User blog comment:Zippertrain85/Why The Imperials Are Wrong/@comment-99.28.126.64-20130710082807/@comment-80.216.217.200-20130710181355

The Empire planted the seeds of popular Nord dissent in Skyrim by appointing "Solitude puppet" after "Solitude puppet" as High King of Skyrim serving Cyrodiil first, foremost and always.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Skyrim's_Rule

Torygg may have been a tad more tangeable to the idea of putting Skyrim's needs above that of Cyrodiil but that doesn't change much, it'd still be too little too late.

With or without Ulfric and the Stormcloaks, Skyrim would have seen civil war and it's liberty from Cyrodiilian oppression.

It was inevitable given the empire's meddling in Skyrim's internal affairs.