In 19 BBY, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine issued his State of the Republic address before a special session of the Senate of the Galactic Republic. The address occurred in the third year of the pan-galactic Clone Wars between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems, and thus focused heavily on the progress of the conflict and the Chancellor's vision for future warfare between the two belligerents. Palpatine outlined in his speech his reasons for continuing the war despite growing opposition from Loyalist senators, giving particular emphasis to the Outer Rim Sieges and the dangers posed by Confederate holdouts in the targeted regions. Nevertheless, the Supreme Chancellor made an effort to reassure the people of the Republic that there was clear reason for optimism i