On Tyranny: Key Terms

Anticipatory Obedience

Citizens’ ready compliance with the rules of new regimes, often in matters that seem insignificant. The initial obedience helps fascist and communist regimes build momentum, since it is nearly impossible to backtrack and undo any laws or changes that people have already accepted.

Collectivization

A system of combining farmland in the Soviet Union and reorganizing it to be state-run. Citizens lost their farms and there was widespread starvation throughout the country. This practice has also taken place in other fascist or communist nations.

Paramilitary

A group of military personnel who are not part of a nation’s official military. This can be secret police or mercenary groups. They are often used to carry out violence for dictators and oppressive governments, while beyond the law’s reach. Snyder warns that that the rise of a paramilitary is often a sign that a fascist dictatorship is vying for power.

Einsatzgruppen

A specific wing of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) that acted as death squads, especially in territories conquered by the Nazis in World War II. The Einsatzgruppen were tasked with killing civilians in Eastern Europe that were members of the academic or cultural elite.

Post-truth

A fairly recent term that describes the discrepancy and debate over truth in the 21st century. The concept of post-truth applies when objective, proven facts are less influential than the public’s emotional connection to the subject matter. By tapping into people’s personal beliefs, one can use post-truth to shift public opinion away from factual information.

The Big Lie

Snyder’s term for the claim that Donald Trump was the rightful winner of the United States Presidential Election of 2020. After Trump lost the election, he and his supporters tried to convince others that the election had been stolen from him through various means, and that the results were not legitimate.

Teleology

Explaining something by using its purpose or end result as part of the definition (e.g., recycling is a method of preserving the environment). Snyder warns against taking a teleological view of history, where time becomes a narrative with a natural end goal (e.g., increased global trade leads to economic prosperity).

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