We often think the end of democracy will be obvious, like a swift blow to the head. None of this was inevitable, but the rise of Hitler was through democratic means, not outside of it. Following the Reichstag fire four weeks, after he was sworn in, he passed the enabling act to limit democratic freedoms.Ī year later, he declared himself Führer and set in motion the events that lead to the Second World War and the Holocaust. Ten years later, the Nazi party won the largest share of seats in the Reichstag and Hitler became Chancellor. The experience convinced him that to take power, he had to go through democratic means. Hitler attempted a putsch in Munich in 1923, but it was repelled and he was imprisoned. This misconception is one of the main reasons democracies are prone to be overthrown.
That it was a singular event instead of a gradual process. One of the most common misconceptions about the rise of tyrannical regimes such as the Nazis is that it happened outside of democracy. Takeaway 2 – Democracy is defeated from within When the truth is subverted and lies take precedence, it’s a slippery slope towards tyranny. The truth is important, without it society cannot function. What they saw, didn’t relate to what Trump was saying and they retaliated as a result. Trump’s willingness supply his base with mistruths was one of the reasons for the attack on the capital. Without it, it’s not possible to have a coherent debate, as people are coming from different starting points. This is one of the first steps in regards to how democracies die. The fact that Trump lied so frequently and about small things, were warning signs while he was running for President, never mind once he was elected. When a leader starts to lie, this is a sign they could be a tyrant. Unless it suited his goals, he was happy to lie and spread mistruths than admit to the facts. His lies were so common, and in some cases, outlandish, that it became apparent how unfit for public office he was. Just typing that number is astonishing, considering he was the most powerful man in the world.Įveryone knows politicians lie from time to time, but Trump took it to another his lies. It’s estimated that Donald Trump told more than 30,000 lies while he was President of the United States.
1 sentence summary – On Tyranny looks at the telltale signs of a would-be tyrant, how to spot them, and how we can mobilise to protect ourselves against to preserve democracy.Takeaway 3 – Words can be the first sign of tyranny.Takeaway 2 – Democracy is defeated from within.This On Tyranny summary will look at the key lessons we can learn from this book and how they will help us to spot the emergence of would-be tyrants before they take charge. The most obvious example is Hitler in Germany. The Roman repblic was overthrown by Julius Casaer and became an autocratic state.Įven in recent years, there have been multiple examples of parties elected to office who have rolled back democratic freedoms. Ancient Athens was once a thriving democracy and fell into oligarchy. That once a country has become a democracy it will always remain one.Ī quick look at the history books says otherwise. It’s a common misconception that democracy is the endpoint of governance. After the insurrection attempt on January 6, 2021, his book looked even more prescient. Snyder wrote the book in response to the election of Donald Trump. The book, by eminent historian Timothy Snyder, is a guide and warning as to how easy it is to slip into tyranny.
On Tyranny is a short but powerful book which looks at how democracies can turn into a tyrannical regime.