"How many men could you put into the field against the Empire?"
They simply cannot do anything against the Empire without substantial aid.
They would be afraid and perhaps willing to ally themselves with anyone who could help them against the Empire.
Keep them on edge against the Empire, and they'll need that to begin with.
I've come to talk to him about planning the new rebellion against the Empire.
Are you with me, then, in taking vengeance against the Empire and its false god?
The peasant class turned against the Empire because of the hardships the long wars brought upon them.
Custom and law alike demand only one end for conspiracy against the Empire.
To set myself against the whole damned Empire, to be my own man and to Hell with everyone else.
Both states agreed to provide a common defense against the Ottoman Empire.