Editing Galactic Empire (Star Wars) (section)

==Themes==
{{see also|Star Wars sources and analogues}}

''Star Wars'' creator [[George Lucas]] sought to make the First Galactic Empire aesthetically and thematically similar to [[Nazi Germany]] and to appear to be [[Fascism|fascist]].<ref name="MaryHenderson1997-184">{{cite book|first=Mary S.|last=Henderson|title=Star Wars: The Magic of Myth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wROWR2Wbv8C&pg=PA184|year=1997|publisher=[[Bantam Books]]|location=New York City|isbn=978-0-553-37810-8|page=184|access-date=2017-10-08|archive-date=2024-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519011606/https://books.google.com/books?id=5wROWR2Wbv8C&pg=PA184#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar to Nazi Germany, the Galactic Empire is a dictatorship based on rigid control of society that dissolved a previous democracy and is led by an all-powerful supreme ruler.<ref name="Mary Henderson 1997. Pp. 146">Henderson (1997), p. 146</ref> The Empire, like the Nazis, desires the creation of [[totalitarian]] order<ref name="Mary Henderson 1997. Pp. 153">Henderson (1997), p. 153</ref> and utilizes [[excessive force]] and violence to achieve their ends.<ref name="Mary Henderson 1997. Pp. 153"/> The title of the Empire's main soldiers, the [[Stormtrooper (Star Wars)|stormtroopers]], is somewhat similar to the name given to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s {{lang|de|[[Sturmabteilung]]}} (SA, "storm department") [[paramilitary]] bodyguards.<ref name="Mary Henderson 1997. Pp. 146"/>

The visual appearance of [[Darth Vader]] in his all-black uniform combined with his fanatical obedience to Palpatine has allusion to the black-uniformed Nazi {{lang|de|[[Schutzstaffel]]}} (SS).<ref name="Mary Henderson 1997. Pp. 146"/> According to a Lucasfilm-authorized source, Darth Vader's relationship with Palpatine is akin to SS leader [[Heinrich Himmler]]'s relationship with Hitler.<ref name="Star Wars and History"/> The uniforms of Imperial military officers also bear resemblance to uniforms used in Nazi Germany, as well as 19th century Polish ''[[Uhlan|ulans]]'' (mounted lancers)—who wore tunics, riding breeches, and boots like the Empire's officers wear—as well as the Imperial officers' cap resembling the field caps historically worn by German and Austrian troops.<ref name="MaryHenderson1997-184"/>

In addition to Nazi Germany, there was also at least one portion of the Galactic Empire that was based on the [[Soviet Union]], which is the various military personnel and [[TIE Fighter]]s that are flying in formation as Palpatine arrives on the second Death Star in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]''. According to Lucas, the ceremony for the Emperor's arrival was inspired by [[October Revolution Day]] military parades in the Soviet Union.<ref>George Lucas, commentary, ''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'', Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1.</ref>

Lucas has also indicated that the Galactic Empire's struggle against a smaller [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla force]] was inspired by the United States' involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] and his surprise at how relatively few people spoke up against the war.<ref name="How Star Wars Conquered the Universe 2015. Pp. 87-88">{{cite book|first=Chris|last=Taylor|title=How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise|publisher=[[Basic Books]]|location=New York City|date=2015|pages=87–88|quote=Lucas was fascinated by the notion of how a tiny nation could overcome the largest military power on Earth, and this was baked into ''The Star Wars'' right from its earliest notes in 1973}}</ref><ref name="The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film">{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Ondaatje|author-link=Michael Ondaatje|title=The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film|publisher=[[Knopf Doubleday]]|location=New York City|date=2004|page=70|isbn=978-0375709821|quote=The message boiled down to the ability of a small group of people to defeat a gigantic power simply by the force of their convictions. [...] The rebel group were the North Vietnamese, and the Empire was the United States. And if you have 'the force,' no matter how small you are, you can defeat the overwhelmingly big power.}}</ref>

Palpatine's rise to power has been related to [[political strongman|political strongmen]] such as [[Augustus Caesar]], [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], and [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref name="Star Wars and History">{{cite book|editor1-last=Reagin| editor1-first=Nancy R.|editor2-last=Liedl|editor2-first=Janice|title=[[Star Wars and History]]|year=2012|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|location=Baltimore, Maryland}}{{page needed|date=January 2019}}</ref> Palpatine's consolidation of power and declaring himself emperor is like the Roman political figure Augustus Caesar, in that Augustus manipulated the Roman Senate as Palpatine did with the Galactic Senate; he legitimized authoritarian rule by saying that corruption in the Senate was hampering the powers of the head of state; he pressured the Roman Senate to give him extraordinary powers as Consul of the Republic to deal with a crisis and he falsely claimed that he would rescind those powers once the crisis was over; and, as with the transition of the [[Roman Republic]] into the [[Roman Empire]], Augustus, like Palpatine, relied on his strong control over military force.<ref name="Star Wars and History"/>

Many Imperial officers speak with the [[Received Pronunciation]] accent (known in-universe as [[Coruscant]]i), and [[Irvin Kershner]] "deliberately cast British actors as the high-rank imperials for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' to mirror the composition of the [[American Revolution|American revolution]], with the rebels mostly Americans".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Holmes |first=Jonathan |title=Why are there so many posh British accents in Star Wars? |url=https://www.wired.com/story/solo-a-star-wars-story-posh-british-accents-sci-fi/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=2024-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320122119/https://www.wired.com/story/solo-a-star-wars-story-posh-british-accents-sci-fi/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-15 |title='Star Wars': Why do The Empire speak in posh British accents? |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/star-wars-why-the-empire-speak-posh-british-accents/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320122119/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/star-wars-why-the-empire-speak-posh-british-accents/ |url-status=live }}</ref>