Galactic 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."

- Senator Palpatine

The Galactic Republic, also known as the Old Republic, was the democratic union that governed the galaxy for a thousand years prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire. Its legislative body was the Galactic Senate.

Rise of democracy
"There hasn't been a full-scale war since the formation of the Republic."

- Sio Bibble

About one thousand years before the onslaught of the Clone Wars, a number of solar systems of the galaxy united, fouding the Galactic Republic. As its governing body, the new 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 several thousands of years of existence at the time. The Republic's head of state, the Supreme Chancellor, was elected by and from the senators.

Bane of corruption
"It's been my experience that senators are only focused on pleasing those who fund their campaigns&mdash; and they are more than willing to forget the niceties of democracy to get those funds."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Time went by, and the Republic stood firm, becoming increasingly powerful. As a result, the galaxy remained free of any full-scale war for centuries. In time, the Jedi Order, an organization of protectors who could tap into the power of the Force, came to serve the Republic as guardians of peace and justice. However, many of the bureaucrats and Senators that ran the government started to work for their own profit rather than the common good. Greed, corruption and internal strife began destroying the government from within.

Around the time of the Invasion of Naboo, the Republic governement was deeply affected by social injustice and ineffectiveness, despite the best efforts of the well-meaning Valorum, then Supreme Chancellor. Taking advantage of his homeworld's delicate situation, the ambitious Senator Palpatine of Naboo had Valorum ousted from office. He was subsequently elected as the new Supreme Chancellor, promising that he would bring justice back to the government.

Fall of the Republic
"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."

- Palpatine, to the Senate

However, Palpatine was in fact the public persona of Darth Sidious, former pupil of Plagueis the Wise and Dark Lord of the Sith. The Sith had a long-percolating plan of replacing the Republic with an Empire in their image, and Palpatine sought to execute it. In order to do so, he recruited Dooku, a defrocked Jedi Master who had grown disgusted of the corruption in the Republic. Palpatine made the old Jedi his apprentice and had him carry out a complex plan: Dooku founded the Confederacy of Independent Systems, an alliance of separatist systems that would end up waging war against the Republic. The resulting conflict, known as the Clone Wars, would in fact be fought with Sith Lords on either side, which would guarantee Palpatine's victory regardless the outcome. The three-year, galaxy-spanning conflict also weakened the Jedi. At the end of the Clone Wars, when the time was right, Palpatine ordered the systematic extermination of the Jedi. He convened a special session of Congress and announced the creation of the First Galactic Empire.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope