How long was the Galactic Civil War?

The forum rules are irrelevant in this case. He asked a question that the movies didn't answer, so therefore, the EU answer can be the only correct one here.

 

We musn't forget that Star Wars is a mythological work. So while the Nazi regime may not have collapsed the second Hitler died (although it was not long after, I might point out), a better comparison would be LOTR, where the reign of Mordor ends the very moment the Ring, and hence Sauron, is destroyed. Now, there are also political elements in Star Wars, so it is reasonable to assume that the Empire might linger on for a little longer, but it could not have been that long. 15 years is way beyond the limits of credibility. Palpatine would have nothing less than a good chunk of his SDs at Endor, and with them destroyed or captured, the Emperor and his right hand man dead, and the Second Death Star a cloud of ionized gas, the Empire would have crumbled rapidly. If the rebels scored their first victory shortly before ANH, they couldn't have been started long before that, thus the figure of 5 or so years seems spot on.

 

The forum rules are irrelevant in this case. He asked a question that the movies didn't answer, so therefore, the EU answer can be the only correct one here.

It truly depends on your point of view. I think there are 3 answers:

The movies show one scenario. If you go strictly by that you assume they ended at Endor about 4 years after they started.

Although some folks who don't read EU, but use plain logic will think as JMO demonstrated and say it's impossible for all of the Empire to cease to exist just because the Emperor died. Those people will arrive at an answer similar to that of the EU.

Or if you read the Eu you will yet another answer, similar to the one logic leads you too, but you can have all the documentation and stories about it for your perusal.

I'm starting to think people ask "loaded" questions meant to start canon debates. This one seems loaded, as it obviously has a very different outcome depending on what kind of fan you are.

 

Nope, my question wasn't intended to be "loaded". I just wanted to know how long before ANH the Galactic Civil War started. I thought that 3 years was a little short a time to fight a war against a superpower so powerful (hundreds of thousands of IDSs!!!) as the Empire, especially seeing how weak the Rebel Alliance was.

 

"The movies show one scenario. If you go strictly by that you assume they ended at Endor about 4 years after they started"

The 4 year span is an EU fact.
.....
So is the fact that the empire have a fleet of a couple of thousand ISD. In JEDI they refer to the endor fleet (of about 27 ISDs) as the main fleet. I therefore assume that the empire barely consists of a threefigure sum of ISDs. It's then reasnoble to think that the empire lost all it's power after the battle of endor. (How such a small Empire managed to build to enourmosly mega giant huge Death Stars over only a couple of years is another question.) This anyway is my non-EU answer as I understand ZM asked for.

 

All the referance guides (and I've read A LOT!) I've ever read show it was 3 years between ANH and ROTJ. 2 years between ANH and ESB, and 1 year between ESB and ROTJ.

 

I'm pretty sure all my reference books have stated 4 years. 3 between ANH and ESB and 1 between ESB and ROTJ.

 

The forum rules are irrelevant in this case.

Why is that? Please cite where it says the Forum rules can be suspended.

He asked a question that the movies didn't answer, so therefore, the EU answer can be the only correct one here.

Aside from the fact that this violates the (still relevant) Forum rules, it is not true as evidenced by the data file on TOS. If "the Imperial reign of terror over the galaxy ended," then so did the Galactic Civil War. The United States fought the British Empire in the War of 1812, but it's not considered part of the American Revolution. Germany invaded France within 21 years of the end of WWI, but it's not considered part of WWI but the beginning of WWII.

My point: though the Empire and Alliance fought for years after Endor, it doesn't make it part of the period known as the Galactic Civil War. That time period is contained within and around the timeframe of the movies.

 

TOS is also EU. You can't accept one piece of EU on one hand, and ignore the rest on the other. It's an all-or-nothing deal.

 

Well you can't accept both if they contradict each other.

 

There are no contradictions. Everything is true.

 

The Empire was destroyed at Endor. Out of the flames of the Empire though rose the Imperial Remnant. So the Imperials no longer ruled the galaxy but, they were still at war with the Rebels/New Republic.

So as I stated above there is no contradiction here.

-Jedi Master Zax Starwalker

 

I'm not ignoring any portion of the EU what so ever. If you read either of my earlier posts, you'll see in each that I reference the EU in all its forms, including comics, novels, and TOS. My reason for giving preference to TOS is that it speaks directly to the significance of the Battle of Endor and the effect it had on the Empire's reign in the galaxy.

 

Right. The defeat at Endor sent the Empire slipping down the slope of continual defeat.

 

Bringing an end to the Galactic Civil War.

 

And the war didn't officially end until 15 years later.

 

The fighting didn't end until 15 years later.

 

This discussion is classic.

 

This discussion is classic.

No this discussion is pointless. I think everyone needs to realize that your view may not always coincide with other peoples. There are different answers to this question depending on your view of Star Wars, and each view deserves repect and tolerence.

 

Well tickle me pink and roast me on a spit fire.

Bib, stop posting your EU is absolute rhetoric please. We do not need you repeating it, and K man, don't encourage him please.

Zeth wanted a discussion, he didnt ask for idiots to invade his thread.


Anyway my thoughts:

Is it me or were the people on Coruscant, Bespin and Tatooine...erm....celebrating? Celebrating! Must mean the Galactic civil war ended, cos I doubt Coruscant's people would be celebrating if the Empire was still around as has been suggested, by certain sources.
Anyway I'll pick the mythology answer, which is that the GCW ended when the Emperor died, the Death Star and the Imperial fleet were destroyed.
Otherwise the happy ending is for nought IMHO.

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The people of Coruscant, Tatooine and Bespin were celebrating the deaths of the Emperor and Vader, and the destruction of the Death Star. That in no way says that the war is over.

And Terrious, I can post whatever I want here, within the guidelines of the boards. You have no say in the matter.

 

And Terrious, I can post whatever I want here, within the guidelines of the boards. You have no say in the matter.

Well strangely you dont post within the guidelines, you are flouting the rules, please dont be so arrogant to think you are not.
And I do have a say in the matter, remember I am part of the Canon War Debate in case you didnt know.

The people of Coruscant, Tatooine and Bespin were celebrating the deaths of the Emperor and Vader, and the destruction of the Death Star. That in no way says that the war is over.

Well with the Emperor, his right hand man and much of the Imperial fleet and soldiers gone, I'd say the war was over, I think any other Imperials would surrender.
Besides I'm rather curious as to why anyone on Coruscant would be celebrating, if as has been noted in the EU that Coruscant was still in the hands of the Empire.

 

Well with the Emperor, his right hand man and much of the Imperial fleet and soldiers gone,

Less than 1% of the Imperial fleet was at Endor.

I'd say the war was over, I think any other Imperials would surrender.

Some did, but many others clung to whatever power they could.

Besides I'm rather curious as to why anyone on Coruscant would be celebrating, if as has been noted in the EU that Coruscant was still in the hands of the Empire.

There were some Rebel sympathizers on Coruscant. Stormtroopers did arrive on the scene fairly quickly, though, and shut down the celebration.

 

...and K man, don't encourage him please. Zeth wanted a discussion, he didnt ask for idiots to invade his thread.

DT - If anything, I was refuting Bib with specific examples, not encouraging him. If he chooses to reply, that's his business.

Well strangely you dont post within the guidelines, you are flouting the rules, please dont be so arrogant to think you are not.

And I wouldn't be preaching the rules when you just violated them by calling us "idiots." Bib and I managed to go back and forth all through this thread without calling each other names. I'm confident you're capable of the same restraint.

 

As odd as this may sound, but I can see both sides of DT's and Bib's argument. If we are talking about GL's rather illogical outcome of the OT (the end of the Galactic Civil WAR at Endor = canon), then I have to agree with DT. But if we are talking about logic (how can the loss of only about 30 ISDs mean the end of the Empire, when there were more than 25,000 in service), then Bib is right.

But my original question was not how long after ROTJ the war carried on (canon says it ended at Endor), but when did it start? That's what I intended by my orininal question.