Editing Galactic Empire (Star Wars) (section)

===Galactic Civil War===
After the formation of the Empire and the purge of the Jedi, Palpatine declares [[martial law]] throughout the galaxy. Those in hiding, or attempting to either flee from or oppose the New Imperial Order, are subject to persecution or death. This is the start of the bloody decades-long Galactic Civil War fought between the Empire and the [[Rebel Alliance]]. Lacking any industrial base at all, the rebels focused on surgical strikes, using whatever ships they were surreptitiously given or whatever they could steal; in contrast the Empire had seemingly endless industrial capacity and manpower, and focused all of it on making mass quantities of fighters and huge weapons of mass destruction to terrorize both the rebels and the galactic citizenry.

As portrayed in the live-action series ''[[Andor (TV series)|Andor]]'', one single moment in Galactic history completely changed the Empire's policy towards its citizens and therefore changed its relationship with its citizens. In 5 BBY, on the relatively unremarkable planet of Aldhani, a small rebel team managed to infiltrate the local Imperial depository, stealing a decent portion of the sector payroll. This created a massive Imperial overreaction, increasing their security spending and draconian law enforcement policies, making all future rebellious activity even more costly and difficult, which is exactly what the mastermind of this heist [[Luthen Rael]] wanted.

====The Two Death Stars====
As portrayed in the animated series ''[[Star Wars Rebels]]'' and ''[[Star Wars: The Bad Batch|The Bad Batch]]'', the Empire explores ways to weaponize Force-sensitive [[kyber crystal]]s, which are sacred to the Jedi and are at the core powersource of every [[lightsaber]].<ref name="A Long Time Ago"/> They mine for kyber crystals across worlds, but are thwarted twice in securing massive crystal reserves by the [[List of Star Wars Rebels characters#Main characters|''Ghost'' crew]] and [[Saw Gerrera]]. On [[Jedha]], however, the Empire uncovers a surplus of kyber, with which they power the Death Star.

The Death Star, a moon-sized battle station with sufficient firepower to destroy an entire planet, is designed to be the ultimate weapon of the Empire's power. The threat of this weapon provoked a desperate suicidal raid, the Battle of Scarif, by the Rebel Alliance. The engagement and loss of the classified Death Star blueprint plans was to seen as a complete embarrassment for the Imperial forces along with a loss of two Star Destroyers and the destruction of Scarif base.

Tarkin, the station's commander, demonstrates that power in ''A New Hope'' when he destroys [[Alderaan]] as a show of force.<ref name=strategy/> In the [[Battle of Yavin|film's climactic scene]], however, the station is attacked by rebel starfighters who have come into possession of the station's blueprints. The battle ends with the Death Star's destruction at the hands of [[Luke Skywalker]], which is the Rebel Alliance's first major military success against the Empire.<ref name="A Long Time Ago"/> Politically, Alderann's destruction was a watershed moment for most Imperial loyalists, many whom would later defect to the Alliance; it revealed the Empire's willingness to kill loyalists on Alderaan, along with millions of innocents, just to prove a point to a rebellious Senator. Tarkin's Doctrine, meant to perpetually "tighten the noose" and instill fear of being killed for engaging in rebellion, eventually gets overridden by people realizing that no one was actually safe.

After the ''[[Battle of Yavin]]'', Vader's special powers as Commander-in-Chief are increased by Palpatine, granting him full command over all other officials and officers to ease his campaign against the Rebellion. In ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', Vader becomes obsessed with finding the [[the Force|Force]]-sensitive Luke<ref name="Darth Vader Databank">{{cite web|url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/darth-vader|title=Darth Vader|website=StarWars.com|access-date=September 23, 2016|archive-date=June 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619185209/https://www.starwars.com/databank/darth-vader|url-status=live}}</ref> and leads his [[Imperial stormtrooper|stormtroopers]] to attack on the rebel base on [[Hoth]], but the rebels escape. Vader would continue to systematically and ruthlessly dismantle Alliance assets, and to hunt for Luke in the process, forcing Alliance survivors to abandon all static bases and regroup with [[Home One|Alliance HQ]] and remain nomadic.

In ''Return of the Jedi'', after four years of conflict and near constant harassments by Vader's forces, the Alliance achieves a decisive victory over the Empire during the ''[[Battle of Endor]]''. In the film's climactic battle, the Rebellion destroys the second Death Star and a number of capital ships that contain a great portion of the Imperial Navy's highest-ranking officers. During this battle, Vader redeems himself by sacrificing his life to kill Palpatine in order to save his son, Luke Skywalker.<ref name="A Long Time Ago"/>

====State Collapse====
The dual loss of the Emperor and his right-hand, the Commander-in-Chief, creates a power vacuum of chaos and instability. By design, the Empire had no clear line of succession; and there was no next-in-line after Palpatine and Vader. Revolts, infighting, [[fiefdom]]s and [[warlord]]ism gradually fracture the Empire apart more effectively than any damage capable of being inflicted by the Rebel Alliance, as the Moffs and Grand Moffs maneuver to grab power for themselves amidst civil unrest.

Palpatine left posthumous orders. Upon verification of his death, messenger droids are sent to select Imperial officers to relay his last orders: to begin ''Operation: Cinder'', a [[scorched earth policy]] tasking hardline Imperials to destroy entire planets so the Rebellion cannot claim them.<ref name="A Long Time Ago"/> The fallen Emperor does not desire the Empire to continue without his presence; if he cannot live forever as the galaxy's Emperor, he would rather see it destroyed.<ref>"If an Empire cannot protect its Emperor then that Empire must be deemed a failure. It collapses not only because its central figure is gone, but because it must not be allowed to remain!" ''[[Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire's End|Aftermath: Empire's End]]'', [[Palpatine]]</ref>

A year after the Battle of Endor, the bolstered Rebellion [[Ceasefire|defeats]] the weakened Empire during the [[Battle of Jakku]] and formally establishes the [[Galactic Republic|New Republic]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Star Wars: Galactic Atlas|last=McDonagh|first=Tim|publisher=Disney–Lucasfilm Press|location=New York City|year=2016|pages=13, 44|isbn=978-1368003063}}</ref>