Ground warfare

Ground warfare related to the use of infantry and ground vehicles to engage other ground units on aplanet's surface. Along withspace warfare andstarfighter combat, by0 BBY ground warfare was one of the three most significant branches of warfighting. Ground battles and the tactics employed during them were modified throughout themillennia spanning from the first combats between primitive civilizations to the formation of organized militias and other military forces, to the invention of theblaster and therepulsorlift, to the construction of the firstbattle droids.

Technology[]

Infantry[]

By far the most numerous component of anyarmy,infantry weresoldiers who fought on foot to close with, assault, capture and occupy enemy positions. Throughout history, infantry had been equipped with a huge variety of weapons, which could be categorized as either ranged weapons ormelee weapons. By the period of theGalactic Civil War, the former category was almost universally represented by some kind ofrifle, whether aslugthrower or ablaster.^[2] Historical examples of ranged weapons (some of which were still used by more primitive species) included thrownspears,bows andarrows, andlanvaroks. While ranged weapons technology had become fairly standardized acrossthe galaxy by0 BBY, a large number of species continued to use their own traditional weapons or combined them with new technology:Wookieebowcasters andChisscharrics were the equals of anyImperial blaster, while despite emerging from a completely different technology base,Gungancestas,atlatls, andboomas proved more than capable of disablingB1-Series battle droids at theBattle of Naboo. When theyinvaded the galaxy in25 ABY, theYuuzhan Vong brought with them a bizarre array of organic weapons, includingamphistaffs capable of spitting venom up to twenty meters, andthud bugs,razor bugs andblast bugs that could be hurled in great swarms at the enemy.^[2]

Melee weapons were used when infantry had closed to close-quarters during an assault, and could includeknives,swords,polearms andaxes. For soldiers of theImperial Period,vibroblades were the most common melee weapon. An uncommon but nevertheless extremely well-known melee weapon was thelightsaber of theJedi Knights, which developed a reputation of being able to cut through anything and in the hands of a skilledJedi, could be used to deflect blaster bolts.^[2]

Infantry of the Imperial Period could additionally carry explosivegrenades to help clear enemy positions, anti-vehicle or anti-structuresmissile launchers,sniper rifles to harass the enemy at a distance, area denial weapons likemines, andrepeating blasters to suppress the enemy.^[2] The most basic infantry tactic was to fix an enemy in position with ranged weapons to allow other soldiers to close with and destroy the enemy in close quarters.

Infantry could also have varying equipment depending on the environment or situation of a ground warfare campaign. For instance, theStormtrooper Corps had various types ofStormtroopers for varying environments, from aquatic-basedseatroopers, to wetland-basedswamptroopers, to Geologic-basedlavatroopers, to evenRadtroopers for heavy radiation zones, with their armor and training being supplied specifically to deal with these situations.^[3]

Vehicles[]

Assault vehicles were used by armies for their mobility, protection and firepower, which could be used to support, complement, and increase the mobility of infantry. Armored fighting vehicles evolved out of the use of animals in war, such as thekaadus of theGungan Grand Army which served as rapid response shock cavalry, and thewar behemoths of the ancientSith Empire, which marched into battle with massive gun turrets on their backs to smash enemy formations.^[1] Even by theGalactic Civil War, animals were still used when environmental conditions made vehicles unusable: theRebel Alliance made heavy use ofscouts mounted onTauntauns atEcho Base onHoth.^[4]

Vehicles could be categorized based on their form of locomotion, which includedwheels,repulsorlifts, and massivearmored legs. By theClone Wars, wheeled vehicles were considered a graceless form of technology from a bygone age, but the wheeledHAVw A6 Juggernaut's direct ground contact protected it against electromagnetic attacks and shield discharges.^[5] However, the need for a low-riding chassis impeded the range of their line-of-sight weapons and reduced their terrain-handling capability. Repulsorcraft were typically faster and could handle terrain better than wheeled vehicles and walkers, and could rise above obstacles to give their guns a better aim, but their drive units were easy targets forland mines andmissiles with aGravity-Activated Mode and they could not pass through shield perimeters.Walkers had all the advantages of a wheeled vehicle and could increase the range of their weapons by elevating them on talllegs, but they were typically maintenance-heavy. Thus, an army would use a balanced mix of armored vehicles. According to theGalactic Empire's military doctrine, heavy walkers were best used by elite assault divisions in frontal attacks on enemy fortresses, whilerepulsortanks and other such repulsorlift vehicles were better suited for "mid-intensity" combat, such as urban warfare and fast-moving campaigns in grassy or forested terrain.^[1]

Vehicles could also be classified according to role.Tanks and heavy walkers like theAll Terrain Armored Transport were used in frontal assaults against enemy fortifications.Speeder bikes and light walkers like theAll Terrain Scout Transport andAll Terrain Recon Transport were used for reconnaissance, screening the flanks of an assault, and pursuing retreating enemies.^[6] Under the "flying force" doctrine of the last decades of the Galactic Republic, speeder bikes andswoops were popular among regular light cavalry units, including theSingle Trooper Aerial Platforms of theSeparatist Droid Army and theBiker Advanced Recon Commandos of the Grand Army of the Republic.Troop carriers like theAll Terrain Tactical Enforcer, theAll Terrain Open Transport, and theMulti-Troop Transport could carry large numbers of infantry into battle under heavy protection and firepower. Militarizedairspeeders like theLow Altitude Assault Transport or theV-wing airspeeder could provide extremely heavy close air support to friendly troops on the ground.^[1]

Although the term "ground warfare" would generally imply constant use of hovercrafts and more terrestrial-based vehicles, it can also apply to the usage of vehicles and vessels that are more maritime-based in nature should the conflict in question occur on a more aquatic-based planet or simply if the current ground campaign was near water. TheImperial Maritime Division of theImperial Army was utilized for maritime-based battles during ground warfare which included various vehicles and equipment meant for more aquatic use.^[3]

Artillery[]

Artillery referred to large weapons designed to fire far beyond the range and power of infantry weapons, and could be immobile, towed, or vehicle mounted. It could include anything from theenergy catapults of the Gungans to the most powerfulblaster artillery. Artillery includedmortars like theMerr-SonnMM-s3 grenade launcher, which could projectfragmentation grenades up to a kilometer, and could be mounted on aWW-676 repulsorlift sled to create a mobile fire support weapon. Anti-infantry batteries like theDF.9 could have a range of up to 16 kilometers, and could be immobile emplacement weapons or mounted on ahoversled to act as a mobile support gun.^[7] Anti-vehicle pieces like theAV-7 had built in repulsorlifts, allowing it to be towed until it reached a suitable firing position where it would entrench itself on the ground.^[8] By the end of theGalactic Civil War, theNew Republic had replaced nearly all its fixed artillery pieces with repulsorlift-equipped units.^[2]

Some mobile artillery units were large enough and armored enough to be entirely self-contained vehicles, an example being theSPHA series of theGrand Army of the Republic, which could carry acapital ship-scaleturbolaser capable of blasting through the heaviest shielding and fortifications.^[9] Becauselaser cannons were inherently line-of-sight weapons, the SPHA series included a number of indirect fire variants, including theSPHA-Cconcussion missile launcher and theSPHA-Mmass-driver cannon.^[10] Further developments inblaster artillery resulted in the development of theMAS-2xBturbolaser by theNew Republic era, which was used as a heavy siege weapon in the most important ground battles.^[7]

Battle droids[]

Battle droids were a constant feature of ground warfare throughout history, but their effectiveness on the battlefield varied dramatically. Battle droids were attractive in that an armored droid could withstand far more punishment than an organic soldier, and could carry more weapons than an entire infantrysquad. They could also be built, programmed and equipped far more quickly, easily and cheaply than recruiting and training organics. However, droids could be easily out-thought in battle and living beings often proved to be far better at improvising in the heat of battle.^[11]

War droids first appeared on the galactic stage with theRakatan guardian droids of theInfinite Empire.^[12] Their most famous early use, however, was in thewar-robots ofXim the Despot. TheJuggernaut war droids of the ancient Republic was a move to the mass use of battle droids, but development was rapidly halted when they were a key component in theGreat Droid Revolution of4015 BBY. The galaxy thereafter regarded battle droids with fear and revulsion, a perception only increased by the greatest use of battle droids in history during theClone Wars: theSeparatist Droid Army consisted of trillions ofB1,B2,droideka,Hailfire andspider battle droids. This was the apex of battle droid use, and thereafter, theGalactic Empire,New Republic andGalactic Alliance would only sporadically resort to the use of battle droids, and then only in very small numbers. Famous post-Clone Wars examples of battle droids like theDark Troopers and theYVH-Series were exceptions that proved a rather ironclad rule.^[1]

Combat support[]

Just as important as weapons and vehicles, and without which they could not function, was combat support, including logistics, engineering, communications, and medics. During the Clone Wars,quartermasters andlogistics officers used the acronymCOMETS-Q to refer to the seven elements of combat support: Chemical, Ordnance, Medical, Engineer, Transportation, Signal and Quartermaster.^[13]

Chemical referred to protection measures taken againstchemical weapons likeFex-M3 ordioxis. The clone troopers of the Republic and their successors, the ImperialStormtroopers, wore full suits ofsealed white armor to filter out chemical, radiological and biological contaminants.^[2] Other militaries issuedbreath masks for the purpose.^[7] Other measures against chemical weapons might include field decontamination centers for affected personnel.^[14]

Ordnance referred to the procurement, storage and maintenance of large amounts of ammunition, which could be as diverse asbombs,missiles,blaster gas,blaster power packs, and grenades.^[15]Medical referred to procedures for preventing and treating injuries and maladies. It was a truism that throughout military history, disease had killed more soldiers than actual combat. By the Clone Wars this was no longer true, withmedical droids like theIM-6 stabilizing injured soldiers in the field, before they were triaged and transferred bymedlifter to fieldmedcenters like theRepublic Mobile Surgical Units for treatment withbacta,cloned organ replacement, orcybernetic replacement limbs.^[16]

Engineer referred to repair, construction and demolition activities made under field conditions.^[17]Transportation referred to the shipping of troops and materiel to support the engagement, which could be a complex task that might not always meet the supply demands of troops at the front: at theBattle of Praesitlyn during the Clone Wars, the Republic army consumed 2000 metric tons of supplies per day of operation while resupply could only occur at a rate of 1000 tons per day, and with a high number of transport casualties.Signal referred to military communications made through technology such ascomlinks, as well as countermeasures such asjammers. Finally,Quartermaster referred to those military personnel responsible for supply and support.^[13]

History[]

Ancient wars[]

The first ground battles took place betweenarmies equipped withspears andswords, for example, theTaungs and theBattalions of Zhell in theirancient war onCoruscant. Subsequent developments includedslugthrowers andwheeled armored vehicles. Technology developing at different paces could create armies using eclectic mixes of equipment:Rakatan infantry of theInfinite Empire were known to go into battle with swords and shocklances while being supported byancient battle droids equipped withblasters and primitivestarfighters.^[1][12]

An extremely well-documented ancient military was that ofXim's empire.Xim the Despot's military was extremely advanced for its day, built from lostRakatan technology. The scale of his armies and conquests meant that numerous examples of Xim's weaponry survived to theGalactic Civil War era. Xim'sinfantry were divided into several castes. Most werejanissaries taken from occupied worlds, trained from childhood to serve as soldiers. They worearmor and helmets of lightweight ceramic alloy and carried eitherslugthrowers orheatbeams, which usedlasers to generate jets ofplasma. Heatbeamers wore tough, fireproof padded gloves andkamas a protection against their weapons' superheated exhausts. Thekama would later be adopted by theThyrsusSun Guard and by theMandalorian people as part of their culture. Among Xim's elite units were theDuinarbulon Star Lancers, who wore gloss-black ceramic armor and in addition to traditionallances, carried advancedbeam tubes, distant ancestors of theblaster. The infantry was supported by tracked tanks, armoredgroundcars, andfloaters armed with beam tube cannons. Elite vehicles were armored withkiirium to reflect energy weapons. Xim's most famous soldiers were the war-robots of theGuardian Corps, three-meter tallbattle droids armed with heatbeams, particle dischargers, andpulse-wave cannons. The War-Robots were typically kept in reserve for use as shock troops.^[1]

Xim's forces were ultimately defeated in hisfinal war with theHutt Empire. Little is known about ancient Hutt warriors, but ancientSakiyan chronicles recorded Hutt cavaliers armored with iron shells and maneuvering via metal limbs, treads or wheels. These would later be compared to theShell Hutts ofCircumtore.^[1] At theThird Battle of Vontor, Xim's war-robots and other infantry were overwhelmed by vast numbers ofspice-maddenedNikto,Vodran andKlatooinian warriors, spelling an end to the Despot's dominion.^[18]

The Wars of the Republic[]

The earlyGalactic Republic was founded without anarmy ornavy, but theTionese War of24,000-23,900 BBY forced it to become a centralized military power.^[1] Throughout its long history, theRepublic Army and thePlanetary Security Forces would fight many ground battles.

Ground warfare was a perennial feature of thePius Dea Crusades from c.12,000 to c.11,000 BBY.Pius Deacathedral ships would deploy troops by the millions onto planets that were deemed impure by the religious cult and were to be occupied, plundered and purified. Attritional trench warfare was a feature of these many battles.^[1]

During theWaymancy Storm of7811 BBY, theRepublic Military found its bestbeam tubes,heatbeams andplasma casters entirely outclassed by thepulse-wave blasters ofWaymancy Hollow, which used theSif-Alulan process to create much more powerful, faster firing weapons. Millions died both in space and on the ground before the Republic successfully reverse-engineered Waymancy weapons to create thesquintpipe process and its own pulse-wave blasters.Republic Rocket-Jumpers armed with pulse-wave carbines won one of the Republic's first victories in the conflict by routing theNeshtabine nest in theTantara system.^[19] By the 7500s BBY, further advances in the squintpipe process had produced strong, reliable, and portabledeflector shields, allowing armies to make use of largeplanetary shields to protect fortifications. However, ground vehicles were rarely equipped with shields, andpersonal energy shields faded from military use after theJedi Civil War: personal shields required large power packs that needed frequent replacement, exposed their users to unhealthy magnetic and radioactive forces, and could fail catastrophically with fatal results.^[1]

Blaster technology continued to mature from7000 BBY, however problems related to pulse-wave weapons' accuracy and range meant thatmelee weapons were still a decisive component of armies' arsenals, particularly thelightsabers of theJedi Knights. This was seen most clearly during theGreat Hyperspace War of5000 BBY, when forces of theSith Empire led byNaga Sadowinvaded Coruscant. SithMassassi warriors fought withpulse-wave rifles alongside their traditionalbaradiches andlanvarok throwing discs, andcannonturrets crowned the backs of elephantinewar behemoths. Throwing discs could skim throughdeflector shields, and war beasts could stride where armored vehicles could not. The Republic opposed them withblaster artillery supporting armies ofspear-wieldinginfantry, led by lightsaber-armed Jedi.^[1]

The blaster had matured by4000 BBY and the end of theGreat Sith War.^[1] By the start of theMandalorian Wars, theRepublic Army would be recognizable to a warrior of theClone Wars, with a familiartactical organization, and with uniformly-equippedarmored infantry armed with lightweightblaster rifles.^[20] Similarly-equippedsoldiers andtroopers served the Republic during theGreat Galactic War, theCold War, and theGalactic War, fighting against theImperial soldiers of theSith Empire. TheSith Imperial Army was also notable for its heavy use ofwar droids.^[21]

Ground warfare was a feature of theNew Sith Wars from2000 to1000 BBY. The Republic Army suffered one of the worst defeats in its history in1466 BBY when theNew Sith crushed Republic andJedi forces in theBattle of Mizra. This bloody conflict was later immortalized by the poetFelloux.^[22] Over five hundred thousand soldiers died in the battle and hundreds of Jedi converted to the Dark Side.^[23]

Around 1010 BBY, during the last years of theNew Sith Wars, the Republic Army was incorporated into theJedi-ledArmy of Light under the command ofLordHoth. In a grueling series ofSeven Battles on the planetRuusan, the Army of Light slowly ground down the SithBrotherhood of Darkness. By theSeventh Battle of Ruusan, what had begun as an advanced, combined arms army composed ofstarfighters,speeder bike-mounted infantry, and armored vehicle units had been reduced to a ragtag collection of local levies armed with whatever weapon was available, lending the Army of Light the appearance of a spear-wielding feudal army more appropriate to five thousand years earlier. The Army of Light eventually won a costly victory at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, when most of the Sith were destroyed by the machinations of one of their own,Darth Bane.^[1]

The Rise of the Empire[]

TheRuusan Reformations of1000 BBY abolished the Republic's standing armed forces. Nevertheless, ground warfare was an unchanging feature of the Republic's final millennium, conducted by the ground troops of theJudicial Forces and thePlanetary Security Forces. In the absence of a centralized military force, the galaxy's greatest megacorporations like theTrade Federation, theInterGalactic Banking Clan, theTechno Union and theCorporate Alliance began establishing their own armies to protect their commercial operations, typically composed of large numbers ofbattle droids. As relations between the central government on Coruscant and the megacorps slowly collapsed from the40s BBY through to the start of theSeparatist Crisis, these companies began to pursue a massive military buildup, with manufacturers likeBaktoid Combat Automata and theColicoid Creation Nest developing a number of battle droid models designed to wage war against the Republic.^[1]

TheBattle of Naboo of32 BBY was the first deployment of large numbers of battle droids by theTrade Federation Droid Army. In a diversionary action fought on theGreat Grass Plains, this force engaged with theGungan Grand Army whileNaboo strike teams led byPadmé Amidala infiltrated into occupiedTheed to captureViceroyNute Gunray. The battle on the plains was of a sort rarely found in galactic society: the Gungans'fambaashield generators reduced the effectiveness of the Trade Federation'sArmored Assault Tanks, andB1-Series battle droid infantry had to be deployed to march through the shield. Consequently, the battle was fought at close range like a traditional land battle between armies largely composed of infantry, and military historians marvelled at the rare opportunity to study such an engagement.^[1][24]

In the aftermath of theInvasion of Naboo,Jedi MasterSifo-Dyas sensed that the Republic would soon face an existential threat, and approached thecloners ofKamino to produce a clone army for the Republic. A massive mechanized force ofclone troopers produced from theMandalorianbounty hunterJango Fett, theGrand Army of the Republic was developed in complete secrecy over ten years.^[9] Its doctrine and vehicles, ranging fromgunships andwalkers toassault ships andartillery, were built around unleashing the maximum amount of force incredibly quickly. This differed from the approach seen in ground warfare for thousands of years, where armies had deployed their strength cautiously over long periods.^[25] The clone troopers were clad inwhite full-body armor which protected them against heat, poison gas, impacts, and glancing hits, and were inculcated with Mandalorian warrior traditions by Fett, which proved ideal for reinforcing their genetically engineered inclination toward loyalty and unit cohesion. The Grand Army took the ancient Mandalorian marching chantVode An ("Brothers All") as its anthem, and took as its mottoDarasuum Kote, "Eternal Glory" inMando'a.^[1]

TheClone Wars, beginning with theFirst Battle of Geonosis, were fought by the Grand Army of the Republic and theSeparatist Droid Army across hundreds of different fronts on thousands of worlds. Generally, the Grand Army served as a rapid reaction force while the Republic's disparatePlanetary Security Forces operated in defensive deployments - a number of battles in the Clone Wars were fought entirely by Planetary Security Forces without a clone trooper or a battle droid in sight. The GAR's largest operational units were thesector armies, which typically maintained onecorps intact as a rapid reaction force while splitting its other three corps into hundreds of small, fast-moving raiding companies.^[1] Known as the "militia model", this allowed small numbers of clone troopers to mobilize far larger numbers of local guerrillas and execute planetary coups, a strategy that was successful at theBattle of Malastare, theBattle of Haruun Kal, and theBattle of Giju.^[23]

The Separatist Droid Army, meanwhile, was a hodgepodge of vast numbers of different types of battle droids, reflecting the eclectic nature of the factions that made up the CIS. In the initial months of the war, this diverse army worked together poorly, but the Republic was unable to take advantage of the Confederacy's disarray as it faced the same challenge of trying to build up its centralized army while coordinating the efforts of local forces. The Separatists pursued a defensive strategy for the first few months of the war, seeking to blunt Republic drives into their dispersed territories. Its first offensive moves were combinations of surgical strikes and terror operations, astateless strategy designed to deny the Republic key invasion corridors, undermine support for the war, and sever key fleets' supply lines. Only after a massive military buildup and the appointment ofGeneralGrievous asSupreme Commander of the Droid Armies was the CIS able to launch a sustained strike -Operation Durge's Lance - deep into Republic space. By that point of the Clone Wars, however, the Republic had been able to devote its superior industrial capacity to the war. Amid horrific attritional fighting on planets likeMygeeto,Saleucami,Felucia andBoz Pity in theOuter Rim Sieges, the Confederacy was slowly ground down by the Grand Army of the Republic before thedeactivation of the Droid Armies byDarth Vader.^[1]

The Galactic Civil War[]

With theDeclaration of a New Order, the Republic was reorganized into theGalactic Empire. The clone troopers of the Grand Army became the core of theStormtrooper Corps, elite shock troops whose loyalty was solely toEmperorPalpatine. Meanwhile, thePlanetary Security Forces werenationalized and they and the non-clonehumans of the GAR and theJudicials were transformed into theImperial Army. The human elements of the GAR were specifically placed into the Imperial Army as a means to bring Separatist sympathizers in line, owing to their experience during the Clone Wars, as well as prime itself for surface superiority.^[3]Imperial Army troopers garrisoned planets and piloted most of the Empire's ground assault vehicles, includingrepulsortanks,juggernauts,floating fortresses, and most famously,walkers.> The toweringAll Terrain Armored Transport had first seen service at theBattle of Jabiim during the Clone Wars, and it and its lighter counterparts like theAll Terrain Scout Transport and theAll Terrain Recon Transport dominated the battlefield under Imperial Army doctrine. Designed for frontal assaults against enemy fortresses, these walkers were often thought to resemble ancient pachyderm cavalry, as if they had been designed in imitation of thewar behemoths of theSith Empire.^[1]

For all their material advantages, however, Imperial Army commanders during theGalactic Civil War were noted to be somewhat uncreative, using outdated "by the book" tactics learned in theImperial Academy. Most Imperial commanders could be more easily defeated if faced with an unexpected situation for which there was no conventional solution.^[15] The Imperial Army's orders generally came from a top-down aspect, whereby the Emperor supplied the orders which were transmitted fromArmy Command down through a clear hierarchy. In addition, Imperial commanders were expected to follow established protocol, and often did so by set objectives that defined in the type of units deployed into battle and how these units were to be used. As such, while the Imperial forces could afford to field specialized troopers in great numbers and in various formations, their Rebel counterparts in those fields tended to have greater training than Imperial specialists.^[3] The Imperial Army had a tendency to ignore complaints from civilians due to answering to the Emperor and not to citizenry, althoughImperial Army Special Missions trooper units generally ignored that aspect of protocol. The Imperial Army also had a tendency to treat assets with extreme callousness, such as exploiting their loyalty to the Emperor to be used in no-win combat situations. A particularly notorious example of this wasGeneralRom Mohc's treatment of theAilon Nova Guard.^[3]

The Imperial Army's opposition in the ground warfare of the Galactic Civil War was the far smallerAlliance Army, whose numbers amounted to just 3.5 percent of theNew Order's total military forces. In addition, the Rebel forces on most Imperial-occupied worlds could not afford open combat against Imperials because they lacked the troop strength to do so at the regimental level, while the Imperial Army could.^[3] However, this was the equivalent to Imperial occupation forces for fifteensectors, and the Alliance Army was devoted almost entirely to offensive operations. Furthermore, since theRebel Alliance was for the most part a clandestine insurgency, its strength was more impressive than a direct comparison suggested. Nevertheless, theRebel troopers of the Alliance Army were a ragtag bunch. Organized into thousands ofSector Forces, they had no common uniform, and differed in every way from how they might organize their units to what equipment was available. Some Sector Forces, like theAiram Clans or theKarthakk resistance, could muster tens of thousands of troops with ground vehicles and artillery. Others had just a few thousand irregulars, saboteurs and agitators with only a few crates of blasters andthermal detonators.^[1]

The most capable Rebel soldiers were theAlliance Special Forces, or SpecForce. Optimized forcommando warfare and numbering barely one hundred thousand beings, the SpecForces were a flexible backbone for the entire Rebellion. Permanent SpecForce detachments guarded the most significantRebel bases and barracksregiments acted as specialist support echelons for other elements of theAlliance Military. Most actual fighting was done by temporarytask forces assembled on anad hoc basis for missions, or to bolster weak Sector Forces.^[1]

The Alliance's initial war plan,Operation Domino, called for the strongest Sector Forces to defeat local Imperial Army garrisons in set-piece battles and then dig in behindplanetary shields, proving that planets could free themselves from the Empire and so inspire a revolution across the galaxy. In the event, Operation Domino was a disaster, and the uprisings were rapidly crushed. Thereafter, the Alliance never tried to take and hold territory until after theBattle of Endor, instead relying on the SpecForces and theStarfighter Corps to strike at the Empire as insurgents.^[1] But for when they had to defend against set-piece Imperial attacks on their bases, such as at theBattle of Hoth, Rebel ground warfare consisted overwhelmingly of raids lasting less than a day. Conducting themselves according to GeneralCrix Madine'sRules of War, the Rebel Alliance sought to preserve its limited military resources by using speed and maneuver, psychological warfare and unpredictability, and creatively unorthodox tactics to defeat an Imperial Military overly dependent on superior numbers and doctrinaire thinking.^[15]

TheBattle of Tiems was a textbook example of Madine's Rules of War: making use of a mobile defense and fighting with three regiments against four Imperial, GeneralCarlist Rieekan successfully drew half the Imperial force into a trap, encircling and destroying them. Though the Imperial commander had another four regiments in reserve, he waited another twelve hours for the weather to clear so his next offensive could be launched with air support, by which time Rieekan had achieved his objective and evacuated his three regiments fromTiems.^[15] Elsewhere in the galaxy, the Empire was repeatedly defeated by local forces with superior morale: theDressellian resistance drove the Empire fromDressel by making heavy use ofprimitive projectile rifles, which eventually caused the Empire such high casualties that they chose to abandon the planet.^[7] At theBattle of Endor, the ImperialTempest Force was overcome byEwoks who, despite possessing only primitive weapons, defeat them through superior natural camouflage and terrain knowledge, giving a SpecOpsstrike team led by GeneralHan Solo time to destroy theshield generator protecting the orbitingSecond Death Star, winning the greatest Alliance victory in the Galactic Civil War.^[26]

With Emperor Palpatine's death atEndor, the Alliance Army was reorganized into theNew Republic Army: the SpecForces were reorganized as bridgehead commandos for planetary assault, while the rest of the Army, composed of thePlanetary Security Forces the New Republic had proclaimed denationalized with theDefense Declarations, served as an occupation and peacekeeping force. The Imperial Army and Stormtrooper Corps, meanwhile, suffered badly in the aftermath of Endor, split between ambitiouswarlords and severely reducing the Empire's ability to resist the advance of theNew Republic. Significant post-Endor ground battles included the three-monthMilagro campaign, an attritional slog marked by open combat between Republic repulsortanks and Imperial AT-ATs, as well as subterranean struggles between both sides' sappers, miners, andengineers; the savageBattle of Mindor againstLord Shadowspawn; and theLiberation of Coruscant. The New Republic Army suffered heavy casualties inOperation Shadow Hand, however, and in the12 ABY reorganization of theNew Republic Defense Force, was abolished. Many of its responsibilities were transferred to the local defense forces, while theNew Republic Marines took over the planetary assault role under the command of thenavalbattle groups as part of a fully-integrated Defense Force.^[1]

Strategy and tactics[]

Battles on the surface of a planet were conducted by an attacker to seize control of objectives, which could be as small as a single military base to as large as acity or even the entire planet itself. For the attacker, ground warfare comprised the invasion and control phases of aplanetary assault operation, and was possessed of numerous advantages, including the ability to supplybombardments orstarfighterbombers from an orbiting fleet.^[28] The defender also had a number of advantages, however, such as the ability to dig in in entrenched positions or occupy fortresses. As seen in theBattle of Tiems, an invading force might act defensively while a defending force might also act aggressively.^[15]

TheImperial Army of theGalactic Empire identified several objectives a ground force might seek to achieve in surface missions include utterly obliterating an enemy possession; engaging enemy infantry and mechanized units; providing strategic insertion ofcommandos or expeditionary forces; securing control of a key planetary resource or supply line; and holding to a position and destroying enemy attackers attempting to reclaim it. These strategies emphasized demoralizing the enemy, specifically through the use of overwhelming firepower to leave them shell-shocked and helpless in the face of a massive, numerically-superior frontal assault. The Empire also emphasized striking to disrupt the enemy's plans and expose their flaws while they were in disorder. Because of the Rebels' adoption of an insurgent strategy, the Imperial Army saw its first priority as being to eradicate the existence of Rebel cells immediately and decisively, comparing the process to sterilizing a wound with heat.^[3] The Imperial Army emphasized the frontal assault as the centerpiece of ground warfare, which drove the development of massivewalkers like theAT-AT, which could use its immense height to deliver overwhelming firepower against targets from far outside the range of most artillery or ground vehicles.^[1]

The polar opposite of the Empire's mass-, numbers-, and firepower-based tactics were theRebel Alliance's maneuver-based tactics, which advocated defeating the enemy by incapacitating their decision-making through shock and disruption. Because of the numerical advantage enjoyed by the Empire,Alliance Army commanders were taught to avoid straight-up frontal attacks against the Imperial Army, which could always guarantee victory by bringing in more reinforcements. Instead, Rebel commanders used speed and force concentration to overpower smaller Imperial forces in detail and achieve decisive victory quickly. Furthermore, Rebel commanders were also taught to use psychological warfare to break the enemy's morale prior to battle and encourage in them fear of the Rebel's fierceness and unpredictability, so as to make the enemy more likely to make mistakes such as overreacting to a feint. This form of doctrine encouraged independent thinking in commanders and an emphasis on taking intelligent risks against the enemy.^[15]

Ground battles could vary immensely in size and scale: theBattle of Endor was intended as an infiltration raid by a small number of troops in support of the space battle in orbit,^[26] while theBattle of Naboo was a series of small engagements to seize control of theTheed Royal Palace while a larger battle was fought on theGreat Grass Plains as a diversion and a space battle was fought in support.^[24] In contrast, theFirst Battle of Geonosis involved nearly 200,000Republicclone troopers and in excess of a millionSeparatistbattle droids and many thousands of vehicles across many miles of ground.^[9] In addition, although ground warfare was generally considered a separate form of combat from space warfare and starfighter combat, there have been instances where they had direct interaction. Aside from the noted elements of planetary assault operations, a particularly notable example of combined fronts of space and ground warfare was the Battle of Endor, which featured a combination of both elements.^[26]

There are some cases where ground warfare was conducted by accident and was not the intended conflict. A particularly notable instance of this is theBattle of Hoth, where the Imperials intended to launch a bombardment at the Rebel-owned Echo Base at a far enough distance to avoid picking up detection from the Rebel scanners, but the hasty actions of the then-de jure leader ofDeath Squadron,AdmiralKendal Ozzel, resulted in the Rebel forces generating aplanetary shield around the base, forcing the Imperial forces to conduct a costly ground campaign to defeat the Rebel forces, and the Rebels buying enough time for most of their forces to escape.^[4]

Notable military commanders[]

Galactic Republic/Jedi Order[]

• Revan
• Elin Garza
• Hoth
• Berethon
• Anakin Skywalker
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Mace Windu
• Zozridor Slayke
• Solomahal

Sith[]

• Shar Dakhan
• Exar Kun
• Darth Malak
• Arkos Rakton
• Skere Kaan

Confederacy of Independent Systems[]

• Grievous
• Oro Dassyne
• Sev'rance Tann

Galactic Empire[]

• Hurst Romodi
• Rom Mohc
• Malcor Brashin
• Maximilian Veers
• Titus Klev
• Alix Balan

Rebel Alliance/New Republic/Galactic Alliance[]

• Carlist Rieekan
• Brenn Tantor
• Tyr Taskeen
• Duron Veertag
• Luke Skywalker
• Airen Cracken
• Bren Derlin
• Crix Madine

Other[]

• Xim the Despot
• Uueg Tching
• Mandalore the Indomitable
• Mandalore the Ultimate
• Canderous Ordo
• Tsavong Lah
• Nas Choka
• Hyndis Raithal

Appearances[]

I find your lack of sources disturbing. This article needs to be provided withmore sources and/orappearances to conform to ahigher standard of article quality. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Star Wars: The Old Republic Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan Star Wars: Episode IThe Phantom Menace Star Wars: Battlefront Star Wars: Episode IIAttack of the Clones Star Wars: Battlefront II Star Wars: Episode IIIRevenge of the Sith Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows 1 Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows 2 Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows 3 Star Wars: Empire at War Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Star Wars Galaxies:An Empire Divided Star Wars Galaxies: Rage of the Wookiees Star Wars Galaxies(post-NGE) Star Wars: Episode VThe Empire Strikes Back Star Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi Star Wars: Return of the Jedi novelization(andunabridged audiobook) Star Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi junior novelization X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1 X-Wing: Rogue Leader 2 X-Wing: Rogue Leader 3 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 2 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 4 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 12 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 14 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 16 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 21 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 24 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 33 X-Wing Rogue Squadron 35

Sources[]

• The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
•  Star Wars Customizable Card Game —Premiere LimitedCard:Rebel Trooper(backup link)
• Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook
• The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
• Star Wars: Rebellion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• Star Wars: Force Collection(Card: General Veers)

Notes and references[]