The Imperial Military, also referred to as the Imperial Armed Forces, comprised the various branches of the armed forces of the Galactic Empire, such as the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy and the Stormtrooper Corps, as well as agencies such as Imperial Intelligence. Formed as a realignment of the Republic Military following the Clone Wars and the transformation from Galactic Republic to the Empire, the nascent Imperial Military was tasked with enforcement across the Empire and was used for suppressing planetary uprisings, the Jedi Purge, chasing holdouts of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and threats from the Unknown Regions.
However it would be faced with a growing rebellion which caused concern within the military, ultimately resulting in the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the Galactic Civil War. The Imperial stormtroopers and Star Destroyers were deployed and fought across the galaxy to retain Imperial control. Even after the loss of the Death Star over Yavin, the Empire was able to almost defeat the rebels during the Battle of Hoth. Six months later, the Imperial Military suffered a sudden and crushing defeat at the Battle of Endor.
After successive defeats by New Republic as well as the power vacuum left in the wake of the Emperor‘s death following Endor, the Imperial Military finally collapsed on the Inner Rim world of Jakku and was officially disbanded by the New Republic shortly after the war ended.
The affairs of the Army and the Navy were overseen by the Joint Chiefs, the various commanders of the two branches, while the Stormtrooper Corps operated under the oversight of the Army. However supreme command was given to the Galactic Emperor and his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader, referred to as 1 and 2 respectively. The Imperial Department of Military Research helped the Imperial Military by upgrading and developing new weapons and technology, while former companies friendly to the Republic helped manufacture the newer Imperial vessels entering production, with some of the largest being Sienar Fleet Systems and Kuat Drive Yards. Organizations such as the Naval Intelligence Agency, Imperial Intelligence, and Imperial Security Bureau often worked in conjunction with the Imperial Military, with the ISB installing an internal affairs officer aboard all Imperial-class Star Destroyers and utilizing informants to discover the location of the Alliance Fleet during the Galactic Civil War.
Enlistment was open to human individuals, who were trained at the numerous Imperial Academy complexes across the galaxy, with many members becoming enlisted personnel, officers or stormtroopers. The Empire had billions of soldiers during its height, the largest military force the galaxy had ever seen. Since the Empire favored humans and looked down on aliens, it was rare to find non-humans serving in the Imperial Military. Embodying the spirit of the Tarkin Doctrine, the armed forces relied on the sheer threat of force to keep neighboring systems in line. Fear and intimidation were essential for all Imperial Military operations, exemplified by the sheer size of Star Destroyers which acted as both a physical and psychological deterrent from assaulting it—and the Empire.