Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-72.74.78.209-20141019230536/@comment-26830356-20180215210338

I consider him a filthy traitor who simply desires the throne. Nationalism is fine, but the Stormcloaks don't like anyone who isn't a Nord. For example, if they take Whiterun, Adrienne Avenicci and Arcadia both see their businesses decline simply because they are Imperials. Adrienne even says that if she wasn't married to a Nord, she'd be out of business completely. Then the Stormcloak guards are quite rude to you if you're a foreigner, particularly an Elf or a Khajiit/Argonian. Whiterun and Balgruuf were determined to stay neutral in the fight, but Ulfric declared that he would attack the city if it didn't side with him. Finally, I'm pretty sure all he wants is the throne. Why else would he kill the king? He could have asked him, he could have requested, heck he could have demanded. But no, he challenged him right then and there and then used the Thu'um, which no non-Dragonborn or Greybeard is really a match for. The Stormcloaks may beleive they're fighting for Skyrim, but all Ulfric wants is to be king.

Furthermore, he cannot see the bigger picture. Yes, the Empire was forced to ban Talos worship but it wasn't until Ulfric started agitating about it that they actually enforced the ban. He fails to play the long game. The Emperor signed the Concordat to buy time, to let the Empire rebuild and restore its strength for the next war with the Thalmor, and many Imperials like General Tullius cannot stomach dealing with the Thalmor. This war he started serves the Thalmor interests; bleeding the Empire dry of badly needed men, coin and supplies.