[Gambit]

Much of that brutality is an incentive for the people to stay under their government. Heck, if you just say what they want you to say you can have an okay life there. But if you rise up, your family is killed.

Exactly. The people decided they'd rather live under his rule than be caught doing anything about it. Freedom as a nation just wasn't worth the cost to them individually.

It wouldn't have taken the whole nation to revolt, but it would have taken more than one or two people. It would have had to include some military, probably high-ranking, who would be very dangerous to recruit. I did say it wouldn't be easy. It would be pretty bloody. But it could have happened, IF they'd decided it was worth it and worked together.