I am just wondering, do you guys believe Grand Admiral Thrawn's theory of why the Empire lost at Endor and had been losing the war for 5 years straight?
I for one do not fully believe it. This is how his theory went (for those who are unfamiliar to it) when the Emperor died on the second death star, all personal lost thier ability to cooperate fully with their machines. Then, panic ensued, and the Imperial Fleet fled in dissorder, dispit thier bieng a Grand Admiral in command now. This I do not fully agree with. For one, yes, I do believe that the Emperor had some influnce on how the battle was lost. But, how can the Emperor so full control the battle that everyone loses thier ability to fight well?
Then, after the Emperor died, if you watch the wide screen version of the ROTJ, the Fleet is in no way dissarayed. They are still fighting fiercly. Yes, on board the Death Star, thier was mass havoc. That is why I believe that it was only on the Death Star the Emperor was controlling the most.
Third, the Empire had very rigid training systems. If the Emperor was influncing the battle, they would have surely been able to snap back, or rebound after the Emperor's death.
Lord Scourge
Not that I fully agree with Thrawn's theory, it has a couple of points in its favor:
1. The Emperor appeared to have deliberately left a lack of clear succession to his throne were he to die. He was planning on never dying, and he was so spiteful that if he were actually to die, he wanted the Empire to collapse on itself, fighting over the scraps he has left them. After he and Vader died, and Admiral Piett aboard the Executor as well, there was no clear chain of command, no one who had the authority to make a decision for the entire fleet. Admiral Pellaeon ordered a retreat, but not everyone obeyed him, because he only had as much authority as the other admirals and captains chose to allow him.
2. The Emperor was using the Dark Side of the Force to manipulate and coordinate the activities of those working under him. Once this process is over, it usually leaves both the one coordinating the actions, and the ones being coordinated, feeling a bit drained. However, this did not end normally, but suddenly in the midst of battle - very quickly the Imperials went from a state of working in the unison of puppets under the same puppeteer, to a confused, dazed mess of people who had not been thinking for themselves just a few moments earlier. Some certainly had the will to keep the fight going, but without a clear chain of command (#1) even this was limited.
Now then, of course Sidious was not directly manipulating everyone, that kind of focus over millions of people would not have allowed him to take a personal role in the attempted conversion of Luke Skywalker. Plus many individuals were strong-willed and well-trained, and needed no help to act in a coordinated manner with the other troops.
There is some truth to what Thrawn said, but I think Thrawn was also a little too fond of hyperbole and exagerration, and you are right not to take his words too literally.
