Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-85.74.137.231-20130605091958/@comment-10207438-20130816201150

SajuukKhar wrote: Pink Slim wrote: A good emperor would have let himself become a martyr before he gives away a province just to hurt an enemy, he is meant to protect his people, not stab them in the back and let them fend for themselves against a foe that nearly slaughtered you. A good ruler wouldn't get all of his men killed in an entierly unessessary action.

Furthermore, when the people he is "throwing out" happen to be the greatest warriors in all of tamirel, and those warriors are bolstered by a large number of discharged legion vets, and the enemy they are facing has turned thier attention away from those people, Mede's "letting them go" was FAR from a backstabbing.

Mede knew

-The Thalmor cared more about him then Hammerfell

-The Thalmor were building up thier forces to attack Cyrodiil in the next great war, and thus weren't focused on keeping Hammerfell

-Hammerfell was home of the strongest warriors, and a crap ton of Legion vets

-that if Hammerfell stayed then the next great war would happen too soon.

Him letting Hammerfell go was probably the best thing he could of done, not only did he save the empire, but he released the restraints holding back the Redguards to do what they do best, murder shit. You're right on the first part, A good ruler wouldn't have allowed his men to die for no reason; and his family's inability to hold onto or even be on good standings with Summerset Isles, Valenwood, Elsweyr, Morrowind, didn't show signs of good leadership.

It doesn't matter if he knew whether or not the Redguards would be able to fend for themselves; he abandoned them(with or without aid in the form of a few soldiers at the end of the war) to die so they can keep the Thalmor busy.

it may have been his best option after the WGC, but his signing the WGC without trying to bargain for less losses is why he is a terrible emperor. No matter how hard he tried, he still failed, he should have never let any of this happen, and his allowing others to fight for him while removing the bulk of the aid that he should have given them is more than enough reason to condemn him as a bad emperor.