“Propaganda, huh…”
Carmen’s veteran member, Kalia, thought to herself.
It wasn’t like she didn’t know the word.
She didn’t fully understand the part about “one nation” and “one people,” but she had a rough idea of what Kang Cheonsu wanted.
But… attempting to stir up public agitation?
The Oregon branch leader wanted tangible results in the near future — would this really be so easy?
“Who’s the target audience?”
“The Helvetia Republic. And other nations with close ties to them.”
“Close ties?”
“Those who share the same language and similar cultural spheres. There are plenty of them on the Helvetian Peninsula, aren’t there?”
No matter what criticism Kalia had, Kang Cheonsu confidently continued explaining his plan.
“I’m not exactly a history buff, but I’ve heard there was once an empire in Helvetia’s lands. A massive empire that spanned most of the continent.”
“That’s true.”
It was more than a thousand years ago — back when the continent was still plagued by barbarians and civilization was in its infancy.
A world empire built on overwhelming military power and an aggressive culture had once ruled this land.
That empire was called the Termun Empire.
At its height, it held about 80% of humanity under its rule.
But after waging a long war against the demonic army of the time and struggling with barbarian uprisings at its borders, the empire couldn’t withstand its decline and eventually fell.
The heart of that empire, its birthplace and core territory, was none other than the Helvetian Peninsula.
More specifically, the land that the Helvetia Republic now occupied.
“But after the empire fell, Helvetia shattered into pieces. The peninsula became a patchwork of small and mid-sized countries, constantly vying for power.”
Once a land of glorious prosperity, it had now become a region plagued by infighting and division.
Though some of the peninsula’s nations managed to maintain decent economies and internal stability, they were still small fry compared to the giants around them.
Their fragmented territories meant no individual state could amass significant strength.
“And it’s not just internal strife — there’s external pressure too. There are powerful nations all around them, including this one. Just look at the map — it’s packed with them.”
No matter how stable or wealthy those small states were, their power was limited.
The Helvetian Peninsula’s nations were rich but militarily weak, making them easy prey for the larger countries surrounding them.
Greedy monarchs, always on the lookout for opportunities, often invaded to seize their wealth, land, and population.
Sometimes, those powerful nations fought among themselves over Helvetian territory, completely ignoring the will of the local people.
After centuries of invasions, diplomatic coercion, and exploitation, much of the peninsula was now under foreign rule.
Only a handful of states — including the Helvetia Republic — still retained their sovereignty.
“Looking at this situation, one thing became crystal clear: the people there must despise outsiders.”
Kang Cheonsu pointed at the peninsula, its map covered in the colors of the surrounding great powers.
“Who wouldn’t resent being exploited by rulers who aren’t even of their own nation or people? Especially when they used to bask in the glory of a mighty empire?”
They might not be openly rebelling right now, given the overwhelming power imbalance and their long submission.
But beneath the surface, there was sure to be a simmering resentment — a deep frustration ready to ignite.
And with so many neighboring states in the same predicament, the people of the Helvetian Peninsula had a natural basis for solidarity and empathy.
In short, the conditions were perfect — just a little spark could ignite their long-buried anger into an all-consuming fire.
“All we have to do is fan the flames a little. Stir up their emotions, and the Helvetian Peninsula will erupt into chaos on its own.”
“…It sounds plausible, I’ll admit.”
Kalia sighed after listening to Kang Cheonsu’s bold analysis.
For someone who looked like a homeless vagabond, his ideas were surprisingly convincing — though, regrettably, not very realistic.
“But I don’t think it’ll work.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’ve already tried it.”
For an organization like Carmen — one devoted to overthrowing the existing world order — Helvetia was an irresistible target.
With just a little push, it seemed like it could burst into independence wars and mass uprisings.
So they’d tried.
Many times.
They’d distributed propaganda and sent agitators and spies into the region.
“We’ve already deployed dozens of operatives there. We’ve spent funds equivalent to the budget of a decent-sized town. But so far, we’ve achieved absolutely nothing.”
Despite their efforts, they had failed.
Spectacularly.
The rulers of Helvetia’s occupied states had poured immense resources into stabilizing their regimes and maintaining the status quo.
Their iron grip was so firm that no amount of subterfuge had managed to crack their stronghold.
“Still… your idea isn’t bad. Maybe we should focus on another regio—”
“Just because you failed doesn’t mean I will.”
Kalia had been about to suggest an alternative, but Kang Cheonsu wasn’t interested.
*****
After all, the history of crowd psychology was relatively short.
The techniques for shaping public opinion and influencing societal sentiment had only gained attention in the mid-19th century.
Before that, most politicians saw the masses as ignorant sheep — something to be enlightened, not understood.
The rulers of this world seemed to share the same blind spot.
No matter how grand their ideals, they lacked the technical know-how to make them reality.
“Miss, Kalia.”
“Yes?”
“What kind of propaganda did you distribute? Actually, don’t bother answering — I can already guess. Let me guess: you told them how exploited they’ve been, warned them they couldn’t go on like this, and called them to unite and overthrow their oppressors. Am I right?”
“…That’s right.”
“And I’m guessing it was full of long-winded sentences and difficult metaphors too.”
No matter how much information you pile on, only a tiny minority will take it seriously.
In an era where well over half the population is illiterate, who’s going to understand complex terms and flowery rhetoric?
If you really want to persuade and mobilize the masses —You have to speak in a way that captures their attention.
“You could shout those kinds of messages a hundred times over, and no one would listen. What the public wants are slogans — something more provocative, more direct, and easy to understand.”
But just explaining this probably wouldn’t get through.
Kalia didn’t look like she’d had any sudden revelations from my words either.
In that case, the only option was to show her an example.
After all, the most effective form of education is practical experience, isn’t it?
“If you don’t understand, just help me. There’s no need to overthink this. Besides, even if things go wrong, I’ll be the one taking the blame — not you, Miss Kalia.”
“…Alright. If that’s what you want.”
And so, our partnership was formed.
Since time was short, we immediately began working on the propaganda materials.
“….”
[“What Helvetia needs most right now is unity, first and foremost — second, unity — and third, unity. Only a united people and a single, strong, competent leader can guide Helvetia toward prosperity and independence.”]
[“The Helvetians have but one desire: to pursue happiness in their own way. This is a sacred right — an inviolable domain that no outsider must ever infringe upon.”]
[“Our glorious culture and traditions, with thousands of years of history, are on the verge of being forgotten — and it’s all because of foreign powers. Will you stand by and watch as your own honor and pride are trampled?”]
[“The Helvetian people are great! We built vast road networks, constructed mighty fortresses, and spread civilization and technology across the world. But what of today? Haven’t we grown weak and complacent, losing the spirit of our proud ancestors?”]
[“Helvetia, awaken! Just as parched land longs for the storm, pursue a single future — the future of unity! Rise, O people! Let the storm rage on!”]
“….”
That was the general content.
The main foundation was fascism, seasoned with elements of Nazism and totalitarianism for added flavor.
I also sprinkled in some of the ideas and rhetoric used during Italy’s unification movement.
The tone?
As passionate and aggressive as possible.
I threw in every concept I knew that could strengthen their sense of exclusive internal solidarity.
Oh, and of course, I made sure the language was as simple and straightforward as possible — something even the most uneducated reader could understand.
“This… is quite extreme.”
“If you want to provoke radical action, you need ideology and motivation to match.”
“The higher-ups will probably have a fit if they read this.”
“Which is all the better, isn’t it? I’ll leave the printing and distribution to you.”
“….”
The manuscript we completed in three days was quickly handed off to the organization’s printing press.
After some proofreading and minor adjustments, the final printing plates were prepared within four days.
In booklet format, around 1,000 copies were printed and shipped to their destination.
The entire process — from planning to distribution across Helvetia — took about two weeks.
And the results?
“Yes! This is it! This is the path our nation must take!”
“Glory to great Helvetia! Let’s reclaim the honor of our ancestors!!”
As expected —It sparked a frenzy of fervor.