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Grand Army of the Republic

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the ground-based arm of the Old Republic's military, it was formed in response to the build-up of Separatist battle droids on Geonosis, just prior to the onset of the Clone Wars. It was based on the decision by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to address the growing question of secession from the Republic, in an effort to put a stronger face on the Republic's desire to remain a single entity. Outwardly, Palpatine demanded that the Galactic Senate approve the formation of the Army as a fall-back option in the event that a peaceful solution could not be found. In reality, the vote was already decided through a series of bribes and blackmail, and paved the way for Palpatine's taking control of the galaxy as Emperor. Many members of the Galactic Senate opposed the formation of the GAR, preferring to work out a peaceful solution. However, the capture of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi by Count Dooku on Geonosis forced the Senate to re-evaluate the situation. It was the oration of Jar-Jar Binks, standing in for Senator Padme' Amidala of Naboo - who, ironically, was also a prisoner on Geonosis - that called for the approval of emergency powers for Chancellor Palpatine. With these new powers, Palpatine created the GAR. When it was founded, the GAR was formed from the 1,200,000 clones discovered on Kamino by Jedi Master Yoda. Over time, various disciplines were trained into the clones, ranging from standard troopers to clone commandos and ARC Troopers. At the height of the conflict, the GAR numbered some 3,000,000 troops, while the Special Forces Brigade added another 50,000 specialists. During the three years of fighting that led up to the First Battle of Coruscant and the end of the Clone Wars, more than half of the original clones had been killed in combat. However, their numbers accounted for the destruction of billions of battle droids. Each of the primary divisions of the GAR was commanded by a Jedi Knight or Master, depending on the scope of the division. As a rule, each Jedi was given a clone commander to work with, as a bodyguard and liaison to the troops. This arrangement proved quite useful when Order 66 was issued, as it ensured that every Jedi leader on the battlefield was covered by a clone commander.