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The Clone Wars are a fictional conflict in the Star Wars science fiction franchise by George Lucas. They are mentioned briefly in the first film, Star Wars (1977), but the conflict is not depicted until Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The Clone Wars are also the setting for three eponymous projects: a 2D animated cartoon (2003–2005), a 2008 CGI film (2008), and a 3D CGI series (2008–2014). They have been featured in numerous Star Wars books and games.

Within the Star Wars narrative, the Wars are fought to prevent thousands of planetary systems from seceding from the Galactic Republic and forming the Confederacy of Independent Systems, often referred to as the Separatists. The Republic uses an army of clone troopers, the namesake of the conflict, led by the Jedi Order against the Separatists' battle droid army. The Star Wars prequel films reveal that the conflict was a ruse by the Republic's Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, secretly an evil Sith Lord, to gain power and ultimately convert the Republic into the Galactic Empire featured in the original trilogy.

Lucas used the prequel trilogy and the Clone Wars to answer questions about the original trilogy, such as how the Empire came to be and how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. The political and military events of the Clone Wars draw inspiration from real-world conflicts and historical events, like the American Civil War and Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Many of the events featured have parallels in history, politics, and mythology from which Lucas and other writers drew inspiration.

Concept and development

Lucas noted that Palpatine's rise to power is similar to that of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany; as Chancellor of Germany, the latter was granted "emergency powers", as is Palpatine. Comparisons have been made to Octavian – who became Augustus, the first emperor of Rome – and to Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose to power in France from 1796 to 1799. Octavian was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of political opponents well before he was granted tribunician powers; Bonaparte was appointed First Consul for life (and later Emperor) by the French Consulate after a failed attempt on his life and the subsequent coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799. References to the American Civil War can also be discerned.

War journalism, combat films, and footage of World War II combat influenced the documentary-style camera work of the Battle of Geonosis, even to the point that hand-held shakes were digitally added to computer-generated sequences.

Lucas has stated that he conceived the Star Wars saga's fundamental story in the form of a basic plot outline in 1973. He later made it clear, however, that at the time of the saga's conception, he had not fully realized the details—only major plot points throughout the series, and these would evolve over time. He began working on Episode III even before the previous film, Attack of the Clones, was released, proposing to concept artists that the film would open with a montage of seven battles on seven planets. Lucas reviewed the storyline that summer and radically re-organized the plot. Michael Kaminski, in The Secret History of Star Wars, surmises that Lucas found flaws with Anakin's fall to the dark side, and made massive story changes. For instance, instead of opening the film with various Clone Wars battles, Lucas decided instead to focus on Anakin, ending the film's first act with his killing of Count Dooku, an action that signals his descent to the dark side.

Depiction

Prequel films

In The Phantom Menace (1999), set ten years before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious orders the Trade Federation to invade Naboo with a battle droid army. With the Senate slow to resolve the issue, Queen Padmé Amidala makes a successful motion of no confidence in the Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine, Naboo's senator and secretly Darth Sidious, is elected as the new chancellor.

Attack of the Clones, set 10 years later, depicts the Galactic Republic's rising concern about the secession of thousands of star systems to the Commonwealth of Independent Systems, which is led by the charismatic Count Dooku. Chancellor Palpatine manipulates Jar-Jar Binks and the rest of the senate into granting him emergency powers. Investigating an attempted assassination of Padmé, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers Dooku used the identity of a dead Jedi Master to secretly arrange the creation of a massive clone army on the Republic's behalf. Wary of this mysterious army, Yodalneverthelesseads this army to rescue Obi-Wan, Padme, and Anakin Skywalker from County Dooku on Geonosis. At the film's conclusion, Anakin secretly marries Padme and Yoda declares that the Clone Wars have begun.

Revenge of the Sith shows the waning days of the three-year Clone Wars, in which clone soldiers and their Jedi generals have fought against the Separatists' droid army. After murdering Count Dooku, Anakin learns Padme is pregnant and becomes troubled by visions of her death in childbirth. Palpatine lures Anakin to the dark side of the Force by promising to teach him how to prevent Padme's premature death. Anakin discovers Palpatine is a Sith Lord, but he defends him against Mace Windu because he still needs Palpatine's knowledge to protect Padme. After Palpatine murders Windu, he dubs Anakin his new apprentice, Darth Vader. Palpatine orders the clone army to execute Order 66, and clones kill their Jedi generals across the galaxy. Palpatine then dispatches Vader to kill the Separatist leaders on Mustafar. With their demise, Palpatine declares an end to the Clone Wars. He also castigates the Jedi as traitors, declares himself emperor, and announces that the Republic will be reformed into the First Galactic Empire.

Animated projects

The cel animated Clone Wars series (2003–2005) depicts several Clone Wars battles and was meant to generate interest in Revenge of the Sith. Several years later, Lucas chose to reboot the series as a 3D CGI series developed by Dave Filoni. Lucas decided to spin off the first four episodes as a standalone film for theatrical release. The film introduces Ahsoka Tano as Anakin Skywalker's apprentice, and the film depicts the Republic's and Separatists' attempting to gain permission to travel through Jabba the Hutt's territory. The television series that followed is likewise set against the backdrop of the Clone Wars. In addition to depicting Skywalker's maturation over the course of the conflict, The Clone Wars also reveals that each clone has a biochip that made him respond to Order 66.

Other media

The prequel trilogy brought an end to Lucas's embargo on licensed material set during the Clone Wars. As such, Lucas Licensing sanctioned several novels and comic books set during the conflict. Dark Disciple novelizes a story arc from eight unfinished episodes of The Clone Wars, and the Kanan comic book series depicts the eponymous Star Wars Rebels character during the conflict. LucasArts also produced video games like Republic Commando and The Clone Wars that depict the Clone Wars.

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.

Political, governmental and militarily

The Clone Wars and its results are portrayed as the catalyst that 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?"

The prequel trilogy depicts Palpatine using a false flag to gain power: In Attack of the Clones, he 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 the character Obi-Wan Kenobi, these powers increase as the Clone Wars extend into a search for General Grievous, who replaces Count Dooku as the Separatist's leader. 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.

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. This viewpoint was also expressed in an editorial on the Clone Wars Unofficial Website. 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. Lucas, however, has said 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.

There are 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 " 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". 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". However, in an interview with Seattle station KIRO 7 News, Star Wars producer Rick McCallum explained:

"George is a product of Vietnam, not a product of Bush. has been in the context of every script I've ever read—every draft—way before Bush became president..."

Lucas claims, however, that "The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable." Nevertheless, he has stated that: "When I wrote , Iraq didn't exist".

Parallels between the Clone Wars and the American Civil War also seem to exist with the secession of territories, the name "Confederacy of Independent Systems" and the Republic's army being called the Grand Army of the Republic, as well as fighting the "Rebels" in response to a separatist movement from the Republic, whereby it declared itself the final authority, and the presiding official usurped illegal power to himself, while declaring all protesters to be "enemies of the Republic."

See also

• Galactic Civil War

References

Footnotes

1. ^ Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith DVD commentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett,
2. ^ Lancashire, Anne (2002). "Attack of the Clones and the Politics of Star Wars". The Dalhousie Review. Retrieved June 20, 2006.
3. Rinzler 2005, pp. 13–15
4. Rinzler 2005, p. 36
5. Kaminski 2007, pp. 380–384 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFKaminski2007 (help)
6. "Ventress and Vos' Greatest Hits: A Dark Disciple Refresher | StarWars.com". StarWars.com. July 13, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
7. "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones". TIME Magazine. April 21, 2002. Retrieved April 23, 2008. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
8. "OBI-WAN: The Senate is expected to vote more executive powers to the Chancellor today." George Lucas (May 19, 2005). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script". IMSDb & Lucasfilm. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
9. "PALPATINE: That may be true, but with Count Dooku dead, 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 (May 19, 2005). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script". IMSDB & Lucasfilm. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
10. "PALPATINE/DARTH SlDIOUS: Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute Order Sixty-Six." George Lucas (May 19, 2005). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script". IMSDb & Lucasfilm. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
11. "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 (May 19, 2005). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script". IMSDb & Lucasfilm. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
12. "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 (May 19, 2005). "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Script". IMSDb & Lucasfilm. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
13. Clyde Lewis (2005). "The Sith Sense". Ground Zero. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
14. Andrew Liptak (June 17, 2003). "The Sith Sense". The Clone Wars Unofficial Website. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
15. Stephen Chambers (April 18, 2006). "Star Wars As Baby Boomer Script". Radical Center. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2006. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
16. ^ David Germain (May 17, 2005). "'Star Wars' Raises Questions on US Policy". Associated Press. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
17. Chris Burns (May 16, 2005). "Lucas on Iraq war, 'Star Wars'". CNN. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
18. Scott Horton (May 23, 2005). "Star Wars and the American Empire". AntiWar.com. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
19. Brian Fanelli (June 22, 2005). ""U.S. Politics in "A Galaxy Far, Far Away""".
20. Tim Lammers (November 2, 2005). "DVD Is Hardly End For 'Sith' Producer McCallum". KIROTV.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2006.

Works cited

• Kaminski, Michael (2008). The Secret History of Star Wars. Kingston, Ontario: Legacy Books Press. ISBN 978-0-9784652-3-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rinzler, Jonathan W (2005). The Making of Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith. New York City: Del Ray. ISBN 0-345-43139-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Clone Wars on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki

Template:Clone Wars

• Fictional wars
• Multimedia works
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Military science fiction