The Rakatan Infinite Empire dominated the galaxy in the centuries preceding the Unification Wars.
Millennia before the Unification Wars, the Rakatan Infinite Empire emerged as the dominant power in the galaxy. They enslaved many sentient species using their Force-powered hyperdrives, until eventually a plague ravaged their empire. The survivors were stripped of their connection to the Force, and could do nothing to prevent the slave uprising that followed. The collapse of the Infinite Empire paved the way for other powers to develop, such as the Duros and Corellians, who reverse-engineered the Rakatan hyperdrive and started to explore the galaxy.
Before a clear new dominant power in the galaxy could be established again, the Unification Wars erupted at some point by 25,053 BBY. The infamous warlord Zakrinand Minus commanded forces on one of the warring sides of the conflict and came to be regarded as a near-invincible leader. The Force-sensitive Jedi Order partook in the conflict, eventually emerging victorious from the wars by 25,053 BBY. Some later historians believed the Jedi clashed with what the former considered to be forces of "evil" during the conflict, and that they were aided by the mystic Bendu monks in that fight.
The Galactic Republic stood for twenty-five thousand years following the Unification Wars.
Following the wars, several planets from the Core Worlds combined, and the constitution for a Galactic Republic was ratified. Among the prominent founders of this thriving democracy were planets such as Coruscant, Corellia, Alderaan and Duro. Although initially wary of the Republic, the Jedi joined it a century after the wars' end, taking on the role of peacekeepers. The emblem brandished by the Bendu during the conflict would be adopted as the official symbol of the Galactic Republic. The Republic would survive for twenty-five thousand years, enduring in spite of the many conflicts that sought to engulf it.
The Unification Wars were first referenced in the 2005 guide Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections, which claimed that the conflict led to the Republic's founding. However, the Unification Wars have been ignored by most subsequent sources, which largely indicate that the Republic was founded peacefully.
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections
- Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections: The Prequel Trilogy
- Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
- Dangerous Covenants