New Republic / Legends The New Republic was the name of the galactic government established by the Alliance to Restore the Republic to replace the Galactic Empire after the Battle of Endor . Like its predecessor , it was often simply referred to as the Republic ; less often , it was referred to as the New Galactic Republic or the Second Galactic Republic . Formed in 4 ABY , after the dissolution of the former Alliance of Free Planets ( which was formed directly after the Battle of Endor as an intermediate government ) , it was to become the supreme governmental authority of the galaxy . The " New " Republic was supposed to be a sort of continuation of the original Galactic Republic that had become known as the Old Republic at that time . The New Republic was founded on the same principle that the old Galactic Republic was thousands of generations before — to have a representative parliamentary body govern the galaxy in a fair and equal manner — and it was designed to eradicate the shortcomings that brought about the Galactic Republic ' s downfall . The New Republic was protected by the New Jedi Order , which was established by Luke Skywalker , just as the Old Republic was once protected by the Old Jedi Order . Because of the restoration of the Galactic Republic , the Empire sometimes referred to the New Republic as the Old Order , to oppose their New Order , while in decline . History . A New Galactic Republic . The death of Emperor Palpatine , in 4 ABY , at the Battle of Endor , signaled the end of the Empire . The news of the Death Star II ' s destruction , as well as Palpatine ' s demise , was broadcast by the Rebel Alliance throughout the galaxy , using their alternative HoloNet system called the New Republic HoloNet . On the capital world of Coruscant , civilians and Rebels reacted to the broadcast by starting an uprising , among other things shouting praise for the return of the Republic . A week after the Battle of Endor , at the end of the Bakura Incident , the Alliance to Restore the Republic , was reorganized into the Alliance of Free Planets . One month later , in the aftermath of the Nagai - Tof War , the Alliance to Restore the Republic was reorganized into the New Republic , with the the official Declaration of a New Republic was issued by eight of the most important members of the Rebel Alliance , setting forth goals , values , and ideals of the new government . These eight individuals , Mon Mothma of Chandrila , Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan , Borsk Fey ' lya of Kothlis , Admiral Ackbar of Dac , Sian Tevv of Sullust , Doman Beruss of Corellia , Kerrithrarr of Kashyyyk , and Verrinnefra B ' thog Indriummsegh of Elom , became the first members of the New Republic provisional government , or the Provisional Council . The main goal of the Provisional Council , and so of the New Republic , was to capture Coruscant . This was more for symbolic rather than strategic purposes . Since the beginning of the Old Republic the seat of galactic government had been on Coruscant , and its capture would legitimize the authority of the New Republic in the eyes of the galaxy . Until the move could be made , the Provisional and Inner Councils met on other member worlds instead , such as Noquivzor . During this period , the Provisional Government continued to provide guidance for the new government and work out a new series of principles and laws . Initially , Mon Mothma chose to work against the Empire through diplomacy rather than combat , and the newly - founded Republic dispatched envoys to thousands of worlds . Numerous systems joined the New Republic , while many others instead declared themselves independent . Mothma ' s Republic , which was intended as a voluntary union for the common good , respected such decisions . Toward that same end , Mothma devolved control of Planetary Security Forces that had been nationalized by the Empire to their own sectors via the Defense Declarations . Constituent sectors of the New Republic were obligated to contribute to the Republic ' s starfleet , but were allowed to retain command of their local forces . For some sectors , the Defense Declarations served as the deciding factor that motivated them to join the New Republic ; furthermore , the Republic ' s defeat of the Tof s eased doubts that the former Rebels would be capable of defending the galaxy . Onward to the Core . For the first few months following the victory at Endor , the New Republic government made few aggressive lunges into Imperial held space , instead choosing to concentrate on sending ambassadors to the numerous worlds that had overthrown their Imperial governors . As the ambassadors quickly strengthened the stability of the New Republic by increasing membership in the Outer Rim Territories , Admiral Ackbar prepared the military for the first in a series of campaigns aimed at liberating key portions of the galaxy from Imperial rule . After their conflict with the Nagai and the Tofs concluded , New Republic leaders met on Mon Calamari to plan their assault on the galaxy ' s inner systems , and in 4 ABY , Admiral Ackbar organized the New Republic ' s forces into four fleets . The First Fleet , commanded by Admiral Firmus Nantz , initially operated in the Western Reaches ; the Second Fleet , commanded by Admiral Hiram Drayson , protected the New Republic leadership in Mon Calamari Space ; the Third Fleet , commanded by Ackbar himself , was based in Bothan Space and operated in the Slice ; and the Fourth Fleet , commanded by Admiral Voon Massa , was headquartered at Bothawui as a source of reinforcements for the First and Third fleets . For the next two years , the New Republic Defense Force liberated countless worlds in the Mid Rim and Inner Rim , expanding towards the Core Worlds and establishing key bases for future campaigns . By 6 . 5 ABY , 30 % of the galaxy fully supported the New Republic , with an additional 20 % supporting nominally and cautiously . As Ackbar and his fleets neared the Core , it became apparent that the main goal of the new government was in reach — the capture of Coruscant . Legitimacy . Coruscant would be captured three years after the Battle of Endor . This was made possible by a commando team from Rogue Squadron . The team included pilots Wedge Antilles , Corran Horn , Gavin Darklighter , and others , as well as New Republic agents Iella Wessiri and Winter . Together , they were able to bring down Coruscant ' s planetary shields with lightning created using the planet ' s weather control systems . Once the shields were down , the team called the New Republic fleet under Admiral Ackbar to cripple the rest of the planet ' s defenses . This was , to a certain extent , a trap laid out by Imperial Intelligence head Ysanne Isard . The New Republic settled in to find the Imperials had left behind the Krytos virus — a deadly disease affecting many non - Human races and only curable by bacta . To deal with this threat , the Rogues resigned their commissions and waged the Bacta War against Isard . This brought Thyferra , the primary bacta - source in the galaxy , under New Republic control . The New Republic was thus able to pull through the Krytos crisis and continue to thrive . With the New Republic securely in control of Coruscant , many neutral worlds began to view the new government as a legitimate power , no longer as a weak band of rebels . Rebels to respectable . Shortly after the capture of Coruscant and the relocation of the New Republic government , the New Republic Senate was established during Restoration Day . The speech of Princess Leia Organa , New Republic Minister of State , reflected the beliefs and principles of the First Senate : Mon Mothma became the first Chief of State of the New Republic and also , under the new Charter , the President of the Senate and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces . During her administration , the New Republic government remained very similar to that of the provisional government . The Inner Council continued to be at its head , but the New Republic Senate assumed the duties of the Provisional Council . Fighting a dictatorial Empire proved much easier than forming a confederation of planets . As the Empire was slowly routed out of the Core , many New Republic councilors began to think that the war was near an end . Political ambitions and individual pursuits for power or prestige began to creep into the new government . While this problem was slowly growing more serious , the presence of the Empire as an enemy to rally against kept the Republic together . Despite more localized threats from Imperial warlords like Zsinj , by the end of 8 ABY nearly three - quarters of the known galaxy was aligned with the New Republic . Too many of the government ' s leaders thought the war was nearly over . Imperial resurgence . One of the first major tests came in 9 ABY when Grand Admiral Thrawn assumed control of the remnants of the Empire and led a successful campaign against the New Republic . Political infighting hampered the New Republic ' s response to the crisis early on , as ambitious councilors like Borsk Fey ' lya sought to gain power at the expense of others . Despite numerous defeats and setbacks , the New Republic rallied again , finally achieving victory during the Battle of Bilbringi . Thrawn was dead and his forces in retreat . Sensing that the defeat of the Empire was in their grasp , the New Republic launched a series of operations into the remaining sections of the galaxy still held by the Empire . The victory was short lived . A year after Thrawn ' s death , the resurrected Emperor Palpatine led a major Imperial offensive originating from the Deep Core . Faced with superior forces , including a number of superweapons , the New Republic was forced to fall back and operate in much the same way as the Rebel Alliance had . Ultimately the New Republic was saved by the death of the Emperor during a skirmish on Onderon , thanks to the efforts of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker . Reorganization and reform . Upon the successful recapture of Coruscant in 11 ABY , the New Republic Senate began the first of a series of government restructuring programs . Specialized councils were established , each with greater power than ordinary Senate committees and given the responsibility for a specific aspect of government . These included the Council on the Common Defense , the Council on Security and Intelligence , the Justice Council , the Ministry Council , the Council on Science and Technology , and the Commerce Council . The Inner Council was replaced by the Ruling Council consisting of the chairpersons of each of the eight Senate councils . The Ruling Council had the authority to remove the Chief of State from office to prevent the head of government from becoming too powerful , as Palpatine had become as Supreme Chancellor . It was also at this time that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker convinced the Senate that the New Republic would only be further protected by the establishment of a new Jedi Order . The Senate thus endorsed Skywalker ' s establishment of the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 . The Praxeum was at first used to train the first Knights , and later became an academy where younger students would work their way up to an apprenticeship . During Admiral Daala ' s attempt to reform the Empire , Yavin 4 was considered a key point in the New Republic ' s downfall . It was thus targeted , but the Jedi managed to defend the Praxeum and drive the Empire away . Mon Mothma retired from public life and named Princess Leia Organa Solo as her successor . With the approval of the Senate , Organa Solo became the second Chief of State of the New Republic . Many important events with long lasting repercussions for the New Republic occurred during the presidency of Organa Solo . The most important of these was the opening of diplomatic talks with the Duskhan League , an alliance of Yevetha n worlds in the Koornacht Cluster . This in turn led to what was commonly referred to as the Black Fleet Crisis , during which Organa Solo extended the powers of the Chief of State , amidst two petitions of recall from the Ruling Council and a petition of no confidence in the Senate , in order to protect the New Republic from the fanatical Yevetha and their ruthless campaign of genocide . It was also during this time that many former Imperial worlds petitioned for and received New Republic membership . However , the governments of many of these worlds retained their Imperial - era character and as a result their Senate delegations often advocated views associated with the late Empire . This ideological disjoint often resulted in deadlock within the Senate . Finally , after being criticized for New Republic involvement in the Koornacht Cluster , Almania ( during which the Senate Hall was destroyed ) , and the Corellian system , and because of discord within the Senate , especially between the traditional and pro - Imperial senators , Chief of State Leia Organa Solo took an indefinite leave of absence , upon which the Calibop senator Ponc Gavrisom was chosen as the caretaker Chief of State . Peace with the Empire . Despite the growing mistrust between certain elements within the New Republic , it remained united in its efforts to defeat the Empire . A campaign launched by Imperial Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon ended in disaster as New Republic forces under Ackbar defeated Pellaeon and reduced the Imperial Remnant to a mere eight sectors in the Outer Rim . Ponc Gavrisom ' s ascension to the office of Chief of State , the construction of a new Senate Grand Convocation Chamber , and a new round of major government restructuring marked the beginning of a new period for the New Republic . The power of government was shifted more to the local , planetary , system , sectoral , and regional levels to avoid the centralization of power that marked the Palpatine era . The New Republic Senate ' s role was thus reduced to little more than providing for the common defense and mediating inter - system disputes . While any legislation passed by it was still binding , the new limit of one bill per delegation per year prevented gridlock , since any proposed legislation would have to pass the scrutiny of both the committee in which it was introduced as well as the full Senate . Another development made during the restructuring was the creation of the New Republic Observers , an organization that functioned much like the Jedi Order during much of the Republic . The job of the Observers was to move about the New Republic and to report to the Senate what they saw or heard , especially with regard to improper government activities that local authorities preferred to keep out of sight . The major event of this period was the Caamas Document Crisis , which threatened to begin a civil war between pro - Bothan and anti - Bothan factions of the New Republic . The crisis , which began with the uncovering of the Caamas Document at Wayland , ended with the signing of a final peace treaty between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant , finally ending the twenty - one year Galactic Civil War . Changing of the guard . The end of the Galactic Civil War saw many worlds finally choosing an allegiance , with many joining the New Republic . Organa Solo returned to the Senate shortly after the signing of the Bastion Accords at the urging of her friends . The New Republic and the Jedi would also defeat the neo - Imperial Second Imperium , the anti - Human Diversity Alliance and an attempt by the Black Sun crime syndicate to dominate the galaxy . In 23 ABY , Leia permanently resigned . In the subsequent election , Borsk Fey ' lya was elected Chief of State with a three - fifths majority . Many other long term members of the Senate resigned as well as military leaders like Ackbar and Hiram Drayson . Unfortunately , these senators , beings of high principle and former rebel leaders , were replaced by senators of lesser principle , and the infighting of the Old Republic was seen again . Yuuzhan Vong War . In the subsequent invasion by the Yuuzhan Vong , the Senate was paralyzed by incompetence and cowardice . The administration of Chief of State Fey ' lya failed to take the invasion seriously until too late . The invaders made quick progress , conquering huge portions of the galaxy in their trek towards Coruscant . Distrust of the New Jedi Order further complicated things , while the New Republic Defense Force found itself constantly falling back towards the Core , wrecking morale . The Battle of Coruscant sounded the death knell of the New Republic , as members of the Senate hijacked elements of the Defense Fleet to escort themselves out of the system . Fey ' lya sacrificed himself in the battle . Rebirth into the Galactic Alliance . In 28 ABY , the Senate reconvened on Mon Calamari , and , after a long campaign , elected Cal Omas as Chief of State . That would be the final election of the New Republic . Following the decisive Battle of Ebaq , Omas reorganized the remnants of the New Republic into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances . With a new constitution , increased checks and balances , and a new federal structure , the Galactic Alliance strove to correct many of the flaws of the previous government . Furthermore , it committed itself to working closely with the Jedi Order to ending the war . In 29 ABY , the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi Order defeated the Yuuzhan Vong during the Battle of Yuuzhan ' tar and one year later , had officially taken authority of the galaxy and thus officially reforming the New Republic . Government and politics . Membership in the New Republic . The New Republic was a voluntary organized on democratic principles under the New Republic Common Charter and in accord with the ideals and purposes embodied in the Declaration of a New Republic . Primary ( voting ) membership was available to any independent sovereign political entity representing one or more unified planetary populations , or to other recognized and definable territories , such as the surviving Alderaanians . Membership followed an application process ( during which the candidate member reviewed the Charter and other governing statutes and agreed to abide by them ) and an assessment process ( during which the candidate member ' s annual support contribution was determined ) . Affiliate ( non - voting ) membership was available to subordinate political units ( for example , the individual members of a league of worlds ) and to duly recognized representatives of sentient species not constituting a political unit . Observer ( non - voting ) membership was available to nonmember allies of the New Republic . The Declaration of a New Republic set forth the principles to which the New Republic was dedicated ; the common Charter was the actual mechanism by which planets became members , and specified both the rights and duties of members , and the various institutions of government and their powers . The common Charter was a creation of the transitional Provisional Council . Worlds applying to join the New Republic submitted Articles of Membership , while worlds wishing to leave the New Republic did by submitting Articles of Withdrawal . Legislative branch . The government of the New Republic was organized around a unicameral legislative body called the New Republic Senate , replacing the New Republic Provisional Council . Primary members were represented in the Senate by a senator . Each senator had a single vote , regardless of the population represented . Affiliate members were represented on Coruscant by a legate , who could speak in general sessions of the Senate , but could not vote on official Senate business ( to avoid dual representation ) or serve in the Senate ' s various working bodies . As a body with a large and potentially unlimited membership , the Senate - in - whole was an almost impossibly unwieldy structure for getting work done . Consequently , most of the real governance was performed by the Senate ' s councils , committees , and commissions . The daily business of the Senate proper was primarily speech - making and public debate . When the Senate met as a committee of the whole , it was sometimes referred to as the New Republic Assembly . Councils were appointed bodies with autonomous decision - making and appropriation authority over some segment of government operations outside the Senate proper ( for example , the Defense Council , which oversaw the Navy ) . The most populous and powerful members of the New Republic were disproportionately represented on the Senate ' s councils . Committees were elected bodies with the authority to administer various aspects of Senate operations , including the general budget . They were semi - autonomous ; in the event of a unanimous committee vote , the approval of the Senate - in - whole was not required ( however , the Senate - in - whole could override a less - than - unanimous committee decision with a three - to - five majority ) . Commissions were voluntary bodies with an advisory capacity only . They prepared reports on issues of concern for presentation to the President of the Senate , to the Minister of State , to the Supreme Commander , or to the general membership ; scheduled and conducted hearings ; and contracted for independent research . In 17 ABY , the New Republic lifted a ban on former Imperial officials holding elective office . Executive branch . The New Republic was headed by the Chief of State . The Chief of State was elected by fifty percent and one vote majority of the Senators . The Chief of State was also the President of the Senate and Commander - in - Chief of the Fleet , although that title was sometimes used to refer to the highest ranking member of the military . Tradition varied on the proper form of address for the President . Mon Mothma preferred " Chief of State , " but the address varied under Leia Organa Solo depending on context . In general , Senators , the Senate bureaucracy , and the Coruscanti media referred to the President , while the General Ministry , member worlds , and the population of the New Republic often referred to the Chief of State , depending on local languages and history . Part of the problem and confusion arose from the lingering association of the term President with the last holder of that office before the Empire — Palpatine . Most of the subsequent Presidents of the Imperial Senate were lapdogs of the Emperor . The term retained a certain stain ; this contributed to Organa Solo ' s difficulties during crisis situations . The concerted effort by certain public relations aides to bring the term " President " into common use invoked old fears of Presidential tyranny . The President could be recalled by a majority vote of the Senate on presentation of a petition of no - confidence by a majority of the Ruling , or Inner , Council , or by a quarter of the primary members of the Senate . The election of a President could be blocked by the Ruling Council on a unanimous vote . In practice , the power of the Ruling Council to void an election and initiate the recall of a sitting President meant that any candidate proposed by or approved by the Ruling Council was likely to be elected by the Senate . The Ruling Council consisted of the chairmen of the Senate councils and the President of the Senate . The President could select any member of the Ruling Council to conduct the business of the Senate in her absence from that body . If the president became incapacitated , incommunicado , or died , the chairman of the Ministry Council selected an acting Chief of State from among the following : any former President , the current Minister of State , any former Minister of State . The day - to - day running of government was done by the General Ministry , the bureaucracy of the New Republic , led by a First Administrator . It was organized into several large permanent Ministries , smaller task - oriented service Agencies , and several semi - independent Institutes . The various Senate councils had oversight and financing authority over the corresponding Ministries . The Cabinet consisted of the heads of the various ministries and was headed by the Minister of State . This body was the link between the Chief of State and the Ministries . Judicial branch . The Court of Justice was the judicial branch of the New Republic . The members of the Court of Justice were selected by the Senate Justice Council from a list of nominees presented by the President of the Senate . The First Justice was elected by the other members of the Court from among their number . Nominally independent , the power of the Court of Justice was limited by its narrowly defined jurisdiction : to review charges of violations of the Charter by members or by the other branches of the New Republic ' s government . The Court of Justice did not serve as the court of last appeal for ordinary civil and criminal cases ; those were settled by local judicial authorities on member worlds . Economy . The New Republic had a very complex and diverse economy like the Old Republic . It is possible that increases in state control and centralization of economic procedures during the Imperial Period were partially reversed under the New Republic . After the fracturing of the Empire at the Battle of Endor , many different currencies came into existence . Though the New Republic had reclaimed the credit , it was by no means the most accepted monetary unit in the galaxy . During this time exchange rates fluctuated wildly , and indeed it was hard at times to find anyone that would exchange one for another . The establishment of the New Republic presumably stabilized the galactic economy . At that time , the credit was backed by the immense wealth of the planet Muunilinst . During the early years of the New Republic , Nova crystals mined on Krann were the base for much of the galactic government ' s hard currency until the mine ran dry . Society and culture . The New Republic had a very diverse culture like the Old Republic . Restrictions placed on arts and culture during the Imperial era were removed by the New Republic and returned to the opulence and ornamentation of the Old Republic . The Humanocentrism policies of the Empire were ended under the New Republic . But , the views of Human High Culture would be kept alive in the New Republic for years after the Empire ' s defeat by fringe groups such as the Human League . Military . The Combined Defense Forces of the New Republic was the military arm of the New Republic . At its peak , it operated five full fleets , each consisting of hundreds of warships , transports , and support vessels , divided into battle groups and task forces , in addition to ground troop divisions and starfighter wings . The fleets were known collectively as the New Republic Defense Fleet , although many referred to it as the New Republic Navy . After the reorganization of the military into a single unified command , the former Minister of Defense was called the Supreme Commander , and the posts of Minister of the Army and Minister of the Navy were abolished . The Supreme Commander , appointed by the Defense Council with the approval of the President of the Senate , led the Defense Force . He reported to the Chief of State . Astrography . The New Republic ' s territory varied in size a great deal during the course of its history . By 6 . 5 ABY , 30 % of the galaxy ( some 300 , 000 worlds ) fully supported the New Republic , with an additional 20 % ( 200 , 000 worlds ) supporting nominally and partially . In 8 ABY over 600 , 000 worlds were members , and by 9 ABY almost three - quarters of the Known Galaxy ( at least 700 , 000 worlds ) , including all of the Core Worlds except the Corellian sector and a few Coruscant sector planets were New Republic members . Yet , subsequent wars against Thrawn and the reborn Emperor reduced the size of the Republic drastically . By 15 ABY , the New Republic only consisted of 11 , 000 planets and 4 , 000 sentient species scattered throughout the galaxy , with almost 600 , 000 worlds claimed by the Empire and a further 100 , 000 New Republic worlds proclaiming neutrality . After Palpatine ' s final death , it rose to at least 100 , 000 directly controlled worlds . In 16 ABY , worlds were applying for membership at a rate of ten per day . By 19 ABY , half of the galaxy ( some 500 , 000 worlds ) had once again become members of the New Republic , in light of the fact that the war against the Imperial Remnant was approaching the end ; however , representation in the Senate was limited to between 50 , 000 - 200 , 000 worlds . When the Yuuzhan Vong came , the number dropped to under 80 , 000 worlds , with the Vong claiming almost 800 , 000 worlds . The Borderland Regions separated the territories of the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant during the latter part of the Galactic Civil War . Presumably , this was continued even after the Galactic Civil War . Coruscant was the capital world of the New Republic , as it was for the Galactic Empire and the Galactic Republic before it . Its membership included worlds from all regions of the galaxy , stretching mainly from the borders of the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim Territories . Notes and references . < div class = " references - small " } ; " = " " >