Call to Action

The Ghost crew, having proved effective in their strikes against the Empire, win the attention of a powerful new enemy.

Rebels Recon: Inside "Call to Action"

Star Wars Rebels: "Tarkin Arrives"

Historical Connections

Organized Resistance - The Rebellion vs. Empire

With the realization that senator Gall Trayvis was actually a double agent working for the Empire, Ezra and his Rebel friends decided to take matters into their own hands. With Trayvis exposed, they plan to infiltrate an Imperial communications tower and send a message of truth to the people in the galaxy’s outer rim. They hoped to do what they believed Trayvis had been doing all along, expose the Empire and its tyrannical rule.

A tyrannical leader is an absolute ruler with no constitution or law to limit their power. They typically rule unjustly and oppress his or her subjects into following their authority. Often this is achieved through harsh rules and severe punishments intended to scare subjects into submission. In the case of the Empire, Emperor Palpatine is the main tyrant, but his most loyal commanders like Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin act as his enforcers and expand the reach of his tyranny.

Historically speaking, tyrants often rise and fall quickly. Too often, though, their short reigns leave a lasting mark on their former subjects and history. Tyrants characteristically believe they are acting in the best interest of their people when subjugating them to harsh rules and limited rights. Of course they also lay down such rules to ensure their power and the longevity of their rule.

Some of history’s most well known rulers and leaders were tyrants. Examples include: Maximilien Robespierre, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Josef Stalin, and more recently, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.

In times of oppression, there are always brave individuals and groups that unite to defiantly rebel against their abusive ruler. During World War I, Belgian civilians worked together to sabotage the Germans who had unlawfully invaded their neutral country. One group, La Dame Blanche or The White Lady, worked to spy on the Germans and report information that could be helpful to the Allies. It is estimated that 75% of intelligence gathered from occupied Belgium and northern France was supplied by La Dame Blanche.

During World War II, the French Resistance worked to fight against the collaborationist Vichy Regime and the Nazis occupying their country. Members of the French Resistance carried out guerrilla strikes against Nazi targets, maintained escape routes for soldiers and airmen trapped behind enemy lines, published underground newspapers designed to invoke others to their cause and reveal truths of Nazi and Vichy oppression, and engaged in espionage activities. The Resistance was primarily led by Charles de Gaulle, who was well known during the war for his supportive and inspirational radio broadcasts into France from London. De Gaulle called on all patriots to join the French Free Army and fight with the Allies. His actions were so severely despised by Vichy leaders, De Gaulle was sentenced to death in absentia. By the time of the Normandy invasion, the French Resistance numbered over half a million and proved instrumental in the speedy Allied advance through France.

Our heroes in Star Wars: Rebels collectively represent the same spirit of La Dame Blanche and the French Resistance. Their goal is to do anything and everything they can to expose, circumvent, and destroy any Imperial efforts to spread their tyranny.

Grand Moff Tarkin, Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, The Inquisitor, Agent Kallus, Galactic Empire, HoloNet News

• History.com: Collaboration and Resistance
• History Learning Site: The French Resistance
• BBC - De Gaulle's Speeches
• US National WWII Museum Lesson - When they came for me, there was no one left to speak up.
• Holocaust Teacher Resource Center - Lesson - Faces of Courage

Reflection for Call to Action