by Carlo Zen
“Ha-ha-ha! That sort of thing must happen all the time. Most of my progress with sources took place outside the Federation.”
I see; they’re so secretive that you need to do a lot of deduction. But I’m curious about your “progress with sources.” For example, are you saying that documents were declassified outside the Federation?
“Exactly. We’re finally beginning to discover documents from one of the sides of the conflict—the Empire.”
Did you hear that, everyone? Yes, it’s the key to unraveling the mystery of this Great War we’re investigating. Apparently, there were several pertinent items in these “confidential imperial papers.”
So, Professor, what was the reason the Federation decided to go to war?
“Probably mass paranoia.”
Huh? Sorry, Professor, but could you say that one more time?
What did you say?
“Sure, ‘mass paranoia.’”
…Sorry, but I don’t know much about psychology. Do you mind explaining?
I believe I know the definition of “mass paranoia,” but…I can’t quite wrap my head around it. I’m incredibly embarrassed to admit this in front of all you viewers, but perhaps I’m not a very bright student.
If you please, Professor.
“Ah, well, the straightforward explanation is that mass paranoia is when members of a group all fall under the same delusion. In this case, the leadership of the Federation as an organization was utterly convinced that their neighbors were out to get them or that if they didn’t attack first…they’d be done for.”
That strikes me as an awfully extreme hypothesis… What kind of examination did you perform that led you to infer such a conclusion?
“That’s a good question. Actually, I hit on it when I was taking a historical approach by trying to understand the context in which the decision was made.”
So you investigated the history of the era?
“Exactly. And after much analysis and examination, I found that, from as far as twenty years prior, the Federation leadership’s mental state had been gathering attention.”
I see. So you looked into the background of the decision. And that’s quite a long time ago.
“There was no helping it. In Communist nations, the health and mental status of the leadership is a state secret.”
That’s similar to our country’s politicians. I think they should learn from the royal family and make that information public. Well, not that I think we should allow pushy gossip mags to hound them for it.
Now then, we got off topic. So the Federation leadership was as stubborn about maintaining confidentiality as the Commonwealth’s?
And that made your analysis difficult?
“No, no, no. The thickness of the Federation’s veil of secrets blows the Commonwealth’s out of the water. That said, my main issue was a lack of documentation.”
Still, I’d say the Commonwealth’s politicians have their guard up higher than average. Our reporting team is never welcome. Anyhow, if the Federation is even more secretive, then I understand why getting your hands on any documents has been so difficult. But you say the situation has changed now?
“That’s right. It’s all due to a secret we found in the Imperial Army General Staff’s documents. After the war, all the materials seized by the alliance armies were declassified, and we finally found it.”
Secret Imperial Army documents? And? What did you find?
“Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars Dzhugashvili was like a man possessed. The head of the Commissariat for Internal Affairs, Loria, was concluded to be a monomaniac.”
Er, that’s another awfully extreme conclusion. How in the world did they end up there? Given that these documents are from a country at war, surely the most generous interpretation you can give is that the facts are distorted.
“That’s a very good question. But the analysis was performed in a serious, neutral manner by specialists. Even judging by today’s standards, they adhered well to the principles of psychological analysis. Our general impression is that they did a proper job.”
So we can believe what they said? It’s correct and unbiased? If we can believe this information, how reliable do you think it is?
“It’s certainly more reliable than the Federation’s official accounts.”
Which means that the reason the Federation entered the war was…paranoia? How surprising!
…So a mass delusion changed the course of history. It really gives you a sense of how ironic, or perhaps how strange, history is.
This has been WTN Special Correspondent Andrew and Professor Sherlock of Londinium University’s Political Science faculty.
TEXTBOOK FOR LITTLE CITIZENS: THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION
Kind Mr. Josef was worried.
The expectations of all who believed in him were weighing on his shoulders.
Thinking only of the people’s happiness, he thought it was time to work hard at developing the Federation.
But…
Its citizens, spoiled by his kindness, only fell into decline.
How awful!
Mr. Josef was so upset.
He decided to ask his trusted comrade, Comrade Loria, for a solution.
Capable Comrade Loria jumped into action.
First, in order to get the people to understand the importance of work, he took the initiative in starting inspections.
It goes without saying that Comrade Loria had a perfect understanding of Mr. Josef’s orders.
He began trying, though never with a high-handed attitude, to persuade the people. If your current job is too difficult, why not try an easier one?
Comrade Loria’s activities reflected his understanding of Mr. Josef’s kind heart; he thought together with the people about what sort of work would be a good fit for each of them.
Of course, he actively encouraged the people who wanted to try intense or difficult jobs. But Comrade Loria felt that only encouraging them was irresponsible.
In order that they not feel lonely, he sent them helpers. And he decided to look for a manageable job for the people who couldn’t handle intense, difficult work.
Actually, this was Comrade Loria’s biggest challenge. Each and every person was different. Some comrades were fast runners, while other comrades were slow but strong. Some comrades had very quick minds but a weak sense of responsibility.
It was incredibly difficult to grasp the diversity of the people. That was precisely where his predecessor, Comrade Iezhov, had failed.
But Comrade Loria couldn’t betray the trust of Mr. Josef, whom all the people respected.
He had his people investigate nearly the entire country.
He preferred assertive, revolutionary action; there is even a story about how he sent his staff into the wheat fields of a farming village. They kept searching for a new job even as they helped the tearful people bring in their harvest.
Finally, far in the east, they found a simple job that anyone capable of counting could do. Comrade Loria was pleased and asked his subordinate who had found it how many people could be employed that way. The response was ideal.
All the nation’s people could be employed, and there would still be openings! This surprised Comrade Loria, so he asked another question.
What in the world is this job?
The answer:
The environmentally friendly job of counting trees in Sildberia.
It was work that soothed the tired people’s hearts with the power of nature and would surely protect the environment as well.
People could enjoy forest bathing while gazing up toward the clear starry sky while spending their days devoted to this noble task.
It was truly labor by the people, for the people.
Comrade Loria gleefully decided to report this to Mr. Josef.
Of course, when Mr. Josef heard, he practically jumped for joy.
Pouring his prized Georziyan wine for Comrade Loria, he thanked him for living up to his trust.
The two men looked each other in the eye, and Mr. Josef expressed his sincere gratitude for Comrade Loria’s devotion. And he praised him, saying that the country itself should be happy to have such a fine comrade.
It goes without saying that Comrade Loria was thrilled. He promised to work even harder for Mr. Josef—and he faithfully kept that promise, so much so that not a day went by that the people didn’t speak of Comrade Loria’s unflagging efforts. It seemed like things would go on this way forever, but then one day, Comrade Loria had a dream like a divine revelation.
It almost seemed to predict the future.
Of course, Comrade Loria was a logical Communist, so he wasn’t fazed by such unscientific things. He continued to solemnly perform his duties day after day.
But he was tormented by the dream nearly every night.
At that point, even Comrade Loria had to wonder if he was exhausted due to overwork.
He decided to ask Mr. Josef, whom he trusted and respected, for advice.
And what do you know—Mr. Josef had been having the same dream! What could it possibly mean?
After thinking for a little while, Mr. Josef logically concluded that both of them had the same worries. After all, the future of the nation was resting on their shoulders. Even if the weight was different for each of them, they both felt it.
Perhaps the dream was caused by some concern they shared.
In other words, perhaps there was something they needed to do.
Mr. Josef and Comrade Loria put some serious thought into that idea. But Mr. Josef hadn’t made any particular mistakes domestically. All the people, his comrades, were living happy lives.
Not only that, but he had received a report that the economy was growing well. He searched and searched, but no matter how hard he looked, he could find only reports that said the people’s happiness was growing.
And that improvement showed no signs of slowing down.
It was to the point that people who made mistakes competed to see who could participate in the canal construction project first. The people who had been spoiled by Mr. Josef’s kindness were finally learning to have a work ethic.
What could there possibly be to worry about?
That was the question flitting across Mr. Josef’s mind.
The answer became clear as Mr. Josef, whose strong intellectual curiosity made him eager to learn, was reading a foreign newspaper. Tragically, the world had been enveloped in war!
Since he was in a peaceful country, the war naturally had nothing to do with him.
But he had to do something.
And he didn’t even have to think to know that the people of the world, surely suffering, needed a final solution.
Mr. Josef, with his wonderful loving heart, tried to think what he could do.
Surely there were people somewhere who needed his help.
As the leader of the people, dear Mr. Josef couldn’t hesitate.
Comrade Loria persuaded the reluctant Revisionists,8 and Mr. Josef finally knew what they had to do.
Even so, they didn’t give up on words at first.
They tried to have a conversation with the militaristic imperialists. Very sadly, however, their words and good faith did not get through to them.
For the peoples of the Republic and the Commonwealth, and for the people oppressed under the imperial authorities, Mr. Josef was forced to act.
That is how Mr. Josef and Comrade Loria’s battle began.
Of course, peace-loving Mr. Josef’s army severely lacked the experience necessary to fight against the bloodthirsty Imperial Army. Unfortunately, no small number of soldiers went to Sildberia to count trees.
It was certainly not Mr. Josef’s intention to force the people to change their jobs. He always gave them a choice, but even so, many people felt they should respond to his kindness and volunteered to join the army.
And that is how the Federation Army ended up fighting for the people of the world.
(from the Commissariat for Education–approved textbook, The People’s Textbook for Schoolchildren)
JANUARY 17, UNIFIED YEAR 1926, FEDERATION CAPITAL MOSKVA
He was a boring man.
His friends didn’t find him worth debating against, and in truth, he wasn’t. As his friends were promoted, the organization trusted him with administrative duties, if that.
He was also a stranger to military glory. Rather, he failed stupendously and even hampered his allies’ victory. For that reason, he was looked down upon, and no one ever considered him someone to be wary of.
And then he quietly built up his status in an administrative position everyone had avoided.
Having the rights of the administration effectively meant controlling personnel. Little by little, he put people under his influence in inconspicuous yet important positions.
No one saw him as a legitimate threat. They just thought of him as a good underling. And that is how he managed to achieve a definitive rise unhindered by anyone. Until the critical moment, no one saw him as anything but an office worker.
But he held literally every power.
Yes, his famed seniors with illustrious careers were nominally employed in higher-ranking positions, but directly beneath each of those people was one of his men actually managing affairs.
In secret.
That was the modest yet critical key to his ambition. Without anyone knowing, he had taken control of the government’s workings. And with that power, he became a force in government by his very nature.
It was right before his predecessors’ deaths that they finally realized how dangerous he was, but it was too late.
They had ignored the warning. Everyone aiming to lead the government had let it go in one ear and out the other without bothering to consider it seriously. They paid for that—for what could be described as a “fatal” error—with their and their families’ lives and assets.
That’s how the man called Josef snatched up one of the world’s leading nations, the Federation.
He believed he was the only legitimate leader of the Federation and that he had a mission in history, a mission to restore the Federation’s immense power.
He was a calculating man with a devious mind.
To him, the Empire was an allowable disorder. If the Empire didn’t exist, the world’s bourgeois hatred for Communism might have instigated an alliance against the Federation.
If, however, the Empire was there to meddle in their interests, the bourgeoisie would spend their time on the nearer object of their hate. Even the Federation Army, though reluctantly, acknowledged this strategy to be correct.
But suddenly, they were at war.
It was terribly sudden for the Federation, to say nothing of the Empire.
Every single person had been wanting to know what the dictator’s true intentions were; Josef had been brooding in isolation.
He’d been tormented by dreams.
It all started one night as he savored a glass of Georziyan wine, recalling the screams of the irritating, high-level military men he had successfully purged. He nodded off and then awoke with a start.
Someone had spoken to him.
He had experienced someone speaking to him, inviting yet certain. It was a kind voice, yet still horrifying for the listener.
“…’s…st…problem. …, …ink…”
The voice was making some sort of appeal to him. At first, he laughed it off. It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?
He had stopped feeling anything about the purges a long time ago. The last bit of humanity left within Josef had vanished with the death of his beloved wife.
Even if he felt unsure about the purges, there was no way he could stop them now. At any rate, it was kill or be killed. If he stopped, he would die on the blade of a traitor’s knife.
“…, wh…think…, …simple.”
Is it telling me to rethink things?
He had cast away the Bible and its ilk in his youth when it hadn’t saved him.
“…w…sol…”
But the voice calling him didn’t know when to quit. Perhaps, as he feared, it had something to do with the mages. Unlike the more replaceable soldiers—or to put it another way, the ones whose necks he could slit at any time—mages were harder to manage. Since even a single mage could resist the organization, letting any of them remain was like leaving live charcoal lying around.
That’s why he made a proactive move to stop the dissidents ahead of time. Still, there seemed to be some kind of interference happening that he couldn’t comprehend. He reached in annoyance for the receiver to call the head of security. Depending on the situation, he thought it might be better to put someone else in charge.
But he would regret picking up that receiver for the rest of his life. Up until then, the voice had been full of static, but now it rang clearly from the machine.
“It’s because you all exist that there’s a problem. Very well, let’s think about that, then. Yes, after a little thought, it’s simple. If none of you was here, there would be no problem.”
He felt like something was watching him, a chilling fear… That was the moment his heart clenched.
“Death will solve everything. Therefore, you Communist dogs, this I pronounce unto ye: Dzhugashvili, apostate, God will punish thee. An apostle comes. Even now, an apostle approaches from the west. Thou and the rest of the eastern barbarians shall be eradicated. Fear the apostle’s punishment.”
“An apostle?” he retorted in spite of himself.
He’d heard the stories when he was a young child, that God sent apostles to both save and judge, but…he never believed them.
God is a fantasy.
God doesn’t exist.
Of course he doesn’t, he told himself. But before he knew it, he realized there was something he might be frightened of.
…The west.
Yes, the west. He couldn’t ignore the Empire in the west.
It had been attacked from three directions and come out victorious each time. If they didn’t stop the Empire now, whether God existed or not, the Federation…would have to face that immensely powerful Imperial Army alone.