Empire or rebels?

We'd have to go far back. the Jedi almost hunted the Sith(The race) to exctinction and drove them from known space. The emperor of the Empire took it as an opportunity and made the Sith hate the Jedi with a burning passion.. It's a story about revenge, in a way. I'd say that an Empire with more of an open minded view that allowed all races and such to prosper rather than throwing them in chains would be stronger than the Republic. The Republic are corrupted whereas the Empire is disciplined.