Road to Unfreedom_Russia, Europe, America
Key Data
- Author: Timothy Snyder
- Published: 2018
- Purchase link: here
- Finished reading on: 11.07.2025
Content
The book details how Russia became authoritarian and how it exports this model to Europe and America.
Why Did I Read It?
I became interested in the author after discovering him through his lectures on Ukrainian history. After looking through his books, I decided on this one, as it combined my interest in political systems with my fascination with the current war in Ukraine.
Thoughts After Finishing
This book’s message is incredibly persuasive and well-argued. It reinforced many of my thoughts about liberal democracy and freedom, with the concepts of the “politics of inevitability” and “politics of eternity” being especially useful. The author also excels at weaving historical analysis together with philosophical concepts, then using them as a prism through which to analyze the current situation.
Main Takeaways
My main takeaways center on the philosophical underpinnings of current authoritarianism and some shocking facts. Key insights include:
- The concepts of “politics of inevitability” and “politics of eternity”, which explain the downward trajectory of liberal democracies and the appeal of modern authoritarianismdespite the absence of social mobility.
- Ilyin's philosophy of eternal Russian innocence and how it relates to the foreign policy of the Russian Federation.
- How the Russian Federation essentially requires endless foreign conflict (hot or cold) to sustain its stability.
- The problem of succession as a central issue in authoritarian systems.
- “Strategic relativism” as a foreign policy — weakening others to appear stronger — as a method of sustaining a failing system.
- The enormous lengths to which the Russian regime goes to demonize the West.
- The fact that some voters are willing to endure pain as long as it harms others more, and how this can be exploited by political entrepreneurs.
- The extent of Russian meddling in Donald Trump’s first election and the concerning connections between the two.
Criticisms
- The book’s chapters are too long, and there isn’t much space to take a break.
- Key concepts are sometimes reiterated too often, which hinders the flow.