It seems to me that he wanted power, but was really focused on study of the Darkside rather than ruling an Empire, leaving it to subordinates like Vader and Tarkin to run the Empire? Have I got that right or do you have a different opinion?
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How did Palpatine excel as a master manipulator in establishing his empire, yet struggle to sustain it against rebellion?
- Thread starter Al
- Start date
Darth Cognus
The Huntress™
We don't see enough of their respective roles to really know to what extent Palpatine meddled in day to day, I assume he had a leading post count in the galactic moff admin forum while spending day to day routine practicing sith sorcery and kicking puppies. Both Vader and Tarkin were top men for military affairs, things Palpatine always delegated while he worked in the political space. Tarkin admittedly ran civil affairs as well but that does not exclude Palpatine from regularly pulling tricks, and it seems he did if Wookiepedia is accurate. Of course, the Empire was a tremendous thing to administer even between three people.
In the declining republic, Palpatine had an opportunity to rise up a broken political system eager for something to change. He had a good run of exploiting opportunities that were available. Well liked in the republic and with the right connections among its enemies. In the Empire era this advantage of surprise and early success had waned. Those who rebelled would do so with full knowledge and conviction. He ambitiously reordered galactic administration, dealing with a new creature entirely. Historically there has often been difficulty and divide between causing a revolution, and leading what comes after. I can't justify how he handled the second death star business but I can cut some slack as the skills required to dismantle an ailing government desperate to trust anything that gets it through differ from the skills required to administer a brand new regime with powerful enemies holding the will of the force on their side. It happened so quickly and the Empire spanned so much territory, it was a marvel it was as strongly adopted and implemented as it was. It really only took fatal hits because a) Luke Skywalker was far too powerful to be anticipated, letting some nasty hits get through when the Rebels would have been struck down otherwise and then b) he got too cocky and the top management was wiped out, and even then looking into the EU, both legends and modern canon agree that did not stop the empire right there. It was a success all things considered, I think.
In the declining republic, Palpatine had an opportunity to rise up a broken political system eager for something to change. He had a good run of exploiting opportunities that were available. Well liked in the republic and with the right connections among its enemies. In the Empire era this advantage of surprise and early success had waned. Those who rebelled would do so with full knowledge and conviction. He ambitiously reordered galactic administration, dealing with a new creature entirely. Historically there has often been difficulty and divide between causing a revolution, and leading what comes after. I can't justify how he handled the second death star business but I can cut some slack as the skills required to dismantle an ailing government desperate to trust anything that gets it through differ from the skills required to administer a brand new regime with powerful enemies holding the will of the force on their side. It happened so quickly and the Empire spanned so much territory, it was a marvel it was as strongly adopted and implemented as it was. It really only took fatal hits because a) Luke Skywalker was far too powerful to be anticipated, letting some nasty hits get through when the Rebels would have been struck down otherwise and then b) he got too cocky and the top management was wiped out, and even then looking into the EU, both legends and modern canon agree that did not stop the empire right there. It was a success all things considered, I think.