If the Republic still hadn't decided on making a military, though, how much of a "crisis" could it be?The Separatist crisis seems to have been going on for several years before the Clone Wars began. Palpatine was already a few years over his term limits to deal with it. Meaning diplomatic solutions were possibly attempted.
I can see why he'd want that, to help foment a war, but again: why would the rest of the Republic care about seceding planets? Because of trade route taxation?It might also be that Palpatine was running a no break way planets policy.