Depiction of The Galactic Empire and Real-world Origins of Its Themes
Star Wars creator George Lucas sought to make the Galactic Empire aesthetically and thematically similar to Nazi Germany and to appear to be fascist. Like Nazi Germany, the Galactic Empire is a dictatorship based on rigid control of society that dissolved a previous democracy and is led by an all-powerful supreme ruler. The Empire, like the Nazis, desires the creation of totalitarian order. The Empire like the Nazi regime utilizes excessive force and violence to achieve their ends. The name of the Empire's main soldiers, the Stormtroopers, is the same name given to Hitler's Sturmabteilung (SA) paramilitary bodyguards. The visual appearance of Darth Vader in his all-black uniform combined with his devout obedience to the Emperor has allusion to the black-uniformed Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS). The uniforms of Imperial military officers also bear resemblance to uniforms used in Nazi Germany as well as nineteenth-century Germany's ulans (mounted lancers)—who wore a tunic, riding breeches, and boots like the Empire's officers wear—as well as the Imperial officers' cap resembling the field caps historically worn by German and Austrian troops. In addition to Nazi Germany, there was also at least one portion of the Galactic Empire that was based on the Soviet Union, which is the various military personnel and TIE Fighters are flying in formation as Palpatine arrives on the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. George Lucas admitted in the commentary that he based it on the May Day military parades in the Soviet Union.
The rise of Palpatine dismantling a democratic republic to rise to supreme power is related to the real-world examples of Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler.
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