On Tyranny is a very short book (my electronic edition has only 116 pages) with ’20 lessons from the 20th century’. Its author, Timothy Snyder is a respected historian and former Yale professor, mainly specialising in Central and Eastern European history. He has also been outspoken about political circumstances in the US, especially relating to the presidency of Donald Trump.
The book analyses various events from that century and this one, drawing parallels between them and identifying some actions that we can all take to help to ensure that tyranny does not take root. Each chapter is extremely short, making it an ideal book to pick up and read a chapter at a time and to reflect on the lessons we can draw from it.
From democracy to tyranny: lessons from history
In the prologue, Snyder refers to the drawing up of the US constitution by the Founding Fathers. He points out that they tried to analyse the governments of, for example, ancient Greece and examines how these democracies often slid into tyrannies, enabling them to foresee the kinds of checks and balances that would need to be in place to avoid a repetition. Snyder’s initial premise is that the Founding Fathers were trying to interpret this based on examples which were very different to their own current circumstances and he goes on to argue that today we have much closer historical examples to learn from and which we can apply more directly to our situation.
Another key argument, strangely not clearly articulated until the book’s epilogue, is that since the fall of communism we have largely lost the idea that the western democracies we take for granted could be in competition with other philosophies, and we are therefore potentially complacent about threats to them.
Having laid his foundation, Snyder lays out what he proposes as a blueprint for avoiding the rise of tyranny, drawing on examples from history and recent events to underpin his arguments. In many cases I found his illustrations extremely helpful, and they prompted some interesting thoughts.
Passive, unquestioning obedience clears the way for tyranny
The first parallel which Snyder draws is a warning against “anticipatory obedience”. Citing the rise of the Nazis in Germany, Snyder argues that the Nazis were able to consolidate power extremely quickly because the German populace had a natural instinct to obey the state and automatically complied with elements introduced by the new regime. Snyder argues that the Nazis recognised this and realised they could cement their grip on power faster because people were naturally compliant.
This caused me to reflect on the UK today. I have seen it pointed out on social media that the British nowadays are far more naturally compliant than perhaps 40-50 years ago. For instance, there are far fewer strikes. It’s often commented that the French are much more militant at protesting when they disagree with what their government is doing, so, following Snyder’s argument, perhaps we should learn from the French.
Snyder moves on to the importance of defending institutions, by which he means entities such as unions, and a free press. A lesson from Nazi Germany is that the populace assumed that these were not in need of protection, but they rapidly found out that they were not sacrosanct.
The need for personal action
A key theme of Snyder’s arguments is that we must take personal responsibility, not just for being vigilant about signs of encroaching tyranny, but also to take personal action to help to mitigate against them. Snyder warns us to be alert for prominent images and the symbolism they may portray, or using language to refer to ‘other’ groups of people, citing the Nazi distinction between ‘Jewish’ and ‘Aryan’ businesses. The relentless Reform campaigning on ‘illegal migrants’, especially exaggerating their involvement in sexual assaults, is a very topical example.
Snyder stresses how important it is that we individually “stand out”, that we cannot be armchair observers hoping that others will act on our behalf. One for me to think about.
Two excellent chapters deal with the importance of our language and regard for truth. In the latter, Snyder cites the German scholar, Victor Klemperer, who noted that truth dies in four stages.
Truth dies in four stages
Klemperer’s stage one is “open hostility to verifiable reality”, presenting inventions and lies as if they were facts. Think Donald Trump’s pronouncements or the claims of Reform’s Nigel Farage.
Stage two is “is shamanistic incantation”, endless repetition of phrases to make the fictional plausible and the criminal desirable. Think Trump’s “crooked Hillary”, “lock her up” or “two tier Keir”.
Stage three Klemperer called “mythical thinking”, the open acceptance of internally contradictory beliefs. The “Big, beautiful bill“, Trump’s promises that tariffs will bring down prices, or the endless stream of “only Reform will (insert any impossible promise here)” are arguably examples.
The final stage is “misplaced faith”, instilling the belief that someone or something is the only solution to a problem. Trump’s “only I can save America” or again “only Reform will…” are examples.
Snyder finishes the chapter with the chilling sentence “Post-truth is pre-fascism”.
Reflecting on the current political situation, I was struck by how many examples of current public discourse could be argued to be examples of “post-truth”. Another key point that Snyder stresses is about the challenges we face with mainstream media. Snyder comments that while we expect to pay a plumber or an artisan for their work, we want our news on the cheap and are often unwilling to pay for genuine investigative journalism, meaning that we get our news from biased agenda-driven sources. I was reminded of the importance of organisations such as the Bylines Network and its dedication to truthful and accurate reporting. This is more than just a hobby, it’s an important contributor to preserving democracy.
How to preserve democracy: even small actions count
Snyder’s book is sufficiently short to be read in small chunks and then revisited chapter by chapter. I found it helpful, after reading it in full, to revisit it in chunks, to reflect on examples of where I see Snyder’s analysis playing out today, and jot down examples of practical action I need to take to play a part in helping to preserve democracy.
I’m reminded of the importance of even small actions. Promoting accuracy and truth on social media, calling out egregious lies from whichever source and having a passion for integrity and professionalism in our daily interaction are all individual things we can do.
In summary, Snyder’s miniature is a timely read for current circumstances. It will give you a salutary reminder and food for thought of what to look out for and how to play your part in preserving freedom.
