Ulfric, the Stormcloaks, and Hammerfell.

When Emperor Titus Mede II signed the White-Gold Concordat Hammerfell vehemently rejected it. A battle-weary Hammerfell seceded from the Empire and went on to push the Dominion out of Hammerfell entirely. Titus may not have liked the idea of Hammerfell seceding, but it's understandable why the Redguards wanted to leave, and if they harbor any resentment to the Imperials it's also understandable.

But the biggest point here is that after Hammerfell was mostly conquered, the Redguards alone - without the aid of the Imperial Legions - went on to defeat the Dominion. They pushed them all the way back to the oceans and reclaimed every bit of lost territory - then signed for peace.

No one really criticizes why Hammerfell seceded. The Redguards were going to lose a lot to the White-Gold Concordat and they basically told the Empire and the Dominion to shove it and showed Tamriel they would not be pushed around. No one really criticizes any aspect of this.

Now Ulfric is not a bad guy, but he's not a very good guy either. He's a very traditional Nord who has made some bad mistakes (like killing Torygg, who may have helped in Skyrim's secession), and is a bit to ambitious. He has some good qualities, too, but I won't get into that right now.

The Stormcloaks themselves should not be perceived in the same light as Ulfric himself. The Stormcloaks' cause is righteous, in my opinion. A foreign power (the Thalmor) is in Skyrim abducting civilians (despite the Imperials claiming otherwise), punishing worshipers of Talos, etc. The White-Gold Concordat was not exactly fair, but like Jarl Balgruuf says, the Nords had to like it. What these individual Stormcloak warriors are fighting for is understandable. They want the Thalmor out of Skyrim, and they want the Empire out too.

And yet people criticize them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if Hammerfell's reasons for seceding is acceptable, then why isn't Skyrim's? Both countries felt wronged by the White-Gold Concordat and so both countries want to secede. The only difference is that Hammerfell was mostly left alone, while the Empire is trying so hard to keep Skyrim under control. Would it not be better to just let them secede and become an independent nation that can later be an ally in the Second Great War?

The Redguards seceded, reconquered Hammerfell, and then defeated the Dominion; if anything, they seemed to have gotten stronger after secession. I'm fairly certain if Skyrim seceded and Ulfric got his way to revert back to a more traditional setup, then it would be as equally strong as Hammerfell (mind you, Skyrim did not suffer the attrition and desctruction that may have affected Hammerfell). Let's not forget it was that old traditional Skyrim that Talos originated from, and it was that Skyrim that helped lay the foundations of the Empire.

Ulfric is somewhat ignorant and makes mistakes. But he was chosen by the Greybeards and I am sure he's wise in his own way. He's traditional, and I think he genuinely cares about Skyrim's people. He may have once loved the Empire too, since he did come down from High Hrothgar to help in the war. Regardless, the Stormcloaks' themselves, I believe, are fighting for a good cause. If you disagree, I would put you in the direction of Hammerfell's situation during and after the Great War.