The Road to Unfreedom

Timothy Snyder's The Road to Unfreedom is an incisive look at the dangerous trends that threaten democracy in both Europe and the United States. Snyder analyzes how authoritarian regimes, particularly Russia, are gradually weakening the foundations of Western societies through hybrid warfare techniques, propaganda, and support for extremism. In this book, the author exposes the tactics used by Vladimir Putin's regime to destabilize and gain geopolitical influence, and emphasizes that Western democracies must be vigilant to preserve their values against such encroachments. Through a detailed analysis of Russian practices and threats to free societies, Snyder shows how fragile the democratic fabric is if citizens fail to recognize the importance of protecting it.

The politics of necessity and the politics of perpetuity are two opposing approaches that profoundly affect the direction of society. While the politics of necessity believes in constant progress and improvement, the politics of perpetuity is rooted in the idea that the best days are behind us and that we need to return to traditional values. This idea of perpetuity creates the illusion of constant threat, thereby justifying repression and authoritarian action. The example of Russia is telling in this context. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country lost many of its positions of power, which many Russians perceived as humiliation and betrayal. In this environment, a politics of perpetuity grew up that nostalgically recalls the period when Russia dominated the world and led the fight against "Western enemies." This view has been reinforced by President Vladimir Putin, who creates an image of Russia as the last bastion of traditional values and Orthodox faith, lending legitimacy to his authoritarian practices. The politics of perpetuity finds fertile ground in uncertain times when people yearn for security and order. Society becomes sensitive to rhetoric that promises a return to "lost golden times." This concept has been and continues to be used by many leaders around the world. Even Hitler, in his speeches, spoke of the restoration of Germany and a return to a strong, pure race. In this way, he created an image of an inevitable struggle against enemies who supposedly threatened national values. The present is becoming just an endless repetition of the past, from which the nation will never be fully recovered. Leaders who follow the politics of perpetuity move their country into a "mythical present," where every problem can be explained away as the work of foreign enemies or internal traitors. This sense of perpetual threat makes citizens less critical and less willing to tolerate repression. Democracies, on the other hand, are based on faith in progress and the future. The politics of necessity focuses on solving problems to improve the lives of future generations. However, as Snyder warns, when democracies become too comfortable and forget the necessity of protecting their values, they can easily slip into dangerous stagnation. Even in Western countries, we see leaders trying to use the rhetoric of perpetuity to make people fear 'danger' and the need for protection. The politics of perpetuity creates the illusion of stability, but at the cost of freedom and progress. Snyder warns that democracies must be vigilant and not allow themselves to be drawn into the trap of perpetual warfare against 'enemies' with no vision for the future.

Russian propaganda and hybrid warfare are sophisticated and subtle methods by which Russia seeks to influence public opinion and destabilise democratic countries. This strategy is not just about traditional propaganda, but a wide range of tools - from the dissemination of disinformation to cyber-attacks. Through these tactics, the Russian Government is creating chaos and strife, thereby breaking down the internal cohesion of the states it considers to be its adversaries. An example of this is the conflict in Ukraine, where the Russian media portrayed the 2014 Ukrainian revolution as a Western-backed fascist coup. In this way, they sought not only to legitimise their aggression, but also to undermine the confidence of the Ukrainian people in their own government. In this context, propaganda becomes an important tool of hybrid warfare, targeting the psychology and ideology of the people and aiming to dismantle their ability to unite and defend themselves effectively. Hybrid warfare includes not only disinformation but also cyber attacks. During the 2016 US presidential election, Russia was accused of attempting to influence the outcome of the election through hacking attacks and manipulative social media posts. Russian troll farms and botnets flooded the internet with fake news and polarizing content, sowing distrust and causing social tensions. Russia is using similar methods in Europe, targeting countries such as Germany, France and Spain. One of the main weapons of hybrid warfare is the so-called "doubt as a weapon." Russian propaganda does not emphasise one truth, but rather the creation of multiple contradictory stories, thereby undermining objectivity and trust in facts. When every story seems both plausible and implausible, people lose the ability to discern what is true and what is false. This practice, aimed at creating confusion and cynicism, undermines the ability of democracies to respond to external threats. Hybrid warfare thus does not attack directly, but rather invisibly destroys the internal structure of the country it considers an enemy. Unlike traditional forms of warfare, hybrid warfare aims to create instability, chaos and a sense of hopelessness in society. In this way, Russia achieves political victories without having to physically enter foreign territory. The challenge for democratic countries is how to counter this tactic. Traditional means of defence are often ineffective against hybrid warfare, as it is not a direct military conflict. It is therefore essential that societies learn to recognise disinformation, develop critical thinking and maintain strong institutions that can respond to these modern forms of threat.

In the case of contemporary Russia, the renewal of imperial ambitions is a deep-rooted idea that shapes its foreign and domestic policy. The Putin regime refers to the era of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union to legitimise its geopolitical goals and to create an image of Russia as a historical power that has the right to regain influence in territories where it once dominated. This concept associates Russia with the heritage of a great power that protected traditional values, which has a resonant symbolism for citizens. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 is a key example of this drive to rebuild empire. Russia justified this move on the basis of the need to protect the Russian minority and the historical significance of Crimea, thus once again placing itself in the role of 'protector' of its people outside its own territory. For Putin and his regime, the annexation was a symbolic victory - it won Russia the admiration of part of the population and demonstrated its power, thereby strengthening internal support. But such imperial ambitions go deeper than simple nationalism. The Putin regime is seeking to re-establish a sphere of influence in the former Soviet republics, which it sees as its zone of geopolitical interest. Examples of this are the conflicts in eastern Ukraine or in Georgia, where Russia seeks to control local events through military or political intervention. Russia is making it clear that it does not consider these countries to be completely independent, but states that should respect its interests. Russian propaganda inside the country supports these imperial ambitions by creating the image of being "surrounded by enemies." Russian officials often portray the West as an aggressive actor that threatens their culture and values, thereby justifying interference in the rights of neighbouring countries. This narrative finds resonance especially among the older generation, who remember a time when the Soviet Union dominated world politics. However, the restoration of the empire is not only a political project, but also an ideological one: it seeks to position Russia as an alternative to Western democracies. By emphasising conservative and religious values, Putin is gaining support not only at home but also among populist and conservative circles in Europe. In this way, Russia is creating a cultural and political bridge across which to promote its interests and weaken the unity of the West. Putin's ambition to restore the imperial power that Russia once had could have far-reaching consequences for the whole world. Western democracies and countries neighbouring Russia face the challenge of how to counter this pressure without escalating the conflict. Protecting the sovereignty of small states trying to escape Russia's shadow is thus becoming a key issue in international relations today.

For authoritarian regimes, denial of the truth and revisionism of history are effective tools for controlling public opinion and justifying repressive measures. The Russian regime under Vladimir Putin uses these tactics to reinforce a sense of national unity and loyalty to the state in society, with any dissenting or alternative views seen as a threat. One of the key strategies is the adaptation of historical events to support current policies. For example, World War II is portrayed in Russian propaganda as an exclusively Soviet victory over fascism, minimizing the Allies' involvement and ignoring the atrocities committed by the Soviet Union. This 'great patriotic war' has become a pillar of national identity and a source of national pride. Any doubts about this version of history are seen as an attack on Russia as such. The manipulation of history goes even further - ideological messages are projected into the past that are in line with the regime's objectives today. Stalin, who was once seen as a symbol of a brutal regime, is now seen by many Russians as a strong leader who 'saved the nation' and led it to great achievements. This shift in the historical image of Stalin is not accidental, but the result of a deliberate construction of the image of a leader whose authoritarianism was supposedly necessary for the country. The revisionism of history is also important in foreign policy. Russia uses the distortion of historical facts as a tool to justify its actions towards other countries, especially in Eastern Europe. The annexation of Crimea has been propagandistically justified as the return of territory that has 'always belonged to Russia'. This rhetoric resonates particularly among the Russian population, which sees the expansion as a legitimate restoration of historical borders. The tactic of denying the truth is not limited to the past, but permeates the present as well. The Russian media and state propaganda often disseminate contradictory information, thereby causing confusion and relativism. For example, during the war in eastern Ukraine, the Russian media constantly offered different versions of the stories, which made it difficult to understand what was really going on. This undermines objectivity, leading people to believe that 'truth is relative' and that they will never get the truth. The denial of truth and the revisionism of history are a serious challenge to democracies. As these countries are founded on the principles of openness and truth, they face systematic attacks on objectivity with difficulty. If they cannot defend themselves effectively, they risk being drawn into information chaos. It is therefore important for democracies not only to protect history and facts, but also to actively educate their citizens in the ability to critically analyse information.

Russian influence on Western democracies represents a complex and sophisticated form of interference designed to undermine their internal cohesion and destabilise their political systems. This influence is neither directly military nor overt; instead, Russia uses information warfare techniques, financial support for populist and extremist groups, and cyber-attacks to undermine citizens' trust in their own institutions. One of the most notorious events where Russian influence played a key role was the 2016 presidential election in the United States. Russian hacking groups and propaganda machines spread polarising content via social media, supported extremist movements and hacked the private emails of political representatives. The result was an atmosphere of mistrust and polarisation that persists to this day and affects the US political scene. This crackdown has shown how fragile trust in democratic processes can be when they are exposed to manipulative influences. Financial support for populist movements in Europe is another part of the Russian strategy. Russia is trying to weaken the unity of the European Union by supporting parties that oppose European integration. Parties such as the National Front in France or the Five Star Movement in Italy have received direct or indirect support, which has helped them to gain more weight in the political arena. By supporting these actors, Russia is destabilising the European bloc and weakening its ability to respond unitedly to geopolitical challenges. Russian propaganda uses a variety of platforms, from television stations such as RT (Russia Today) to an army of Internet trolls and bots on social networks. The aim is to sow doubt and provoke internal conflicts within democratic societies. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, for example, we are seeing a rise in pro-Russian media and newsgroups that spread disinformation and incite distrust of institutions. These narratives are tailored to local realities in order to be authentic and effectively penetrate public discourse. Hybrid warfare and cyber-attacks are other tools that Russia uses to influence the West. For example, in 2015, a large-scale cyberattack took place on Ukraine's electricity grid, which is considered one of the first instances of a cyberattack directly impacting critical infrastructure. This incident showed that Russia has the ability not only to destabilise societies with disinformation, but also to inflict real physical damage if it deems it strategically advantageous to do so. One of the most dangerous forms of Russian influence is the creation of 'truth uncertainty' - by manipulating and disseminating contradictory information, people gradually become immune to facts. When citizens lose the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, democracies face a serious threat of internal decay. This phenomenon undermines critical thinking and allows extremist narratives to dominate the public space. Russia's influence on Western democracies is thus an inevitable challenge for the modern world. Democratic societies must develop new methods of defence, which consist not only in technical protection, but also in strengthening education, critical thinking and civic awareness. Only in this way can they counter this complex threat and preserve their values against the pressure that is invisibly exerted from within.

The challenge for democratic values today presents a difficult test for countries that are founded on the principles of freedom, the rule of law and civil rights. As Snyder points out, democratic societies face not only internal crises but also systematic efforts by authoritarian regimes to destabilise them. These pressures expose democracy's vulnerabilities, which can be exploited by adversaries to undermine core values and undermine internal coherence. One of the biggest problems is the proliferation of disinformation, which undermines trust in public institutions and the media. Russian troll farms and social media botnets spread false and polarising messages that create divisions in society. This disinformation war does not attack democracies directly, but uses their openness and freedom of expression to spread chaos. Citizens who are exposed to contradictory information begin to doubt all sources, leading to growing cynicism and weakening trust in democratic processes. Another challenge for democracies is the rise of populism and extremism, which often relies on easy solutions and nationalist rhetoric. Populist leaders exploit people's frustration and fear of economic insecurity or migratory waves, promising a "return to indigenous values." Such rhetoric undermines democracies from within because it promotes divisions between "us" and "them" instead of inclusiveness. This trend is visible in many European countries, where populist parties are gaining support and undermining trust in liberal institutions. Financial and political support for authoritarian regimes is another factor that complicates democratic stability. Authoritarian states such as Russia and China use economic investment and cooperation to promote their own interests abroad, thereby creating spheres of influence even in democratic states. An example of this is China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative, which, through economic projects, ensures China's strategic advantages and the economic dependence of the recipient countries, which may lead to their gradual loss of autonomy. Contemporary democracies also face the problem of how to respond to these challenges, as traditional methods of defence may not be sufficient against invisible forms of hybrid warfare. The aim of authoritarian regimes is not only to destabilise specific countries, but to plant seeds of doubt that will slowly spread throughout society. It is therefore essential that democracies realise the importance of actively strengthening democratic values and educating their citizens in critical thinking. This challenge can be met by strengthening civic education to help people recognise misinformation and encourage them to participate actively in democratic processes. Equally important is transparency and the ability of governments to inform citizens quickly and truthfully. In strong and informed societies, where citizens understand the risks and protect their values, hybrid attacks are less likely to succeed. Democracy, as history shows us today, is not self-evident and inevitable. To withstand the challenges of the present, it must constantly adapt, renew its values and involve all citizens in the process of protecting and building democratic institutions.

The Road to Unfreedom is a warning to all those who take democracy for granted. Snyder points out that Western societies are vulnerable to hybrid threats that undermine internal stability and undermine trust in institutions. The book offers a clear picture of how propaganda, revisionism and the systematic undermining of truth can destroy a free society. The conclusion is clear: democratic values and a free society only last when citizens consciously protect them. Snyder's book is thus not only an analysis of current threats, but also a call for vigilance and commitment to make democracy not a thing of the past, but a vibrant part of the future. Do you have feedback for us? We'd love it if you let us know your opinion on our content! Just send an email to feedback@rewio.app with the title of this book in the subject line and share your impressions!