I adressed this a couple of posts ago: Hammefell and Cyrodiil is in the way and will actively prevent an actual invasion of Skyrim until the Dominion control one of those areas.

Really, you should read this book: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Thalmor_Dossier:_Ulfric_Stormcloak. It shows the situation is very far from clearcut.

Here's something else to consider: Can an independent Skyrim be self-sustaining?

Sybil Stentor notes that Torygg didn't want to separate from Skyrim because the nation depends on food they get from the Empire. Now I don't know about you, but I'm vindictive, and if I was part of the Empire's ruling body, and Skyrim went to war like they did, I'd advocate placing a trade embargo on the newly independent nation. With Morrowind, Cyrodiil, and High Rock refusing to trade with them, would Skyrim be able to sustain its population?

If not, then it can't really be called independent, even if it has sovereignty.

Again, with Hammerfell. Doesn't seem to work out. The Thalmor aren't good at fighting in barren wastelands. And don't use the argument that both sides were weakened, because now the human nations will be stronger than the Aldmeri Dominion.

My point exactly. She has possible pro-Imperial leanings. And the only reason she's still there is because her husband is a nord... lending evidence towards the 'Cloaks' racist leanings as well.

Also, IIRC, the Battle-Borns start suffering a lot of "overlooked" crimes as well.

And we all know what the Battle-Borns think about the Stormcloaks.

The conclusion I draw from that is they aren't keen on Ulfric winning is because then they'd have to deal with a problem sooner, while the Empire perservering means they have to deal with a much bigger problem later.

And Divide and Conquer... with all the animosity that the Thalmor's been brewing between the Empire, Skyrim, and Hammerfell, do you really think they'd come to each others' aid? They already divided and conquered off Eleswyr and Valenwood, and they convinced the Args in Blackmarsh to go off and do their own thing, wiping out Morrowind in the process while they were reeling from the Red Mountain eruption.

How in the world does that show Stormcloak racism? She made weapons for the legion and was an advisor to her father, who opposed the Stormcloaks in the war. I'm not even sure what your point is supposed to be. No one's saying it will be easy for Cyrodiil and Skyrim to have peaceful relations with each other, but in the face of the Dominion's threat they're going to have to.

Well, if you're talking about the EEC, that's a third party buisness. They don't work for the Empire.

The answer is no. It already relies on food from more breadbaskety provinces according to Rikke.

Ulfric's complaint about "strangers with familiar faces"... Well guess what, buddy? No one came out of that war looking pretty.

Complaint about Talos worship ban... The Empire was fine and dandy looking the other way from your shrine in the closet until Ulfric rose a stink about it.

I'm talking about the Empire banning trade with Skyrim, so that nobody, not even that no citizen of the Empire can trade with the people of Skyrim legally. It wouldn't matter if it's the EEC or a Peddler.

The point is that the "Divide and Conquer" argument is invalid here because the Thalmor lose either way.

Also try this approach(just to show how perspective work):

Stormcloak victory, open hostilities with the Dominion. Leads to small scale battles, draining Skyrims and the Dominions resources.
The Emprei is now in a state of peace and can focus on building its legions without having to worry about the civil war. Leads to the Empire growing stronger.
Since the Dominion is weakening Hammerfell decides to join the party and start a small scale war with the Dominion, draining both of them of resources.
This again leads to larger attacks on the Dominion, who is weakening. The Empire who have used all this time to bide their time now decides to denounce the WGC and joins with the sacking of the Dominion. Leads to the fall of the Second Aldmeri Dominion.
Skyrim and Hammerfell are weakened by their longtime wars with the Dominion and is re-conquered by the Empire who is now the nation with the strongest hand.

This is one way you can see the situation.

The Empire may be okay with it. But the Thalmor aren't, so they decide to abduct, torture and kill anyone they think is a Talos Heretic. And the Empire can do nothing to protect its citizens. I wouldn't be suprised if the Thalmor just walked into Whiterun and killed all the civillians, and the Empire didn't do anything about it.

Hmmm, Skyrim seemed fine before the Empire's time. Of course, banning trade hurts the economy, it wouldn't be a wise move on the Emperor's part.

You really don't want to let this Empire go. I'd rather have a brand new one. Skyrim would be conquered for the first time if that happened.

Just because they haven't been self-sustaining doesn't mean they can't. The Vikings traded with the Mediterranean for barter goods but they were self-sustaining agriculturally, in places like Iceland and Greenland (until the Little Ice Age). It's better for Skyrim to learn to survive on their own now rather than depend on Cyrodiil.

The Thalmor were going to have to enforce the Talos ban eventually. "We're coming for you in every one of your quarters, Sons of Talos. None shall survive." Markarth did give them a pretext, but they would have found another one. And does the empire ever deny them anything?

It was simply a matter of perspective, based on what I would believe could happen. It could also end with the Empire dying out, only for a new one to rise. What do I know? Not that much, but I know that if an Empire is the strongest left standing it will try to expand.

[censored] Bethesda. Damn you Todd Howard.

Skyrim's population was probably much smaller before the Empire was founded, considering it probably wouldn't have the ethnic diversity (slim as it may be) as it does now. And while banning trade hurts the economy, the Empire still has lots of other places to trade with. It only loses one market. Skyrim loses out on at least 3, and considering it probably wouldn't be trading with the Aldmeri Dominion, there's another three areas it can't really trade with. That leaves Black Marsh and Hammerfell.

The notion of the Dominion being able to directly attack Skyrim is a joke! as stated many times Cyrodiil and Hammerfell is in the way, people should just accept that if the Empire get's kicked-out of Skyrim the Dominion couldn't do [cencored] to Skyrim. And for all intent and purposes i want the Cyrodiilic Empire to finally fall! it's been falling for years!

If it's a matter of food I think Skyrim is fine. The land is abundant with large, healthy stags for meat. Cows for milk and fur. There are several successful farms and estates. You have several mines and lumber that can be traded with nations like Hammerfell. And you have Black Briar mead to help the general population reduce individual stress level

Yeah, you'll have to explain that reaction to me. My brain is half asleep at the moment.

Who else does it have to trade with?

It still is the least populated province. You have much larger provinces like Hammerfell that are even more desolate and are doing fine. We don't even know if the Empire still trades with Hammerfell. If they do, I don't see why they'd stop with Skyrim.

In otherwords, curse the Developers for leaving so many possiblities open with the Civil War. I doubt the DLC coming this Spring/Summmer will be about the Second Great War, but I do hope they make a DLC about it eventually.

I love how they made so many possible way this could play out that we have no idea what will happen. I have a feeling that if they wanted Bethesda could just come to this forum, find all the Imperial Legion V Stoemcloaks threads and just go through them picking out the possibilities who offers the least amount of loose ends(for example in my half serious upset where the Empire re-conqueror Skyrim even after loosing the Civil War) and just roll with it. We have probably spent more time thinking about this and looking through layers of possibilities on this forum than they ever would.