The Galactic Republic fell when it was slowly weakened from within by corruption, fear, and war. Chancellor Palpatine secretly orchestrated the Clone Wars to gain emergency powers, turning the Senate’s trust into control. By manipulating the Jedi and branding them as traitors, he justified Order 66, which nearly wiped them out. With the Republic desperate for stability, Palpatine declared himself Emperor, transforming the Republic into the Galactic Empire—ending democracy in the name of security