Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-11344160-20160205154012/@comment-26103034-20160823133439

I'm fairly certain that's saying it used to be like that. Hammerfell would still hold that same grudge, but it doesn't seem to say it's still happening - and with little mention of it in-game, as well. But your point is still right.

Perhaps you're right, but if that was the case, they would put the soldiers in before Solitude was taken, not after. The way it's portrayed in-game is that they are trying to hold onto Skyrim, and it would make no sense to wait until they'd lost Skyrim before putting more soldiers in.

This is claiming that, twenty years ago, they didn't need to sign the peace treaty and could have defeated the Thalmor. That's very different to saying that now, the Empire is needed to defeat the Thalmor, especially now the Empire is far weaker (in the case that Skyrim rebels).