User blog comment:Jericho Henry135119/Which side do you prefer to be on during the Skyrim Civil War?/@comment-121.75.32.99-20130325013127

On the subject of Hammerfell's fight against the Aldmeri Dominion, we should remeber a few things.

1. It was the Empire that managed to stop the advance of the Thalmor into Hammerfell at the city of Skaven.

2. The core of the army that fought against the Thalmor were a large number of 'invalids', from the Imperial Legion, discharged from the forces of General Decianus just before he traveled back to help the Emperor take back the imperial city in the Battle of the Red Ring.

3. The majority of the Thalmor's forces were destroyed durring the Battle of the Red Ring along with most of the Empire's forces, leaving only the already weaken Thalmor forces in Hammerfell to fight on alone without reinforcements.

4. The Aldmeri Dominion asked for the Cession of a lagre part of southern Hammerfell. This was probably designed to force the Empire to renounce Hammerfell as apart of the Empire, alowing the Thalmor to try to take all of Hammerfell form the Empire, which was one of thier original goals.

5. The continued war in Hammerfell after the White-Gold Concordat was signed only managed to end in a stalemate, with neither side able to claim victory. This lead to the devastation of southern Hammerfell, which was the area they had been after from the first.

6. It was only after the devastation of there prize that the Thalmor became willing to talk and create the Second Treaty of Stros M'kai, which was when they finally left Hammerfell.

The Aldmeri Dominion was only just stopped form taking Hammerfell, even though the Redguards are the most naturally talented swordsmen in Tamriel, and the assistance of the Imperial Legion durring the entire struggle (even if it wasn't alwalys official!). Without the Empire's help, Hammerfell would have fallen to the Dominion, of that I think there is little dout.