User blog comment:Some Argonian Named Kesch/Stormcloak Rebellion: Is Anyone Really Right?/@comment-1600847-20131113052951/@comment-10207438-20131114034643

Actually, The AD did have troops left over, but they were the soldiers that were either in Hammerfell, or defending their own territories, only the soldiers they could send out(the majority) were lost, they would not send absolutely everyone when their own provinces could be raided by bandits or rebels, and we know their were AD troops in Hammerfell while the empire left hammerfell to retake the imperial city, so they do have soldiers, but pretty much anyone that they didn't need to defend their cities from bandits and the like died at the battle of red ring.