WWII references in Star Wars

[Phidippides]

I've been going through the various Star Wars movies starting with Episode I and I'm through Episode V so far. Interestingly enough there are some WWII/pre-WWII references or bases for some of the elements (storyline or otherwise) of the movies that I've discovered after doing some reading about George Lucas and his movie franchise. Who here can name some of these references?

[Jim O]

I'll have to go through the old movies. I have 4, 5, and 6 on VHS () and it means firing up an old VCR.

[temujin77]

I was a big Star Wars nut in my younger days, and came up with a few off the top of my head immediately. Mainly, I recall the Empire was supposed to reflect a mental image of Nazi Germany:

1. All Imperial personnel were white and male; no aliens, no females. In the extended universe fans also learn of the systematic enslavement and/or destruction of non-human races, which was undoubted a hint at the Holocaust.

2. The rank of Moff (Grand Moff Tarkin of Ep. 4 and Moff Jerjerrod of Ep. 6) was to mimic the Nazi German concept of a regional SS leader who held supreme power, military or civilian, in a particular region, backed up by political support from the dictator.

3. The use of the term "Stormtroopers". While that term is not reserved for Nazi Germany only, many of us associate the two.

4. I've heard Imperial weapons resemble German rifles, which quite honestly I am not an expert on, so I don't know if that one was true or not... I also recall someone mentioned Han Solo's blaster pistol looked like a Luger. Someone help me with this one, please. (By the way, Han Solo was an Imperial Naval Academy dropout, if you didn't know.)

[temujin77]

Speaking of Star Wars, one of the things that annoys me in the movies was the calling of the big Imperial battleships "Star DESTROYERS". They were WAYYYYY to big to be "destroyers"...

[Phidippides]

Originally Posted by temujin77

4. I've heard Imperial weapons resemble German rifles, which quite honestly I am not an expert on, so I don't know if that one was true or not...

The trivia section on IMDB.com mentions that the rifles used by the Clone Army was based on the MG-42 - "Hitler's Buzzsaw" (see here in second picture).

IMDB also said that the ending award ceremony scene from Episode IV was taken directly from Triumph des Willens, the 1935 Nazi propaganda film featuring Adolf Hitler as himself.

Lastly, IMDB also mentioned that the way Palpatine assumes emergency powers to suppress separatists mimiced the way Hitler did so during his rise to power. I guess I didn't consciously connect those dots while watching Episode I or II but after I read that it seemed pretty obvious.

I hadn't heard about the Han Solo blaster-Luger connection, but that's pretty interesting. The blaster did kind of look like a Luger. "Some hokey religion is no replacement for a blaster at your side"....or something like that.....

[Tom Houlihan]

Originally Posted by Phidippides

I hadn't heard about the Han Solo blaster-Luger connection, but that's pretty interesting. The blaster did kind of look like a Luger.

Actually, I think Han's weapon was more based on the Mauser Broomhandle.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that Darth Vader's helmet resembles the Stalhelm.

K

[Klaus]

Darth Varder Helmet is closer related to Samurai Helmets than a Wehrmachts Stahlhelm. But there are simularities.

[phylo_roadking]

When Star wars, the original one LOL was in production at Elstree in England, a problem they hadnt encountered in pre-production was the sheer COST of large numbers of artifacts - so if you look carefully they raided Elstree's props department

Its PRINCESS LEIA's laser pistol thats actuall a very-long barrlled Luger, Han Solo's is indeed a Mauser with a flash suppressor thingy clamped on the end.

The BIG laser rifles are MG42s, with sacking wrapped round here and there with cable ties!

The medium sized ones are Stirling SMGs with no magazine and the tubular stock folded forward under the perforated barrel!

[Troy Tempest]

Thanks for the tip phylo! I never noticed the MG 42 connection, I'll have to watch it again and watch closely for the cable ties.