A Deep aversion to standing armies or why are rank bars different from before Empire Strikes Back and after.
Before the Clone Wars, the Old Republic enjoyed almost 1000 years of relative peace. The Republic while vast and expansive, was NOT ubiquitous and even well-traveled parts of the galaxy did not accept its currency. It was only after the Clone Wars that the republic increased more than 25% of its size and territory by acquiring the Outer Rim Territories, Hutt space and what would become the Corporate Sector. All of these were spoils of war controlled by the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, the Banking Clan and the other conglomerates that made up the Confederacy.
Before the Clone Wars, most military and police protection was performed by local system militias. The ground and space force of Naboo is an excellent example of this with forces to defend their cities from pirates, but not enough to take on a well-organized military. The Droid armies of the Trade Federation could be quickly built and this imbalance did much to push the military creation act that kicked of the Clone Wars.
Before the military creation act, the closest thing that the Republic had to a military was the Judicials. These soldiers represented the Republic senate wherever they went. Clad in the same blue uniforms that would later be adopted by the Imperial officer corp, much of their roots and traditions can be found in this elite force. Tarkin, Yularen, and Screed were all Judicials. Orsen Krennic used Judicial Rangers when he rescued Galen Erso.
The end of the Clone Wars brought the nascent officer corp into its own replacing the Jedi as leaders of the Clone forces. The Star Destroyers commanded by these officers were of the same shape as the Jedi fighters of the time, drawing comparisons that the new officer corp was the inheritor of the Jedi legacy. Still, the same trepidation that had made the Military Creation Act difficult to pass at the start of the war prevented the unification of the entire military under direct Coruscant control.
Nominally, the emperor controlled the Galactic forces left over from the Clone Wars directly from Coruscant. You can recognize these members as wearing double rank bars and often times being referred to as “fleet officers”. The officers that wore single rank bars reported to the local sector moff and were under the oversight of the sector’s senator. With 75% of the empire’s sectors being monitored by imperial senators, it is no wonder why Tarkin and Darth Vader were so concerned about word of the Death Star getting out.
The officers that oversaw the construction of the Death Star were sector controlled, not controlled by Coruscant directly. But as the sector moffs (and Grand Moff) of the out Rim Territories worked directly for the Emperor and none reported to a local senator since most of these territories were occupied worlds, they were able to operate with impunity and secrecy. Direct connections to Coruscant control happened only through top admiralty: for example Krennic who was a fleet admiral. The rest worked in silos, many of which never knew for what the final product was to be. This was the time that the bulk of the Imperial Military was far from the core worlds and hidden in the shadows of the outer rim.
New moffs and admirals were being minted in this time. Admiral Versio of the ISB is hailed not just for his activities as an intelligence leader, but as the person who brought his home world into the empire. He was rewarded with a place not in sector politics, but a position in the expanding galactic fleet. And his world had its military standardized to the Imperial model.
The difference between sector fleets and the galactic fleet has a real world comparison to the armies of the United States. The National guards are commanded by the governors of their respective states, but do have a place in the hierarchy of the US Army in times of emergency. They are trained by many of the same schools that their regular army colleagues are trained. They wear the same uniforms for the most part with minor differences to distinguish them. Most officer uniforms had specific sector insignia for the collars and hats they wore.
The elimination of the Imperial Senate removed the senators that provided oversight for the sector militaries. The regional governors took direct control of their territories and their militaries reporting directly to the Emperor much like the regional governors of Rome took to reporting to their emperors. The illusion of separation was over and the single bar rank system disappeared as did sector insignia. Everyone wore double rank bars from then on out until the end of the empire five years later. The Emperor had direct control of his empire then.
For me, I´ve always was impressed with imperial officers since I watched ANH and especially ESB. I remember, as a child that while stormtroopers or pilots were in first line battle, officers were for me the ones in the true front line: VADER rage and anger. Someone that can live with the constant threat of being force chocked was by far more impressive for me, as a child than any pilot or stormtrooper. And since then, I´ve always wanted to be a line officer. So for me, it was clear, my first 501 uniform has to be a line officer!! And currently, I´m on my way...Also, kick ass uniform and motto: "Honor, Durty, Empire"
Because I look so damm good in the uniform, Officers were always my favourites I loved the cut of thier jib and always wanted to be one, Tagge was the officer that stood out as the one who was right and the others did not listen
A few friends and I were discussing Star Wars/Imperial themed tattoos the other day, and I got curious to see if anyone else has any that they'd like to show off!!
I have two, as of currently, First Order symbol and the Chimaera, both done by Tyler Moody in Kansas City
I also have plans to get matching X-Wing and TIE Fighter tattoos with @Vanto for best friend purposes
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