Just how long did the GE last?

[Lord Revan]

Simple enough, just how long did the Galactic Empire last as a political entity?

At least to me the Imperial remnant seems to be the Galactic Empire in name only (even if they claim to be the Empire), so at what point can we say that the Empire was no more and all that's left was a remnant.

[Eternal_Freedom]

I would say that the treaty signed between the New REpulic and the Imperial forces declaring an end to hostilities would count as an "official" end point. The Gavrisom-Pellaeon Trety IIRC. Sometime around 19 ABY.

That would give the GE a lifetime of ~38 years.

[Thanas]

That is not how sovereignty works.

[Captain Seafort]

About 30 years, going from its initial formation to the death of Carivus and the arrest of the Ruling Council. The remnant is no more the Empire, in terms of political continuity, than the US is Britain.

[Thanas]

Why not?

[Captain Seafort]

Why not?

Because the remnant was originally formed from Daala's unification of the various warlord microstates that had previously broken away from the Empire, just as the US was formed from the unification of the various colonies that broke away from Great Britain in the mid 1770s. It's a distinct entity that existed in parallel with the Empire embodied in the Ruling Council.

[Thanas]

Why not?

Because the remnant was originally formed from Daala's unification of the various warlord microstates that had previously broken away from the Empire, just as the US was formed from the unification of the various colonies that broke away from Great Britain in the mid 1770s. It's a distinct entity that existed in parallel with the Empire embodied in the Ruling Council.

Actually, it did not exist in parallel. The Interim Ruling council was destroyed in 11 ABY, the Remnant was not formed until 12 ABY. Even further, as the Remnant encorporated the last leaders of the Empire (the moff council) there is political continuity, at least enough to pretty much satisfy Jelinek's definition.

[Lord Revan]

Thanas would you consider the Fel Empire to be the Galactic Empire or a successor state?

[Thanas]

There is not much of a difference in legal terms, successor state just means "same state that has gone through some changes". See for example the German Empire and Germany today.

[Tiriol]

Moffs were more like governors who possessed both military and political authority in their areas of influence than any actual central authority of the Empire. But at least the New Republic and the Imperial forces themselves clearly thought that Pellaeon's Empire was the same state as Palpatine's Empire, so at least in-universe there's no reason to say that the actual Empire would have ceased to be with the death of self-styled Emperor Carivus and the collapse of the Imperial Interim Ruling Council, am I correct?

[Thanas]

Moffs were more like governors who possessed both military and political authority in their areas of influence than any actual central authority of the Empire. But at least the New Republic and the Imperial forces themselves clearly thought that Pellaeon's Empire was the same state as Palpatine's Empire, so at least in-universe there's no reason to say that the actual Empire would have ceased to be with the death of self-styled Emperor Carivus and the collapse of the Imperial Interim Ruling Council, am I correct?

Yes.

States gain sovereignty (legitimacy) through several ways. Jellinek defined it as being composed of the following:
- Territory
- People
- Power
with nowadays also added: - International recognition.

Now, the Imperial territory was greatly diminished, but they still held clearly defined borders with Imperial worlds. The Empire also had people who defined themselves as Imperial, though their number of course was greatly diminished as well. The Empire also clearly had power over those worlds. And it was recognized as the only legitimate Imperial Government by the other sovereign states.

So I fail to see what is missing here to declare the Imperial Remnant the only legitimate Imperial state there is. Even more we have in-universe statements from a host of people from Leia to Pellaeon which clearly state that the Remnant is the true Empire.

[SystemError]

I'm surprised there wasn't any ideological factionalism within the Imperial successor States/breakaways. By which I mean, you might have some Imperial worlds with large human populations that took High Human Culture to its extreme and became literal Space Nazis, others who focused on Sithian teachings, etc. Or maybe there was and I'm just not that familiar with the EU material covering it.

[Thanas]

I think after having gotten their teeth kicked in for over a decade they just might be willing to do what works rather than what their ideology dictates.