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- "This bickering is pointless!"
- ―Wilhuff Tarkin, on the Joint Chiefs' endless debates
The Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military was a advisory board of senior generals, admirals, and other military officers that advised the Emperor on all martial-related matters. The cabinet was composed of the chiefs of the Imperial Army and higher ranking members of the naval chiefs. Owing to the nature of their job, many were known to work closely with top officers of COMPNOR and its sub-agency the Imperial Security Bureau, Imperial Intelligence and the Naval Intelligence Agency, along with members of the Imperial Ruling Council.
Description[]
The Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military was an advisory board of high-ranking military personnel from the different branches of the armed forces and intelligence agencies[1] which was responsible for directing the Imperial Military's strategies. According to historian Beaumont Kin, it was the closest thing to an actual leadership over the entirety of the Galactic Empire's military forces, including the Imperial Navy and Imperial Army.[3] Composed of an assortment of generals, admirals, and other senior military officers, the Joint Chiefs advised and informed the head of state and overall military commander Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine regarding the state of military matters. The Joint Chiefs also reported daily to the supreme commander of the Imperial military, and leader of Imperial High Command.[2] The Joint Chiefs also had limited interactions with the later supreme commander of the Imperial fleet, Darth Vader, who passed on the task of making his orders feasible to them.[3]
Membership of the Joint Chiefs consisted of both permanent and rotating representatives,[3] including the Chief of the Imperial Army and the Chief of the Imperial Navy.[1] The council's roster also included high-ranking officers from the Imperial Army, Navy, the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, the Imperial Security Bureau, and the Naval Intelligence Agency, as well as various Moffs.[3]
History[]
Early Imperial reign[]
Governor Wilhuff Tarkin
In the nascency of the Galactic Empire, high-ranking personnel representing branches of the Imperial Military attended a summit at Raven's Peak on Eriadu, including Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, General Hurst Romodi of the Imperial Army, Admiral Barton Coburn of the Imperial Navy, Chief Scientist Doctor Royce Hemlock of the Advanced Science Division, and Tarkin’s rival Commander Orson Callan Krennic of the Imperial Weapons Division.[6] The summit was one of the first meetings for the members of the shortly formed Joint Chiefs with Tarkin seeming to take on the role of the nearly always present leader of the Joint Chiefs.[3]
In 14 BBY,[7] the Joint Chiefs was composed of army chiefs such as General Cassio Tagge,[1] and naval chiefs including Vice Admiral Tallatz,[4] Rear Admiral Tiaan Jerjerrod, Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, Admiral Kendal Ozzel,[1] and at least three female Admirals.[4] Intelligence chiefs were also active in the Empire[1] and could be part of the Joint Chiefs.[3] Director Armand Isard of the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order[1] appeared to at least partially represent COMPOR at Joint Chiefs gatherings.[3] ISB Deputy Director Harus Ison, ISB Colonel Wullf Yularen, Naval Intelligence Agency Deputy Director and Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, NIA Vice Admiral Terrinald Screed[1] were all also part of the Joint Chiefs, representing their respective organizations.[3]
While Tarkin was away from active duty due to his station at Sentinel Base[1] in 14 BBY,[7] historian Captain Beaumont Kin would include him in his listing of[3] the 14 BBY-era[7] Joint Chiefs in his book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire.[3] Indeed, Tarkin would attend a Joint Chiefs meeting in that year during Berch Teller campaign. While not yet a member of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Nils Tenant was recalled to join a Joint Chief meeting as well. In the aftermath of Berch Teller's campaign, the upper levels of Imperial hierarchy experienced reformations; Rancit was killed for treason, Tenant was made into a Joint Chief, Yularen was made Deputy Director of the NIA, and Ison was promoted into the Ubiqtorate. Motti, Tagge, and others experienced similar promotions. Tarkin himself would be promoted to the newly-established rank of Grand Moff by the Emperor.[1] Palpatine further established the Council of Moffs.[8]
Galactic Civil War[]
Granted power by the Emperor and eventually made supreme commander of the Imperial fleet, Darth Vader was the leader of the Navy and thus was part of the Joint Chiefs.
In 0 BBY,[9] General Tagge and Admiral Motti remained members of the Joint Chiefs, serving as Chief of the Imperial Army and Chief of the Imperial Navy, respectively.[10] Admiral Ozzel and Jerjerrod remained members of the Joint Chiefs. Yularen, Tarkin,[11] Chief Siward Cass,[12] General Moradmin Bast,[5] who served as Tarkin's aide on the DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station,[13] General Romodi, General Trech Molock,[12] Director Krennic,[14] and Sith warlord[15][16] Darth Vader, were all members of the Joint Chiefs at that time.[12] As informal Commander-in-Chief[17] with power delegated directly to him by his Master Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine,[16] Lord Vader was seen by many as his rank within the Imperial Military[17] and was referred to as "2" by the military, whereas Palpatine was "1."[18]
Following the destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin, the membership of the Joint Chiefs was greatly diminished.[3] General Tagge got promoted to Grand General and given the office of supreme commander of the Imperial military[19] General Romodi also continued to serve in the Imperial Army.[20]
Lord Vader, who killed General Tagge for his failings after Doctor Cylo's attempted Cylo Hijacking.[21] was elevated by Emperor Palpatine to the position of Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet and given personal control over Death Squadron. Admiral Ozzel became in charge of the Sith Lord's armada, while[22] Jhared Montferrat was added to the Joint Chiefs sometime after Tagge's death,[3] and Jerjerrod, who also got promoted to Moff at some point, was assigned to the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station as the Director of Imperial Energy Systems and Commander.[23] While Darth Vader was fully committed to the hunt for the Rebel base, the Joint Chiefs were allowed to focus on the rest of the war effort, such as disrupting the Alliance's supply lines and ability to sustain its own military effort.[3]
Members[]
The Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military was composed of various Imperial officers that held a significant amount of power and influence over Imperial military policy and strategy. Membership of the body was a mix of permanent and rotating high-ranking representatives. Governor Wilhuff Tarkin was an omnipresent individual in the Joint Chiefs, serving as chair.[3]
Permanent and rotating members included:
- General Moradmin Bast,[3] Science and Engineering Division[24]— member until their death at the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[9]
- Siward Cass— member until their death at the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[9]
- Admiral Barton Coburn, Imperial Navy— member of the summit on Eriadu[3] in 18 BBY,[25] which soon became the Joint Chiefs.[3]
- General Ire Falk, Imperial Army— member by the Battle of Endor[3] in 4 ABY.[9]
- Vice Admiral Corf Ferno, Imperial Navy— member during the reconstruction following the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[9]
- Chief Scientist Doctor Royce Hemlock, Advanced Science Division— member of the summit on Eriadu which soon became the Joint Chiefs until his death in 18 BBY.[3]
- Chairman Armand Isard, Director of COMPNOR— intelligence chief and member[3] by 14 BBY.[26]
- Deputy Director Harus Ison, Imperial Security Bureau— an intelligence chief and member[3] by 14 BBY.[26]
- Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod— member[1] by 14 BBY[26] as a Rear Admiral. Rejoined the Joint Chiefs by the Battle of Endor[3] in 4 ABY until his death that year and battle.[9]
- Commander Orson Callan Krennic, Director of Advanced Weapons Research— member of the summit on Eriadu that soon became the Joint Chiefs[3] until[14] his death in the Battle of Scarif.[27]
- General Trech Molock— member until their death at the Battle of Yavin.[3]
- Admiral Jhared Montferrat, Imperial Navy— member in the years prior to the Battle of Yavin. Rejoined the Joint Chiefs following the Cylo Hijacking during reconstruction.[3]
- Admiral of the Navy Conan Antonio Motti, Imperial Navy— member[1] by 14 BBY[26] as a rear admiral. Continued to serve as Chief of the Imperial Navy until his death in the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY.[9]
- Fleet Admiral[28] Kendal Ozzel, Imperial Navy— member[1] by 14 BBY[26] as a rear admiral. Rejoined during reconstruction prior to his death in the Battle of Hoth[3] in 3 ABY.[9]
- Fleet Admiral[29] Firmus Piett, Imperial Navy— member by the Battle of Endor[3] in 4 ABY until his death in that year and battle.[9]
- Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, Naval Intelligence Agency— an intelligence chief and member[1] by 14 BBY.[26]
- General Hurst Romodi, Imperial Army[6] and Science and Engineering Division[24]— member of the summit on Eriadu[3] in 18 BBY,[25] which soon became the Joint Chiefs[3] as an Imperial Army General.[6] Later rejoined the Joint Chiefs by the time of the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY[9] as a General in the Science and Engineering Division.[24]
- Vice Admiral Terrinald Screed, Naval Intelligence Agency— an intelligence chief and member[1] by 14 BBY.[26]
- Admiral Rae Sloane, Imperial Navy— member by the Battle of Endor[3] in 4 ABY.[9]
- Grand General Cassio Tagge, Imperial Army— member[1] by 14 BBY[26] as a general and Chief of the Imperial Army. Eventually promoted to Grand General and supreme commander of the Imperial military and was responsible for rebuilding the Joint Chiefs following the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[9] Continued to serve until his death following the Cylo Hijacking[3] in 0 ABY.[9]
- Vice Admiral Tallatz, Imperial Navy— member[4] by 14 BBY.[30]
- Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin— chair of the committee on Eriadu that soon became the Joint Chiefs[3] in 18 BBY.[25] Member until his death at the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[9]
- Admiral Nils Tenant, Imperial Navy— member[1] by 14 BBY.[26]
- De facto Commander-in-Chief[17] and supreme commander of the Imperial fleet Darth Vader— largely distanced himself from the Joint Chiefs.[3]
- General Maximilian Veers, Imperial Army— member by the Battle of Endor[3] in 4 ABY.[9]
- Colonel Wullf Yularen, Imperial Security Bureau and deputy director of the Naval Intelligence Agency[1]— an intelligence chief and member[3] by 14 BBY.[26] Continued to serve until his death at the Battle of Yavin[3] in 0 BBY.[9]
- Three female naval chiefs who held the rank of Admiral were members[4] by 14 BBY.[30]
Appearances[]
- Tarkin (and audiobook) (First identified as Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (First appearance)
- A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy (and audiobook)
- Star Wars: Heroes Path
- "Fully Operational" — From a Certain Point of View (and audiobook)
- "An Incident Report" — From a Certain Point of View (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
- Darth Vader (2015) 1 (In flashback(s))
Sources[]
- Ultimate Star Wars (as gathered military commanders)
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
Star Wars Helmet Collection 1 (Weapons & Uniforms: Imperial High Command)- Star Wars Helmet Collection 40 (Databank A-Z: Moraband–Muftak)
- Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 52 (Databank A-Z: Hera Syndulla–Ahsoka Tano)
- Dawn of Rebellion
- Star Wars: Legion — Legion Core Set (Card: Force Choke) (Reissued in Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion) (Picture only)
- TIE Fighter Owners' Workshop Manual
- Star Wars Inside Intel: The Death Star on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
- Admiral Motti in the Databank (backup link)
- Nils Tenant in the Databank (backup link) (First identified as Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military)
Non-canon sources[]
- LEGO Star Wars: Choose Your Side: Doodle Activity Book (Picture only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 Tarkin
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Dawn of Rebellion
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
"Orientation" — Star Wars Insider 157
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2
Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "The Summit"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ "Emperor Palpatine" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- ↑ Star Wars Inside Intel: The Death Star on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "An Incident Report" — From a Certain Point of View
- ↑ Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Chief Bast - Imperial Aide - Base Series 1)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Fully Operational" — From a Certain Point of View
- ↑ Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader 1
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Darth Vader (2017) 12
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Star Wars Bust Collection 30 (Star Wars Universe: The Emperor's Inner Circle)
- ↑ Lords of the Sith
- ↑ General Tagge in the Databank (backup link) and Darth Vader (2015) 2 establishes that Cassio Tagge was given the rank of Grand General and placed in charge of the Imperial Military. Since the individual in command of the Imperial Military is the Supreme Commander per Dawn of Rebellion, it can be deduced that Grand General Tagge was the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military.
- ↑ Darth Vader (2020) 22
- ↑ Darth Vader (2015) 25
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Hurst Romodi and Moradmin Bast are depicted with rank insignia plaques that Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide identifies as belonging to Science and Engineering Division personnel. Therefore, they must be members of the division.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Per the reasoning here, the seventh and eighth episodes of The Bad Batch Season 2, "The Clone Conspiracy" and "Truth and Consequences," can be placed in 18 BBY. Therefore, all Season 2 episodes proceeding "The Clone Conspiracy" occur between 19 BBY, which features the end of The Bad Batch Season 1 according to Star Wars: Timelines, and 18 BBY. The Galactic Empire, the formation of which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 19 BBY, sent Mayday's squad to Barton IV over a year prior to the events of the twelfth episode, "The Outpost." As it occurs over a year into the Imperial Era and is set shortly after the events of "Truth and Consequences," the events of "The Outpost" occur around 18 BBY. Following that logic, the ninth through eleventh episodes ("The Crossing" through "Metamorphosis") are also set around 18 BBY because they occur between the events of "Truth and Consequences" and "The Outpost." Finally, all season 2 episodes set after "The Outpost" occur shortly after its events, thereby placing those episodes around 18 BBY as well.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 26.7 26.8 26.9 Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Tarkin to 14 BBY.
- ↑ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- ↑ "Imperial Officers and Agents" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas places Lords of the Sith, which "Orientation" takes place concurrently to, in 14 BBY.
