The New California Republic wrote:Whichever ending you choose, Empire or Stormcloaks, both end with a vow to kick out the Thalmor (setting the stage for possible sequels). The only difference between them, albeit a massive difference, is that the Empire has the power in terms of men, materials and economics to go toe-to-toe with the Thalmor, while I sincerely doubt the Stormcloaks do. The Stormcloaks would try, sure, but I strongly believe that the Thalmor would eventually prevail and end up occupying all of Skyrim, which would force the Empire to intervene. Since the Thalmor would have a strong foothold it would make the war between the Thalmor and Empire a lot more long and bloody, in contrast to the Empire starting a war after being victorious in Skyrim.
See, I think the exact opposite. A successful victory in Skyrim would lead to more nationalism in both the Empire, Hammerfell, and Skyrim; whether that's for individual provinces or the Empire itself, it's likely to be the latter. This itself would lead to a war against the Thalmor, which the three powers would likely win. I find it incredibly unlikely that the Empire would just up and declare war on the Thalmor for no reason, even though the Thalmor are nowhere near ready.