The False Connection between Midi-chlorians and the Force
The Force, as quoted by the late Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is " an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." For millennia, the Force has been an arcane power that surrounded the Jedi Order. For the many sentient species scattered throughout the galaxy, the Force and the Jedi are synonymous. The Force is not only a real power wielded by few, but the fact that the Jedi were able to use the Force, gave them power in the minds of the galaxy's populace, through awe, respect, and from some, fear.
After Palpatine overthrew the Jedi order, he needed to consolidate his power over a very large and complicated array of worlds, settlements, and colonies. With the Jedi order being an influential presence throughout the galaxy for thousands of years, it was not going to be easy to erase the memory of them. Therefore, he needed as many tools and tactics as possible to eliminate all traces of respect given to the Jedi order. One tactic implemented by the Peace Through Understanding Campaign (PTUC) was to provide an explanation for this mysterious Force by attributing its power to Midi-chlorians.
In truth, Midi-chlorians are microscopic structures found within cells. Organelles which contain high levels of antioxidant molecules, Midi-chlorians have a direct relation to the life of a cell. Simply put, the more Midi-chlorians found in a cell, the longer the life of a cell. Cloners, such as the Kaminoans, have long manipulated Midi-chlorians to accelerate the aging process with their clone products. Case in point, is the creation of the Clone Army for the Republic. Through manipulation of the genetic material of bounty hunter Jango Fett, the Kaminoans were able to produce 20 year old equivalent clones in a 10 year time span. Scientists all agree there is no identifiable connection between Midi-chlorians and Force potential. There is also no connection between Midi-chlorians and active Force users. Multiple studies have since been conducted and they all corroborate this same conclusion.
So, why did the PTUC include the concept of Midi-chlorians, and the number of them found in an individual, as a direct correlation to that individual's Force potential? The answer has four parts.
The design in the PTUC was that in time, without the presence of the Jedi, the Force would become a thing of legend and myth. With less Force users in the present and hopefully in the future, there was less of a threat to Palpatine and his power. In order to accelerate this agenda, the Empire was not able to tell people the Force did not exist, because there were too many first hand accounts from living people who had witnessed the power being used. Instead, the Empire sought to minimize the awe of the Force in the minds of the galaxy's population and eventually have most beings simply lose interest. They were to accomplish this by inventing an explanation about why some people had the Force and why others did not. By connecting Midi-chlorians and the Force, the Force would become tangible, less mysterious, and therefore less interesting.
This begs the question: How could the Empire and its PTUC connect a real microscopic organelle known by scientific communities to an unrelated function (Force potential and ability) that had no evidence associated with it? Well, while known, the science and understanding of Midi-chlorians, was not widely spread throughout the galaxy. While most worlds with advanced understanding of molecular biology knew of their existence, their role in cellular activity was something of a mystery itself. Of course, the average beings of most sentient species knew little if anything of molecular biology. Using the Midi-chlorian was a perfect cover in creating an explanation about the Force. By attributing Force potential and power to a biological cellular structure, it effectively demystified the Force. To the galaxy's populace, the Force was still powerful and dangerous but it became nothing more than something you are born with. Therefore, the Force became something that could not be developed, you either had the potential or you didn't. Eventually, people became less interested in the Force and it lost its appeal. With the virtual destruction of the Jedi order, and the ability to explain why people had the ability to use the Force, the near religious zeal that some communities had for the Jedi and the Force withered away. Now of course, Palpatine himself was a powerful Force user but instead of letting the general population of the galaxy know he could use the Force, he found it better to keep this a closely guarded secret and in turn an effective and dangerous secret weapon.
The second reason is if beings across the galaxy believed that Midi-chlorians were involved in one's Force potential, and they were tested and had few Midi-chlorians, there would be less of a chance of true Force sensitives trying to develop their powers. If those that had a high Midi-chlorian count were tested and subsequently attempted to develop their Force potential, they were usually not a Force sensitive, and therefore they soon became frustrated and stopped trying to harness any Force power. Of course, the extremely rare event would be an individual who had a very high Midi-chlorian count and was also a true Force sensitive. That individual may truly be able to have some power in the Force. Although, Palpatine was quick to point out that without a guide on how to develop and use the Force those individuals would typically be a very small threat to him and his Empire.
The third reason Palpatine connected Midi-chlorians and the Force was due to the Midi-chlorians being involved in cell life. Palpatine, like the Sith Lord he was originally apprenticed to, Darth Plagueis, was interested in immortality. While Cloners, like the Kaminoans, were able to speed up cell life in their clone products, they had not as of yet been able to reliably manipulate Midi-chlorians for products to live longer than their normal life span. Palpatine felt the key to immortality lie in the manipulation of Midi-chlorians. He had people tested throughout the galaxy. Those who had higher Midi-chlorian counts were taken captive. He originally gave the masses of the galaxy the explanation that these people were identified as possible Force users that needed to be carefully evaluated and treated to help them control their power and make them safe to themselves and others. In reality, he took these people as test subjects to perform experiments on in order to find out more about how Midi-chlorians could be manipulated for his pursuit of immortality. The results of these tests have been discovered in encrypted files and at this time remain classified.
The final reason to connect Midi-chlorians with the Force was to elevate newly anointed Sith Lord, Darth Vader. Many strategies were used to induce fear of the populace, and the imposing figure of Darth Vader along with mask, baritone voice, above average height for a human, black cloak, black suit, and visible lightsaber was typically, by mere sight, able to intimidate the voices of opposition to the Empire. But while Darth Vader visited much of the galaxy in his pursuit and hunt of the remaining Jedi after the fall of the Jedi Order, it was impossible for him to visit all worlds and all sentient species. But while he did not visit every world, there were many a story shared and promulgated regarding Darth Vader that spread to every sector of the galaxy. One such bit of information included in the PTUC was that Darth Vader as a child had the highest Midi-chlorian count ever recorded. Since Midi-chlorians were already being falsely connected with a being's Force potential and ability, Darth Vader having the highest number ever recorded gave him even more clout as a powerful Force user who should be feared. (See separate document on 'Darth Vader and Divinity' for more information)
As it can be seen, the PTUC used several strategies to demystify the Force. The false connection between Midi-chlorians and the Force was very effective. In the years immediately preceding the Battle of Yavin, the Jedi and the Force were practically forgotten by much of the Galaxy. In a mere 15 years, the dissemination of propaganda in the PTUC turned the most inspiring and amazing power of the galaxy into something of legend. May this be a reminder to the population of the galaxy to always search for truth even if that truth may never be fully understood by mortals.