The walls of Constantinople rung with mild disagreement. Indeed, it was almost uncivil. Voices were even being raised! Such a time called for blood purges.
After all, what went into the revolution? The Balkans were still awash with malcontents, and now their continued agitation raised some questions. For the conservative populists, the answer was clear-crush them. It was the same for more radical nationalists. However, wasn't it in the spirit of republicanism to let the Balkans self-determine their fate? What justification did they have for repression? For other nationalists, it was also clear that these Balkan peoples deserved their own nations.
What of the reforms, then? Should they be continued, or stopped? They went against tradition. They were needed to strengthen the nation. They would disrupt the fabric of society and ruin livelihoods. They would bring new ways of living. They would destroy the character of the Turkish people. They would enable its rebirth in infinitely more splendor.
Indeed, the disagreements were mild and easily settled. The blood purges would soon begin. Was there anything as petty as disagreement in ideas? They were words and turns of phrase only, minor things. Yet, was there anything so divisive? These differences were irreconcilable. They could not simply agree to disagree. A nation that stagnated was one that was devoured by the hungry and lean.
The rulers of Constantinople prepared to remove their enemies. Progress had to be made at any cost. It was for their own good. We know better.
What made a revolutionary? Ambition. Only the ambitious could dream so large. Arrogance. What else could it be called to think that one was able to run the world better than those who had already clawed their way to the top? Such a man would usurp the heavens and become the sun. Competence. Only the most supremely skilled could actually bring the world down around them. The fist that rises up must be able to destroy all others. To succeed, whether it be leading an insurgency or overseeing the forced production of rubber to fund your rebellion. Determination. To try and again and again. To never surrender, even though the road is hard and the end is nowhere in sight. To stand by your dream, even from the misery of an African prison cell. Friends. Not even the greatest man can defeat the whole world alone. Allies must be gathered, and a certain charisma must be had. Men that would listen and teach. An Italian eagle to aid the German one. Hope. That the ideals you preach really could change the world. That the suffering you've seen while you toured the world would end. The red dawn would also be a bright one. Innovation. New ways must be forged to replace the old, for people do not live if their lives cannot be given meaning. Great leaps forward must be made to replace the dead and empty past. Paranoia. The enemies of the revolution were everywhere. If you seek to change the world, be prepared to fight those who like the status quo. Is it really paranoia if they are out to get you? Execute your enemies, then execute the executioners. Pragmatism. After all, wasn't the point of revolution to disregard the old rules and forge a new world? Not all principles work in all situations. Do what works, because the whole world stands against you, and every advantage must be seized greedily. Attack on Christmas, and seize the Hessians. Destroy the Ancient Regime before socialism has fully taken root. What is the difference between the worker and the peasant anyways? Listen to the pale ghosts, for they have humbled your ancient land. Gold and victory can replace honor anyways.
When the dust settles, and power is yours, what then? Whoever you relinquish it is undoubtedly a lesser man than you, for they did not have to fight the world and win. They would not run the nation as well as you could. They did not have the character and strength to remake the world, they could only take it once it was handed to them. Who needed them? So many principles were already betrayed, so much of the ancient order and old rules disregarded. Why not make one last betrayal? Betray the revolution itself.
Not everyone would. But it only took one Caesar to throw the die and cross the Rubicon, and the revolutions would be made by many men. And when Caesar crosses, the Senate steps will run red with blood and the gulags will howl with screaming. The death squads will thresh and the re-education camps will reap. Red, the blood of counter-revolutionary men. Black, flesh rotting off a corpse.
It is not a surprise that revolutions betray themselves and devour their children. It is a surprise that some don't. What sort of a man can fight the world, tear down all the old ways, forge a new world, and then refuse a reward for their service? That such a thing happens at all is a sign of humanity's true and noble nature.
