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Putin and the Presidents: Timothy Snyder (interview) | FRONTLINE
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- Published on May 27, 2023 veröffentlicht
- Timothy Snyder is a professor of history at Yale University. He is the author of The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America.
The following interview was conducted by the Kirk Documentary Group’s Michael Wiser for FRONTLINE on Sept. 26, 2022. It has been edited for clarity and length.
This interview is being published as part of FRONTLINE’s Transparency Project, an effort to open up the source material behind our documentaries. Explore the transcript of this interview, and others, on the FRONTLINE website: www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/in...
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As a Ukrainian I couldn't agree more with prof. Snyder. His free online course on Ukraine's history is just brilliant. Thank you for your interest and support of my country.
I'm a proud American volunteer now serving in Ukraine. I love your country! I know for a fact Ukraine will win. Gram Slava Ukraine! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
@James Konzek Heroyam Slava! Thank you, James!
Couldnt agree more
Respect from Norway❤
We stand united with you 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇦🇺🇦🙏
just finished listening to the full series of lectures from prof. Snyder on the history of Ukraine. Such a gift to be able to learn from such great teachers, thank you to the Yale university for sharing their best teachers with us
Where can I find this to hear these same lectures?
This guy is breaking it down so clean it's unbelievable. He really is explaining how we got to where we are.
Excellent discussion that touches on the past, present and future with integral factors of existential realities. I always learn something from Prof. Snyder...
This interview is pure gold. At first I was intimidated by the length but now I want to hear even more from him.
Same here, man, that was so refreshing.
check out his making of modern ukraine lectures, even more golden
He is lucid, well informed, humane... I have been reading and listening to him for years. There is quite a lot online. Also, recommend 'Black Earth' and 'Bloodlands'.
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer ,.
@John Huxley Who is this "We" you're referring to when you say "we" should socialise the private sector. And what is the existing $25 in taxes being used for? Better plan would be for some of those "we" people to open a new brewery, make good beer, pay employees fairly, sell product at a lower price than competitors, especially if they are colluding on price fixing. The competition will either market itself as a premium product justifying a higher price, fall in line with the new, lower price benchmark, or slowly become irrelevant and go out of business.
I haven't heard anybody talking that sensible about the situation in a long time! I didn't even realize that almost an hour had passed since I started listening: this is hugely interesting and relevant to the end. Many thanks.
All lies. As per usual.
Absolutely tremendous. It’s people such as this that remind me that the people I normally get caught up listening to are pseudo intellectuals
Whats so wrong here? Snyder is verq qualified to speak of this.
@TheIfifi I was complementing him
@Armento I reread, my bad.
I was a bit confused too.
@TheIfifi my, my! somebody doing an honest mistake and then - BAM! Acknowledging it and apologizing. Is this some corner of intellectuals on the internet or something?
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer '
It's just an excellent interview! Prof. Snyder really has a good understanding of what's going on in our region. And I hope an interview like this can help other nations to hear us. Thank you from Ukraine.
LMAO
A lot of the people that matter, that can help you survive and win, are hearing you. The problem is that propaganda machine of Russia is working overtime .and is very problematic, because it can minimize the support for your country. But I have hope.❤️🇺🇦
P😊
It's the most insightful interview I've heard in my entire life.
All of the interviews in this PBS series have been good. This one with Prof. Snyder is my favorite.
This man is a complete genius, I wish there were more people understanding the situation like him.
LMAO -A complete genius??????? really? okay. Sure.
@Jason Smith Glad you agree.
I wish more stuff like this was on American TV
I became a very involved fan of Prof. Snyder, because he brings the conversation back to Ukraine and Ukrainians, when most of journalists just want to speak about Putin
His online lecture series was so helpful for understanding even a little bit about the history of the Ukrainian people and what this war means to them.
@Brian Belgard yes! Once again, it's the first time when we were spoken of as main characters, and not just some country people teared apart by empires. It's so important to realise how imperialistic is the method of teaching history has been so far
@VAIBHAV SAJITH That's a convincing contribution. I think you got us all there.
@Dee Seejay of course it's kinda sad how much Synder gets away with by lying about the history of Russia.
Brilliant! Thank you to Professor Snyder, and for PBS for this deeply knowledgeable interview and video.
Thank you. Enjoined every second of this interview. It's like pieces of a big puzzle fell in place.
that is absolutely the most precise, the best analysis of the whole situation and every minor and major part of it!
absolutely to the point. more people must see this. all should share it!
I love to rewatch this interview every couple of weeks.
As a 5th grader (between the ears) about this stuff … this guy explains it so well … I have confidence in understanding it.
He has an excellent grasp on the subject and articulates his thoughts very well. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Snyder seems to attribute all problems in Russia with it not being democratic enough, what about Russia being landlocked with no warm water ports, what about demographic decline? …. How can you have factories when you cant buy supplies or else your products when you don’t have access to the sea? India also would like to buy huge amounts of resources from Russia but it can’t because of how hard it is to get things there. Oil pipelines that would go through Syria or Pakistan or Iraq would they survive?
"articulates his thoughts very well"
Agreed, he lies very well !!
@Alex aoeu256 Land locked ? Are you kidding !!!
One of the biggest factors that helped Ukraine stop Russia was the training since 2014 of the Ukrainian army in western tactics. The use of a system that requires well trained soldiers with a great deal of autonomy on making battlefield decisions and responding to battlefield changes with advanced weaponry gives them a considerable advantage over the Russian system. That depends on senior officers control and limited soldier communication with poorly trained soldiers that uses large numbers of troops and tanks and artillery that overwhelm the enemy. Ukraine has used drones and rockets/precision artillery to take out command and supply centers. They have small groups of soldiers that coordinate to take out tank columns. It then becomes the standard artillery and mortars to take out most of the massed infantry. Ukraine found it could effectively stop a numerically superior force in a defensive war. It needs new weapons to start an offensive war to remove enemy from Ukraine and NATO is training them on and supplying those weapons right now.
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer
@John Huxley Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Ceausescu… they all tried that and thought they knew better. Turned out they didn’t. Why do you think you know better…?
@Ionut Barbu they all had a authoritarian idea mine is an idea of community were $$$ is the bad guy.. my idea is NO one has power, normal democratic government is in power its just the corporations that are gone!!! not government or voting
@John Huxley and just like you, they all thought they knew better… they didn’t. it’s kind of arrogant to think one can succeed where thousand others failed.
Very precise understanding of a situation and incredible delivery!
One of my favourite people to achieve now that I've found you on Clip-Share. I'm enjoying your Yale class lectures very much and as a retired teacher I appreciate the work you put in to preparing your lectures. 😅 Thank you for challenging my intellect.
I discovered Professor Snyder gradually over the years. He strikes me as a really deep thinker, especially in the field of the history of ideas. In his history, ideas matter, worldview matters, domestic policy matters, fear matters, self-interest matters, dreams matter, ideologies matter.
His approach, coupled with a huge knowledge and deep understanding of Eastern Europe and its history, makes for fascinating, well-thought-out ideas and views of what is happening.
He is one of those rare people who help me understand things a little bit better, whenever I listen to him.
Another person who has that when it comes to the Ukraine war is Lawrence Freedman, a professor of war and conflict from the UK. His substack articles on the war - like those of Timothy Snyder - are always a worthwhile read that helps me understand things just a little bit deeper, a little bit better. Worth your time.
Thanks for the lead - off to search for Lawrence Freedman
I have a Ukrainian wife, I’m trying to learn the language and I’ve been actively following the war since it started. This guy Timothy Snyder has just spoken about Ukraine with so much coherence, and understanding. All the bullshit I’ve heard from so many other commentators is set straight here and this to me is the absolute truth. I hope more people can hear him speak.
I can listen to prof Snyder for HOURS. Always clear and insightful. THANK YOU
Me too!
I agree. Sounds like a nice conversation to have in a little bit more of a relaxed setting with a few other opinions among a small group of academics and friends. Capitalism != Democracy, BUT I still love Democracy, unrestrained Capitalism, not so much.
Nothing is true. Don’t be like a sheep 🐑 have your mind go and make your own research
Awesome understanding and explanation of current situation in Russia.
Beautiful, concise understanding of geopolitics. Thank you!
I'm very thankful for this interview. It crystalised my thoughts. I feel the same but I coudn't think and express it so powerfully
Wow. Each phrase is so spot on. It's rare to hear somebody with a clear mind free from wrong assumptions.
Brilliantly insightful, Timothy Snyder's understanding of the situation and analysis of our journey towards it is one of the most thorough and intelligent I've heard yet. A fascinatingly revealing explanation of Putin's psyche!
If you loved Snyder's talk, you need to also check out talks by Stephen Kotkin, Prof. @ Princeton. They're both brilliant and understand the dictatorship mind. Kotkin wrote THE book on Stalin.
Maybe Putin is a dictator, but if your country lacks ports and has tons of natural resources the common people need some sort of a strongman to redirect the oil profits to the bottom people. How can you build factories when you can't import or export anything (landlocked)?
Very insightful, with clarity.A lot of realistic information.
@Alex aoeu256 What???
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer
So intelligent and articulate! Listening to this is incredibly refreshing.
These Frontline interviews are absolute gold.
It's wonderful to hear a well thought out Q and A response(s) that demonstrate logic and coherent assessment.
A truly exemplary interview
What an enlightening interview. Well done everyone. Timothy Snyder is a star!
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer
This speaker has voiced everything I’ve been “guessing” for about 30 years now. Nice to know that similar minds have an actual voice, heard, and hopefully heeded.
Absolutely agree.
Your guesses are as bs as Snyder. This guy doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about.
Example, at 3:55:
“Putin is someone who doesn’t know the outside world…doesn’t know any foreign languages…”
What? He was a KGB officer in West Germany and speaks very fluent German. Knowing his familiarity with German language and relationship with Merkel is Putinology 101. This is just one example of a litany of questionable and suspect comments and I’m only 4 minutes in.
You guys are both Westerners who tend to gravitate to people who share your opinions (no one not even me can resist confirmation bias) so of course you would come to similar conclusions... Snyder seems to attribute all problems in Russia with it not being democratic enough, what about Russia being landlocked with no warm water ports, what about demographic decline? …. How can you have factories when you cant buy supplies or else your products when you don’t have access to the sea? India also would like to buy huge amounts of resources from Russia but it can’t because of how hard it is to get things there. Oil pipelines that would go through Syria or Pakistan or Iraq would they survive?
This guys understands what he is talking about! I am Ukrainian and I have many Russian friends and non-friends as well and I can confirm all what he said.
Absolutely amazing interview!
Brilliant analysis. He sees the big picture of History.
Great interview; explains many aspects well for people unfamiliar with the subject, doesn't overstate conclusions.
Great talk - carry on the good work Tim Snyder! ❤❤❤
It is amazing how Snyder can explain very complex issues in very understandable terms. What an important voice in today's world.
It’s understandable because it is incredibly simplistic and reductionistic. Good versus evil. “Democracy” versus tyranny.
@Markus Rose Why do you put democracy in quotes?
@Markus Rose What better system do you suggest?
Thank you for your insightful and straight-shooting assessment.
A very interesting interview.
I must listen to more from Prof. Snyder on his channel.
Smartest guy I’ve listened to since I was in graduate school in History. Professional historians always seem to be the smartest people in existence. From Tampa.
I nearly missed listening to this extremely brilliant mind by skipping the video several times. But it kept coming. Thank you for this very educative expose.
I appreciate these background "source" interviews SO VERY MUCH! Thank you.
I'm from Ukraine. Thanks a lot to everyone who supports Ukraine, thanks to everyone who believed that we won't be afraid or give up facing the rushits aggression.
And yes, thanks to prof. Snyder for doing so much for my country with his publicist and scientific work!
Warm regards from Israel
вам дякую )
You Ukrainians are So Brave!!! Your commitment and sacrifice are so impressive! Even the Ukrainian grandmas are brave - based upon social media reports. Slava Ukraine!
Slava Ukraini!
Excellent conversations! Thank you Timothy Snyder for your insights and perspective.
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer
Yes, he is a terrific historian
awesome. I wish more leadership in this country was as smart as this fellow here.
Another very well-done interview. But there is just one thing I noticed: Putin actually knows how to speak in German if I remember correctly. There was a video record of him speaking to the Bundestag in the early 2000s.
This was an absolutely fantastic interview. Timothy opened my eyes to many aspects that I hadn’t considered previously. I am very impressed with Timothy’s expertise on this subject. I hope the Biden administration and others are using his services as as a consultant? Everybody should watch this so maybe consider sharing the link with your friends?
"Timothy opened my eyes to many aspects that I hadn’t considered previously"
Jeffrey Sachs will blow your mind then !!
The best 57 minutes i've spent learning what the heck has been going on in the world from 2008 to today
Frontline knows how to present great journalism.
"There is no arc of history, and it doesn't bend your way..." brilliant
Excellent analysis, Refreshing to listen to Mr. Snyder, he is able to bring it to a level where anyone can get it.
Fantastic interview and insight.
What a great interview. So pleasant to listen. What an intelligent person
I highly recommend Prof Snyder's series of 23 lectures "The Making of Modern Ukraine", also on Clip-Share. This are the actual lectures he delivered to his history class at Yale. You'd think listening to 23 hour just on Ukraine would be overkill, but he makes it so exciting, so interesting, and draws in so many fascinating connections to the rest of European history over 2,000 years that it's effortless; like reading a really engrossing novel. A wise and intelligent man and a great teacher.
Those lectures are on Clip-Share? FANTASTIC! Will definitely listen and many thank yous , Andrew! 💛💙
Let me second that sentiment. Absolutely gobbled up those lectures!
@marshuswp
You should be skeptical.
Did it ever occur to you that the professor may be preaching a false narrative?
Thanks for the recommendation!
The best explanation about Russia's political system and their leaders for me. Thank you prof. Snyder.
As a Russian who lives in the USA but keeps following Russian news I can say that it's a brilliant interview based on very deep understanding of what really happened or happening in Russia.
Yeah, I am in the same situation. It's so refreshing to listen to Mr Snyder. He does understand Putin and Russia very well and articulates it brilliantly.
@Ната Ильина ну ок
LMAO
What excellent narrative/interview! Fabulous commentary. Thank you.
Excellent review and assessment, Mr. Snyder. Thank you.
Wow! What a knowledgeable guy. Best interview on this subject I've found yet.
To claim that he is knowledgeable you have to have some noledge on the subject your self which youu obviously do not.
@Ivo Krkobabic I can at least spell the word 'knowledge' - can you?
@Ivo Krkobabic sounds like ruzz aligned biomass talking schi
@Ivo Krkobabic your logic is faulty
Try Julia Ioffe next
I never saw a western person that so in context and has such a grasp on understanding what is going on in my region
Only 15 minutes in and I'm repeatedly amazed at how Tim Synder can say more in 1 minute, and say it well, than is said by almost everyone else on this subject. But then, he has seemingly memorised all of Eastern Europe's history, and speaks its languages, so...not so surprising really :-D
Timothy Snyder speaks well with clarity and justness. Easy to listen to.
Excellent interview and discussion.... I learned a lot...
There is so much I understand now about this subject through this interview, thanks for this, and so many thanks again. Timothy is a superstar.
Understand? Or come to believe? Personally I stumbled at the first few sentences.
You would gain better insight from Jeffrey Sachs...do yourself a favour
This was outstanding, thank you.
Thanks for an amazing interview!
What an exceptional overview. This is a great interview. Thanks
This is such a good take. I nominate Timothy for next secretary of state.
Fantastic! This guy understands geopolitics!
Amazing interview. Snyder is SO prescient. Worth rewatching.
Also - great Qs by Michael Wiser. Thanks PBS.
He doesn't even know that Putin speaks fluent english and german and lived years abroad...come on.
@FinneBLN yes he does and Timothy also speaks Russian. But as for Putin’s English, is is good enough but not fluent.
@FinneBLN oh ok. So the invasion of ukraine part is correct?
what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer
@FinneBLN Putin lived in the Soviet occupied DDR, controlled completely by the USSR, as an operative of the regime; this is hardly ‘abroad’. His English and German are far from fluent. Fabulous interview by Prof Snyder.
Great interview, articulate and precise understanding of Putin and how he rules.
Thank you! Your insights have helped immensely to bring clarity to my understanding. Now to sign up for your online course!
That’s seems to be a very clear view of Russia’s policy and deep understanding of my country. Thank you from a Russian citizen. It’s a pleasure listening to you, prof. Snyder
Great interview! Thank you, Sir.
What an insight, great interview.
It's a pity it is not possible to put more than one like.
The best interview about Russia I have heard. It needs to be louder.
Ignorance displayed.
His eye contact and stare should be legendary
Phenomenal insight...what a brilliant guy...
This guy is the ultimate clairvoyant. Thank you.
Great interview. Someone who really gets Putin.
Brilliant! Clear and deep.
Snyder's mastery on display - he boils the whole thing down into one short interview so that a 7-year-old can understand it.
Dude you nailed everything here
He has a good understanding of situation. Greetings from Ukrainian living in USA
mind = blown... this is the best insight video ive ever seen. Mr Snyder's skillset is second to none.
wrong
PBS, thank you very much for these interviews
That was such a good interview.
Wow, that hour just flew by, I wish it had been longer. What a brilliant man with a brilliant mind
You can see more of his stuff from the Yale course he taught on history of Ukraine. Yale posted it on Your tube.
@Shi Yuan Jiang I will do that, thanks for the tip 🙂
I seriously question his level of intellect...not too bright for an "elite" institution 🤣
What a man, What an interview.Trully excellent. This guy should be in an office adjacent to the President of the United States giving his rock solid essential advice ... the world would be a much safer place.
The more I watch this interview, the clearer and straight forwarder my thoughts are. Tim Snyder has this amazing capacity to understand and explain what people already knew, but did not understand how it works. The logic of it
Great commentary. Thoughtfully brings a lot of threads together.
Great interview, many valid points. And it’s a great opportunity for the US to reflect on themselves as well, to reevaluate how the country conducts its foreign policies.
Extraordinarily concise, intelligent and accurate commentary on the Ukrainian situation; thank you Professor Snyder. Also deadly accurate, but nevertheless slightly amusing in a dark kind of way, was Professor Snyder's articulation of Trump as the gift (from the Russian viewpoint) that never stops giving. Thank you sir.
Just a treat to hear incisive, informed and humble analysis, restores my faith in intelligence