Senate emergency defense session

In the early days of the Great Galactic War, the Galactic Republic suffered several successive losses to the newly-discovered reconstituted Sith Empire in the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories. After the Republic Navy's defeat in the Tingel Arm and several other defense failures across the Rim, the Galactic Senate and the Jedi High Council called for an emergency congressional session to organize the Republic Military's defense of the galaxy.

The session was inconclusive, as the delegates attempting to select the military's priorities were unable to agree, with many declaring that they were unwilling to participate if their worlds were not properly defended. The Republic's diplomatic allies, who would have otherwise contributed their military forces to the greater war effort, refused to commit their resources to the fight against the Sith. Ultimately, the inability of the Senate to come to a consensus allowed the Sith time to regroup and prepare for what would become a twenty-eight year conflict—one that saw the Republic politically crippled and militarily defeated.

Text and facts from the “Senate emergency defense session” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.