and Duros succeeded in reverse-engineering the force-powered hyperdrive of the late Rakata Empire, which lead to the construction of the first modern hyperdrive. The Core Founders, a group of planets in the Galactic Core, founded the Republic. Some Core Founders were Coruscant (the most prominent of the worlds), Tepasi, Duro, Corellia and Kuat. The term ‘Core Founders’ can also be used for the founding fathers of the Republic. Several prominent families such as the Kuat family, House of Tagge, and the Praji family were descendants of the founding fathers of the Republic.

Soon after the formation of the Republic, the Perlemian trade route was mapped. This route linked Coruscant to Ossus and brought Jedi Knights into the Republic. Jedi would serve the Republic until its downfall in 19 BBY. Over the next millennia, the Corellia run was also mapped. The area between the two routes became commonly known as ‘the Slice’. Soon, the Republic expanded to include several colonies.

B-Early Years [25,000 BBY- 4,019 BBY]

Conflict soon erupted within the Republic. Dissident Jedi Knights formed the Legions of Lettow and made themselves enemies of the Republic. This began the First Great Schism. The Legions of Lettow would lose to the Republic and the Legions’ leaders were defeated. There would be many more schisms and conflicts between light and dark to come and the final battle would bring the end of the Old Republic. More information about these conflicts and schisms can be found in the Sith Empire courses.

Despite enduring several wars in its first thousand years, the Republic became more powerful and continued to expand. This period was called the Great Manifest Period and lasted from about 20,000 BBY to 17,000 BBY. Despite the Republic’s size and continual growth, much of the galaxy was unknown. However several outposts, such as Ord Manttel, did exist. The galctic calendar was fixed by 7,308 BBY. This meant that all planets within the Old Republic would follow an identical calendar.
A Duinuogwin or 'Star Dragon'

In 15,500 BBY, the Duinuogwuin conflict occurred. The Republic fought against the terrible Star Dragons, which assaulted Coruscant. However, the conflict was ended peacefully with the founding of the University of Coruscant. Another major conflict in the early days of the Republic was the Second Great Schism, also known as the Hundred-Year Darkness. This conflict began when a group of fallen Jedi began to use the Force to create new species, such as the Leviathans, as extensions of their will. The rest of the Jedi rejected these abilities as they utilized the Dark Side. The fallen Jedi were finally defeated at the Battle of Corbos and fled from known space. The Second Schism lasted from 7003 BBY to 6900 BBY.

The surviving fallen Jedi discovered the world of Ziost, which was populated by a primitive but a Force-sensitive species called the Sith.

After several centuries of interbreeding, the word Sith ceased to refer to the species on Ziost and began referring to the order of Dark Jedi. The Sith also inhabited Korriban and plotted their attack on the Republic. The Sith Empire clashed against the Republic in the Great Hyperspace War. The Republic defeated the Sith Empire in the same year the conflict began (5000 BBY) and the surviving leader of the Sith, Naga Sadow (pictured), fled to the Yavin system, where he rested until he was awakened. A Third Great Schism occurred, but the Dark Jedi once again met defeat at the hands of the Jedi. The Republic was left in relative tranquility after the Third Great Schism until the menace of the Sith returned to haunt the Republic once more.

C-Old Sith Wars [4015 BBY – 3000 BBY]

This period in the history of the Republic was host to many conflicts. The Republic itself was on the brink of total decimation. The threat of the Sith reappeared even more powerful than before, sparking a series of sometimes nearly overlapping events known as the Old Sith Wars. The first conflict of the Old Sith Wars was the Great Sith War. The Sith Lords Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma attacked the Republic with their Mandalorian and Krath allies. The conflict was devastating and the Sith almost won. However, the Sith were defeated when Qel-Droma returned to the light and revealed Exar Kun’s location. Though Kun was defeated, peace did not come to the Republic.

"The Republic is a stagnant beast that had been killing its people for years before the war began."
-Canderous Ordo, speaking of the Mandalorian Wars

The next great conflict was the Mandalorian Wars, begun by expansionist Mandalorians desiring more colonies in the Outer Rim. Several Jedi Knights, with Revan and Malak leading them, went to join the war, much to the dismay of their masters. Many Jedi didn’t fight in this battle because the Jedi Council sensed a greater evil behind the Mandalorian Wars and decided that it was best to wait for this evil to reveal itself before fighting. The Mandalorian Wars were somewhat of a prelude to the more devastating Jedi Civil War, in which the Republic was attacked by a huge Sith fleet, led by Revan and Malak, who had become Sith Lords.

"To be united by hatred is a... fragile alliance at best."
-Darth Traya, speaking of the Triumvirate

Malak betrayed Revan, but, in the end, Revan returned to the light and slew Malak, ending the Jedi Civil War. The Jedi, however, were in great peril. The Sith Triumvirate, a coalition of the Sith Lords Darth Nihilus, Darth Traya and Darth Sion, and their Sith Assassins began to eliminate the Jedi from the shadows. However, Traya was cast out of the Triumvirate and went on to train the Jedi Exile. The Exile and a group of followers managed to disrupt the plans of Nihilus and Sion, ultimately defeating the two. Traya then returned to the Dark Side and betrayed the Exile. The Jedi Exile managed to defeat Traya. The terror of the Sith Triumvirate finally ended and the Jedi Order proceeded to rebuild it self. The Republic suffered great losses during the two consecutive wars it fought and, despite winning both, it would take many years to recover. The final war of this era was the end of the 17th Alsakan Conflict that ended the extremely long Alsakan Conflicts, which lasted from 17,000 BBY to 3000 BBY. The Alsakan Conflicts were wars fought between Coruscant and Alsakan for the right to be the galaxy’s capital. Coruscant won every single Conflict.

D-New Sith Wars [2000 BBY – 1000 BBY]

The Republic would, in this era, fight in its most destructive conflict to date. The Sith once again rebuilt themselves into a new empire, becoming more powerful than any other Sith Empire before. The war turned in the Sith’s favor, especially after the Sith victory at the Battle of Mizra in 1,466 BBY. This triumph began the dark age of the Republic. The losses sustained by the Republic were so great that the economy plummeted and there was social unrest everywhere. At the worst point, the Republic lost control of all its planets to the Sith except the Core Worlds

The turning point of the war came when the Jedi took over the entire Republic, bypassed the Senate, and absorbed all armed forces into the Army of Light. After five hundred years of brutal fighting, the Republic had managed to turn the tide. The war finally ended in 1000 BBY in the Seventh Battle of Ruusan when the Sith and much of the Army of Light perished due to a thought bomb, which was conjured by the desperate Sith.



Following the New Sith Wars, Supreme Chancellor Tarsus Valorum enacted the Ruusan Reformation. These reforms gave more power to the senate and put Jedi under the authority of the Senate. The Reformation also saw the Republic disband the majority of its military. This meant that the post-Reformation Republic depended more heavily upon the Jedi Order for the retaining of civility. Though there would be conflicts, like the Battle of Naboo, the concept of a full-scale military conflict became unthinkable to many. However, the Republic was nearing its fall and no one, not even the Jedi, could foresee what would transpire in the final years of the Republic. The Old Republic would meet its death after 25,000 years; a death orchestrated by a seemingly simple and unassuming senator named Palpatine.

E-The Decline and fall of the Old Republic

"The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good."
-Palpatine, speaking on the state of the Republic

The fall of the Republic was a combination of long standing problems as well as some more immediate pressures caused by the Sith. As the Republic grew more and more powerful, Senators and bureaucrats became more corrupt. Patron politics and personal agendas reduced effective governing and large corporations grew into power because of the Republic’s capitalist nature. Large companies like the Trade Federation and the Techno Union got enough power to form their own militaries and even have representatives in the Senate.

During the time of the Naboo Crisis, a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum (descendant of Tarsus Valorum) was called for by Naboo’s Queen Amidala at the prompting of Senator Palpatine. Due to sympathy for Naboo and the general liking of Palpatine, the Naboo senator was made Supreme Chancellor.

During the Naboo Crisis, a new threat revealed itself in the form the Sith. During the Battle of Naboo, Palpatine, secretly the Sith Master Darth Sidious, found a new apprentice in the person of Count Dooku, a former Jedi. Secretly, the Sith ordered a large clone army to be created on Kamino and Sidious had Dooku found the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). The thought of war once again dominated the minds of the senators of the Republic. The consequences of the coming war would be far worse than anyone could have imagined.

Count Dooku – Leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems

The separatist movement began when Count Dooku united the planets, species and groups that had been trying to reduce the power of the Senate and gain more power for themselves. Many alien species were upset because of the xenophobia of the majority of the Republic members, as well as the high taxes and the corruption of the Senate. The corporations who joined the Confederacy funded a massive droid army and secretly began preparing for war. The Republic, although not aware of the Confederacy’s plot, began to consider a military creation act, though none knew of the already commissioned clone army. Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered the clones and told the Republic about this. The Senate decided that it would be best to use this army to deal with the Separatists. Unknown to all, the Clones were all part of a larger plan orchestrated by the man who would cause the downfall of the Old Republic: Palpatine.

Clone Troopers in battle

While on Geonosis, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered a massive droid army being built by the Trade Federation and the other CIS corporations. When this was reported, Chancellor Palpatine was given emergency powers, that allowed him to stay in term until the crisis had ended; Palpatine had nearly unlimited authority. This was the beginning of the end for the Republic.

A battle ensued on Geonosis between battle droids and Jedi. The Jedi were outnumbered, but were rescued by the clone army led by Yoda. The Clone Wars would be the last conflict of the Old Republic.

For three years, the armies of the Confederacy and the Republic fought. Dooku and the fearsome General Grievous led the Confederacy. Towards the end of the war, Grievous kidnapped Palpatine, but Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi rescued the Chancellor and managed to kill Count Dooku. It wasn’t long before Grievous was found and killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi in his hiding place of the Utapau system. Many believed that the General’s death would lead to the Clone War’s end.

Palpatine, former Supreme Chancellor, became the Emperor

“I am the Senate!”
-Palpatine

On Coruscant, Palpatine was revealed to be a Sith Lord. Mace Windu and three other Jedi masters confronted Palpatine, but they were defeated by Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker, who joined the Sith and became Darth Vader. Palpatine had his new apprentice led clone troopers to the Jedi Temple to kill the Jedi on Coruscant and the clone troopers around the galaxy carried out a special order (Order 66) to kill the Jedi. Only a few Jedi such as Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi survived. Palpatine declared himself Galactic Emperor and replaced the Old Republic with the Galactic Empire, marking the first time the Sith had managed to conquer the entire galaxy. The Jedi were nearly dead and the Old Republic was no more. The Senate became the Imperial Senate and lasted until 0 ABY when the Emperor disbanded it. With the Senate now defunct, the Old Republic was totally annihilated.

2-Government

The Republic was originally conceived as a mutual protection and economic alliance for a number of Core Worlds and systems. However, the organization evolved into a democratic government with representatives from each system. There was also a Supreme Court and though it had many traditional judicial powers, it was notoriously slow and never played a major role in the government. The Senate was the primary organ of the Republic.

Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Old Republic was its complete and utter lack of a formal organization. The majority of its operations were based on non-binding constitutional conventions, which were ignored and undermined by the corrupt and power-hungry. The Senate became so ineffective that many large corporations, like the Trade Federation, could do what they wanted. During the last years of the Republic, the corrupt and those who wished to uphold the values that the Republic treasured divided the senate. It took the Clone Wars to truly unite most of the Senate, which ironically proved to be the undoing of the Republic, as the united senate voted for Palpatine and gave him the power he needed to become Galactic Emperor.

Another weakness of the Republic was its lack of military to keep order. Though the Jedi were feared, there were too few of them to protect the entire Republic. The very reason the Separatist Crisis began was that there was no fear of the Republic and that the Separatists believed that they could take over the entire Republic.

However, the Republic had strengths as well. The general unity, or image of unity, of the Republic was particularly appealing to planets that wanted to join. The Republic also had a standard of negotiation, which also encouraged many systems to join. However, it should be noted that the Empire, through both the fear of force and force itself, obtained far more order than the Republic ever did.

3-The Senate

The interior of the Galactic Senate
Each government appointed a representative, known as a Senator, to act as ambassadors of their homeworld and systems in the central legislative body of the Republic, known as the Senate. Senators were either elected to the post or appointed by their government and senators could represent a single planet, a system, a whole sector, or, in some cases, a mega corporation.

Senators reserved the power to regulate trade, maintain maps of galactic hyperspace routes, and to maintain the Republic’s small military. It was a relatively weak body until the Ruusan Reformation, where the Senate was given much more power. However, the Senate became corrupt and eventually lost virtually all of its power in the Clone Wars when the majority of the Senators granted Palpatine emergency powers and eventually dictatorial powers.

The Senate existed during the time of the Empire, but was under the puppet control of Palpatine. The few Senators who disagreed with Palpatine were mostly unsure whether to voice their opinions or not. Those who did, like Fang Zar, were killed; Garm Bel Iblis survived the attempt on his life while Senators Mon Mothma and Bail Organa maintained a charade for some time, but they could not do this for very long. The Senate was soon dissolved and their powers were given to the Regional Governors and Grand Moffs.

“The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.”
-Grand Moff Tarkin

A Supreme Chancellor was elected by the Senators and led the Senate. The Chancellor had very little power after the Ruusan Reformations and served only as a public face. However, it was still a prestigious position and retained the privilege to call the senate for an emergency meeting. However, during the Clone Wars, the Supreme Chancellor had dictator powers and worked with nearly no opposition.

4-Relationship with the Jedi Order

The Jedi Temple on Coruscant

The Jedi and the Republic often worked together in harmony, with Jedi playing a variety of roles to support the Republic. The Jedi served as mediators of individual and sometimes planetary disputes, they protected the Republic and its citizens, and, if necessary, Jedi acted as soldiers, such as in the Clone Wars. After the New Sith Wars, the Jedi reported directly to the senate (generally the Supreme Chancellor) and were primarily used by the Republic to maintain civility. The Jedi were often referred to as ‘keepers of the peace’ during the later days of the Republic and were revered, as well as feared, by the general public.

By the time of the Clone Wars, the Jedi were thinly spread out and were becoming more and more distrusting of the Senate, particularly after the ascension of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Still, many Jedi such as Anakin Skywalker came to be adored by the public during the Clone Wars and helped uphold the popularity of the Jedi among the public. The Jedi Order finally fell when Palpatine issued Order 66 to the clone troopers. For the most part, the Jedi were killed. There was only one known occurrence in which clones refused to kill Jedi. To the most of the galaxy, the Jedi had died with the Republic.

Darth Vader leads clone troopers into the Jedi Temple.

5-Conclusion

The story of the Old Republic is one that we can learn much from. We can learn from its many triumphs and more importantly, its many mistakes. The Old Republic’s collapse was necessary for the ascension of the Galactic Empire. Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from this story is that great organizations or governments, such as the Brotherhood, can rot from the inside just as badly as they can be attacked from the outside. So focused was the Republic on external enemies that it never noticed the internal enemies until it was too late.

(Notes for the test were researched at Wookiepedia, Star Wars.com and Wikipedia. Pictures are from Wookiepedia)

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