𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞

The Galactic Empire, the First Galactic Empire or just simply the Empire was a fictional autocracy featured in the Star Wars franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars and also appears in its two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) and is the main antagonist faction of the original trilogy. By the time of the sequel trilogy, which starts three decades following the events of the original trilogy, the government has since collapsed into the Imperial remnants and has been succeeded by the First Order. An autocratic regime with a complicated bureaucracy, the Galactic Empire sought to ensure one rule over every planetary system under its dominion.

The First Galactic Empire sprawled over much of the known Star Wars galaxy, which consisted of millions of core systems with major population centers, and billions of more fringe colonies, shipyards, fortress worlds and outer territories. The Empire's origins are depicted in the prequel Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), where it replaces the Galactic Republic at the end of the Clone Wars orchestrated by Palpatine, who was then the Republic's Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine is also secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious who intends to purge the Jedi and restore the Sith to power in the galaxy. Palpatine's Sith identity was never revealed to the general public; only known by a select few throughout his life.

Palpatine claimed that the Jedi Order were the masterminds who engineered the Clone Wars— and upon discovering this conspiracy—they had attempted to assassinate him and overthrow the Galactic Senate; he declared that the Jedi had committed high treason. Palpatine then declared that the civil war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems in combination with an alleged Jedi coup d'état required the reorganization of the Republic into a state that could "insure the security and continuing stability, and [provide] a safe and secure society"; a Galactic Empire with himself as Emperor. The Senate that he had manipulated up to that point overwhelmingly applauded Palpatine's decision.

Emperor Palpatine then proceeded to purge the Jedi, who had been the upholders of peace and justice in the Republic for millennia. Though Palpatine's Sith identity remained a secret to most, his apprentice, the Sith Lord Darth Vader had a more public presence, inspiring much fear during his purge of the Jedi. By the time of Episode IV – A New Hope, the Empire had transformed into a fully authoritarian regime, opposed by the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

The First Galactic Empire is described and portrayed in various Star Wars media as a brutal dictatorship, one based on "nationalization, state terrorism, xenophobic hatred, enslavement and genocide of non-humans, power projection, threat of lethal force, and, above all else, constant fear".

Wikipedia[en.wikipedia.org]
Official StarWars Website[www.starwars.com]
Star Wars Theory Channel