Here's a few questions for you, regardless of where your loyalty is. Do you think the Stormcloak cause is supposed to be permanent, or is it supposed to be until the empire legalizes Talos worship?

Do stormcloaks actually want independence forever, or just until the thalmor threat has been dealt with?

And lastly, if things had gone differently in the Great War, and the Empire had been largely destroyed, would you find yourself fighting with the empire or stormcloaks? And is the any difference between these two in those circumstances?

The Stormcloak Rebellion is not permanent.
Hopefully the Stormcloak Army is permanent.

I think when the Empire abandoned Talos, the Stormcloaks effectively wrote them off. Even if the Empire reinstated Talos, the damage is already done. In their eyes, the Empire never gave a withered toss about the Nords or their customs and culture. I think their cause is supposed to be permanent. Thalmor or not, the Empire basically gave them the middle finger as a thank you for all the Nords that bled and died for the sake of the Empire over the years, and the Stormcloaks went, "We can take the hint. We're leaving you forever."

If the Empire had been destroyed during the Great War, then there would have been no Stormcloak rebellion, as there would have been no Empire to piss off the Nords enough to even form the Stormcloaks. It would be a bunch of separated human kingdoms resisting the Thalmor either independently, or through alliances.

Ditto. I don't think the Thalmor will win but I believe the Empire is fast approaching its end.

Why is that ?

In other words you mean if the Empire broke down and legalized it, would they stop fighting? No, they wouldn't. The damage has already been done and they have shown their true colors. This just shows that it is time to leave. They want to be independent also to make Skyrim a real nord province again, not a watered down dependent one. And yes they want independence forever in my opinion.

The Empire was largely destroyed. Do you mean Skyrim? If so, then no. It would only make the nords more angry at the talos ban for their sacrifice, which would have been even greater. If this was the case, I think Ulfric would have received more supporters.

Losing all their provinces, and Skyrim possibly as well. If they did, I doubt High Rock would stay. They're in a rut, and in a big decline. I don't see them recovering, personally.

The Empire has lost every province including Hammerfell, Morrowind, Elsweyr, Valenwood and Black marsh. Skyrim is torn by rebellion and the Emporer has been murdered. I posted in another thread a POSSIBLE outcome.

Highrock has sent no aid to Imperial forces in Skyrim which points to possible problems there as well for the Empire.

IMO I would not be surprised to see Highrock withdraw from the Empire leaving Cyrodill as the only remaining province.

I believe the war with the Thalmor will be won but by an alliance of nations rather than the Empire. The prophecy regarding the Dragonfires is being played out before us and the Empire is sliding into a darkness from which it may never recover.

I believe it is POSSIBLE a new Empire might arise from the ashes of the old OR there will be a permanent split with all of the nations going their own way though there may be some alliances arise from it.

This is a possibility I see and is not canon nor written in stone.

The Empire is in shambles and crumbling while the Dominion is making a push to excude their dominance and thus far have been successful at it (to a point). The land might not be entirely united under the same banner with the Dominion, but they will be the dominant force.

If the Thalmor are removed from power, the Dominion would be better off. Personally, I just hope the Thalmor cease to exist because I feel that in the long run, they will cost the Dominion power and influence because people will be too united against them for their party to succeed. It's really the only problem with the Dominion, the people currently in charge are complete asshats.

I don't think Akatosh will throw away his favorite toy so easily..

The pact with Akatosh was dissolved when the dragonfires burned out which necessitated him using Martin Septim's form to throw Mehrunes Dagon back into Oblivion. The Empire operates under no such pact now and Akatosh has just thrown in his last trump card, The Last Dragonborn. There is no way of knowing what will happen from this point forward.

Well if Akatosh doesn't care about the Empire anymore the it's ducked.

It could be possible that they get reintigrated into the Empire in the next great war but maintains its own independent army and on the basis that if the Empire surrenders again that Skyrim becomes independent again.

It's possible. The first of the stormcloak rebellions weren't started by Ulfric after all. They arose from concerns that the empire couldn't keep its word at markarth and arrested someone who was considered a hero to them. Ulfric started supporting that rebellion some time after he was released from prison.(Unfortunately can't tell if it was before or after the moot)

I'd say the rebellion will probably stick around until it's a moot point(IE, empire collapses, or skyrim gains independance)

I think this is the right answer. The Imperials and Nords seem to have had a decent relationship in during the Empire(even though there seem to be some tensions, with "Nord savages" and all), but after the WGC I don't see the Imperials earning back the respect of large portions of the Nords in a long time. Accepting the WGC seem to be the thing to make a longterm scar between the two.