Does it make sense, Lore wise, for a wounded Empire to...

[FNF]

...win the civil war in Skyrim?

I mean;
-The Aldmeri dominion lost decisively against the Redguards of Hammerfell despite having the strategic advantage.
-The Aldmeri dominion beat the Empire.
-The Nords of Skyrim have historically rivaled the Redguards.
-???

[Redguard_Master]

The empire beat the dominion, then surrendered afterwards.

[Rynkar]

The empire beat the dominion, then surrendered afterwards.

Didnt it come to a tie or something?
Btw, if they won, why would they surrender?

[Giordano]

The empire beat the dominion, then surrendered afterwards.

Didnt it come to a tie or something?
Btw, if they won, why would they surrender?

That's sort of kinda the point of the Civil War. The Imperial surrender baffled everybody; we as players have very little facts to analyze why such a thing happened.

[Mefris Elmek]

The empire beat the dominion, then surrendered afterwards.

The Empire beat the Almeri Dominion in ONE battle and they didn't surrender(well,not literally at least).It was a truce.

OP
The Empire may be wounded but they still have enough power to win the Civil War.Lets not forget that the Stormcloaks are outnumbered at the beginning of the campaign.

[Believe]

The empire beat the dominion, then surrendered afterwards.

The Empire beat the Almeri Dominion in ONE battle and they didn't surrender(well,not literally at least).It was a truce.

OP
The Empire may be wounded but they still have enough power to win the Civil War.Lets not forget that the Stormcloaks are outnumbered at the beginning of the campaign.

They're also horrible fighters who get slaughtered by bandits every time they meet eachother.

I've yet to find 3 regular bandits standing over a dead Imperial patrol.

[Mefris Elmek]

Hm,well that's from a game mechanic perspective because otherwise they are equal factions (most of the Stormcloaks are former Imperial Legionnaires).

[FNF]

The empire beat the dominion, then surrendered afterwards.

Not at all. The Empire managed to just win back Imperial City and that was it. They decided that they weren't going to win so they signed the treaty that the Dominion put on the table before the war started.

[AeraDunmerMoon]

I've yet to find 3 regular bandits standing over a dead Imperial patrol.

Keeping things in perspective, I've witnessed this twice.

But yes, I was under the impression that the Civil War ended in a stale-mate, although there were some who felt that the truce was cowardice and that the Empire could have won.

[Derp53]

the empire looked liked it chickened out in the great war, they did have the capacity continue the drive against the dominion, the thing that really inhibited them was REALLY BAD armor and weapons, the emperor may have been a nice guy but he was a coward in the end.

[Pilaf The Defiler]

As others have stated, at the beginning of the game the Stormcloaks are losing the war. In fact, Ulfric was about to be executed. The presence of the Dragonborn attracted Alduin to Helgen and interrupted this. The only chance Ulfric had of winning the war or even cheating his own death was this anomaly in the Elder Scrolls - this person born with the soul of the Dragon. And the Dragonborn can choose to aid Ulfric or ultimately kill him anyway.

So if the Dragonborn never existed, Ulfric would have been executed and the Stormcloaks would have been quickly crushed. Of course, Alduin would have went on to devour or rule the world... So these mundane political maneuverings wouldn't amount to much.

And even with the Dragonborn existing, that person might choose to not aid Ulfric or oppose him directly, meaning the Stormcloaks would eventually be crushed by the superior numbers of the Legions or by the Dragonborn himself.

Remember this is a fairly tiny faction compared to the Legions - weakened though they are from war with the Dominion.

the empire looked liked it chickened out in the great war, they did have the capacity continue the drive against the dominion, the thing that really inhibited them was REALLY BAD armor and weapons, the emperor may have been a nice guy but he was a coward in the end.

It's hard for me to believe the man was a coward. He fought personally on the front lines in the war, and he meets his own death with dignity when it comes. You can judge a lot about his character and past actions based on these facts.

[N'wah Nern]

Titus Mede decided that the best way to come out of the war with the Empire intact was to let the Thalmor take the city and then retake it at a later time. They did technically win the war as their victory against the Thalmor generals was crushing. The Empire won also back Hammerfell during the Civil War, but it rebelled when the Empire agreed to the White Gold Concordant. Mede thought that the Empire couldn't finish the job (their victory came at heavy cost) so it agreed to the Concordant.

Hammerfell managed to boot out the Thalmor without them. That either shows the difference in shape two countries were in after the war (Hammerfell being stronger than the Imperial troops) or shows that Mede made the wrong move. Maybe they will reunite now that

Spoiler:

Mede is dead

and Hammerfell can come back into the fold for humans vs elves round 2.

[ScorpionGT1]

the thing that really inhibited them was REALLY BAD armor and weapons

You would think they would replace that equipment if it was truly bad. There's nothing wrong with their gear. In any event, the average blacksmith that serves the Legion isn't concerned solely with quality, but quantity. If he took a long time over every sword or cuirass, they'd never arm the Legion in a timely fashion.

[Pilaf The Defiler]

The legion armor used in Skyrim is actually far more functional for mobile land troops than the armor from previous games. You don't want to equip a marching army with massive, rigid plate armor. The chain-leather-light metal designs of the Legionaires in Skyrim are realistic and very similar to what an actual army would use, and their swords and bows are adequate for mass-produced steel designs.

[Rynkar]

I dont think armor mattered when most thalmor had spells at thier disposal...

[Mefris Elmek]

The Empire didn't lack in the spellcaster department either.The surprise attacks and the "grunts" made the real difference throughout the War (on all sides).

the emperor may have been a nice guy but he was a coward in the end.

Because of Mede the Great War never ended at all.The only thing the Empire got out of the treaty was more bloodshed and pain that alienated Hammerfell and pushed Skyrim into a bloody civil war.The death toll is still rising.

[Rynkar]

He didnt cause ulfric to try a hostile takeover, he just gave him a symbol to rally behind, he wanted to end a war. What others did after that isnt his fault.

[Pilaf The Defiler]

Titus Mede also never slaughtered every man, woman and child in a city that didn't fight on his side. Some hero Ulfric was...

[davidjgreen12]

The Empire won a major battle when they retook the Imperial City, but they were still losing the war so it made sense to seize the opportunity to accept a treaty with the Thalmor when they did.

The victory of the Redguards over the Thalmor was unexpected, especially by the Thalmor!

Alexander should never have defeated the Persians, but he did. Napoleon had the advantage at Waterloo but he still lost, partly because the Prussians arrived earlier than expected. And the Americans were convinced that Britain would lose to Hitler in 1941, but we didn't, etc. Wars can be unpredictable things.

The Empire could win the civil war in Skyrim mainly because many of the Nords still supported the Empire. You can see it in the rivalry between the Battle-Born and Greymane families in Whiterun. On the whole the two sides were evenly balanced and so one super-hero (aka The Dragonborn) could tilt the balance decisively.

[Mefris Elmek]

He didnt cause ulfric to try a hostile takeover, he just gave him a symbol to rally behind, he wanted to end a war. What others did after that isnt his fault.

He didn't end the war,he just diverted attention away from Cyrodil and gave the Thalmor free reign to abduct,torture and kill people whenever they see fit to do so.

Talos is the last thinb on Ulfric's mind.He talks about people dying on foreign soils,of injustice and betrayal.He even gets mad at Galmar when he justifies his allegiance with a simple hatred of mer.Ulfric fights for Skyrim and the Empire,not for Talos or killing elves.

Titus Mede also never slaughtered every man, woman and child in a city that didn't fight on his side. Some hero Ulfric was...

But Ulfric did? When?Are talking about the Markarth Incident?

[OblivionDuruza]

I mean;
-The Aldmeri dominion lost decisively against the Redguards of Hammerfell despite having the strategic advantage.

this isn't entirely accurate. The Dominion and the Redguards fought to a standstill, neither side won, southern Hammerfell was completely devastated and the Dominion's forces eventually withdrew from a war they could not decisively win with any ease. they underestimated the Redguards and were caught by surprise after the Battle of the Red Ring.

[AmbientHound]

I think that the Empire could win against the Dominion if all the provinces would stand together. The Aldmeri managed to fracture the Empire during the Great War, when times were already bad as it was. I think the canon will be that the Empire wins the Civil War in Skyrim, and the Dragonborn helps them do it. But we shall have to wait and see.

Of course, if the canon includes the Dragonborn becoming the Listener, that would mean Titus Mede II is dead, and I dread to think of the state of affairs once the Emperor is gone. It could be a power struggle when the Empire doesn't need it.

[enyamerT]

I think that the Empire could win against the Dominion if all the provinces would stand together. The Aldmeri managed to fracture the Empire during the Great War, when times were already bad as it was.

The actions of Titus II made the first point impossible, and the second point possible. The Battle of the Red Ring was possibly the only thing he did right in the grand scheme of things.

[Derp53]

I think that the Empire could win against the Dominion if all the provinces would stand together. The Aldmeri managed to fracture the Empire during the Great War, when times were already bad as it was.

The actions of Titus II made the first point impossible, and the second point possible. The Battle of the Red Ring was possibly the only thing he did right in the grand scheme of things.

that is pretty much true

@Mefris Elmek: true to an extent, but we also need to remember ulfric is killing imperial soldiers is he not, also he is also suspect to ambitions of becoming high king.

[OblivionDuruza]

I think that the Empire could win against the Dominion if all the provinces would stand together. The Aldmeri managed to fracture the Empire during the Great War, when times were already bad as it was.

The actions of Titus II made the first point impossible, and the second point possible. The Battle of the Red Ring was possibly the only thing he did right in the grand scheme of things.

I'm fairly sure the point is not that the Empire could or could not have won The Great War, the point Bethesda was making was more that the cost of continuing to fight was too great and that the sanctity of human life is greater than that of worship. The Redguards continued to wage war against the Dominion, and in the end they did not win, yet southern Hammerfell was utterly devastated. This devastation would have extended across the Empire, costing thousands upon thousands of lives if The Great War was to continue.

The point is, being an Emperor, or any sort of leader for that matter, is not just about winning military confrontations, it's about dealing with the good and the bad, and knowing when to throw in the towel. Conversely, the game also demonstrates that there are people willing to kill and die in the name of religion and that this is not a thing that should be taken for granted.