Space Nazis: The Evil Empire of Lucas and the real world

[Jedi Master Spock]

I'll edit more of these comparisons into the first post as I write them up to keep a nice updated list. The obvious starting point is the rise of the Nazi party, starting with the chief movers and shakers:

Darth Vader aka Anakin Skywalker. The right hand man of the Emperor, second in command of the entire Empire. A martial man noted for his imposing physical presence, personally deadly swordsman and man of many talents. First mentioned as Anakin as an ace fighter pilot who served in the Clone Wars, the conflict of the previous generation. Involved personally in nearly every action leading to the rise of the Emperor, and personally executed the Jedi. Married an older noblewoman, who died at the same time that the Empire began. Was born a Jedi, although he was involved in their attempted extermination.

Herman Göring. The right hand man of Hitler, second in command of the entire Reich (trans: “Empire”). A martial man noted for his imposing physical presence, rumored to be personally deadly and probably considered himself a first rate swordsman (as a WWI-era German nobleman), self-described as a rennaissance man (man of many talents.) First became famous as an ace fighter pilot who served in the Great War, the conflict of the previous generation. Noted as a swordsman, personally deadly. His first wife was an older noblewoman, who died in 1931, shortly before the Nazi Party's takeover. Personally involved in every action leading to Hitler's rise to power from the Beer Hall Putsch onward, rumored to have personally set the Reichstag Fire. Had a substantial amount of Jewish heritage, although he was involved in their attempted extermination.

Chancellor Palpatine, aka the Emperor. A physically unimposing man whose limited physical stature did not offset his charismatic rhetorical abilities. He proved surprisingly resistant to assassination when betrayed by his working partners, the Jedi serving as his officer corps. Elected chancellor as the result of highly unusual circumstances in one of the shadiest elections in Republic history; extended immense emergency powers by the Senate by playing upon fear. This fear resulted from the Clone Wars that he himself orchestrated; after being granted control of a military apparatus which had been previously illegal, was granted absolute power by decree of the elected legislature, which subsequently had no effective power.

Chancellor Adolf Hitler.A physically unimposing man whose limited physical stature did not offset his charismatic rhetorical abilities. He proved surprisingly resistant to assassination when betrayed by his working partners within the German officer corps. Elected chancellor as the result of highly unusual circumstances in one of the shadiest elections in German history; extended immense emergency powers by the Reichstag by playing upon fear. This fear began with the Reichstag fire that he himself orchestrated; after being granted control of a military apparatus which was illegal according to the treaties Germany had signed after WWI, was granted absolute power by decree of the elected legislature, which subsequently had no effective power.

[Jedi Master Spock]

To those of you too young to remember the Soviet Union very clearly, it might be hard to see how the rhetoric of the Cold War found its way into Lucas's story.

It's exceptionally difficult for those who have decided to view the Star Wars/Star Wars split as a capitalist/communist split, as the line becomes increasingly blurry. Although facism and communism mix like oil and water (look at the Eastern Front death counts in World War II), they were both being busily demonized in the America of the 1970s.

It is true that the prequel trilogy cannot be taken as metaphorically referring to communism or the Soviet Union, but in the original trilogy, Soviet and Nazi imagery blend together. The stormtroopers, the Emperor, Darth Vader - all these are Nazis.

But what of the legions of faceless bureaucrats? The "imperialization" of commerce, the thriving black market, the division between the inner and outer worlds? What of the Death Star?

For the modern youngster, who thinks simply of Russia as the less prominent version of the USSR, few of these have any resonance. However, Star Wars resonated sharply for American conservatives looking at the USSR in the early 1980s - this is why we had the "Star Wars" military program. The bold among us could suggest that Reagan's use of "evil Empire" simply followed Lucas's metaphorical lead. The Empire made full use of the bogeyman of communism.

How?

It's easy to start with "imperializing." The Empire is nationalizing industries bit by bit, resembling an indecisive slow version of a communist revolution.

The Soviet Union was famous for its legions of faceless bureaucrats who actually ran things. It wasn't what you did that mattered; it was who you knew. Corrupt, barely accountable, and entrenched by piles of paperwork, the Soviet bureaucrats seemed even worse than our own.

In turn, this morass of paperwork and corruption spawned a black market. On one hand, some people couldn't get what they wanted, or needed; on the other, others had ill-gotten bribes just burning holes in their pockets.

But what is most invisible to the young person of today is the inner-outer world division and how this was a metaphor for the structure of the Soviet Union. Why this legion of outer worlds about which the Empire simply doesn't care about?

The outer worlds are being offered in analogy to the Soviet satellites. The student who confuses the Russia of today with the Soviet Union of the past has gotten one thing right: How many Russians, including a number in important Moscow posts, thought of it. Russia was important. Even the Ukraine - one of the more important Soviet republics - suffered planned famines in the 1930s, and satellite states were mostly useful as a buffer against the tanks and planes of the West. Soviet neglect of these outer states (and outer republics) was such that many of these now-independent nations are in terrible shape - in spite of having been the sovereign territory of one of the world's two superpowers.

As with the Empire, rebellion mostly brewed in the outer provinces. Unrest started in satellite states, and eventually Moscow gave up on trying to hold onto them.

The other figure of the Cold War is much more transparent. While it requires a careful look to see that the features not borrowed from Nazi Germany came in large part from the Soviet Union, it requires no effort at all to see the atom bomb echoed in the Death Star. In 1977, we were worried that the very world would be destroyed with a matter/energy reaction - our world, that is, the civilized surface thereof, although as Alpha-Omega from "The Planet of the Apes" movies make clear, the distinction was not clear in many of our minds.

[SailorSaturn13]

Other things:
Palpatine used Trade Federation to come to power; afterwards, he eliminated its leaders. (ROTS-end)
Hitler used SA to come to power; afterwards, he eliminated its leaders(Rohm-putch). Oddly enough SA meant "Sturmabteilung" (Storm groups) Storm troopers, anyone?

The Senate gave Palpatine emergency power; So did German parliament to Hitler.

Old republic was a corrupt democracy, with small people not caring about their rights. Weimar republic was a corrupt democracy, with small people not caring about their rights.

Imperial economy was capitalistic, with politics was interwhined with business (Jabba). So was Hitler's Germany.

Battle: Rebel Alliance - Galactic Empire.
Or: West alliance - third Reich(Empire)
During Battle of Yavin, Rebels had less craft, but won thanks to better machines(X-Wings)
During Battle of Britain, Britain had less fighters, but won thanks to better machines(Spitfire).

However, USSR is NOT always on bad side:
X-Wing: Heavy attack craft. Carries 4 forward cannons, 6 torpedoes, and has a shield which can sustain several hits of enemy fighters. Used both against enemy craft and big targets.
IL-2: Heavy attack craft. Carried 4 forward cannons, 8 rockets, and had a armor which could sustain several hits of enemy fighters. Used both against enemy craft and big targets.