The Dragonborn finds the land of Skyrim indelibly scarred by the memory of the Great War. Fought between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion, both sides suffered immeasurable losses that can still be felt by the time the dragons return in 4E 201. In many respects, the conflict that is so often referenced in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim shares many similarities with the real Great War of 1914-1918.
The First World War was, in every sense, a cataclysmic event that shook the very foundations of Europe. It became lodged in the minds of generations of people who either witnessed it personally or suffered from its effects. It's a situation that, quite subtly, is emulated in the land of the Nords.
7 The Breakdown Of Negotiation
Like the prelude to WWI, the origins of the Great War in The Elder Scrolls was quite sudden. The in-game lore states that the expansionist Aldmeri Dominion wanted and instigated war. They sent the Empire an ultimatum which contained a list of impossible demands. The Empire, left with few realistic options, had no choice but to go to war just as the Elves had hoped.
In 1914 Austria-Hungary sent a similar list of demands to Serbia after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. The latter, of course, couldn't afford to concede to the extortionist demands. The military posturing of Imperial Germany and their willingness to take part in war is similar to how the Aldmeri Dominion behaves before and during the events in Skyrim.
6 The Continent At War
The continent of Tamriel is rather large and consists of a diverse collection of races and species. Humans and Elves represent the two main groupings that compete for supremacy in Tamriel. Since large swathes of territory either fall within the Empire's or Dominion's control, all the nations on the continent played some sort of role in the war, both large and small.
With the exception of a few neutral countries most of the continent of Europe was involved in some manner in WWI. Formidable nation-states squared off with one another just like the Aldmeri Dominion and Cyrodiilic Empire. Austria-Hungary, a multi-ethnic dual monarchy, struggled to maintain the loyalty and commitment of all its citizens. The same situation often characterizes one of the principal struggles of the Empire in Tamriel.
5 Early Elven Success
The history of the Great War in The Elder Scrolls speaks of significant military successes for the Dominion early in the conflict. Elven armies swept through large parts of Cyrodiil and Hammerfell like an inexorable juggernaut. Their ultimate victory against the beleaguered Empire seemed assured.
The opening triumphs the Elves enjoyed alludes to a series of events the German Army experienced in 1914. They crashed through Belgium and northern France, where they eliminated the formidable concrete forts that blocked their path. Until they were stopped on the Marne River, it too looked as if Germany had achieved an easy victory.
4 The Length Of Time
Quick, decisive victory would elude both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Central Powers. Each scenario degenerated into a long, drawn-out contest of wills. In The Elder Scrolls it's stated that the Great War lasted from 4E 171-4E 175. Four long years of fluctuating fortunes.
The First World War also lasted four years. The time was marked by miserable stalemate and the introduction of ever deadlier technology. There was an ebb and flow to the conflict. Individual victories and defeats wouldn't last, at least not until the bitter end.
3 The Savagery
The Great War in Tamriel was a very traumatic episode for its inhabitants. Even the Imperial City itself wasn't spared from the destruction. The player is able to gain some insight into the horror through first-hand accounts from the survivors. Runil's journal, for example, offers a brief personal look at the savagery and the guilt that it engendered.
Once the dust had settled the world was shocked by the carnage that had been wrought. Memoirs that survive to this day are a testament to the almost unimaginable destruction that had been perpetrated in just four years.
2 The Peace Treaties
The Great War's aftermath, in the form of the White-Gold Concordat, serves as the central issue between the Stormcloaks and Imperials. Although ostensibly a draw the treaty clearly leaves the Empire with the short end of the stick by war's end. The outlawing of the worship of Talos has left the Empire angry and embarrassed.
WWI officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany, the principal member of the Central Powers, shouldered the blame and received the most severe punishments. Unlike Tamriel's Empire, however, there was no doubt that Germany and her allies were the clear losers.
1 The Bitterness
It's fair to say that many Nords are angry concerning the outcome of the Great War. What they regard as an ignoble defeat wounds their collective pride to no end. Individuals like Ulfric Stormcloak believe that the shame of the Great War needs to be erased and avenged, even if it means breaking away from the Empire who let them down.
Many Germans post-WWI believed the Treaty of Versailles heaped undeserved indignities on their once proud country. These feelings of bitterness and humiliation would eventually be exploited by the growing Nazi Party. Both the Nazis and the Stormcloaks believed that a future conflict with their former enemies was inevitable.