The Great War

[House of the Wolf]

This may have already been covered--I couldn't find a thread relating to it, though, so I don't know.

The writers for Bethesda seemed to have drawn inspiration directly from both WWI and WWII, in terms of the events leading up to it, and the results immediately after. The Empire (which I would argue represents Western/Allied elements) severely underestimated the capabilities of the Thalmor, even so far as to let them reform the Aldmeri Dominion--which could be paralleled with the Allies' severe underestimation of Germany in the 1930's when they essentially let them annex relatively large portions of then-Czechoslovakia. The Empire was also particularly lax--if not startled--when their spy network was suddenly and effectively wiped-out within the AD--similar to when many eyes and ears were shut and closed within Germany's borders. The ultimatum put forth by the Thalmor could also be argued as a direct parallel to the threat that the Third Reich made against the allies.

Fast-forwarding to the War, itself, the AD completely surprised the Empire with its intensity and speed--a la Blitzkrieg--and the Imperial capitol was sacked--a la Paris. Not to say that Hammerfell, itself, draws any parallels with Russia, but it was effectively cutoff from direct support, as Russia was--and it effectively resisted AD incursion as the Russians had versus the Wehrmacht. The blending with WWI kicks in the Battle of the Red Ring--similar to the events surrounding the retaking of Paris, and the sever counter-attack the Allies made in WWI when the Germans pushed their lines too far forward.

The WGC, and subsequent events (nationalism, revolution, etc), seem to draw inspiration from the conclusion of WWI and the massive unrest in 1920's Europe. From there, the pallet is a little more mixed, with Skyrim experiencing almost a 1920's Germany vibe--mixed with the already Fascistic Thalmor.

This is very much a glossy overview, though. If anyone has anything to add, please definitely share. If you think I'm wrong, please also definitely share.

[legoless]

Similar premise, but much different conclusion. The Empire resembled a rump state more than anything at the end of the Great War. The loss of Skyrim is a natural progression of events, rather than any kind of 20th century-esque emergence of nationalism. The provinces always retained their identities under Imperial rule.

[Pilaf The Defiler]

Yeah. That's the difference between Empires and other kinds of States that grab land. Empires kind of put a chain on the wolf and feed it, rather than trying to turn it into a dog. Look at what happened when Rome fell. Didn't take long for all the regional differences between her former subjects to become apparent again.