My two favorite periods are Roman Imperial and WWII. If you ask me, Palpatine resembles Hitler far more than he does Caesar. Hitler used more political intrigue than Caesar did in his rise to power. Hitler was a manipulator and Himmler was his Vader. Caesar was a whole different animal and though he used the senate to legitimize his position, it was already won through force.
Caesar also was not a good diplomatic leader. He was a soldier and he himself knew this. He didn't have a particular social agenda and Marc Antony was not a stone cold murderer. They were warrior generals who used the gladius to attain power and women. Hitler, on the other hand, had a social agenda and Himmler carried it out with evil ferocity. Hitler manipulated the german people into giving him power through his rhetoric and then consolidated power through the destruction of the old order. He himself led the raids on the SA and disbanded them giving authority to his own elite, the SS. In these orders, you see the templates for the Jedi and the Sith more or less due to their archtypes. We have the old police force that patrolled Germany in the form of the SA. Unlike were the Jedi though, they werequite nasty at times, but they were independent of the government and layed down their own laws while working with the government, a relationship that resembles the Jedi order. The SS were very much into mysticism and found pride in ancient rituals and their warrior heritage. They were cold and efficient and I very much see the single mindedness of Vader and Maul in Himmler and Heydrich respectively. I think those who know about these men would agree for the most part. (I've studied these guys and one of the reasons I love star wars is its parallel to this era.)
Do not confuse these men. Caesar, while ruthless and cold, was not a Hitler. Caesar came to power still hoping to heal Rome, while Hitler came to power for revenge against Germany's enemies. Two very different motives separating two very different men.
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As an addendum, I believe Caesar knew himself that he wasn't a good political leader. He was not a manipulator and I believe he knew he was going to be assassinated and he allowed it. Sources have claimed that he was warned. Shakespeare had this in the form of a soothsayer, but indications are that Caesar's spies told him about Brutus' plan to kill him. (as another sidenote, Brutus was NOT Caesar's right hand man. He was in fact a prominent figure of the opposing political party in Rome, the conservatives.) I think Caesar knew it would martyr him and it has. Historians, and I agree, have said that his assassination is probably the most important event of the last 2,000 years, even greater than that of Constantine making Rome christian. Caesar etched his name in history with his blood. He knew he could go no higher and decided to become Rome's greatest hero through his death.
