Trump is fully responsible for violence
*Renowned historian Timothy Snyder expects a dark future for the United States of America if Donald Trump wins the election in November. Snyder, Yale Professor and Fellow at the Vienna Institute for Human Sciences, fears not less than the end of the American Republic and significant restrictions on women's rights. Regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, Snyder says: It makes no sense to use the word "peace" before the word "victory." Germans should finally understand this.
n-tv.de: Professor Snyder, is the assassination attempt on Donald Trump a turning point in the history of the USA and are we witnessing a new era of political extremism and violence?
Timothy Snyder: I doubt it's a turning point. Americans forget things quickly. And since it was a Republican who shot him, it won't have much resonance.
To what extent has Donald Trump exactly created this political climate that now leads to violence and possibly deaths?
He is fully responsible. The Democrats will say the right things, and the media will tell the Democrats to tone down their rhetoric. That's the easy way for the press in my country. Easier than the message that those who put violence at the center of politics change the whole situation.
How will this affect the elections in the USA?
Nobody knows. But my feeling tells me, not much. Trump has chosen J.D. Vance as his vice presidential candidate, which means he has decided for the far-right faction. He can't use the assassination attempt as a unifying theme, as Vance has already unfairly accused the Democrats.
Given the current situation as a historian: In what way does Donald Trump change the course of history?
For Americans, it's important to remember that Trump represents certain trends in American history. He stands mainly for a tendency to revere wealthy people, or in this case, someone who pretends to be wealthy. Secondly, he stands for a deep-rooted racist current in American history. Americans tend to say: How could that have happened? But that's all rooted in our history. It's not just about how he changes history, but also about where Donald Trump comes from. And if we speak of world history, then we must recognize that he also comes from the era of unregulated digital technology, which essentially functions over the manipulation of emotions.
What do you mean by that?
In the USA, digital media are much less regulated than in Europe. One can see the effects of that. I think social media are essentially fascist. They are a kind of breeding ground for fascism. It's not about entertainment, but about changing cognitive processes, which in turn change the way politics functions.
How does a country slip into a dictatorship? Do you see signs and indications of such a development in the USA?
Of course, I can see them. There are American states that are essentially one-party regimes, that is, quasi authoritarian regimes, in which the votes of voters do not really count. Many fundamental rights, especially for women, no longer exist. We are currently observing how the Supreme Court essentially becomes a political arm of the Executive or a political arm of the oligarchs. Democracy can only exist if one wants it, if one is aware of it, and if one works for it. If one believes, however, that God or the market or the constitution or history or human nature will give one democracy, then one will eventually lose it.*
You have mentioned that many fundamental women's rights in the USA are being attacked. Is it going too far to say that there are parallels between certain parts of the Republican Party and the Taliban in terms of how they want to control women? What do you see as the dangers regarding women's rights and the "Project 2025"?
This refers to your previous question about the fundamental causes. I think that male fear is one of the main causes. The men who have managed to get to the top of these anti-democratic movements are men with this masculine fear. Trump is essentially a hyper-heterosexual, and I believe this is politically effective insofar as it reassures other men that there is no reason to worry. And if one does not know what it means to be a man, then one lets it be the women's issue, or one lets it be the issue of the gays, or one lets it be the issue of the Trans people.
This is a fundamental characteristic of this type of politics, that one has lost faith in oneself as a man and therefore must control someone else. But of course, this is not just a political tool, but also a political goal. I agree with you, "Project 2025" articulates a vision of a world in which the female body is to be constantly monitored. It is a kind of fantasy of surveillance and control.
Let us also talk about Russia's war against Ukraine. You recently said that we are in 1938 and that Ukraine is preventing it from becoming 1939. What exactly did you mean by that?
In September 1938, the Allies of Czechoslovakia allowed Germany to occupy Czechoslovak territory. And the Czechoslovak government decided not to resist. These decisions had a huge impact on the beginning of World War II. Because when Germany attacked Poland in 1939, it attacked from the south. It attacked with Slovak soldiers. It attacked with Czech weapons, with the best Czech tanks, which were probably the best in the world. Germany then also gained control over the Czech treasury.
Where is the parallel to Ukraine?
When the Ukrainians decided to resist in 2022 and fight, they were not only defending themselves, but also preventing a similar situation from happening again. Because if Europe stands up against a victorious Russia, it will not only be facing Russia, but also a Russia that controls Ukrainian natural gas, Ukrainian land assets, Ukrainian agriculture, Ukrainian military technology, and even Ukrainian soldiers.
Therefore, the Ukrainians have been holding us in 1938 for nearly three years now. It is a problem that we do not recognize how much worse things could be. In fact, a war is being waged, but only one country is fighting. In return, we get our daily life in Connecticut or Germany. And that's all because the Ukrainians are fighting and dying.
How do you see Germany's role right now? Is it overestimating or underestimating its efforts regarding Ukraine?
Both. Nothing in German foreign or domestic policy happens without a confrontation with history. But the discussion is not always well-founded, and in fact, the Germans still do not really understand that Ukraine was a main stage of German war crimes during the war. They do not really understand that Ukraine was a main stage of German war crimes during the war, whether we speak of the Holocaust or the starvation of prisoners of war or the starvation of cities.
The historical implications have not been understood?
Resistance of Ukraine against a genocidal fascist invasion offered Germany a unique historical opportunity to apply knowledge of the past to foreign policy.
But you also see positive aspects of German foreign policy?
It is both. Germany has fundamentally moved in the right direction. But just standing on the right side is not enough. In World War II, it was not enough for the Americans and the British to just stand on the right side, they had to win. The lesson the Germans draw from World War II cannot be peace. That is not what happened. What happened in World War II was victory and defeat. Therefore, it makes no sense to use the word "peace" before using the word "victory." Without victory, there is no peace. I think this is a mental leap that Germans and Americans really need to make together.
Interview with Timothy Snyder by Philipp Sandmann
- Timothy Snyder, in his interview, expressed concerns about the potential impact of a Donald Trump victory in the US Presidential Election 2024 on women's rights, adding to his earlier fears of the end of the American Republic.
- Regarding Russia's attack on Ukraine, Snyder drew a parallel to the events leading up to World War II, stating that Ukraine's resistance has prevented a 1939 scenario from occurring, keeping Europe from facing a more extreme situation.
- In discussing the political climate in the USA, Snyder pointed out the role of unregulated digital technology in shaping a fascist breeding ground for politics, contributing to a shift towards violence and control.
- President Vladimir Putin was mentioned in the context of Russia's war on Ukraine, with Snyder arguing that peace could not be achieved without military victory, a sentiment he believes alliances should share in their response to such aggression.
