Skyrim has always stood with the empire.
Skyrim siding with stormcloaks.
The stormcloaks believe that the empire betrayed skyrim by signing the agreement that ended the great war.
Completing this quest does not lock the dragonborn into the stormcloak line of the civil war as the dragonborn may switch sides in the next quest.
When you enter the game ulfric stormcloak has recently killed the king and you are in a cart with him ralof and lokir ready to be beheaded.
On of the best weapons for staying alive.
Skyrim in which the dragonborn must complete the initiation into the stormcloak rebellion to fight with them in the civil war.
There are several ways to join the stormcloaks.
Can t remember what the equivilant for the legion is though.
Conservative imperials were the least sensitive to racism and the most likely to be interested in keeping the empire together to defeat the thalmor.
The name stormcloak was first used to belittle the stormcloaks.
The dragonborn has the option of joining the stormcloaks after alduin s assault on helgen regardless of whom the dragonborn followed ralof or hadvar.
This was filmed so some people could see what its like if you choose to be a stormcloak instead of an impereal soldier.
However the imperials and by proxy those in skyrim who are going along with the empire mostly because they want to keep their cushy lives and big houses have basically agreed to the practice even though in almost every elder scrolls game the pc.
Most groups were more motivated by the desire to stop the thalmor but liberal imperials were ever so slightly more motivated into siding with the empire because of the racism of the stormcloaks.
Personally i think the stormcloaks are the better option for both enjoyment and rewards.
Led by ulfric stormcloak and based in windhelm they directly oppose the thalmor and the imperial legion.
The stormcloaks are a faction featured in the elder scrolls v.
The stormcloaks may be racists but they aren t making slaves of people who disagree with them.