Clone Wars (Star Wars)

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For other uses, see Clone Wars.
The Clone Wars
Depictions
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Wars Expanded Universe material
Canon information
Date 22 BBY to 19 BBY
Location The Galaxy
Result Defeat of the Trade Federation and foundation of the Galactic Empire; near-extinction of the Jedi
Combatants

Galactic Republic

Confederacy of Independent Systems
Commanders
Palpatine, Jedi Viceroy Nute Gunray, General Grevious, Count Dooku & Palpatine (in secret) (leaders of Trade Federation Army)
Casualties
Clone Troopers
Nearly every Jedi		 Viceroy Nute Gunray
Neimoidian council
General Grevious
Count Dooku
and the Trade Federation Army

The Clone Wars (also known as the Clone War) are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977),[1] but not featured until the second and third episodes of the six-part Star Wars film series: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The animated microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) chronicle the major campaigns of the war. Additional events and stories are detailed in a multimedia campaign consisting of Star Wars literature and video games. Many of the events featured have parallels in history, politics, and mythology from which Lucas and other writers drew inspiration. Critics and film historians debate which parallels are most prominent or consistent.

The Clone Wars begin during the Separatist Crisis when thousands of star systems seceded from the Galactic Republic to form the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). The first battle occurs on the CIS planet Geonosis where the Republic's new clone army, led by Jedi generals, combats the Separatists' battle droids. War quickly spreads across the galaxy and eventually reaches the Republic's capital, Coruscant. The Clone Wars end shortly after the Great Jedi Purge, the Separatist Massacre on Mustafar, and the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The events causing the war and those leading to its conclusion are orchestrated by the Republic's chief executive, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.[2]

Contents

[edit] Origins

The beginnings of the war are first portrayed in the 1999 film The Phantom Menace (the first chapter but fourth release in the series) as the Invasion of Theed and the Battle of Naboo. However, the real tension begins with the Separatist Crisis, a series of debates in the Galactic Republic that are referred to in Attack of the Clones, and began about two years prior to the start of that film. By the beginning of Attack of the Clones, many star systems have seceded from the Republic. The tension caused by this secession eventually leads to the outbreak of war.[3] The war has different causes: The Republic's Chancellor Palpatine tells his people that the war began because of several different reasons such as the years of separation by the outer rim territories, as well as the separatists' capture of the Jedi and financing of rebellions by radical states within the Republic. While these are all true, Palpatine had covertly influenced all these events with the help of his secret apprentice, Count Dooku.

[edit] Story

The conflicts leading up to the Clone Wars begin 32 years before the events of A New Hope and during the second half of the film The Phantom Menace. The Trade Federation, a major galactic trade organization, blockades the small planet Naboo and demands the capitulation of the world by its queen, Padmé Amidala, who refuses their demands and requests help from the Galactic Republic, the main governing body of the galaxy. The Republic responds by sending two Jedi ambassadors, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to oversee the situation and negotiate with the Trade Federation. The Federation, wary of the Jedi and secretly taking orders from Darth Sidious, attempt to murder the Jedi, who escape to Naboo just as the Federation begins a full-scale invasion. Following a brief occupation, the Trade Federation are defeated by an alliance of the Naboo military and the indigenous Gungan Tribes, with the help of the Jedi.[4]

Following these events, Jedi Master Dooku resigns from the Jedi Order and returns to his homeworld of Serenno.[5] Unfortunately, the Jedi Council are unaware that Dooku has fallen under the control of Sith master Darth Sidious, who begins organizing a separatist coalition of planets and civilizations with the intention of seceding from the Republic. During this time, the Separatists begin forming their own armies, which primarily consist of battle droids constructed by the Trade Federation and their allies.

Ten years later, following the attempted assassination of Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker's investigation puts them on the trail of Jango Fett, an intergalactic bounty hunter. Tracking him to the world of Kamino, Obi-Wan discovers that the Kaminoans have used samples of Fett's DNA to clone a vast army of soldiers, called Clone Troopers. The order for the soldiers was submitted to the Kaminoans by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Meanwhile, the Republic soon faces internal opposition as several thousand worlds publicly secede from the Galactic Republic and form the Confederacy of Independent Systems, or CIS. The Republic Senate deliberates the Military Creation Act, which calls for the formation of an army to serve the Republic in keeping order across Republic Star Systems and preventing further secession. As deliberations stall Shadow Senator for Naboo Jar Jar Binks proposes (after suggestion from Chancellor Palpatine) that the Chancellor be granted emergency powers in order to resolve the issue of the Clone Army awaiting approval on Kamino and take decisive action to put down the rebellion. This is greeted by applause from the majority of the Senate Chamber, and Chancellor Palpatine describes it as a 'purely temporary measure'.

The Clone Army of the Republic first saw battle engaging the Separatist forces on Geonosis, which had been discovered and reported by Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to his capture. The forces were commanded by Master Yoda. The Battle of Geonosis marks the end of Attack of the Clones and the beginning of the Clone War.

During the in-universe time period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, conflict between the Republic and the Separatists increases and expands, which is chronicled in an extensive Multimedia campaign.

Three years after the Battle of Geonosis, the Confederacy attempts to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine from the Republic capital world of Coruscant. The Chancellor is rescued and Confederacy leader Count Dooku killed, thanks to the efforts of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.

At this point in the Clone Wars timeline, the Outer Rim Sieges are in full swing, as well as numerous other battles across the galaxy. The Jedi are considered battle commanders, far outranking clones in terms of battle prowess, and are spread thin across the galaxy. One of the key battles of the Outer Rim Sieges is the Battle of Utapau, depicted in Revenge of the Sith; during the battle, Obi-Wan strikes a crippling blow to the Confederacy by killing one of their most prominent leaders, General Grievous.

Left behind by Obi-Wan on Coruscant, Anakin discovers that Palpatine is also Darth Sidious, Sith leader of the Confederacy. He informs Mace Windu, who promptly comes with a posse of Jedi Knights to detain the corrupt Chancellor. A furious duel ensues, until only Windu and Palpatine are left standing. Skywalker arrives at the Chancellor's quarters to find Palpatine at the mercy of Windu's lightsaber. Anakin, promised by Palpatine enough power to save his wife Padmé from death, slashes Windu's lightsaber hand off, allowing Palpatine to kill Windu. Palpatine/Sidious takes Anakin as his new Sith Apprentice, after losing Dooku, and gives him the Sith name Darth Vader. Anakin has now completely fallen under the sway of the Dark Side.

Utilizing the attack by Mace Windu and the Jedi as a pretext, Palpatine issues Order 66, a pre-arranged military command ordering all Clone Troopers to execute their Jedi commanders. Darth Vader leads the raid on the Jedi Temple with the 501st Clone Trooper Legion and kills all the Jedi in the Temple, including children Jedi living in the Temple. The handful of survivors of the Great Jedi Purge include Yoda and Obi-Wan.

With the extermination of the Jedi complete, Palpatine marks an end to the Galactic Republic, naming himself ruler of the Galactic Empire with Vader at his side. During this time, Emperor Palpatine dispatches Vader to Mustafar to kill the rest of the last Separatist leaders. With the elimination of the Confederacy leadership and the Trade Federation, Palpatine orders all battle droids to be shut down immediately to be replaced by the Clone Troopers (who are then now called Imperial Stormtroopers), effectively ending the war. This seems to be a tragic downfall for the Galactic Republic, the Confederacy, and the Trade Federation, since Palpatine ruled all of them together separately.

[edit] Allusions

Like all themes within Star Wars, the Clone Wars borrows from multiple mythical, literary, and historical influences and parallels. Writers and critics have debated over which parallels are most prominent or consistent.

[edit] Political and military

In the Star Wars timeline, both the Clone Wars and its results are portrayed as the process which shifted the Galactic Republic from a democracy to a dictatorship. In a 2002 TIME Magazine interview, Star Wars creator George Lucas explains:

"All democracies turn into dictatorships—but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea. What kinds of things push people and institutions in this direction? That's the issue I've been exploring: how did the Republic turn into the Empire? ... How does a good person go bad, and how does a democracy become a dictatorship?"[6]

In Attack of the Clones, Palpatine orchestrates the Separatist movement (and the Clone Wars that followed) to worry the citizens of the Republic, thus forcing the Senate to grant him emergency powers. According to character Obi-Wan Kenobi, these powers increase as the Clone Wars extend into a search for General Grevious, who replaces Count Dooku as Separatist leader.[7][8] During Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine declares himself Emperor by blaming the Jedi for the Republic's problems, resulting in a Jedi purge via Order 66.[9][10][11]

Comparisons have been made between the political aspects of the Clone Wars and the events leading up to World War II. Radio host Clyde Lewis' article on historical similarities in Star Wars claims that Palpatine's tactics parallel those of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany; both leaders used wars and scapegoats to manipulate society's emotional state, thus providing the leadership with support and power.[12] This viewpoint was also expressed in an editorial on the Clone Wars Unofficial Website.[13] Another writer compares the Clone Wars with World War II in general, basing his argument on the fact that Lucas was born during the baby boomer generation, and the dark times featured in the original trilogy rival the dark, uncertain Cold War.[14] Lucas, however, cited in multiple interviews that one of his primary influences for the political backdrop behind the Clone Wars (and all of Star Wars) was the Vietnam/Watergate era, when leaders embraced corruption for what they thought was the best course of action.[15][16]

There is a variety of opinions on the historical parallels between the political aspects of the Clone Wars and the War in Iraq. In claiming that the Star Wars galaxy under the deceitful Palpatine parallels the modern issues of the United States, an editorial on Antiwar.com states that "[Star Wars] establishes first the generally agreeable premise that it's right to overthrow oppressive government, before bringing into focus something more discomforting – that the corrupt tyranny referred to is our own".[17] Additionally, an article from Wiretap claims that "like Palpatine, the Bush administration has been able to feed on people's fears to gain more power".[18] However, in an interview with Kiro 7 News, Star Wars producer Rick McCallum explained:

"George is a product of Vietnam, not a product of Bush. [The political aspects of the Clone Wars] has been in the context of every script I've ever read—every draft—way before Bush became president..."[19]

Lucas claims, however, that "The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable." Nevertheless, he states that "When I wrote [the backstory/Clone Wars], Iraq didn't exist".[20]

The Clone Wars parallel the American Civil War in many respects. The Confederacy of Independent Systems shares a similar name to the Confederate States of America; it also seceded from the Republic, much like the south seceded from the Union. Like Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Count Dooku was respected by his enemies, and had he survived, he most likely would have been accepted by them[21] (It must be remembered, however, that few knew Dooku was secretly working for the Sith and Palpatine. Had the general public known this, they would never have accepted him).

[edit] Star Wars

A portion of the vehicles developed by the Lucasfilm graphic designers, including the AT-TE and the AT-XT walkers, were created to enhance the technological continuity of the Clone Wars in relation to the Galactic Civil War, the central conflict in the original trilogy of Star Wars films.[22] Other examples of technological continuity is displayed at the Battle of Coruscant, in which ARC-170 starfighters were designed with S-foils, much like those seen in the ship designs of the original films.[23]

In the original trilogy, the Clone Wars are only referenced in A New Hope. Lucas stated that he first designed a backstory which preceded the original film trilogy — the events surrounding the Clone Wars era.[24]

[edit] Multimedia campaign

The Clone Wars span the three years between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and thus are, for the most part, off-screen. The Expanded Universe is recounting events with an ambitious multimedia campaign.[1]

The videogame Star Wars: The Clone Wars was released in 2002 for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox. It is set immediately after the final events of Attack of the Clones, and spans many new worlds and settings not mentioned in the films or novelizations. Additionally, Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, Star Wars: Republic Commando, and Star Wars: Battlefront II expand the scenarios of the conflict and add new angles to previously covered battles.

The cartoon microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars started airing in November 2003 on Cartoon Network. It was a series of 20 episodes, each three to five minutes long, showing several of the battles of the war not mentioned in any of the films.

Another TV series, of more than one hundred episodes, unrelated to but an expansion of the previous one, is also in production by Lucasfilms Animation and Lucasfilms Animation Singapore. It is scheduled to become a 3D animated television series.[25]

The comic series Star Wars: Republic has also shed light on this era of the Star Wars universe, focusing in particular on the exploits of the Jedi characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Quinlan Vos, and Aayla Secura.[1] Multiple series of novels based on all aspects of the Clone Wars have been published, as well.

An animated feature film based on the Clone Wars, titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is slated for release on August 15, 2008. It will introduce the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, which will begin airing in Fall 2008.

v • d • e
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Main media
Books
Video games
Major battles

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Starwars.com: What are the Clone Wars?". Starwars.com (2006). Retrieved on August 3, 2006.
  2. ^ Lucas, George. The Star Wars trilogy (1977 – 2005)
  3. ^ "Palpatine at Star Wars: Databank". Starwars.com (2006). Retrieved on August 3, 2006.
  4. ^ George Lucas (1999). "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Script at IMSDb. IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on August 3, 2006.
  5. ^ "Count Dooku at Star Wars: Databank". Starwars.com (2006). Retrieved on August 3, 2006.
  6. ^ Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. TIME Magazine (2002-04-21). Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  7. ^ "OBI-WAN: The Senate is expected to vote more executive powers to the Chancellor today." George Lucas (2005-05-19). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script at IMSDb". IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  8. ^ "PALPATINE: That may be true, but with Count Dooku dead, [General Grevious] is the leader of the Droid Army, and I assure you, the Senate will vote to continue the war as long as Grievous is alive." George Lucas (2005-05-19). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script at IMSDb". IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  9. ^ "PALPATINE/DARTH SlDIOUS: Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute Order Sixty-Six." George Lucas (2005-05-19). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script at IMSDb. IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  10. ^ "PALPATINE/DARTH SlDIOUS: Because the Council did not trust you, my young apprentice, I believe you are the only Jedi with no knowledge of this plot. When the Jedi learn what has transpired here, they will kill us, along with all the Senators."/"PALPATINE: Every single Jedi, including your friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic." George Lucas (2005-05-19). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script at IMSDb". IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  11. ^ "PALPATINE: 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 which I assure you will last for ten thousand years." George Lucas (2005-05-19). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script at IMSDb". IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  12. ^ Clyde Lewis (2005). "The Sith Sense". Ground Zero. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  13. ^ Andrew Liptak (2003-06-17). "The Sith Sense". The Clone Wars Unofficial Website. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  14. ^ Stephen Chambers (2006-04-18). "Star Wars As Baby Boomer Script". Radical Center. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  15. ^ David Germain (2005-05-17). "'Star Wars' Raises Questions on US Policy". Associated Press. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  16. ^ Chris Burns (2005-05-16). "Lucas on Iraq war, 'Star Wars'". CNN.com. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  17. ^ Scott Horton (2005-05-23). "Star Wars and the American Empire". AntiWar.com. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  18. ^ Brian Fanelli (2005-06-22). "U.S. Politics in "A Galaxy Far, Far Away"".
  19. ^ Tim Lammers (2005-11-02). "DVD Is Hardly End For 'Sith' Producer McCallum". KIROTV.com. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  20. ^ David Germain (2005-05-17). "'Star Wars' Raises Questions on US Policy". Associated Press. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  21. ^ Stover, Matthew Woodring (2005). Revenge of the Sith. Del Rey. ISBN 0-345-42883-8. 
  22. ^ "AT-TE walker at Star Wars: Databank". Starwars.com (2006). Retrieved on August 3, 2006.
  23. ^ PILOT: We're on your tail, General Kenobi! Set S-foils in attack position. George Lucas (2005-05-19). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script at IMSDb". IMSDb and Lucasfilm. Retrieved on July 6, 2006.
  24. ^ All I Need Is An Idea DVD Special Featurette, [2001]
  25. ^ BBC News (2005-04-26). Star Wars to become new TV series. BBC News. Retrieved on May 5, 2006.

[edit] See also

Star Wars Portal
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