Editing Star Wars sources and analogues (section)

==Real world history==
{{See also|Star Wars and History|Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel}}
[[File:Samurai9555226484.jpg|thumb|199px|The [[Samurai]], [[nobility]] and [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] [[caste]] of [[History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600)|medieval]] and [[Edo period|early-modern]] [[Japan]] are a strong influence on the concept of the Jedi as sword fighting martial artist warriors who served as guardians of society.]]

===Ancient and medieval history===
{{prose|section|date=March 2025}}
[[File:Illustration of a futuristic aircraft on a landing pad by David Revoy.png|thumb|330px|A depiction of a science fictional civilization living a [[medieval]] Earth-like existence; a concept that ''Star Wars'' is a major example of.<ref name="Classen2011">{{cite book|author=Albrecht Classen|title=Handbook of Medieval Studies: Terms – Methods – Trends|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ez_edSWAQGAC&pg=PA862|date=1 January 2011|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=978-3-11-021558-8|page=862}}</ref>]]
* Ancient and medieval history play amongst the strongest and significant influences on ''Star Wars'' which reflects ancient Earth history in its settings, including [[Architecture of Star Wars|architectural]], social and hierarchical structures (i.e. the existence of monarchies and empires) as well as story lines which reflect ancient and medieval history. The transformation of the [[Old Republic (Star Wars)|Old Republic]] into the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Galactic Empire]] parallels that of the [[Roman Republic]] which transformed into the [[Roman Empire]] in the same manner of conspiracy and manipulation. Lucas was quoted as saying: "I love history, so while the psychological basis of ''Star Wars'' is mythological, the political and social bases are historical".<ref name="christopherklein"/>
* Author Nick Jamilla explains that unlike mainstream futuristic stories, with ''Star Wars'', George Lucas ties in science fiction with ancient history, comparing the Jedi to the [[Samurai]] and historical European swordsmanship. He also parallels the spiritual aspects of the Jedi to eastern [[monks]] and philosophy.<ref name="Jamilla2008">{{cite book|author=Nick Jamilla|title=Sord Fighting in the Star Wars Universe: Historical Origins, Style and Philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g23D4YMmdb0C|date=25 June 2008|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-5179-1}}</ref><ref name="Jamilla2002">{{cite book|author=Nick Jamilla|title=Shimmering Sword: Samurai, Western, and Star Wars Sword Fighting|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qmNBAAAACAAJ|year=2002|publisher=NBK Pub.|isbn=978-0-9718796-0-7}}</ref>
* ''Star Wars'' reflects ancient history in its planetary settings. For example, the planet [[Coruscant]] imitates [[Ancient Rome]] as the capital of the Old Republic and later the Galactic Empire; whereas [[Tatooine]] (referring to [[Tataouine Governorate|Tataouine]] - a province south of Tunis in Tunisia, roughly where Lucas filmed for the planet) imitates the ancient [[Middle East]] (specifically the [[Arabian Peninsula]]) and [[North Africa]] in ancient times as being barren desert and sparsely populated (which it still is today to a certain degree).<ref>The Mythology of Star Wars (2000 documentary)</ref> Coruscant and [[Naboo]] are also two of many planets in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy which exhibit architecture inspired by those of [[ancient Greece]], Rome, and other ancient Mediterranean and southern/southeastern European societies.
* In his book ''The Medieval Hero on Screen: Representations from Beowulf to Buffy'', author Tom Henthorne argues that 1970s science fiction movies such as the ''Star Wars'' films and ''[[E.T.]]'' bring back neo-medieval themes at young boys with a masculine tone in his view. He argues the knighthood-type plots give a sense of encouragement to young boys and give girls the image of being their prizes or captives waiting to be rescued.<ref>Henthorne, Tom. ''Boys to Men: Medievalism and Masculinity in Star Wars and ET: The Extra-Terrestrial''. The Medieval Hero on Screen: Representations from Beowulf to Buffy (2004): 73-90.</ref>
* The [[Samurai]] warriors of [[Japan]] are somewhat parallel to the concept of the Jedi as an elite warrior class specialized in combat and swordsmanship techniques charged with protecting their respective societies.<ref>[[Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel]] (2015 documentary)</ref>
* The aesthetic of [[Jedi]] uniforms is borrowed from the styles of clothing worn by [[North Africa|North African]] Tribesmen and various [[Sufi brotherhood|Sufi brotherhoods]]. It has been argued by some that the name "Jedi" itself actually comes from the [[Arabic]] "Al-Jeddi'" which means "master of the mystic-warrior way."<ref>{{Cite web |title='Star Wars' has borrowed from Arab culture for years - when will it give back? |date=August 30, 2018 |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/star-wars-borrowed-arab-culture-years-will-give-back-064204271.html}}</ref> 
* In an interview with 'The Muslim Magazine,' Dhul-Nun Owen spoke about [[George Lucas]] contacting members of the [[Habibiyyah Sufi Order]] in Berkeley, CA in order to do research for 'Star Wars.' However, there isn't a record of Lucas confirming this himself.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Inspiration: Star Wars: An Islamic perspective |date=June 17, 2005 |url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2005/06/star_wars_an_islamic_perspective/}}</ref> 
* Mahmoud Shelton of [[Stanford University]] wrote an article titled "Star Wars: A Tale of Spiritual Chivalry” wherein he explores the connection between the Order of the Jedi and the Orders of [[Futuwwa]] (Mediaeval Sufi Chivalry).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ustadh Mahmoud Shelton |url=https://eshaykh.com/ustadh-mahmoud-shelton/}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Shelton maintains that the Skywalker story may be specifically compared to the Ancient Egyptian myth of Osiris and his son Horus, and that the word "Jedi" is related to the [[Djed]] through the imagery of the prequels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Balance of George Lucas' Star Wars |url=https://www.academia.edu/19611242 |last1=Shelton |first1=Mahmoud }}</ref>

===Modern and early modern history===
The [[Stormtrooper (Star Wars)|stormtroopers]] from the movies share a name with the [[German Empire|Imperial German]] [[Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany)|stormtroopers]] and the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi German]] [[Sturmabteilung]] (lit. Stormtrooper). Imperial officers' uniforms also resemble some [[Uniforms of the German Army (1935–1945)|historical German Army uniforms]] and the political and security officers of the Empire resemble the black clad [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] down to the imitation silver death's head insignia on their officer's caps (although the uniforms technically had more basis with the German [[Uhlans]] within the Prussian Empire<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.starwars.com/news/from-world-war-to-star-wars-stormtroopers |quote =The exact cut of the uniforms was certainly familiar, but didn't rely precisely on the dress of the Second World War. The overall color palette and feel for the Empire was intended to be fascist, but earlier Prussian military uniforms inspired the actual cut of the uniforms designed by John Mollo.  The tunic and pants worn by Imperial officers were based on the uniform of German Uhlans, a division of mounted lancers that predated Nazi Germany. This style of uniform was used through the end of World War I, but was not a hallmark of the Third Reich.|website = StarWars.com|title = From World War to Star Wars: Stormtroopers|date = 15 October 2014 |first = Cole|last = Horton}}</ref>). World War II terms were used for names in ''Star Wars''; examples include the planets Kessel (a term that refers to a group of [[Kessel (cauldron)|encircled forces]]) and Hoth ([[Hermann Hoth]] was a German general who served on the snow-laden [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]).<ref name="christopherklein">{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-that-inspired-star-wars|title=The Real History That Inspired "Star Wars"|first=Christopher|last=Klein|work=HISTORY.com|date=August 25, 2023 }}</ref> Lucas himself has drawn parallels between Palpatine and his rise to power to historical dictators such as [[Julius Caesar]], [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], and [[Adolf Hitler]], saying the films exist as an examination of how democracies allow themselves to become dictatorships.<ref>{{cite magazine  |title= Star Wars: Attack of the Clones |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/story2.html |magazine=[[TIME Magazine]] |date=2002-04-21 |access-date=2009-12-13|quote=The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's [[Julius Caesar]] or [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleon]] or [[Adolf Hitler]]. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea ... That's the issue I've been exploring: how did the Republic turn into the Empire?|url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605161308/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/story2.html|archive-date= 2002-06-05}}</ref> The space battles in ''A New Hope'' were based on filmed [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] [[dog fight|dogfights]].<ref name="Dreams"/>

Continuing the use of Nazi inspiration for the Empire, [[J. J. Abrams]], the director of ''[[The Force Awakens]]'', has said that the First Order, an Imperial offshoot which serves as the main antagonist of the [[Star Wars sequel trilogy|sequel trilogy]], is also inspired by another aspect of the Nazi regime. Abrams spoke of how several Nazis fled to [[Argentina]] after the war and he claims that the concept for the First Order came from conversations between the scriptwriters about what would have happened if they had started working together again ([[The Boys from Brazil (film)|''The Boys from Brazil'']]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=45203|title=JJ Abrams Spills Details On Kylo Ren|first=James|last=Dyer}}</ref>

In a 2005 interview, George Lucas was asked the origins of the name "Darth Vader", and replied: "Darth is a variation of dark. And Vader is a variation of father. So it's basically Dark Father." (''Rolling Stone'', June 2, 2005). ''Vader'' is the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] word for "father" (the Dutch word is instead pronounced "fah-der"), and the [[German language|German]] word for "father" (''Vater'') is similar. However, in the earliest scripts for ''Star Wars'', the name "Darth Vader" was given to a human Imperial general with no apparent relationships.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/george-lucas-and-the-cult-of-darth-vader-20050602|title=George Lucas and the Cult of Darth Vader|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=June 2, 2005}}</ref>

Commentators have noted the strong political analogies in the ''Star Wars'' universe to contemporary American politics. Major analogies include Lucas's opposition to the [[Vietnam War]] being seen in the original trilogy.<ref>{{cite magazine | last1=O'Connor | first1=Michael | title= What are the Politics of 'Star Wars'? | url=http://www.newsweek.com/does-star-wars-endorse-political-republican-democrat-498365 | date= September 14, 2016 | magazine=[[Newsweek]] | access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref> Lucas even said in 2005 that ''Star Wars'' "was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where [[Richard Nixon]] was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships. Because the democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2005/05/18/star-wars-inadvertently-hits-too-close-to-uss-role/ | title='Star Wars' inadvertently hits too close to U.S.'s role | newspaper=Chicago Tribune | first=Mark | last=Caro | date=May 18, 2005 | access-date=November 12, 2017}}</ref> This claim was likewise backed up by the 1973 draft for the first movie, then-called ''The Star Wars'', where Lucas specifically mentioned that the theme involved an independent planet named Aquillae that was compared to North Vietnam, and that the Empire was "America 10 years from now",<ref>Rinzler, J.W., ''The Making of Star Wars'', page 7-8, 16-18.</ref><ref>Taylor, Chris. ''How Star Wars Conquered the Universe''. p. 87-88, 109-110, 125.</ref> and by [[Walter Murch]], who claimed Lucas, after his failure with ''Apocalypse Now'', decided to do ''Star Wars'' as a way to channel the anti-war and pro-Vietcong ideology in a disguised form.<ref>{{cite book|title = The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film|last = Ondaatje|first = Michael|publisher = Knopf |date =2005|page =70|quote =Originally George Lucas was going to direct ('Apocalypse Now'), so it was a project that George and John [Milius] developed for [American] Zoetrope. That was back in 1969. Then, when Warner Brothers cancelled the funding for Zoetrope, the project was abandoned for a while. After the success of 'American Graffiti' in 1973, George wanted to revive it, but it was still too hot a topic, the [Vietnam] war was still on, and nobody wanted to finance something like that. So George considered his options: What did he really want to say in 'Apocalypse Now?' The message boiled down to the ability of a small group of people to defeat a gigantic power simply by the force of their convictions. And he decided, All right, if it's politically too hot as a contemporary subject, I'll put the essence of the story in outer space and make it happen in a galaxy long ago and far away. The rebel group were the North Vietnamese, and the Empire was the United States. And if you have 'the force,' no matter how small you are, you can defeat the overwhelmingly big power. 'Star Wars' is George's transubstantiated version of 'Apocalypse Now.'}}</ref> [[Ian McDiarmid]], when recalling something Lucas told him during filming of ''Return of the Jedi'', also implied that the Oval Office, and in particular, Nixon's presidency, played a role in the design of the Emperor's throne room.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/nov/07/theatre1 |title=Lindesay Irvine talks to Ian McDiarmid|first=Lindesay|last=Irvine|date=7 November 2005|website=The Guardian}}</ref> Political themes in ''[[Rogue One]]'' have also been noted{{Explain|reason=What political themes|date=May 2023}}.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Somin | first1=Ilya | title=Rogue One and the Politics of Star Wars | url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/12/29/rogue-one-and-the-politics-of-star-wars/ | date=December 29, 2016 | newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] | access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | last1=Doescher | first1=Ian | title=The Empire Is Us: The Politics of 'Rogue One' | url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/politics-of-rogue-one-214549 | date=December 26, 2016 | magazine=[[Politico Magazine]] | access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref>

The political and military conflict of the prequel films, especially ''Attack of the Clones'' and ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith|Revenge of the Sith]]'', bears a strong similarity to elements of the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865): the [[Galactic Republic]]'s Clone army (officially called the "[[Clone trooper#Grand Army of the Republic|Grand Army of the Republic]]") represents the [[Union Army]] (whose veteran organization was named [[Grand Army of the Republic]]), while the [[Confederacy of Independent Systems]] mimics the [[Confederate States of America]] (also abbreviated as "the Confederacy").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jamilla |first=Nick |date=2014 |title=Sword Fighting in the Star Wars Universe: Historical Origins, Style and Philosophy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g23D4YMmdb0C&pg=PA153 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland |page=153 |isbn=9780786451791 |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="Politics">{{cite web|url=http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~anne/clones.html|title=Attack of the Clones and the Politics of Star Wars|year=2002|last=Lancashire|first=Anne|website=The Dalhousie Review|access-date=June 30, 2016}}</ref> The character of [[Count Dooku]] is directly based on Confederate General [[Robert E. Lee]].