PT Historical references in the prequels

I start this tread because is interesting, is one of the greatest strengths of the PT, but also it amazes me that frequently is mentioned as one of its biggest weaknesses. I mean that frequently is pointed out that PT looks fake/rare/unreal(!) because some of the political issues. Even some people complain that Lucas shows those topics in a peculiar way because of his political “ignorance”, while is exactly the opposite: it proves that he is high educated about the human history.
Here are some of those strange (at first sight) political topics that have historical references in our world, but for some reason they are not so famous/well known. You can add more and will be interesting for me to discuss that:

*Big federations without armies (as is the Republic before the Clone Wars). They exist even today, for example the European Union. Generally the countries in this Federation could have armies, but not the Federation itself, as is in the AOTC.

*Choosing a queen (or a monarch in general), as is the political system of Naboo. Some people pretend that the elections exist only in a republic, but it is not true. Well, choosing a monarch is rare, but not unknown and is made when the monarchy is more a service than a title (as, for example, was in my country before). Generally, I would like to know more about the concept of Lucas for the political system in Naboo, because for me it looks very interesting.

*The choices of the innocents. Well, another popular complaining is why the Nabooans would rely on the decisions of so young queens. There are many examples of important choices that are made trough a child because the innocence couldn’t make a wrong choice, it is a pure soul.
Also the queen doesn’t manage all things by her own in the movie. There is a Governor, so the queen becomes more a symbolic figure and the “operational government” is made by more experienced persons.

*Could some taxation problems cause conflicts and wars... Yes, it happens all the time. Many people call TPM a childish movie, but exactly there is discussed this mature problem. Even in the American War of Independence began with some taxation problems.

Well those are just a few details in the movies, there are bigger, more complex historical references, but you can add more if you like, it would be interesting.

 

Good thread OP. These discussions will help many who don't understand the PT politics and give more vocal insight.

If this were reddit, i would give you gold.

 

Palpatine turning the Republic into the Empire could be a parallel to Hitler taking over Germany in the 1930's, or Julius Ceaser in Ancient Rome.

The battle of Geonosis can easily be read as a parody of American intervention in the Middle East.

 

The Jedi are based in part on the Knights of Templar, which where a military Order commanded by the Pope during the Crusades.

There's a few other historical allusions I can't think of right now, but that can be found in the book "Star Wars and History". Unfortunately, I have that book back home- and home for me is a few airplane flights away- So I can't access that info right now

 

I would almost say that Palpatine transforming the Republic into the Empire was also like Bismarck transforming and uniting the various German states into the German Empire. Maybe Bismarck wasn't as manipulative as Palpatine, but it was also accomplished through war (mostly with France).

Order 66=Night of the Long Knives, when Hitler and the SS moved against the SA (whose members were, ironically, known as stormtroopers); Also Order 66 could signify Stalin's own purges of his military.

 

It does indeed happen all the time. Famously, the imposition of the Malt Tax on whisky production exacerbated what would later become the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland.

The Trade Federation can be compared to the Hanseatic League of Northern Europe - formed from a number of city states along the medieval Baltic trading route - and the various government-chartered companies that carried out most of Europe's initial colonial expansion. I've seen the conflict between the TF and the planet Naboo compared to the British East India Company and the states of India. The Asian influence on Naboo includes both East Asian (the Mongolian- and Japanese-inspired Amidala costumes) and South Asian (the Naboo script resembles various Brahmi-derived scripts like Tamil), so there are some allusions to the historic Asian colonial conflicts even in the designs.

The similarities between the Templars and the Jedi are remarkable.

A history blogger wrote a series on the historical parallels of Star Wars. Quite fascinating.

 

Fascinating, yes. But, way too short for the complexity of these themes and even a bit confusing at times. For instance, immaculate conception is a dogma of the catholic church, which refers to Mary alone, and not to be confused with the concept of virgin birth or better miraculous birth.
Still, these make an interesting primer.

 

I read a long time ago that Palpatine's line in ROTS, "I am the Senate," is an intentional spin on a legendary quote the King of France Louis XIV was alleged to have said: "l'état, c'est moi," or "I am the state" (I barely know any French, so that may be wrong), referring to his belief in his autocracy.

Also that stele in Palpatine's office depicting the ancient battle between Jedi and Sith we see when Anakin confronts him always looked pretty real world-historical to me.

And I always thought the Emergency Powers Act in AOTC was some kind of a commentary on the Patriot Act, although at the time that was so recent it was more topical than historical. There is also a real-world US Emergency Powers Act and my home state of Arkansas also has a law under that name. I don't know of any other such "emergency powers acts" though.

 

I think the emergency power act bears a strong resemblance to the Gesetz zu Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich which was an amendment to the constitution in the Weimarer Republik in 1933. It gave Adolf Hitler who was chancellor at the time emergency powers which were meant to be temporary.

 

Great posts, thank you!
Yes, I also think that the similarities between the Jedi and the knights Templar are remarkable, including in their fate: the Knights Templar Order was destroyed with the same reasons: they become too powerful and too dangerous. Well we can find some similarities in the Modern History, too.
About the emergency powers: practically Caesar did the same. In the beginning he was part of the Republic Government, but being its military leader he increased his power and reduced the power of the Senate (of course, there differences between him and Palpatine and especially in his death, but anyway, the similarities are obvious). But that not means that the problem of the emergency powers does not appear later in the history of many states, all the opposite, it is the way that the democracy dies .
The same is the motive of the Clone wars: every skilled governor knows that the outside enemy could unite the people inside and could make his power stronger. Here I could give numerous examples of military-based empires, as the Ottoman Empire, the state of the Mongols, etc, etc.

 

Right, the one that was passed not long before President von Hindenburg died, I forgot what that was called. That's certainly plausible, the other name for that law was das Ermächtigungsgesetz, the "empowerment law,' similar in meaning. I forgot all about the Nazi allegory.

 

The blog is very interesting, thank you for posting. The Asian influence over the queen Amidala costume is obvious, but also the Mediterranean influence over the Naboo culture can be seen: not only in the real Mediterranean sets, but in the culture artifacts (architecture, even the art forms of the Naboo cruisers). For me, Naboo is Italy of the Star Wars, the Asian impact is more formalistic, if I could say that: in the queen dresses and makeup. ( Similar to the Jedi references: yes they have katana-like lightsabers, but their Order is like the Knight Templar Order).

 

East is West and West is East, and always the twain shall meet in Star Wars.

Speaking of Italy and the Naboo spacecraft, their curved, chromed surfaces call to mind 1950s Italian automotive coachbuilders' products. I recall that Doug Chiang specifically cited pre-1970s car design as an influence.



This does digress a bit from the historical references, though.

What seemed more predictive than a historical reference was the Separatists' frustration with the Republic's corruption, bureaucracy and gridlock, paralleling the rise of Euroscepticism in the European Union during the 2010s. Back in the 1990s and 2000s, the EU was in an expansionary phase, but now tensions over structure and organisation are flaring up. By no means are either Eurosceptics or Europhiles lacking in understandable motives, and the same is true for the Separatists and Loyalists of the Galactic Republic.

However, there are certain aspects of the Separatists in the PT that parallel the historical Confederate States of America: the name of the Confederacy; the leadership by the various cartels who were some of the most corrupting influences on the Republic government; the fact that they face the Grand Army of the Republic in battle.

 

I was thinking too of the similarities between the EU and the Galactic Republic no matter that they are more obvious now, then the euroskepticism was more… vague.
About the Italian Spirit, I was thinking more about their Renaissance period, but yes, the cars are important, Lucas is in love with that theme..

 

I saw this thread on reddit the other day by user BrettFarkas:

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/4289cc/here_is_a_list_of_george_lucas_source_material_as/

He went and listed books Lucas had pulled from his library while writing Episode I, based on the Star Wars Episode I: All I Need Is An Idea Webisode. I thought it was fascinating but the thread wasn't getting a lot of love.

Here's the list I've copied from the original poster:

@ 1:12
The gnostic gospels
The penguin dictionary of surnames
Your child's self esteem
@ 1:59
Peasant customs and savage myths
book title indiscernable, about philosophy
Landscape and memory
Telling lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage
Bullfinch's Mythology
full book title indiscernable, 'Authority'
The study of folklore
War
Motif Index
@ 2:12 This bookshelf has sci-fi stories with similar plot elements to Star Wars
The Hounds of Skaith (written by Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Leigh Brackett)
The Moon Maid In the late twentieth century, Admiral Julian 3rd can get no rest, for he knows his future. He will be reborn as his grandson in the next century to journey through space and make an ominous discovery inside the moon; he will live again in the dark years of the twenty-second century as Julian 9th, who refuses to bow down to the victorious Moon Men; and as Julian 20th, the fierce Red Hawk, he will lead humanity's final battle against the alien invaders in the twenty-fifth century.
A jungle of stars Paul Carlton Savage died on July 20, 1969, in Vietnam -- but that was only the start of his troubles! Approached by a mysterious entity called The Hunter, Savage was offered immortality in exchange for his services in The Hunter's continuing war against The Bromgrev. Suddenly, Savage found himself pitted against an enemy he had never seen, an enemy who could be anyone, anywhere, at any time . . . an enemy determined to destroy him and all who got in his way. And in this raging intergalactic war between Good and Evil, Savage discovered that he couldn't be sure whose side he was on . . . .
Inherit the Stars The man on the moon was dead. They called him Charlie. He had big eyes, abundant body hair, and fairly long nostrils. His skeletal body was found clad in a bright red spacesuit, hidden in a rocky grave. They didn't know who he was, how he got there, or what had killed him. All they knew was that his corpse was fifty thousand years old -- and that meant this man had somehow lived long before he ever could have existed.
Galactic Patrol Kimball Kinnison is a Lensman and an officer of the Galactic Patrol, a kind of interstellar police force with almost unlimited powers. The Lens gives its wearer a variety of mental capabilities, including those needed to enforce the law on alien planets, and to bridge the communication gap between different life-forms. It can provide mind-reading and telepathic abilities. Kinnison is sent on a mission to fight the pirates of Boskone, an evil empire of enormous power and unimagined technological capabilities.
100 great operas and their stories
Caesar: The Gallic War
Caesar: The Civil War

I'm not sure if anyone here has gone and complied sources before this but I thought the reddit post was really intriguing. In particular, it was fascinating to me to see just how much Palpatine's character was drawn from Rome (Julius Caesar in particular). If I had to guess, I'd say the Telling Lies book is probably being used in regards to Palpatine's character as well.

For Anakin, I'd imagine Your Child's Self-Esteem probably provided a lot of the basis for his character whereas some of the mythology books were used to form the Chosen One Prophecy.

Anyway, if someone's read any of the books, feel free to share your thoughts. I love seeing things like this though and when I watch the PT I can really see all the love, effort, time, and research Lucas put into them. For example, ever since I finished listening to Dan Carlin's Death Throes of the Republic series about Rome, I've found even greater appreciation for the PT.

 

Top kek, quality post OP.

Mods, can we sticky this post or do both and merge it with this one? http://boards.theforce.net/threads/historical-references-in-the-prequels.50038237/

I feel like this is worthy, but I digress.

 

Awesome thread!
I am at work right now, so just a quick observation, but I'll comment more on this later since I own quite a few of these books.

I bet the Authority one is by Richard Sennett. It explores which purpose authority serves and maybe more in relation to Star Wars the rebellion against it, the paradox and conflict this creates (hello Anakin!). I bet Lucas has read a lot of Sennett. His work deals quite extensively with topics like fraternity, solitude and other bonds in society.

 

Ditto. Also working, but will reply more later.
Psst, museinwoodenshoes, I just wanted to say I really appreciate your smarts. You are one of the most well-spoken posters here and I love it when you analyze the saga. I will be looking forward to your replies in this one.

 

Second. I'd like a stickied prequel references thread.

 

There's no doubt that Lucas underpinned his movies with references to all sorts things; from history and mythology to goofy B-movies and adventure serials.

It was pointed out to me the other day that Anakin's story may very well have been partly based on the story of Shakespeare's Othello.

Othello arises from slavery to become a General and falls in love with Desdemona, the daugher of a senator, whom he has to marry in secret. But he comes to be manipulated by his scheming ensign, Iago, who tricks Othello into believing that Desdemona has betrayed him with his best friend, Cassio. Othello goes into a rage and plots to murder his wife, asking Iago to kill Cassio. In the end, Othello smothers Desdemona who, when her maid rushes into the room, rises weakly to defend her husband before she dies.

Anakin arises from slavery to become a Jedi and General in the clone wars. He falls in love with a senator named Padme whom he is forced to marry in secret. Eventually he comes to be manipulated by his friend, Chanecllor Palpatine, who tricks him into thinking he has the power to save Anakin's wife from seemingly certain death. Anakin soon comes to believe that Padme has betrayed him with his best friend, Obi Wan, and chokes her. But in her dying moments, Padme rises weakly to defend her husband.

The parallels are striking.

 

Indeed. It gets even more interesting since one can quite convincingly argue that out of all Shakespearean heroes Othello is the one who comes closest to what Aristotle deems to be a good tragic hero (the subject of what Aristotle deems to be good is in itself problematic since some of the authors and works he mentions don't even fit within his parameters and should at best be viewed as a theory. A bit like Campbell and his mono myth). And since tragedy stands in relation to the epos we are back to Homer and his classical hero, who again has a lot in common with both Othello and Anakin.

Really back to work now.

 

This is why I think the "chosen one" act was great to use. It was cliche in sorts but the usage of it was in-genius. Lucas twisted the legacy of the chosen one theme. The fact that here, you have a child who leaves his mother, who is destined to destroy evil, becomes a great warrior, and at the moment of the final conflict....Chooses evil.

This is why I think that the PT have a much more thought out story than the OT and just deep despite it's problems. This wasn't just thrown together for the sake of it...

And the best thing is that if your watching these movies for the first time, it will shock you. Movies where heroes becoming the ultimate villain isn't used very often(or not used well). I would say that the PT has some Platonic idealism themes also in there.

I agree Pietts. Dan Carlin's Death Throes of the Republic has some heavy parallels to the PT(or the other way around).

 

Yes, it will be great. Because there are many culture and literature references, too. So, question to Seagoat to merge.

 

The Lensman influence probably goes right back to the OT. At least, that's what I've seen in various online articles.

 

Man, you guys just convinced me to read Othello. I was always a big fan of Shakespeare when I was in High School, and I remember some of the parallels between Macbeth and Anakin's arc in Episode III. This play though, strikes me as even more Star Warsian, and leaves you wondering how much this was an inspiration for George or just simply a coincidence.

Edit: found this video, hope you guys enjoy: