Introduction
In "The Road to Unfreedom," historian Timothy Snyder presents a chilling account of how Vladimir Putin's Russia is working to undermine democracy and reshape the global political landscape. Snyder argues that we are moving from an era of assumed progress and inevitability towards a darker age of eternity politics, where governments manufacture crises and exploit fear to maintain power. At the center of this shift is Russia under Putin, which has embraced a dystopian philosophy and is actively working to export it to the West.
The Philosophy of Ivan Ilyin
Snyder traces the roots of Putin's worldview to the ideas of Ivan Ilyin, a Russian philosopher who died in 1954 but whose work has been revived and championed by the current Russian regime. Ilyin was a Christian fascist who admired Hitler and Mussolini. He envisioned a post-communist Russia ruled by a strong authoritarian leader who would channel people's anxieties into support for the state.
Key aspects of Ilyin's philosophy include:
- Glorification of a single, redemptive leader
- Emphasis on external threats and enemies
- Promotion of violence over reason
- Use of propaganda instead of rational discourse
- Rejection of democratic institutions
After coming to power in 2000, Putin embraced Ilyin's ideas and worked to implement them in Russia. The government promoted Ilyin's writings, distributed them to officials, and even arranged for his body to be reburied in Moscow with honors. This marked the beginning of Russia's transition towards the politics of eternity that Snyder warns about.
Putin's Rise to Power
The author describes how Putin's initial rise was fueled by his response to a series of apartment bombings in Russia in 1999. As prime minister, Putin blamed Chechen terrorists and launched a war in Chechnya, which dramatically boosted his popularity. He was elected president in 2000 on a wave of patriotic fervor.
However, Snyder suggests there are unanswered questions about the true source of the bombings, hinting at the possibility of state involvement to manufacture a crisis. This established a pattern of the Putin regime exploiting or manufacturing threats to consolidate power.
Entrenching Authoritarian Rule
Over his first three terms as president, Putin steadily implemented more aspects of Ilyin's authoritarian vision:
- Placing major media under state control
- Allowing security forces to act with impunity
- Criminalizing criticism of the government
- Restricting NGOs and civil society groups
- Manipulating elections
A key figure in this process was Putin's propaganda chief Vladislav Surkov, who was adept at using manufactured crises to justify crackdowns and centralization of power. For instance, a 2002 terrorist attack on a Moscow theater was used as a pretext to bring television networks under government control.
By portraying Russia as constantly under threat from enemies both external and internal, Putin was able to present himself as the nation's indispensable protector and savior - just as Ilyin had envisioned.
Pivot to Anti-Western Stance
Snyder argues that a major shift occurred around 2011-2012, when Putin's party performed poorly in parliamentary elections despite widespread fraud. Facing domestic discontent, Putin pivoted to portraying the West, particularly the US and EU, as an existential threat to Russia.
This allowed him to frame pro-democracy protesters as Western puppets and to justify further authoritarian measures as necessary to protect Russian sovereignty. It also marked the beginning of a more aggressive foreign policy aimed at undermining Western democracies and institutions.
The Eurasian Project
In 2013, Putin publicly announced Russia's new geopolitical goal: the creation of a "Eurasian" bloc to rival the European Union. This vision sought to expand Russian influence across the former Soviet space and beyond, presenting an alternative to Western liberal democracy.
To achieve this, Russia adopted a two-pronged strategy:
- Prevent former Soviet states from aligning with the West
- Undermine and divide Western institutions from within
This shift in foreign policy would have major ramifications, particularly for Ukraine and the European Union.
Destabilizing Ukraine
Snyder provides a detailed account of how Russia's new foreign policy played out in Ukraine in 2013-2014. When Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was close to signing an association agreement with the EU, Putin pressured him to back out at the last minute. This triggered massive pro-EU protests in Ukraine.
As the protests grew, Russia escalated its involvement:
- Sending intelligence agents to help suppress demonstrations
- Pushing Yanukovych to adopt authoritarian measures
- Using snipers to kill protesters when the regime was close to collapse
- Invading and annexing Crimea after Yanukovych fled
- Supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine
Through these actions, Russia succeeded in destabilizing Ukraine and complicating its path to EU integration. However, it also solidified Ukrainian opposition to Russian influence, resulting in what Snyder calls a "half-victory" for Putin.
Information Warfare Against the EU
Simultaneously, Russia launched a campaign to undermine the EU from within using cyberattacks, disinformation, and support for far-right populist parties. Some key examples:
- Hacking and releasing emails to influence the Brexit referendum
- Spreading anti-immigrant propaganda in Germany
- Supporting Marine Le Pen's far-right party in France
- Using social media to amplify divisive messages across Europe
These efforts aimed to exploit existing tensions within European societies around issues like immigration and sovereignty. By weakening EU cohesion, Russia hoped to prevent a united European response to its actions and create space for its Eurasian project.
The MH17 Disaster
Snyder uses the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 as a case study in Russia's use of disinformation. Despite clear evidence that Russia-backed separatists had shot down the civilian airliner with a Russian-supplied missile, killing 298 people, Russian media promoted wild conspiracy theories blaming Ukraine.
This included the absurd claim that Ukraine had actually been trying to assassinate Putin and had mistakenly hit MH17 instead. Through this lens, Russia portrayed itself as the real victim of the tragedy rather than its perpetrator.
Snyder argues this perfectly encapsulates the "politics of eternity," where facts are irrelevant and the nation is always the innocent victim of external forces, justifying any action by its leaders.
Strategic Relativism
Another key concept Snyder introduces is "strategic relativism" - the idea that if Russia can't surpass its rivals, it can at least drag them down to its level. This explains many of Russia's seemingly self-defeating actions on the world stage.
For instance, by intensifying airstrikes in Syria, Russia generated more refugees flowing into Europe. This exacerbated political tensions around immigration in countries like Germany, boosting far-right parties that are more sympathetic to Russia. Even if this damaged Russia's international reputation, it achieved the goal of weakening Western unity.
Interfering in the US Election
Snyder devotes significant attention to Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election, which he sees as the culmination of Putin's efforts to reshape the global order. He outlines a multi-pronged Russian strategy:
- Providing covert financial support to the Trump campaign through real estate deals
- Hacking the DNC and Clinton campaign, then strategically releasing emails
- Using social media to spread disinformation and inflame divisions
- Attempting to breach election systems in multiple states
The author argues that the scale of Russian interference was massive, likely reaching the majority of American voters in some form. While it's impossible to definitively say this swung the election, Snyder clearly believes it played a significant role in Trump's victory.
Trump and the Politics of Eternity
For Snyder, Trump's election represented a major victory for Putin's worldview and a step towards the politics of eternity in America. He sees clear parallels between Trump's approach and the Russian model:
- Constant claims of victimhood and blaming of others
- Attacks on democratic institutions and the free press
- Use of disinformation and rejection of objective facts
- Stoking of racial and cultural divisions
- Personalization of power in a single leader figure
Snyder argues that Trump's presidency is accelerating inequality and undermining democratic norms in ways that make the US more like Russia - exactly what Putin hoped to achieve through his campaign of strategic relativism.
The Threat to Democracy
Throughout the book, Snyder emphasizes that the shift towards "eternity politics" represents an existential threat to liberal democracy. Some key dangers he highlights:
- Erosion of faith in democratic institutions and processes
- Breakdown of shared reality as facts become politicized
- Increasing polarization and demonization of opponents
- Rise of authoritarian leaders promising simple solutions
- Loss of faith in progress and the possibility of positive change
He argues that this mindset, once established, is very difficult to break out of. Citizens become trapped in a cycle of grievance, fear, and loyalty to a strongman leader who promises protection from largely imaginary threats.
Resistance and Hope
While the overall tone of the book is quite dark, Snyder does offer some reason for optimism. He points out that Putin's machinations have often backfired, solidifying opposition to Russia in places like Ukraine. The exposure of Russian interference has also made Western countries more aware of their vulnerabilities.
Snyder argues that the best defense against the politics of eternity is an engaged and informed citizenry. He emphasizes the importance of:
- Protecting and strengthening democratic institutions
- Supporting a free and independent press
- Thinking critically and fact-checking information
- Staying engaged in civic life and with one's community
- Maintaining a sense of history and progress
By understanding the tactics being used to undermine democracy, citizens can work to counteract them and reaffirm democratic values.
Key Concepts and Themes
Throughout the book, Snyder introduces several important concepts that help frame his argument:
Politics of Inevitability: The assumption that the future will be a slowly improving version of the present, with liberal democracy and free markets naturally spreading. Snyder argues this complacent mindset left the West vulnerable.
Politics of Eternity: A worldview that traps citizens in an endless cycle of threat and victimhood, with a strong leader as the only protection against mythical enemies. This is the model Putin has implemented in Russia and is working to export.
Strategic Relativism: The idea that if a country can't surpass its rivals, it can at least drag them down to its level. This explains many of Russia's seemingly self-defeating actions on the world stage.
Information Warfare: The use of hacking, disinformation, and propaganda to shape narratives and influence public opinion. Snyder sees this as a key tool in Russia's efforts to destabilize Western democracies.
Eurasian Project: Putin's vision of a Russian-led bloc to rival the EU, based on authoritarian values rather than liberal democracy. This drives much of Russia's foreign policy.
Writing Style and Approach
Snyder's writing is clear and accessible, making complex geopolitical ideas understandable to a general audience. He weaves together historical analysis, current events, and political theory to build his argument.
The author takes a strongly critical stance towards Putin and Trump, which some readers may find off-putting if they're looking for a more neutral analysis. However, Snyder backs up his assertions with extensive research and documentation.
One of the book's strengths is how it connects seemingly disparate events - from Ukraine to Brexit to the US election - into a coherent narrative of Russia's grand strategy. This helps readers see the bigger picture beyond individual news stories.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
"The Road to Unfreedom" presents a sobering analysis of the challenges facing liberal democracy in the 21st century. Snyder makes a compelling case that Russia under Putin has embraced a dangerous authoritarian philosophy and is actively working to spread it globally.
The book serves as a wake-up call about the fragility of democratic institutions and the need for constant vigilance to protect them. It highlights how new technologies and globalization have created vulnerabilities that authoritarian regimes can exploit.
Snyder's analysis helps explain many puzzling recent political developments, from the rise of far-right parties in Europe to the election of Donald Trump. By exposing the tactics being used to undermine democracy, he hopes to equip citizens to resist them.
While the overall picture Snyder paints is quite bleak, his underlying message is that the future is not predetermined. By understanding the threat and taking action to strengthen democratic values and institutions, citizens can work to create a more positive alternative to the politics of eternity.
The book leaves readers with a heightened awareness of the global struggle between democratic and authoritarian visions for the future. It's a powerful call to action for anyone concerned about the health of democracy in their own country and around the world.