Galactic Republic The Galactic Republic , commonly referred to as the Republic and later known as the Old Republic , was the democratic union of sovereign star system s that governed the galaxy for a thousand years prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire . Centered on the Core World of Coruscant , the Galactic Senate — a body of legislators who represented the numerous planets throughout the galaxy — governed the Republic under the leadership of the democratically elected Supreme Chancellor . Throughout its history , the Republic was protected by the ancient Jedi Order , an organization of Force - sensitive s who served as the guardians of peace and justice , enabling the Republic to be free of full - scale conflict for most of its existence . However , thirty - two years before the Battle of Yavin , the Republic suffered its first major crisis in a millennium during the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation , which ultimately led to the Clone Wars a decade later . During this galaxy - wide conflict , the Republic underwent a massive military buildup beginning with the mobilization of the Grand Army of the Republic — an army of clone trooper s , bred for war and led by the Jedi . As the war carried on , the Senate ' s authority was gradually eroded by the increasing power of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine . Unbeknownst to all but a select few , Palpatine was in reality the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious , and had engineered the crisis to overthrow both the Republic and the Jedi , effectively doing so nineteen years before the Battle of Yavin . After the Jedi learned of his true nature , Palpatine enacted Order 66 , a secret protocol that forced the clones to betray and execute their Jedi officer s , effectively wiping away the Jedi Order in an instant . With the fall of the Jedi and the restoration of Sith dominance , Palpatine brought an end to the thousand - year Republic by proclaiming the formation of the First Galactic Empire . The newly - anointed Emperor Palpatine preserved the Senate for a further two decades , but ultimately disbanded the last remnant of the Old Republic upon the completion of the Death Star . Within four years of the Senate ' s dissolution , the Empire suffered the loss of two battle station s and the death of Emperor Palpatine . The Alliance to Restore the Republic subsequently reformed itself as the New Republic and ultimately claimed victory in the Galactic Civil War approximately one year after the Emperor ' s demise . History . Rise of democracy . Before the rise of the Galactic Republic , its predecessor , the Old Republic , gradually declined and ultimately fell as a result of its conflict with the Sith . The Sith — a malevolent order of dark side Force users , founded by rogue Jedi during the Hundred - Year Darkness — were able to establish their rule over the galaxy for a period of time . After the fall of the ancient Sith , a number of star system s united to form the democratic union known as the Galactic Republic . Under the protection of the Jedi Order , the Republic existed in a state of relative peace and stability that lasted for a millennium until the advent of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY . The Four Sages of Dwartii were notable in influencing some of its earliest laws . As its governing body , the newly reorganized government established the Galactic Senate , the members of which were elected to represent their systems . The Republic ' s capital was installed on the planet of Coruscant , which had already existed for several thousands of years . The Republic ' s head of state , the Supreme Chancellor , was elected by and from the senators , in which the first in a long line of Chancellors was a scion of the House Valorum . Protecting the new democracy was the elite Senate Guard , who could be seen patrolling the Senate District and came to be seen as symbols of strength and unity , especially considering the fact that the military had been disbanded . In time , the Jedi Order , a noble order of protectors who could tap into the power of the Force , came to serve the Republic as guardians of peace and justice . With the lack of a standing army , the Republic came to rely on its peacekeeping Judicial Forces , led by the Judicial Department as the " de facto " law - enforcement branch of the government . The Judicial Forces , members of which were simply known as Judicial s , trained at the Judicial Academy and came to serve in both ground and space forces , often led by Jedi Commander s to maintain peace throughout the galaxy . Expansion and stagnation . For centuries , the Republic expanded not through force , but by quietly exerting a strong magnetic pull towards neighboring systems . The promise of trade with Core World markets held many systems in sway , inexorably luring non - member worlds into tighter cooperation with the state body . Despite this , the Republic remained slow to invite new systems into its fold , as the addition of new territories diminished the political power of existing senators . New member states invariably aligned themselves with local galactic power blocs , while most senators who gave the invitations represented systems in the Core . As a result , the Galactic Center represented the beating heart of the Republic that habitually drew wealth and power from the hinterlands , with most senators dismaying at the extension of services and protection to outlying worlds . Consequently , many useful star systems were left waiting — some for centuries — for the body politic to admit their world as a member of the Congress , even though it came at the cost of the body ' s overall power . As time went by the Republic stood firm , becoming increasingly powerful . As a result , the galaxy remained free of any full - scale war for centuries . However , many of the bureaucrats and Senator s that ran the government continued to work for their own profit rather than the common good . Greed , corruption and internal strife slowly began destroying the government from within . The Core , revitalized from the destructive conflicts of the past and ravenous for new resources to exploit embarked on an aggressive colonization policy , exploring , mapping , and settling untouched planets within the Outer Systems ; striking deals with or simply overrunning the indigenous populations that stood in their path . Adventurous pioneers found themselves granted permission by Coruscant to settle new territories and establish trading colonies to feed the Core with the goods and raw materials for its continual self - enrichment . Many new systems , finding themselves lacking the funds to mine , process , and ship their products to market were forced to secure high - interest loans from the InterGalactic Banking Clan , whereupon many ; unable to repay their debts , found themselves as mere client worlds to the Muun bankers . As time progressed , the laborious task of astrogating by hyperwave beacons — which required numerous reversions to realspace — became simplified with the founding of new hyperlanes such as the Hydian Way . Many systems , eager to benefit from the opportunities offered by charting hyperlanes through their system , sought to influence the Republic Senate to put themselves on the galactic map . Culturally , Coruscanti fashion , art , drama and literature saw receptive audiences across the galaxy . Seeking to impress visitors from the Core , many worlds sought to build lavish mansions that imitated the architectural style of the Inner Core . Despite this , many Coruscanti looked with disdain on what was in reality nothing more than a gaudy impersonation . To them , these lifeforms on the galaxy ' s fringes appeared barbaric , with most worlds still lacking weather control or struggling with geological disturbances and food shortages . Additionally , many outlying worlds , lacking the protection of a federal military found themselves continually harassed by numerous pirate s and criminal organizations , further ingraining the long - held view that those from the galaxy ' s outlying settlements lacked cultural refinement and basic civility . For centuries , a deep - rooted hatred and distrust would grow between the galaxy ' s outer fringes and the cosmopolitan Core , with those in the hinterlands gradually coming to believe themselves the victims of social and economic injustices . As a result of the perceived inability of the Judicial Forces in protecting outlying territories , who were often withheld in intervening after many far - flung worlds refused to provide the Core Worlds with profitable deals , the Outer Rim world of Eriadu — one of the most politically , culturally and economically developed worlds — formed the Outland Regions Security Force for the protection of the Seswenna sector . Comprising an amalgam of ships , it was funded primarily by off - world loans and supplied with laser and ion cannon s acquired from arms merchants who had for centuries been ignoring a Republic ban on the sale of weaponry to member worlds . While the Outland Regions Security Force at first lacked success , it soon came to be renowned for its efficiency at dealing with raiders , especially after Wilhuff Tarkin was accepted into Outland ' s anti - piracy task force , in which he was known for outsmarting and outmaneuvering his opponents . Yet despite Outland ' s best efforts , the Outer Rim Territories continued to fall victim to increasing corporate interests from the Core , with the monolithic Trade Federation expanding its reach a year before the Invasion of Naboo in both the Outer Rim and the Galactic Senate by utilizing loopholes in existing free - trade legislation . Shortly before the Invasion of Naboo , a trade summit was held on the Outer Rim planet of Eriadu in which then Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum was turned away by Wilhuff Tarkin , who was hoping to reduce the influence of the Chancellor who was already rumored to lose the next election in order to support then Senator Palpatine , who had earlier helped Tarkin gain entrance into the Judicial Academy and supported his ascension as leader of his homeworld . Invasion of Naboo . Despite the best efforts of the well - meaning Finis Valorum , the Trade Federation promptly invaded Naboo over disputes about plasma exports , in which a Judicial force carried Jedi Master Qui - Gon Jinn and his apprentice , Obi - Wan Kenobi , to the " Saak ' ak " , a Trade Federation " Lucrehulk " - class LH - 3210 cargo freighter to discuss a peaceful resolution to the conflict . However , upon learning that Jedi had intervened , Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious swiftly ordered their execution , an order which Viceroy Nute Gunray fearfully carried out , only to have the attempt end in failure , resulting in the escape of the Jedi . On the planet below , the Jedi managed to rescue then Queen Padmé Amidala seeking to bring her back to Coruscant ; however , a damaged T - 14 hyperdrive generator resulted in them making an unplanned landing on the desert planet of Tatooine . While stranded in the city of Mos Espa , Qui - Gon Jinn discovered then slave Anakin Skywalker , who he believed was the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force . Though it was not long before one of Sidious ' s agents , Darth Maul , attempted to eliminate the Jedi on the desert world , only to have the Jedi escape once more in the nick of time , with the now freed boy Anakin . Upon their arrival at Coruscant , Padmé was coerced by Senator Palpatine , who was taking advantage of his homeworld ' s delicate situation to have Valorum removed from office through a vote of no confidence . The vote passed , increasing the chances that Palpatine would become the next Supreme Chancellor . Finding no sympathy in the Senate , Padmé Amidala returned to her world of Naboo and forged an alliance with Boss Nass of one of the Gungan underwater cities of Otoh Gunga , located underneath Lake Paonga . With the help of the Gungan Grand Army and freed members of the Royal Naboo Security Forces , along with a starfighter attack on the " Saak ' ak " in orbit , the Trade Federation and its blockade were defeated , thanks largely to Anakin , who helped fire the shot that ultimately destroyed the control ship . However , the victory was not without its costs , with Qui - Gon ' s death at the hands of Darth Maul , and the Jedi ' s loss of knowledge of who was actually behind the attack . Nonetheless , with Naboo now freed from occupation , a grand parade was held in honor of their recent victory , while Palpatine himself arrived to announce his ascension to the position of Supreme Chancellor , also informing Anakin that he would watch his progress " with much interest . " Separatist Crisis . Following the Naboo Crisis , the Trade Federation monopoly on the Outer Rim was broken , all while Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum ' s political standing suffered from the crisis along with other scandals . In his wake , Sheev Palpatine was appointed to the position of Supreme Chancellor , eventually creating an image of himself as a mild - mannered servant of the common good , despite his true intentions . However , growing tensions between the Core and Outer Rim worlds gradually increased to the point where many believed that a war was imminent . Foreseeing this conflict years before the Invasion of Naboo , Jedi Master Sifo - Dyas advocated for the creation of a new Republic army , only to be rejected by the Jedi Council , who believed his ideas too extreme . Undeterred , Sifo - Dyas contacted the Kaminoan s , known for their clone hatcheries , and secretly commissioned them to create a clone army , pretending to be at the behest of the Galactic Senate . Unbeknownst to Sifo - Dyas , Darth Sidious had earlier contacted Prime Minister Lama Su , and convinced him to implant a control chip into the clones during the third stage of their development to turn against the Jedi at a mere command . The dashing swordsman and political idealist Jedi Master Count Dooku , taking an eight - year leave of absence from the Jedi Order and now secretly the apprentice of Darth Sidious and dubbed Darth Tyranus , paid the Pyke Syndicate to eliminate Sifo - Dyas over the planet of Oba Diah . With Sifo - Dyas originally heading to the planet in order to negotiate a dispute that could result in a full - scale gang war on Coruscant , Sifo - Dyas was suddenly re - assigned to Felucia when his shuttle was abruptly shot down over the planet . Bringing his body to Felucia where it was cremated by tribal inhabitants , Dooku managed to trick the Jedi Council into believing Sifo - Dyas had been killed by the Felucians , all while erasing the existence of Kamino from the Jedi Archives . In the ten years after the Invasion of Naboo , the whereabouts of Count Dooku were scarcely known , with many believing he merely wished to form an offshoot of the Jedi Order . In reality , Dooku was busy manipulating galactic events to foment political turmoil on a variety of worlds including Kashyyyk , Sullust and Onderon . Seeking to create a southern Separatist sphere of influence by bringing Yag ' Dhul and Sluis Van to his side , Dooku needed to persuade the now prosperous world of Eriadu to join the Separatists . However , Wilhuff Tarkin was pressured to declare his loyalties especially after Dooku commandeered a HoloNet station in the Raxus system and denounced the Galactic Republic , effectively setting the stage for the Separatist Crisis . Tarkin ultimately sided with the Galactic Republic in his stern belief that an inefficient yet unified galaxy was better than a fractured one . With war now imminent , the Galactic Senate hastily passed the Military Creation Act , especially after Jedi Knight Obi - Wan Kenobi discovered the secret clone army on Kamino after tracing the origins of a previously unknown dart used in an assassination attempt against Senator Padmé Amidala , who opposed the military buildup . When Kenobi was captured by the Separatist Droid Army on Geonosis , the Senate gave Supreme Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers to raise the newly formed Grand Army of the Republic and Republic Navy to rescue Kenobi along with a team of two hundred Jedi led by Mace Windu . The ensuing battle would see the rescue of Kenobi along with the prodigal Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his secret love interest , Senator Amidala , who would later be used by Sidious in an attempt to ensure Anakin ' s eventual turn to the dark side of the Force . The Clone Wars . Battle of Geonosis . With the first major battle in the Clone Wars being the deadly Battle of Geonosis , the encounter would rage on as the plans for an Ultimate Weapon from Poggle the Lesser were transferred to Dooku , as well as a brief but vicious fight erupting between Dooku and Master Yoda . Simultaneously , the various members of the newly founded Confederacy of Independent Systems would evacuate the planet as Republic clone trooper s gradually forced the Separatist Droid Army back . With the battle ending in a victory for the Republic , Count Dooku traveled to an industrial sector on Coruscant to inform his master that the war has begun as planned , all while the Jedi Council pondered Dooku ' s warning that the Dark Lord of the Sith controlled the Senate . Nevertheless , with the Battle of Geonosis a clear victory for the Republic , the upcoming war to destroy the Separatist Alliance and its allies would drag the galaxy into further conflict over the next three years . Escalation of war . With the Battle of Geonosis , the deadly three - year conflict that would engulf the galaxy into chaos officially began , forcing more and more worlds to choose sides between the Galactic Republic and its clone army or the ever - expanding Confederacy of Independent Systems and its Separatist Droid Army . With the war well under way , numerous diplomatic envoys engaged in several attempts to sway local worlds to join the Galactic Republic , with Jedi Master Yoda seeking to win the support of the Toydarian King Katuunko , while Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress sought to disrupt the meeting , and instead sought to win the support of the king to join the Confederacy . The Republic also sent military aid and support to factions in need , such as Cham Syndulla ' s Twi ' lek Resistance on Ryloth , or to the Dug s of Malastare , whose lucrative fuel reserves would be a great boon to the Republic Navy . Numerous worlds such as Mandalore also attempted to maintain their neutrality , although they often were forced to seek aid from third parties in times of need . Throughout the Clone Wars , numerous attempts would be made against Supreme Chancellor Palpatine ' s life , including an assassination attempt on Naboo masterminded by Count Dooku as well as the hostage taking of members of the Galactic Senate by notorious bounty hunter Cad Bane . However , political intrigue would fuel not only the conflict , but also advances in weaponry and the development of equipment to enhance existing armed forces . Attempts at biological weapons were launched by Separatist scientist Nuvo Vindi , who attempted to re - create the ancient Blue Shadow Virus capable of killing millions across the galaxy , while the Republic developed the experimental electro - proton bomb which could send out an electric pulse upon detonation capable of deactivating an entire droid army . The Republic also attempted to create an impenetrable armor by unlocking the biological secrets of the Zillo Beast , an ancient creature from the Mid Rim , only to have the attempt end in failure , sending the beast on a rampage across Coruscant . After its death at the hands of a Jedi task force , the beast was secretly cloned by orders from the Supreme Chancellor himself . In the meantime , the Republic developed a stealth ship capable of cloaking itself , as well as upgrading its standard Phase I clone trooper armor to the more sophisticated Phase II clone trooper armor prior to the Battle of Mon Cala . Fall of the Republic . While many heroic actions were taken by the Jedi and those who served under them , inspiring the public with stories of bravery , war weariness would only continue to grow as the years went by , with many coming to believe that the Jedi had abandoned their role as peacekeepers , staging massive protests outside of the Jedi Temple as a result . Utilized as military commanders , the Jedi led the Republic war effort but sustained many casualties in the process , resulting in the loss of their influence on the galaxy . Political actions were especially damaging to the Jedi Order , with officer s like Wilhuff Tarkin calling for the Jedi ' s removal from the military as he believed that the Jedi Code prevented them from attaining the decisive victory in the Clone Wars . Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee also believed the Jedi were losing touch with their commitment to maintain the peace , and staged a bombing in the Jedi Temple as protest , all while framing Ahsoka Tano of committing the act before being captured herself . The war would also serve as a means for Sheev Palpatine to amass more emergency powers , cementing his position as Supreme Chancellor far longer than it technically allowed , all while continuing to centralize political and military authority within the Office of the Chancellor , which included putting the InterGalactic Banking Clan under the Chancellor ' s oversight . The Separatist Shadowfeed operation , an attempt by Count Dooku to spread information on Republic defeats , making it appear as though a Separatist victory was inevitable , fueled public anxiety and consequently accelerated the militarization of the Republic over the course of the war . After nearly three years of constant warfare , the war reached it ' s climax during the Battle of Coruscant , where both factions engaged in a massive naval and ground battle over the Republic ' s capital world . The confrontation ultimately saw the Republic dealing a severe blow to the Confederacy with the loss of a portion of its fleet as well as its head of state , Count Dooku , at the hands of Anakin Skywalker . Shortly afterwards , General Grievous would also meet his end at the hands of Obi - Wan Kenobi during the Battle of Utapau . Yet even as the Republic pressed on with the Outer Rim Sieges , determined to bring an end to the civil war , the Jedi High Council had grown increasingly wary of Chancellor Palpatine . Over the course of the Clone Wars , the Chancellor ' s wartime authority reached unprecedented levels at the expense of the Senate , some of whom also grew concerned for the future of the Republic . As such , members of the Council and the Senate began to consider their options for the preservation of democracy . Whereas the Delegation of 2 , 000 sought to petition the Chancellor to relinquish his emergency powers , the Council contemplated the possibility of removing him by force and taking over the Senate in order to secure a peaceful transition of power . Ultimately , their suspicion of the Chancellor was vindicated when Skywalker uncovered the truth : Sheev Palpatine and Darth Sidious , the Sith mastermind behind the Clone Wars , were one and the same . Acting swiftly on this revelation , the Council attempted to arrest the Sith Lord before his plan could come to fruition , consequently leading to a lightsaber duel in which Sidious struck down Agen Kolar , Saesee Tiin , and Kit Fisto before Windu disarmed him . Given the Chancellor ' s control over the Senate and the courts , Windu deemed Sidious too dangerous to live . However , Skywalker argued that execution was contrary to the Jedi way , although his personal attachment to Amidala also influenced him at this critical point as he believed that Sidious could save her life . In a moment of desperation , Skywalker disarmed Windu which allowed Sidious to kill the Jedi Order ' s champion with a torrent of Force lightning . Having chosen the path of the dark side , the fallen Jedi Knight became Darth Vader and subsequently led the attack on the Jedi Temple while Sidious issued Order 66 to the Grand Army , causing the clone trooper s to execute their Jedi leaders across the galaxy . Following the initial purge of the Jedi Order , Darth Sidious declared himself Galactic Emperor and thereby cementing the transformation of the Galactic Republic into the newly - formed Galactic Empire . In addition to the extermination of the Jedi , Darth Vader executed the Separatist Council and deactivated their droid army , resulting in the end of the Clone Wars and the dawn of the Age of the Empire . Legacy . In the decades after the dissolution of the Galactic Republic , numerous individuals would still cling to the memory of the now Old Republic and its fabled Jedi warriors , while many individuals who knew the Jedi in person would refuse to believe the Emperor ' s account of a " Jedi Rebellion . " Nevertheless , a majority of galactic citizens would eventually come to believe and actively support this view , believing the Republic to have grown weak and corrupt , necessitating Palpatine ' s rise to power . In order to destroy the memory of the previous government , any visible reminder of the Old Republic was quickly removed , with many organizational changes altering the names of various locales and institutions , while architecture was molded to a more severe and dark aesthetic . With the renowned Galactic Senate being renamed the Imperial Senate and the Senate Plaza renamed Imperial Plaza and a giant statue of the Emperor erected in it , one could almost forget the Republic even existed . However , the memory of the Republic as a force of freedom and justice could never be fully destroyed as long as those who still believed in it lived , thus spurring numerous resistance movements throughout the Empire ' s reign such as the Free Ryloth movement and Berch Teller ' s rebel cell . These displays of resistance would eventually coalesce into the Alliance to Restore the Republic shortly before the Battle of Yavin , resulting in the successful destruction of the first Death Star by a survivor of the Jedi Purge , while subsequent battles including the destruction of the second Death Star and death of the Emperor and his apprentice , Darth Vader , would lead to the formation of the New Republic as an ode to the Republic of old .