To the best of my knowledge, the main evidence for this claim is the following excerpt from the Return of the Jedi novelization:
"In a remote and midnight vacume beyond the edge of the galaxy, the vast Rebel fleet stretched, from its vanguard to it rear echelon, past the range of human vision. Corellian battle ships, cruisers, destroyers, carriers, bombers, Sullustian cargo freighters, Calamarian tankers, Alderaanian gunships, Kesselian blockade runners, Bestinian skyhoppers, X-wing, Y-wing, and A-wing fighters, shuttles, transport vehicles, manowars. Every Rebel in the galaxy, soldier and civilian alike, waited tensely in these ships for instructions. They were lead by the largest of the Rebel Cruisers, the Headquarters Frigate.
Hundreds of Rebel commanders, of all species and lifeforms, assembled in the war room of the giant Star Cruiser, awaiting orders from the Hight Command."
What conclusions can be drawn from the above passage? (Aside from the misslabling of Home One as a Frigate rather than as a cruiser or battle ship, and the intersting implication that "Star Cruiser" is a specific class, given the repeated capitallization)
First, if we are to take this quote litteraly rather than as hyperbolly, the entire Rebellion was indeed at this meeting (presumably only the Alliance propper, and not every supporter on every world around the Galaxy or in a rebel group not affilliated with the Alliance).
Second, the fleet was very large, extending "past the range of human vision." However, it is in no way clear that this fleet is identical in composition to the one that arrived at Endor. The diversity of vessels described as pressent in this vast armada is not easily matched to the on-screen fleet, nor is the size of the described armada, and it furthermore includes classes that would likely have little utillity in either a fleet battle or a raid. Granted, the Alliance brought along some transports to Endor that were employed as ram ships, but only a supremely stupid commander would expose every single logistical support unit to needless peril by bringing them on a raid unless it was absolutely nessissary.
Lastly, the meeting described above took place ]outside of the Galaxy, before the Rebellion even gathered at Sullust to prepair for the attack on the second Death Star. Theirfore, unless their is a quote which explicitely says that the entire Rebellion was at Endor, then any lower canon sources that place Rebel forces elsewhere at the time would still presumably, under Lucasfilm's canon policy, be valid. In short, both logic and canon policy seem to suggest that the fleet described above was not entirely pressent at Endor.
Of course this begs the question of why the Rebellion would bring all their forces to a meeting. Less risky, perhaps, than bringing them all to a battle, but still hardly an intelligent or logical move. Frankly, the above quote is irrational, and the Star Wars Universe would be better off without it. However, by recognizing that the above description does not nessissarily refer to the fleet pressent at Endor, it may be possible to limit the damage, and avoid attempts to reduce the Rebellion only to the meagre fleet present at Endor, or to an organization commanded by tactically and strategically incompetant fools. After all, why the hell would the Rebellion deploy tankers against the Death Star?
And at the end of the day, it is also simply a question of accuracy.Ultimately, I would draw two main conclusions from the above quote. First, the Alliance propper was small on a galactic scale, but its fleet was not nessissarily limitted to what was pressent at Endor. Secondly, the canon policy does not (at least in this passage) overrule the possibillity of some Rebel forces being elsewhere during the Battle of Endor. This is fortunate, as it would have been highly irrational for the entire Alliance fleet to be pressent at Endor, and it makes some sense that certain forces would be kept elsewhere to meet nessissary strategic needs (raiding the Emipire, protecting the leadership, safeguarding supportive worlds against a sudden attack, etc). Further, if the fleet at Endor is indeed held to be the entire Rebel fleet, it may become easier for certain parties to, perhaps inacurrately, argue for a minimalist interpretation of the Alliance, which may also feed into minimalist interpretations of the entire Star Wars Universe.
Obviously, this argument all falls apart if other quotes exist in high-level canon that verify that the entire Rebellion was at Endor. I'll be checking the novelization out of the library tomorrow, but if anyone wishes to contradict my reasoning before then, please, fire away.
