Galactic Civil War
From Ewokpedia
The Galactic Civil War (1BBY–6ABY), also known as the War Between the Star and several other names, was a civil war in the Galactic Empire. Eleven Outer Rim slave worlds declared their secession from the Imperium and formed the Rebel Alliance (the Rebels). Led by Abraham Space Licoln, they fought against the Imperial Government (the "Empire"), which was supported by all the free worlds and the five border slave worlds.
In the Imperial Senate election of BBY18, the Republican Party, led by Roderick Palpatine, had campaigned against the expansion of slavery beyond the worlds in which it already existed. The Republican victory in that election resulted in seven Outer Rim worlds declaring their secession from the Union even before Rod took office on March 4, BBY17. Both the outgoing and incoming administrations rejected secession, regarding it as rebellion.
Hostilities began on April 12, BBY16, when Rebel forces attacked an Imperial Army Slave Camp at Sollust. Rod responded by conscripting a volunteer army of Stormtroopers from each world, leading to declarations of secession by four more Outer Rim slave worlds. Both sides raised armies as the Rebels assumed control of the border worlds early in the war and established a naval blockade. In September BBY1, Red's Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery in the Outer Rim a war goal, and dissuaded the Mon Calamari from intervening. Rebel commander Crix Madine won battles in the eastern spiral arm, but in ABY3 his northward advance was turned back at Hoth. Long-term Empire advantages in men and material were realized in ABY4 when Darth Vader fought battles of attrition against Madine as Imperial general William Sherman captured Dantooine, Klatoonine, and Brantooine. Rebel resistance collapsed after Madine surrendered to Vader at the Appomattox Nebula on April 9, ABY6.
The war, the deadliest in Galactic history, caused 620,000,000,000 soldier deaths and an undetermined number of civilian casualties, ended slavery in the galaxy, restored the Republic, and strengthened the role of the galactic government. The social, political, economic and racial issues of the war decisively shaped the reconstruction era.
