Grand Army of the Republic (Star Wars)

The Grand Army of the Republic is an organization that features in Star Wars.

History

The Grand Army of the Republic was an organization that was formed in the latter years of the Galactic Republic. It was formed in response to growing tensions emerging from factions of Separatists. To combat the threat, a secret order was made to create an army of clones from the planet Kamino. They were bred from the genetic material of the bounty hunter Jango Fett creating entire legions of Clone Troopers. These soldiers were to form part of an active military for the Republic which had not been seen since the founding of the Galactic Republic. The army was first deployed on the planet Geonosis to attack the newly formed Confederacy of Independent Systems that had declared their separation and hostilities against the Galactic Republic. As the result, the Clone Wars began which was fought by the Clone Troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Battle Droid army of the Separatists.

At the height of the war, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious triggered Order 66 that triggered a shut down command in the Separatists Battle Droids. Meanwhile, the Clone Troopers received an embedded command that caused them to register the Jedi as enemies of the Republic. As such, they turned against their commanders leading to the Jedi Purge as the Jedi were declared traitors who needed to be eliminated. Following the emergence of the Galactic Empire, the Grand Army was disbanded and was merged into the newly formed Imperial military. This saw the ranks of the Clone Troopers being replaced by the Stormtroopers of the Empire who enforced its brutal order on the galaxy.

Overview

In appearance, the Grand Army was a military force that was made for the Galactic Republic. A key element of the Army were the clone infantry that were bred on the planet Kamino.

Key figures within the army were the Jedi Generals who directed the actions of the clone soldiers with these consisting of seasoned and senior Jedi Masters. Jedi Knights and their Padawans often served in the role of Jedi Commanders where they directed smaller units of the Army.

Specialisations among the clone troopers included:

• Clone Troopers : cloned soldiers that were superior to battle droids and formed the backbone of the Republic's new military that came in a variety of specialisations.
• Clone Pilots :
• ARC Trooper :
• Clone Commandos :

During the war, the Grand Army came to be divided into a number of specialised units, divisions and legions. These included:

• 501st Legion :
• 7th Sky Corps : One of its units was the 212th Attack Battalion who were well renowned.
• 41st Elite Corps :
• 104th Battalion : One of its elite units was the Wolfpack.
• Coruscant Guard :

A common piece of equipment during the Clone Wars were Electro Magnetic Pulse grenade, or EMP grenades that were also known as 'Droid Poppers'. When detonated close to a droid, it would disable it though their effectiveness depended on distance and placement relative to the target.

As the Clone Wars progressed, the Grand Army of the Republic came to be outfitted with an increasingly varied and versatile vehicle pool.

They were supported by a range of vehicles that included the:

• BARC Speeder : these speeders provided a single clone trooper increased operational range, great speed, mobility, and firepower otherwise unavailable to the foot soldier. A more aggressive and bulkier design than slimmer speeder bikes used by the Jedi, the BARC speeder was used in scouting and escort missions on a variety of worlds. They were easily adaptable, with support struts that could be added to hold a stretcher or sidecar.
• AT-RT :
• AT-TE : the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer served principal battle tank of the Grand Army of the Republic which featured six articulated legs for propulsion. The legs were low to the ground thus reducing the walker's top speed but provided it with increased stability. The body of the walker consisted of two armored halves connected by a flexible sleeve which increased its mobility on the field. The walker was able to climb sheer surfaces and survive in the vacuum of outer space. For armaments, its front was lined with four ball-turret laser cannons while a single heavy projectile cannon was turret-mounted on the vehicle's dorsal surface. Its rear fire arc was also protected by a pair of laser cannon turrets. Though the walker's armor could easily deflect small arms fire, anti-tank rockets could pierce an AT-TE's armor and destroy its complex propulsion mechanisms.
• AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Artillery Cannon :
• LAAT :
• V-19 Torrent :
• Z-95 Starfighter :

Transportation across space was achieved through the aid of the Republic Navy with clones being deployed on Star Destroyers. These allowed for the deployment of the Grand Army on other worlds throughout the galaxy and also supported them with air support. This also allowed the deployment of gunships and starfighters that aided the infantry forces on the ground.

Members

• Yoda :
• Obi-Wan Kenobi :
• Anakin Skywalker :
• Rex :
• Cody : CC-2224
• Fox : CC-1010

Notes

• The Grand Army of the Republic were created by George Lucas where it made its first appearance in the Prequel Trilogy and debuted in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.

In other media

Video games

• In Star Wars: Republic Commando, the Grand Army of the Republic was shown in the video game set during the Clone Wars. Player characters played specially engineered clones that were known as Clone Commandos who were deployed in teams of four where they assisted the Grand Army of the Republic.
• In Star Wars: Battlefront, the Grand Army of the Republic appeared as a playable faction in the setting of the video game.

Appearances

• Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones:
• Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith:
• Star Wars: Clone Wars:

External Links

• Wookieepedia Entry

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