The Clone Wars
From Freepedia
The Clone Wars, also known as The Clone War, were a fictional series of intergalactic battles described in the Star Wars universe that took place from 22 BBY to 19 BBY. The Clone Wars were featured in the second and third episodes of the six-part movie series: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, respectively.
They were first mentioned in a message from Leia Organa to Obi-Wan Kenobi and in a brief conversation between Kenobi and Luke Skywalker in the fourth chapter of the saga, A New Hope. The Clone Wars were more thoroughly explored, however in the Expanded Universe comics, novels, games, and animated series.
The three-year war began with the epic Battle of Geonosis and ended during the Great Jedi Purge, the Seperatist Massacre on Mustafar, and the establishment of the tyrannical Galactic Empire, with the abolishment of the democratic Galactic Republic.
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Origins
The origins of the war go back as far as the Invasion of Theed/Battle of Naboo, but the real tension began with the Separatist Crisis, which started about two years before Attack of the Clones (24 BBY) and mainly comprised of the Galactic Republic debating what to do about the Separatists. Throughout the two years, many star systems seceded from the Republic, increasing tension until the war began. The political atmosphere was comparable to that of the climate leading up to the American Civil War.
Palpatine had engineered the Clone Wars conflict in order to facilitate his own rise to power and form the Galactic Empire. He played both opposing sides against each other, as a Republic Senator (and later Chancellor) advocating more centralized powers to keep the Republic together, and as Darth Sidious by advising the Separatists. The Clone Wars was the first of two major civil wars in the galaxy, and was between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems; the second civil war was known as the Galactic Civil War, between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance.
It is interesting to note that this conflict is called both the "Clone War" and the "Clone Wars". Most likely this is due to the fact that it is indeed one large war across the galaxy while, at the same time, it is a series of smaller wars taking place on various planets and not always between the Separatists and the Republic. It took the name Clone War more frequently at the start of it and by the end was usually referred to as the Clone Wars. Of course, only one side uses clones in the war, but this likely due to the rule that the winning side writes history and since the Republic won, it became the Clone Wars. Another interpretation is that it was the first, or perhaps only, conflict of its type in which clones were used so extensively.
The Clone War could in fact be called the "Galactic Civil War," other than there being a separate and later event which was in fact was called the Galactic Civil War but should have more accurately been called the Galactic Revolution (as the winners write the history) being that Rebel Forces fought and won against their Imperial enemies and thus a succesful revolution occurred.
Major Events
- 32.0 BBY - Battle of Naboo: the Sith-controlled Trade Federation, one of the future members of the Confederacy of Independent Systems conquers Naboo but is driven from the planet by Republic Jedi and Naboo Resistance forces. (The Phantom Menace); Count Dooku resigns his commission as a Jedi and returns to his homeworld of Serenno; Darth Sidious and Count Dooku arrange a clone army to be commissioned by Sifo-Dyas and Jango Fett on Kamino
- 24.0 BBY - Count Dooku reappears on Raxus Prime leading a schism in the Republic, transforming his secret Separatist Movement into an official organization, the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS)
- 23.0 BBY - The Military Creation Act is proposed. Senator Amidala leads opposition to it.
- 22.0 BBY - Battle of Geonosis - Beginning of the Clone Wars (Attack of the Clones) when the CIS is discovered on Geonosis and Jedi knights led by Master Mace Windu come to the rescue of three hostages (the two Jedi, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as a Republic Senator Padmé Amidala) who are later joined by Republic clonetroopers led by Jedi Master Yoda into an enormous battle against the now-revealed CIS Droid Army (led by Count Dooku)
- 21.9 BBY - Hunt for the Decimator (Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns)
- 21.9 BBY - Dark Reaper Project, which includes the:
- 21.8 BBY - Battle of Kamino (Republic #50: The Defence of Kamino)
- 21.8 BBY - Defense of Naboo (Republic #51: The New Face of War)
- 21.7 BBY - Battle of Muunilist (Clone Wars micro-series)
- 21.7 BBY - Battle of Mon Calamari (Clone Wars micro-series)
- 21.7 BBY - Battle of Dantooine (Clone Wars micro-series)
- 21.7 BBY - Attack on Ilum (Clone Wars micro-series)
- 21.7 BBY - Battle of Hypori (Clone Wars micro-series)
- 21.5 BBY - Haruun Kal Crisis (Shatterpoint)
- 21.2 BBY - Rise of the Cortosis Battle Droids (The New Droid Army)
- 21.0 BBY - The Spaarti Incident (Hero of Cartao)
- 21.0 BBY - The Bio-Droid Threat (The Cestus Deception)
- 20.8 BBY - Battle of Jabiim (Republic #54-59: Battle of Jabiim)
- 19.5 BBY - The Praesitlyn Conflict (Jedi Trial)
- 19.0 BBY - Battle of Coruscant (Abduction and Rescue of the Supreme Chancellor; Death of Separatist leader Count Dooku; Rise of new Separatist leader General Grievous)
- 19.0 BBY - Last Battles of the Clone Wars; Fall of the Galactic Republic and Rise of the Galactic Empire(; the following battles all occurred simoultneously and midway through them all the Order 66 was given out which was for the clone troopers to turn agains their Jedi Generals and would mark the start of the Great Jedi Purge)
- Battle of Utapau (Death of Separatist General Grievous)
- Battle of Kashyyyk (Republic alliance with Wookies; death of Republic Commander Gree; failed murder attempt on Jedi General Yoda; Jedi Commander Quinlan Vos is lost during a murder attempt by his own clonetroopers and presumed dead, murder of Luminara Unduli)
- Battle of Mygeeto (murder of Jedi Commander Ki-Adi-Mundi)
- Battle of Felucia (murder of Jedi Commander Aayla Secura)
- Battle of Cato Neimoidia (murder of Jedi Commander Plo Koon)
- Siege of Saleucami (murders of Jedi Generals Oppo Rancisis and Stass Allie)
- Battle of Boz Pity
- Mission to Mustafar (the massacre of the last Separatist leaders)
- 19.0 BBY - Emperor Palpatine declares the Republic an Empire, end of the Clone Wars, beginning of the Great Jedi Purge (the intergalactic annhialation of almost every last Jedi; led by Darth Vader) and the Galactic Civil War shortly thereafter
Historical Parallels
Like all themes within Star Wars, the Clone Wars borrows from multiple mythical, literary, and historical influences, with no set prevailing culture parenting them. However, the Clone Wars do seem to be a perverse reincarnation of the American Civil War in many respects.
Multimedia Campaign
The Clone Wars span the three years between Episodes II and III, and thus are, for the most part, "off-screen". The Expanded Universe is recounting events with an ambitious multimedia campaign.
The video game Clone Wars was released in 2002 for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox live. It begins at where Attack of the Clones leaves off. It takes place on many worlds, among them Geonosis, Raxus Prime, Rhen Var, Kashyyyk, and Thule.
The Cartoon Microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars started airing in November, 2003 on Cartoon Network. It was a series of 20 3-to-5-minute-long episodes showing some of the battles of the War, mainly the Battle of Muunilinst, but also the Battle of Dantooine, a raid on the Jedi caves of Ilum, and fighting on Mon Calamari. Another five 15-minutes long episodes were made to serve as a prelude to Episode III with the start of the Battle of Coruscant. It is scheduled to become a "3D animated" television series [1].
The comic series "Star Wars: Republic" has also shed light on this era of history, focusing in particular on the exploits of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Quinlan Vos, and Aayla Secura.
There are also several novels in the process of being published that will also discuss the Clone Wars. These include The Cestus Deception, Shatterpoint, The Medstar Duology and Jedi Trial.
Films
Films depicting the war
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Director: George Lucas
- Screenwriters: George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Director and Screenwriter: George Lucas
Films mentioning the war
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Director and Screenwriter: George Lucas
Books
Clone Wars novels
- Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Author: R.A. Salvatore
- Republic Commando: Hard Contact (2004)
- Author: Karen Traviss
- Shatterpoint (2003)
- Author: Matthew Stover
- The Cestus Deception (2004)
- Author: Steven Barnes
- Republic Commando: Triple Zero (2006 [forthcoming])
- Author: Karen Traviss
- Medstar I: Battle Surgeons (2004)
- Authors: Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
- Medstar II: Jedi Healer (2004)
- Authors: Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
- Jedi Trial (2004)
- Authors: David Sherman and Dan Cragg
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (2004)
- Author: Sean Stewart
- Labyrinth of Evil (2005)
- Author: James Luceno
- Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Author: Matthew Stover
Young adult books
- Boba Fett: The Fight to Survive (2002)
- Author: Terry Bisson
- Boba Fett: Crossfire (2002)
- Author: Terry Bisson
- Boba Fett: Maze of Deception (2003)
- Author: Elizabeth Hand
- Boba Fett: Hunted (2003)
- Author: Elizabeth Hand
- Legacy of the Jedi (2003)
- Author: Jude Watson
- Secrets of the Jedi (2005)
- Author: Jude Watson
- Boba Fett: A New Threat (2004)
- Author: Elizabeth Hand
- Boba Fett: Pursuit (2004)
- Authors: Elizabeth Hand and Peter Bollinger
Video games
- Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Jedi Starfighter (2002)
- Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns (2002)
- The Clone Wars (2002)
- The New Droid Army (2002)
- Star Wars: Galaxies (MMORPG from the 26th June 2003)
- Star Wars Battlefront (2004)
- Republic Commando (2005)
- Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars Battlefront II (2005)
Tie-ins
- The Hive (2004)
- Hasbro Short Story Collection (2003)
Short stories
- Death in the Catacombs (2005)
- Elusion Illusion (2003)
- Omega Squad: Targets (2005)
- The Pengalan Tradeoff (2003)
- League of Spies (2004)
- Hero of Cartao, Episode 1: Hero's Call (2003)
- Hero of Cartao, Episode 2: Hero's Rise (2003)
- Hero of Cartao, Episode 3: Hero's End (2003)
- Changing Seasons, Part 1: Guardian of the People (2004)
- Changing Seasons, Part 2: People of the Guardians (2004)
Comics
- Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Clone Wars: The Defense of Kamino and Other Tales (2003)
- Clone Wars Adventures Volume 1 (2004)
- Clone Wars Adventures Volume 2 (2004)
- Clone Wars Adventures Volume 3 (2005)
- Clone Wars: Victories and Sacrifices (2003)
- Clone Wars: Last Stand on Jabiim (2004)
- Clone Wars: The Best Blades (2004)
- Clone Wars: Light and Dark (2004)
- Clone Wars: On the Field of Battle (2005)
- Visionaries (2005)
- Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Television programs
External Links
- Clone Wars timeline from Star Wars.com
- The Unofficial Clone Wars Timeline
- The official Clone Wars site
