LegateFasendil
Imperial Legate
And how is Ulfric a compassionate leader? He does the same thing that Tullius does, and worse by far is giving Jarl Ballin' a choice of giving the Stormcloaks control of the city with him as a mere figurehead, or the stormcloaks taking it from him and leaving him nothing.
Also, he surrenders, likely knowing that he and his men will be executed anyways, which is not compassionate at all, but sacrificing men for nothing.
"I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, who's names I heard whispered in their last breaths. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight for my people impoverished to pay the debts of an Empire too weak to rule them, yet brands them criminals for wanting to rule themselves! I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing. I fight... because I must."
If this isn't compassionate then I don't know what is.
Tullius is just as guilty if not more for wanting to take over whiterun.
Rikke: "I'm telling you, Ulfric's planning an attack on Whiterun."
Tullius: "He'd be insane to try. He doesn't have the men."
Rikke: "That's not what my scouts report, sir. Every day more join his cause. Riften, Dawnstar, and Winterhold support him."
Tullius: "It's not a cause. It's a rebellion."
Rikke: "Call it whatever you like, General. The man's going to try to take Whiterun."
Tullius: "Jarl Balgruuf..."
Rikke: "Balgruuf refuses the Legion's right to garrison troops in his city. On the other hand, he also refuses to acknowledge Ulfric's claim."
Tullius: "Well, if he wants to stand outside the protection of the Empire, fine. Let Ulfric pillage his city."
Rikke: "General."
Tullius: "You people and your damn Jarls."
Rikke: "Sir? You can't force a Nord to accept help he hasn't asked for."
Tullius: "If Ulfric's making a move for Whiterun, then we need to be there to stop him. Draft another letter with the usual platitudes, but this time share some of your intelligence regarding Ulfric's plans. Embellish if you have to. We'll let it seem like it's his idea."
Rikke: "Yes, sir."
Tullius: "You Nords and your bloody sense of honor."
Rikke: "Sir."
Tullius contradicted himself. First he welcomes the idea of Ulfric tasking over whiterun and pillaging his city, and next thing hes doing is instructing his Legate to embellishing a letter to Balgruuf causing him to go in duress, and force him to accept the Empires help.
Borrrrrrring. I've heard his hearty speeches and have had all I can stand of Mr Bleeding Heart Ulfric. Yes, his hair is indeed braided and it looks good on him, ok? No one is disputing this. Gen Tully's hair would not look well braided at all, not even if he wore a wig.
I don't care about taking the High ground here knucklehead. Besides, only High Elves belong on the High Ground anyways. Ye White Knights, ye men of good company and grace are fools, just like the Nords I met in Oblivion. You guys should try a little more shut the hell up and stop to think about what's really going on. If Ulfric is really so tired of war, then why does he keep causing them?
The Empire is like the Dark Knight and the Stormcloaks, the White Knight. And that's fine but in this case the White Knight isn't very smart. Just because you're nobel and you have great expectations doesn't mean you can't be used by the real enemy. Least the Black Knight Empire here knows what's up, they know the score. In either case, that by default puts the Empire ahead because they have no delusions about their situation.