Guerrilla warfare/Legends
Guerrilla warfare, also known as guerrilla tactics, was a form of irregular warfare where a small group would fight off a larger force via unconventional tactics. Strategies falling under guerrilla warfare included ambushes, sabotage, raids, and hit-and-run tactics. In extreme cases, guerrilla warfare could even utilize borderline terroristic measures, such as holding hostages. Largely because of the fact that guerrilla warfare was technically not part of the standards of warfare, it was generally used by terrorist groups, revolutionaries, outlaws, or people who had been pushed to their limit.
There were some downsides to guerrilla warfare, however: in some cases, the enemy army's manpower and defenses were significantly large and expansive enough that guerrilla warfare was useless in dislodging them. In addition, if guerrilla warfare lasted long enough, the larger force would eventually become privy to their efforts and rout the guerrillas out. In some cases, guerrillas were also aided in their endeavors by a larger force opposite that of the force the guerrillas were fighting against, either directly or indirectly. Those who practiced such tactics were generally called guerrillas or guerillas.
Usage
The earliest known instance of guerrilla warfare was during the Kanz Disorders, where the native Lorrdians utilized kinetic communication to coordinate such tactics against the Argazdan Redoubt.
The Palarians also utilized guerrilla warfare against the Corporate Sector Authority on Pal Goral.
Guerrilla warfare would play a large role in the Galactic Civil War by the Rebel Alliance, with their Sector Force division of the Rebel Alliance Special Forces frequently engaging in guerrilla conflicts, having specific variants of guerrilla fighters for various battlefields (such as Urban Guerrillas), and their inspiring several other groups fighting against the Empire to also utilize guerrilla warfare. Their use of guerrilla warfare was largely because they couldn't actually defeat the Empire in a conventional war, as unlike the Empire, their total forces could not organize on the regiment level. However, General Carlist Rieekan admitted that even their guerrilla efforts were useless against systems that had a systems army present. The most notable use of guerrilla warfare was that of the Ewoks during the Battle of Endor, although the Empire eventually coordinated their efforts to routing the Ewoks out until Chewbacca hijacked an AT-ST. Aside from the Rebels, other groups such as the Nagai during the Nagai–Tof War at the Firefist companion galaxy as well as the Taloron Hunters utilized guerrilla tactics against various invading pirate groups during the Taloron Pirate Conflict. Later in the war, even the Imperials utilized guerrilla warfare, including Admiral Daala during the Daala campaign, Imperial forces on Brolsam, and Ivan Cronus.
Behind the scenes
Guerrilla warfare played a major role in the Star Wars franchise, in particular the Original Trilogy and The Phantom Menace. This was largely because of the overall franchise being influenced by the Vietnam War, and in particular the exploits of the South Vietnamese Nationalistic/Communist group the Viet Cong.
Appearances
"The Quality of Mercy" – Star Wars Adventure Journal 1- "The Way of the Yrashu" – Star Wars Adventure Journal 2 (First appearance)
- Jedi Search
- Dark Knight's Devilry
- Flashpoint! Brak Sector
"Recruitment Speech" – Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim (Mentioned only)
"Omens"—The DarkStryder Campaign - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novelization
- Star Wars: Crimson Empire
- Darksaber
- Star Wars: River of Chaos
Sources
- Classic Adventures: Volume Two
- Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens — Enemies and Allies
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
- Cracken's Rebel Field Guide
- Cracken's Rebel Operatives
- Cracken's Threat Dossier
- Planets of the Galaxy, Volume Two
- Creatures of the Galaxy
