The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America

With the end of the Cold War, the victory of liberal democracy was thought to be absolute. Observers declared the end of history, confident in a peaceful, globalized future. But we now know this to be premature. Authoritarianism first returned in Russia, as fascist ideas were used to justify rule by the wealthy. Over the last years, it has spread from east to west, aided by Russian warfare in Ukraine and cyberwar in Europe and in the United States. This threat to the West also presents the opportunity to better comprehend fundamental misunderstandings about European and American history, as well as the foundations of our own political order. In his new book The Road to Unfreedom, which has just been published in German by C.H. Beck and is the basis of his talk, Timothy ­Snyder , Permanent Fellow at the IWM, goes beyond the surprises and shocks to expose the true nature of the threat to the rule of law. Following the lecture, IWM Rector Shalini Randeria joins Snyder for a discussion on ways to move forward in this time of uncertainty. The Wiener Vorlesung is moderated by Lisa Nimmervoll.