Nords are one of the most violent expansionist races in Tamriel. The Dunmer are a race that want to be left alone, the Nords however don't leave other people alone.
I'll concede this point, although if you want to be technical, it was the Atmorans who kicked the Snow Elves out of Skyrim.
The Stormcloaks do not represent the Nordic people, hence a Civil War. This isn't Skyrim vs the Empire, but Eastern Skyrim vs Western Skyrim.
Stupid? Nords and Imperials are the most closely tied races in Tamriel. Having founded Empires together, even sharing royal lineage. What happens to one effects the other. The gains of Skyrim within the Empire outshine any military expenses.
Yet you continue to insult the Stormcloaks (who are mostly Nords) for being unintelligent. They are competent enough to run their own affairs, as are the people of Hammerfell, as are the people of High Rock. You may disagree with me and believe an independent Skyrim would fracture further into Eastern and Western Skyrim, but shouldn't that be up to the Nordic people to decide? Having an overbearing empire enforcing its will on those who no longer wish to be a part of it is oppressive. Same thing happened with Virginia and West Virginia in the US Civil War. West Virginians wanted to be on the Union side, so they split from Virginia.
So, if there's no reason to care about Skyrim until something happens, why care about it at all? In the words of the great philosopher Elsa the Snow Queen, "Let it go."
There is no reason for Cyrodiil to care. The Empire's leadership cares, but Cyrodiil itself has no real reason. Like saying why doesn't High Rock care about Skyrim. Cyrodiil is a province in the Empire just like Skyrim, both answer to the Council.
Perhaps we know who the real threat is then in this Civil War. It's the Council. I'm going to have to instruct my Dragonborn/Stormcloak/Listener to go after them next. Hell, I usually kill Amaund Motierre anyway.
Okay, but you're talking about territory more than people. An empire doesn't have to be vast in physical size to have great influence. Imperials are already master negotiators and traders. I would think that any good business-person would want to cut costs as much as possible, and externalize anything they didn't need to get their grubby little hands on.
Seriously? Having the Empire split in half doesn't help them business wise. You just cut off Cyrodiil and High Rock so obviously the Empire will collapse. That is the opposite of being a good business-person.
Sea trade wouldn't be impeded at all, and as for land trade? It's already impeded by the mere fact that the most direct route from High Rock to Cyrodiil through Skyrim is through the Reach.
Depending on whom you ask, the Reach is either controlled by Jarl Igmund and the Empire, Thonar Silverblood and his family (sympathetic to the Stormcloaks), or the Forsworn. It's like Bloods, Crips, and Hell's Angels all fighting over a relatively small piece of land. If I were an Imperial merchant, --scratch that-- if I were a merchant, period-- I wouldn't want to go anywhere near it.
Hitler has nothing to do with this debate.
All I was saying was that fighting a war on two fronts is not a good idea. You'll spread your forces too thin. As well, I believe that the comparison of Nazi soldiers dying in Siberia is an apt comparison to Legionnaires dying of exposure in the frozen wastes of northernmost Skyrim. This wasn't a comparison of the Nazis themselves to the Imperials, but rather their idea that they can both fight off the Dominion and the Stormcloaks at the same time.
Just like how the Nazis tried to fight both Allied attacks coming from the west and Russian attacks from the east, the impact is going to eat away at Imperial forces until it either cripples them, or becomes like the War in Vietnam did for the States. They will have to pull out and negotiate another treaty. (Seems like the only thing Imperials are good at doing. Hah!)
If the Dominion isn't preparing to invade Cyrodiil again, then what in Talos' name are they preparing to do??
Probably something that isn't as direct as invading again.
Wouldn't put it past them, but I feel like their designs on world domination wouldn't be complete without controlling the entire map. Perhaps a few Altmer-Imperial marriages of convenience would be all they would need to secure power in Cyrodiil instead of taking it by open force, and then they could secretly control Cyrodiil that way. Just spitballing, of course.
Well, you've proven it yourself. The people who control the Empire are just as aspirational as the Dominion. Conquerors. And conquerors must be stopped.
Bro, do you even Nord? They're not defensive people who want to be left alone, they attack and try to expand their holdings any chance they get.
Whether or not the Nords are born conquerors does not preclude or eliminate that the Imperials are as well.
I do Nord, if that means being a proud warrior in battle, but many Nords don't care who rules them, as long as the coin is flowing in. For every Erikur that says "Imperials are good for business", there's a Hulda saying "
Well, the Stormcloak guards drink a lot more than the Imperials did, so I've been making more money lately. On the other hand, they're a violent bunch. Every night a fight breaks out and I end up with a smashed chair or a broken table. So, not much has changed, really."
If you think that proves your own point, though, that's kind of a false connection, because a sizeable portion of Skyrim is quite upset at the terms of the WGC. Religious persecution should not be tolerated.
