Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150715194939/@comment-26896471-20150818002818

What many seem to forget when discussing the consequences of the Civil War on the Empire's ability to fight the Thalmor is that, in many ways,the damage has already been done. The real value of Skyrim to the Empire is its manpower. The hundreds of fighting men and women who joined the Stormcloaks would not have fought for the Imperial army (with any degree of effectivenss), even if Civil war had not broken out. The Civil War is a symptom of divisions within the Empire, not a cause of them.