It’s been nearly a year since the Force Awakens came out, and the state of the galaxy —the politics, the governments, the ideologies—still seem like complete nonsense.

After doing a bit of research, this is what I surmised.

Post-Endor, there is 1, possibly 2, superpowers in the Galaxy.

The New Republic

They won the Galactic Civil War, but they lost Leia. They control a good portion of the Galaxy. How much? Not too sure. But there’s lots of map talk in Force Awakens.

First Order

A bunch of Moffs got their Imperial remnants together to form a more perfect union. Do they actually own swaths of the galaxy? Not too sure. Are they as a big as the New Republic? Not too sure. Do they have a peace treaty with the New Republic? Yes.

The Resistance

Sounds like these are state-sponsored guerillas. They fight the First Order. Are they located within the borders of the First Order? Or are they headquartered within the boundaries of the New Republic or neutral space and then strike at the First Order. Does it matter? Why yes, it does. If the New Republic is housing known enemies of the legitimate, recognized government of the First Order, that is illegal and probably breaks the treaty.

Who’s the bad guy here?

Are both the New Republic and First Order, sovereign and legal states? They both recognize each other’s government, since they have at treaty, so it seems to be the case. Does the First Order own star systems? If so, are the citizens happy to be under the First Order flag? Has the First Order been encroaching on the New Republic’s borders? From what it seems, the First Order likes building lots of toys and even a weapon of mass destruction. But they weren’t allowed to build was a Star Destroyer. Have they been attacking the New Republic?

And what about the New Republic? One of their biggest leaders, Leia, created the Resistance and is sponsored by the New Republic to fight First Order. That is certainly an act of war. Is the First Order out of line by using Starkiller Base? Seems the New Republic struck first.

In case you haven't noticed, SW is just ripping off the French Revolution at this point

Seems the New Republic struck first.

Not really, no.

The resistance is supported by individuals within the Republic Senate but not the body as a whole, Leia in particular was pretty much outcast prior to founding the resistance. Meanwhile the First Order funded the Amaxine Warriors and Rinnrivin Di to subvert the republic.

The First Order had also specifically breached the peace treaty by building star destroyers and did at least once enter Republic territory to attack traders.

Read Bloodline. FO came from NR, not from imp remnants as far as we know.

Calling them the resistance when they are state sponsored never made any sense, jj just likes to change stuff for reasons.

This might help out some.

as will this

After Jakku, the Empire and Rebels had a peace treaty. The Rebellion split into two factions, those who thought that the Galaxy should return to the Republic, the others thought that the galaxy should be like the Empire, but under their control. Those hoping to restore the Republic, joined up with the peaceful members of the former Empire and formed the New Republic. The other group joined up with the members of the Empire who wanted to restore it (now under their control), and formed the First Order. This is why there are women in the FO. It was something the Empire would never do, but the Rebellion would.

(This is my understanding, I am not sure if it is correct. It is based upon information released concerning an upcoming book.)

Those wookiepedia articles make everything sound very sensible and logical.

NOT.

After Jakku, the Empire and Rebels had a peace treaty. The Rebellion split into two factions, those who thought that the Galaxy should return to the Republic, the others thought that the galaxy should be like the Empire, but under their control. Those hoping to restore the Republic, joined up with the peaceful members of the former Empire and formed the New Republic. The other group joined up with the members of the Empire who wanted to restore it (now under their control), and formed the First Order. This is why there are women in the FO. It was something the Empire would never do, but the Rebellion would.

(This is my understanding, I am not sure if it is correct. It is based upon information released concerning an upcoming book.)

Erm the empire had way more women on the front line than the rebels, they served as storm troopers and pilots, the head of imperial intelligence was a woman.

After Jakku, the Empire and Rebels had a peace treaty. The Rebellion split into two factions, those who thought that the Galaxy should return to the Republic, the others thought that the galaxy should be like the Empire, but under their control. Those hoping to restore the Republic, joined up with the peaceful members of the former Empire and formed the New Republic. The other group joined up with the members of the Empire who wanted to restore it (now under their control), and formed the First Order. This is why there are women in the FO. It was something the Empire would never do, but the Rebellion would.

(This is my understanding, I am not sure if it is correct. It is based upon information released concerning an upcoming book.)

Erm the empire had way more women on the front line than the rebels, they served as storm troopers and pilots, the head of imperial intelligence was a woman.

Exactly, the empire also supressing women is a residue from early bad EU works where authors wanted to have more evil things the empire would do, but never actually intended by people making Star Wars. They just happened to cast mostly dudes, because thats how things were done during those times and thats who showed up to work on some nerd movie.

Those wookiepedia articles make everything sound very sensible and logical.

NOT.

I know the EU did that, but it never seemed right to me. The Empire is supposed to be reminiscent of Nazi Germany, which did not have women in its ranks. The Rebellion, however, due to its nature, would take anyone they could. If women were willing to fight, than they would accept them. However, in the OT, you never see women in the trenches, they are usually in command centers much like the British during WW2. Ysanne Isard and Howlrunner are no longer Canon, and so I would say that is not a valid argument. That was one of my biggest dislikes of the feel of the new Battlefront game: all of the women (and the fact that everyone looks like 21 century Americans). I am not here to argue about whether or not women should be in combat, but it would have been nice if they would have been faithful to the OT, instead of making it like things are in our world some 30 years later.

Someone's never seen ilsa she wolf of the ss.

"And proud of it!"

Ring Theory!

CAUTION: Language and disturbing scenery

I've been told the new book "Bloodlines" explains a lot of the politics. I've just started it on audio book and am a few hours in. So far, it's about Princess Leia in the New Republic. Mon Mothra is sick and had to step down as Chancellor. Once she does, there starts to show all the problems with the constitution of the New Republic. There splits into two main factions. The Populists want more local control and hate the old Empire. The Centralists want a strong central (federal) power over various things. Any political discussion breaks down along these two factions and they bicker about the details. Without a charismatic Chancellor to negotiate between the two sides, nothing at all gets agreed on. There has been stalemate in the Senate for years and things are not going well. No one can agree on anything.

I'm not sure, but I am guessing the Centralists will become the First Order. I hope no one spoils it for me.

What would be awesome is if the Remnant is a 3rd faction hiding in the Outer Rim/Unknown Regions, biding their time, building power while the FO and NR weaken eachother.

The First Order is the last significant Imperial Remnant.

The New Republic, by-and-large, thinks that the First Order is basically space North Korea: Dangerous if provoked, but effectively a nearly powerless hermit state pushed into the margins of the known galaxy.

However, the First Order is considerably larger and more powerful than the New Republic realizes, as what the New Republic knows as "known space" is considerably smaller than what the First Order knows as "known space". Essentially, the First Order is largely built on facilities and colonies constructed in what the larger galaxy considers to be Wild Space, locations that the Empire discovered and kept secret from the rest of the galaxy.

The New Republic is not only riven by internal strife between Populists and Centralists, but also by First Order agents who have infiltrated the New Republic at virtually all levels. Some in the New Republic are aware of the threat that the First Order poses and so support the Resistance, but the First Order's agents are very effective in burying reports of First Order's incursions and acts of piracy, and thereby preventing the Republic from uniting against them.

Between the New Republic and the First Order is a de-militarized zone, which is where the Resistance operates from.

As of the beginning of The Force Awakens, First Order-friendly agents are slowly (so as to avoid undue suspicion) evacuating themselves from Hosnian Prime (and being tracked by Resistance-friendly elements of the Republic, plus the Resistance itself) and the First Order has effectively (and unbeknownst to the galaxy by-and-large, thanks to the First Order's agents in the Republic) occupied the DMZ and has moved large quantities of personnel and materiél into staging areas located in the former-DMZ in preparation for the invasion of the Republic.

WRT women: Nu Canon Empire is OK with women, but makes no bones about discriminating against them. The Empire is also OK with aliens, but makes no bones about discriminating against them, either. In the Empire, women essentially should be making babies (sure you can serve in the Imperial military, but they'll find a nice, out of the way post for you away from any sort of action which might allow you to distinguish yourself, you'll never get promoted, and your less-capable male peers will be promoted more rapidly and given credit for any thing you actually manage to do) and aliens should either help the Empire or stay out of the way (failure to do so will result in extermination).

The First Order is largely the Empire turned up to 11: No aliens (the First Order makes no bones about exterminating non-human populations in the DMZ - and so far as I am aware, there are no non-human populations residing in the space controlled by the First Order). The First Order likely gives strong incentive for its subjects to breed, thus pushing women chiefly into the role of baby-makers, and as far as I am aware, the only female human we've seen in the First Order is Captain Phasma (whereas we have plenty of female humans serving the Empire in Rebels and the books set during and immediately after the reign of the Empire). However, given the First Order's limited resources and population, it is not unreasonable to presume that women in the First Order are assigned to less dangerous tasks, to free up men for front-line combat service. And those who truly excel - like Phasma - are not overtly discriminated against.

It's already been stated that the First Order isn't an Imperial Remnant. It's a break-off faction from the NR emulating the Empire.

See how poorly the last film established the new state of affairs, even people reading the supporting material don't agree on the state of affairs.

It's already been stated that the First Order isn't an Imperial Remnant. It's a break-off faction from the NR emulating the Empire.

Not according to the Visual Guide.

See how poorly the last film established the new state of affairs, even people reading the supporting material don't agree on the state of affairs.

Kind of baffeling we would complain about a lack of exposition in a Star Wars movie after TPM!

I greatly enjoy TFA, but thats the flaw that bugs me.

See how poorly the last film established the new state of affairs, even people reading the supporting material don't agree on the state of affairs.

Kind of baffeling we would complain about a lack of exposition in a Star Wars movie after TPM!

I greatly enjoy TFA, but thats the flaw that bugs me.

That and the super weapon that fires through hyperspace but is visible in realspace and slower than the speed of light.

It's already been stated that the First Order isn't an Imperial Remnant. It's a break-off faction from the NR emulating the Empire.

Not according to the Visual Guide.

The First Order, also simply known as the Order, was a military and political organization that was active approximately thirty-four years after the Battle of Yavin. Inspired by the principles of the Galactic Empire, the First Order would briefly inhabit a wing of New Republic politics until tensions became intolerable.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/First_Order

Read the books.