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Jedi Purge

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this was the name given to the period of galactic history following the First Battle of Coruscant, after Chancellor Palpatine had revealed himself to be Darth Sidious and assumed control of the galaxy. In order to solidify his position of power, Sidous knew that he needed to eliminate the Jedi Order. His plans began quite simply, sowing public discontent and uncertainty about the Jedi and their goals during the years following the Battle of Naboo. Then, as the Clone Wars erupted across the galaxy, Palpatine cultivated the fear that the Jedi were becoming too powerful and too militant, and the people began to demand more information from the Jedi Council. Unfortunately, the Jedi Council reacted by becoming even more secretive, which served Palpatine's plans without any additional impetus. In the wake of the First Battle of Coruscant, when Palpatine was revealed to be Sidious, Mace Windu and a group of Jedi Masters tried to bring Palpatine to justice. With the help of Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine was able to destroy the Jedi Masters, then went to the Galactic Senate and described the battle as an attempt by the Jedi to seize control - the so-called Jedi Rebellion. With the Senate now behind him, Palpatine issued the command to execute Order 66 to his clone commanders, who were spread across the galaxy fighting the Outer Rim Sieges. Upon hearing the order, the clone commanders turned their weapons on the Jedi Knights and Masters who were fighting alongside them. Within the space of a day, a huge number of Jedi were executed by the clones, and the Jedi Purge was begun. Over the ensuing months and years, Palpatine hunted down any surviving Jedi, until it was believed that only Anakin Skywalker - who had become Darth Vader - was the only surviving member of the former Jedi Order.