Snyder is incredible. I just finished watching his series of 23 lectures from a class that just wrapped at Yale, The Making of Modern Ukraine. People are paying thousands of dollars to hear him talk and this is on UKposts for free.. we're so unbelievably fortunate.

"The moment you pick a larger force and you say that force is giving me freedom you are doing something which will take your own freedom away". - Prof. Timothy Snyder.

Professor Snyder is incredibly eloquent and informative, and there is also a very simple phrase which is used often by Americans who are not so learned, but which seems to reflect some of the same ideas: Freedom isn't free.

Timothy Snyder is an absolute genius! To the point where you feel smarter just by listening to him 🤓

Always fascinating to hear Timothy Snyder speak. It's a shame he wasn't given more time. Also would have liked to hear questions from the audience.

Grateful to be in attendance at this very full 45 minutes with the brillant Prof. Snyder. Anne Applebaum, thank you!

Snyder and Applebaum have been great for bringing perspective during this war. 19:08 GET IT MAN!!!

If this panel had also included Stephen Kotkin, it would pretty much have been the dream team.

Timothy got so much in his thoughts! I just love listening to him.

Дякую, дуже цікава дискусія 🙏🏼💙💛

Great point about Zelenski addressing directly to the people of other nations as opposed to their leaders. The German government did what it did only due to the public pressure (and notable minority forces from the ruling coalition). They proved to be politicians, not leaders.

Timothy Snyder has really some amazing and concrete insights. Cherish this man!

Timothy Snyder has an awesome Ukrainian language. I didn’t even thought he can speak Ukrainian. Great!

Great talk! It blows my mind to see those people sitting in Kyiv, capital of a country waging war on its territory.

Wow, what a treat! I admire all three speakers and have books by all three. Much food for thought here. Thank you so much for sharing it!

A great discussion. We are living at a time when awareness of history is especially important. None of what is going on would be understandable without that awareness. How lucky we are that at such a time we have such a diverse group who really know their stuff, and speak about it publicly. When it comes to "eastern Europe", not too long ago, we were lucky to have an American historian that had some reading knowledge of Russian. Today we have American historians who are fluent in multiple languages in this sphere beyond Russian (I can vouch for the fact that both Timothy and Anne understand and speak Polish with a fluency that just in itself is inspiring). At the same time we have historians in these countries who can speak and write in English and who are in active communication with each other, and thus comprehend a history that goes beyond merely reflecting the received views of one particular national history. Thanks to the research, writing, teaching, and public speaking of these historians it is now possible for the average English speaker to develop a level of understanding of this history that previously was only found in the case of dedicated experts and a few exceptional refugees.

Loved the question about how this war is different from the others and LOVED the answers!

It blew me away when I saw that the Conference was held IN Kyiv, Ukraine! In a Nation at WAR, defending itself from Russian Agression! At the 9:37 Mark, I noticed what are two Soldiers, probably Ukrainian, with earphones in their ears, probably listening to this in Ukrainian. I wonder what they are thinking! Slava Ukrainia!

This is brilliant. I am so grateful to have discovered it. These are essential perspectives, quite neglected in most conversations

Very interesting discussion. Thanks to everyone.

Thanks to Timothy I want to learn history.

A great discussion. Timothy Snyder is an incredible historian who speaks out the truth. Plokhy also is a wise person, I just finished reading his book about the war on Ukraine in German translation, which was very insightful and gives good information on the background of the war and its historical roots. Also the major events of said war are clearly pointed out. This discussion was very good, also the humorous parts of a scenario of the future where Russia or Moscow and it’s ruins becomes a museum. It is a great hope for the future.

Excellent. Thank you.

Tim Snyder is awesome!!! Really one of my favs since he wrote Bloodlands.

Glorious in revolt and ruin; squalid and shameful in triumph

Have read several books by snyder and Ferguson. Great reads and very insightful.

an excellent discussion and panel. The broader historical perspective is extremely important, especially from a stance outside Western Europe. Thank you.

Brilliant discussion and panel. They made the view of this bloody war much wider. I would have liked mention of President Biden and his government and the strong support they give and more is needed.

Timothy Snyder (5:24), "We've noticed over the last 15 years that it is not just freedom and democracy that we are losing, we are also losing the words and the concepts of freedom and democracy." Exactly. But this has been going on for some time, especially in Western universities. This is post-modernism. No, it's not realpolitik. This one is much worse. Besides we don't live in the time of realpolitik.That was the time of Nixon and Kissinger, the 1960s and early 1970s. That's long gone. We live in the time of globalization, of "social justice," of "The Grand Narrative." Of post-modernism. Once just a plaything of professors, it has now become a major force in reshaping the world. It has had tremendous influence on many organizations in the former Soviet Union, in Russia, and especially on the FSB, on characters like Dugin, and on Putin himself. At the same time it has influenced many Western leaders, such as Klaus Schwab. Everywhere, it's influence has been thoroughly negative. It encourages getting rid of whatever is left of ethics, truth and honor, reason, logic and common sense (the concepts it completely dismisses), and instead concentrating on personal and group ambitions, power games, trickery, deception and self-deception, etc. This war in Ukraine is the first post-modernist war. Whatever does not fit the ideology is immediately twisted beyond all recognition. And whenever the ideology itself gets stuck, it is exchanged for an other one. All in a completely shameless manner. Freedom can mean anything one wants, so can democracy. Anything can mean anything. The connection between a word and its meaning is broken. Communication becomes impossible. Where communication becomes impossible, fists and weapons start speaking.

Very illuminating insights!

I'll have to read some Serhii as I have read the others, Applebaum and Snyder are such excellent authors. Loving the Snyder, Yale course on Ukraine history that you can watch on here.

Thanks for uploading this excellent talk with the top shot historians of our time. Slava Ukrayini 🇺🇦❤️🇺🇦.

This is gold

Thank you for the video. That was a superb analysis and discussion of the Ukraine Russian war by 3 eminent historians. Valuable and worth watching.

This war will be remembered as an avoidable war which ended the same way it should have ended in failed negotiations in April 2022.

An ENORMOUS number of words to convey quite simple concepts. The history of the EU is the story of the suffering of individual human beings in emasculated and militarily-occupied countries. 🇪🇺🇨🇵 Better together 😉.

I have to admit. We lost our empire in this exact situation. It would be poetic justice if Russia lost. We created a monster with the loss in poltava.

Ferguson should have used a more familiar British Empire as an example instead of Roman Empire. Where tourists also go to see the stolen treasures from all over the world.

it would be great if these three historian will make another discussion about this subject

Superb analysis of this “Hot War” and what to expect.

As things are evolving since February 2022, there is and there will be an "independent Ukraine" (Snyder), - no doubt about that. The question yet to be answered is within which borders and with which perspectives for the future the state of Ukraine will exist.

People who think and write about history talking about the future sitting in a place making history.

Can someone help me understand what does Plokhi says at @39:19 "The (uninteligible) century war in terms of the tactics. The militarty tactics of the agresor."

Great discussion but too short! Could have continued for at least half an hour longer.

This war is also about Russias inferiority complex.

Timothy Snyder’s The Red Prince is a great read. I held onto my copy for years and came back to it this year while rereading every book I had about Ukraine.

Thank you for providing this conversation to those interested. It was both fascinating and enlightening to hear the perspectives of all those on the panel. Loved the comment "This is the message I want to convey- Ukraine can win this war." I have no doubt.

It is kind of ironic to see the Oligarchy organizers of the event who are guilty of leaving Ukraine unprotected after the Budapest Memorandum, were criticized to their face and called out being described as "an oppressive state". 😂

What a great discussion. Thank you!

Funny how Fergusson was a huge fan of french and british empires (which destroyed more than half of the world and completely eliminated a number of nations) in his controversial books but turned into antiimperialist in the case of Russia

Snyder speaks Ukrainian, as well as others, and has a deep knowledge of Eastern European history. Ferguson is Dr. rent-a-quote who hates playing second or third fiddle. 😄

“It’s not that many geopolitical conferences that allow 45 minutes for historians” More should.

Niall owned this one.

At 23:23, is that Kuchma in the audience?

👍

It is extremely sad to see so much hatred for Russia and deep rooted Russophobia. I pray for Ukrainian people to join hands with their Slavic brothers in Russia and defeat their historical enemies by ending this mad conflict . Prayers for peace.

Went to Moscow with a group of Fergie Germans in November 1982. It was bleaker than bleak.

Excellent. But it's interesting that the East European on the panel only gets to speak in 3rd place, and is even interrupted by a USer the 2nd time he speaks.

To Timothy... I would say that it is freedom, that allows the finest and most effective and beneficial form of capitalism. Freedom is what allows everyone who has the idea and the motivation to build something, can do so. So I would question which truly is the larger factor.

Wonderful discussion - thank you to all! AS to 'the end of history', I always laughed with incredulity when that canard was thrown around. It ignores the central fact: history is people! And we may be many things, but predictable is not one of them.

As Niall Ferguson was chronicling the demise of the Soviet and Russian empires,he glossed over the emerging threat of the imperial ambitions of the new Chinese empire: Tibet, Hong Kong then Taiwan will only be the start.

I’m not sure the Brexiteers think the British Empire is over though their Queen knew it, the rest need to hurry and catch up.

15:03 The reign of queen Elisabeth was with dignity "managing the unravelling of (the British) empire". The most respectful way to characterize what the queen has done.

14:43 important point

Years ago I remember watching a tourist going round Moscow and he was filming and just commenting and he wasn’t being derogatory at all, nothing negative and yet he was followed and then questioned. He was fine and managed to explain himself etc but what is the mentality of that. Why are they so suspicious and paranoid. This isn’t even recently but years ago. You wouldn’t be followed and questioned round Western countries or European countries in that manner purely because you are a visitor or a holiday maker. It was so bizarre.

Slava Ukraine.

it's the same dirty old war. and the same culprits. blind is the one who does not see it.

I love idea, that Kremlin wii be new ruin Colloseum

"Unashamed articulation of Values", Long held values of the human spirit. China just as Russia needs to be given more credence to opposing this value.

I like my larger force type of freedom.

07:38ish: 'freedom is part of happiness ... ethics are part of history ... freedom of speech is saying something you are willing to put yourself on the line for... that's what Perecles was talking about in his funeral oration... working within them [the forces] and trying to change them

Time to choose, democracy or slavery.

We see them hurrying, while the might of Germany glowered up against them to grasp their share of the pillage and ruin of Czechoslovakia

I don't know, first time I hear this fella and I expected a more objective perspective. The responsability of the US and even Selensky in this war is huge, and we are talking about powers with nuclear wapons. Selensky saying "we neeed more money, more wapons and bla,bla..." Its risking lifes all over the world.

Every aspect of military modernity discussed - except nukes. That rally does change everything. Without that threat looming, a no-fly zone from the beginning would have made a big difference. My sense is that Putin is not bluffing; that as a last resort, he'd use.

Cores & periferias & fracture zones same as its always been

You think we'd get our own democracy to work for the voters before we worry about democracy working elsewhere.

I think a lot of Britons still think of their country as a world power that won the second world war.... Not the subject of this discussion, but a reason for the Brexit.

Did Pinchuk have to ruin this by making Applebaum the moderator?

How do you say Ick ein Berliner for Ukraine

Timothy Snyder straddles the abstract. Niall Ferguson is clear and on the money. Serhii Plokhii is professorial.

just watch Tim Snyder

No David Irving?

No mention of NATO.

This war is a part of humanity's ongoing Clueless Era (as defined by the Philosoohy of Broader Survival). This era will have it's own museum wing in museums of the coming Enlightened Era (as defined by the philosophy - read it).

What a merry go round panel save for Ferguson, but then how right can he be about the Chinese if he doesn't have anything to say about what cards they must be holding in their hands right now, card which he can't see I am sure.

Well done Niall for mourning the Queen. I’m sure quite a few Russians do too, and younger Russians think the murder of the Russian Royal Family was a sin and robbed their country and their people.

Snyder's history is like reading a wonderful novel--you're never sure what is true, but it is written like poetry, as historical research should always be.

Two words: Too short.

More weapons for Ukraine and more sanctions against Russia and less talk. Snyder, Ferguson and Applebaum provide excellent intellectual entertainment, however what they say does not really matter now in the middle of war.

But Ukraine have international legal borders ?? and if when were they stated?

She should have opened food banks all over Ukraine and Russia in 1932 - 1933. She is a genius. She is also up to no good, most likely. In 1932 and 1933, the United States should have set up food camps in every district of Ukraine, Japan, Africa and Asia. The average lawmaker of European national origin will want to feed Europeans. She should have set up many food camps in all places where there was hunger, most likely. No local leader, communist or Democrat or Republican would have stopped her from setting up food camps in rural areas of Ukraine during a holodor (famine) most likely. Action speaks for itself. She is up to no good. She should have tossed out chocolates to the children of Tokyo from the window of her aircraft windows in 1949. She is up to no good. For instance, I had once decided to open a food bank in south east Oklahoma City, Has she ever done that?

An excellent discussion and panel. An unfortunate observation regarding the condescending and truculent Anne Applebaum interaction with Niall Ferguson regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s process; 38:36 ‘I wrote down the same quote’. Anne whether you also performed an action is hardly the point. The point Niall raises is the procedure that Zelenskyy strives to implement.

Audience questions? Major fumble/Lost opportunity. Anne Applebaum added nothing. Furguson didn't do any homework and just coasted, uselessly. This was a Timothy Snyder show, whose insights are accessible and poignant, as usual. Everyone else was just in the way.

Understand you ran Ukraine, as a multi ethnic, multi linguist, multicultural, and multi religious state, in which many conflicts will continue to exist among the different geographical territories and their diverse populous

Ferguson's speech drips with bloodthirst, absolutely deranged. And his comments about empire are wildly inconsistent with his own unrepentant shilling for British imperialism. His understanding of the history of the Roman and Russian empires is also hilariously shallow, and frankly Gibbonian. How this man is allowed to speak beside Snyder is beyond me. He seems to be less of a historian than Dan Carlin, more of an ideologue, and a silly one at that.

Pericles's Speech is NOT a good example. The Athenians were NOT fighting for Democracy in the war he was promoting or their way of life. They entered a war of choice to preserve their empire. Yes, the Athenians did it democratically, that is true and exceptional. But the war the Athenians chose to enter democratically was an imperial war. It was NOT intended to spread democracy in any shape or form. Nor could it be in the Ancient context. It is closer to the US in Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq though of course the analogy is very imperfect

See 1991 as 1919. US Victory in WW1 in 1918 like victory in the Cold War in 1989-90 is followed by the hardest imposed settlement on Russia in 1991 imposed by Robert Gates and Henry Kissinger which is equivalent to the actions of RN fleet leader Admiral Beatty who is determined to destroy the High Seas fleet, and forces it to scuttle and French Premier Clemanceau who forces who forces a draconian settlement in damages and industrial and naval limitations When Gorbachev halves the Soviet military budget in 1991 a KGB and military coup is attempted and fails a fortnight later. The following day the Generals and Ministers who staged the coup are found, garoted, hanged and riddled with bullets. At that point Robert Gates head of the CIA and Kissinger decide to break up the USSR by supporting the Russian leader Yeltsin. Gates and Kissinger realise the day Ukraine declares independence the most dangerous intermediate usable dual capability Soviet forces, the Blackjack bombers, half the Backfire and Bear bombers and the sirtankers to support the naval strike and raider bombers as well as most of the Soviet shipbuilding yards which have built Stalin and Breshnevs, carriers, cruisers and destroyers will on the day be removed from Soviet/ Russian Navy control. The following eight years will be a period of ugly negotiation by Russia for the return of the Blackjacks and a few Backfires and Bears. Ultimately in 1999 US Senator Sam Nunn a potential US Presidential candidate destroys his career by using structural guillotines to destroy 2 extra flyable Blackjacks, in the weight of us Strategic interest which to Senators Nunn and Lugar matters more than any UN or international arms control agreement. That moment is decisive in putting Putin in power in Moscow

History is written by the victors, in this case the American empire.

Niall is wickedly brilliant.