Imperial Military

"It may appear to some that the enactment of universal laws and the widespread deployment of a heavily armed military are steps toward galactic domination, but these actions are taken merely to protect us from those who would invade, enslave, exploit, or foment political dissent, and to punish accordingly any who engage in such acts. Look on our new military not as trespassers or interlopers, but as gatekeepers, here to shore up the Emperor's vision of a pacified and prosperous galaxy."

- Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, in his Tarkin Doctrine

The Imperial Military, also referred to as the Imperial Armed Forces, comprised the various branches of the armed forces of the Galactic Empire, such as the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy, as well as agencies such as Imperial Intelligence.

History
"The mining firms are corrupt. They're tied up&mdash;ownership, boards of directors&mdash;with the shipwrights that have sold the Empire on one construction project after another. Oh, it's all being done in secret, but you can't keep everything secret. A billion Star Destroyers isn't enough. They're building Super Star Destroyers, and Super-Super Star Destroyers, and who knows what else!"

- Clone Wars veteran Skelly, referring to the thorilide triangle theory.

Formation
Following the end of the destructive three-year galaxy-wide conflict known as the Clone Wars, then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine ushered in the formation of the Galactic Empire, a dictatorship composed of the entirety of the former Galactic Republic and with himself as its head of state, the first Galactic Emperor. With vast portions of the galaxy still unconquered and outside Imperial dominion, the Emperor Palpatine transformed the Grand Army of the Republic into the Imperial Military composed of both the Army and Navy of the prior government. Embarking on a massive militarization effort in order to combat the remaining Separatist holdouts across the galaxy, as well as bring more worlds under Imperial control, the Imperial Military would serve as the primary means of Imperial enforcement and expansion from the Imperial Center.

Galactic Civil War
In the nineteen years following the Empire's rise, a growing rebellion would cause concern within the higher echelons of the Empire, ultimately resulting in the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. For years, the opposing sides fought across the galaxy for control of sectors, systems and the loyalties of their respective populations, with major encounters on the Outer Rim worlds of Yavin 4, Hoth and Endor. Despite crushing the Alliance on Hoth, the Battle of Yavin and Endor would see the destruction of both Death Stars, following which the Empire would enter into a state of disarray as former military leaders formed splinter fleets, while the New Republic slowly pushed Imperial forces back towards the Coruscant Core.

Splintering and dissolution
Following successive defeats at the hands of the New Republic, a year and four days after Endor, the Empire's military forces made their final stand over the Inner Rim world of Jakku. Suffering heavy casualties, Imperial diplomats on Coruscant ultimately signed a peace treaty&mdash;the Galactic Concordance&mdash;with the New Republic, ending both the battle and the war.

Over the years, remnants of the Imperial armed forces founded the First Order, located in the far corners of the Unknown Regions. Briefly inhabiting a wing of New Republic politics, the First Order eventually seceded from the Republic&mdash;a move that was welcomed by many&mdash;firmly committed towards reestablishing the former glory of the Galactic Empire.

Administration
The affairs of the Army and the Navy were overseen by the Joint Chiefs, the various commanders of the two branches, while the Stormtrooper Corps operated under the oversight of the Army. However supreme command was given to the Galactic Emperor and his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader, referred to as 1 and 2 respectively. The Imperial Department of Military Research helped the Imperial Military by upgrading and developing new weapons and technology, while former companies friendly to the Republic helped manufacture the newer Imperial vessels entering production, with some of the largest being Sienar Fleet Systems and Kuat Drive Yards. Organizations such as the Naval Intelligence Agency, Imperial Intelligence, and Imperial Security Bureau often worked in conjunction with the Imperial Military, with the ISB installing an internal affairs officer aboard all Imperial-class Star Destroyers and utilizing informants to discover the location of the Alliance Fleet during the Galactic Civil War. Enlistment was open to human men and women, who were trained at the numerous Imperial Academy complexes across the galaxy, with many members becoming enlisted personnel, officers or stormtroopers. Since the Empire favored humans and looked down on aliens, it was rare to find non-humans serving in the Imperial Military. Embodying the spirit of the Tarkin Doctrine, the armed forces relied on the sheer threat of force to keep neighboring systems in line. Fear and intimidation were essential for all Imperial Military operations, exemplified by the sheer size of Star Destroyers which acted as both a physical and psychological deterrent from assaulting it—and the Empire.

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: The Empire Strikes Back
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi