Early Life and Education of Timothy Snyder: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Timothy Snyder. From birth to education, explore key events.

Timothy Snyder is an American historian renowned for his expertise in Central and Eastern European history, the Soviet Union, and the Holocaust. He holds the Richard C. Levin Professorship of History at Yale University and is a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. His work focuses on understanding the historical context of political and social issues, particularly concerning totalitarianism, nationalism, and the fragility of democracy. Snyder is known for his insightful analysis and contributions to public discourse on contemporary challenges to democratic institutions.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

1933: Snyder elaborates "vorauseilender Gehorsam", the concept of obedience that hurries out ahead, dating from 1933 Germany

In 1933 Germany, Snyder elaborates "vorauseilender Gehorsam", the concept of obedience that hurries out ahead, dating from 1933 Germany and expressed most clearly in public haste to comply with Hitler shortly after his election, enabling him to seize additional powers

1938: Snyder compares Munich meetings

In 1938, Snyder compares Munich meetings in 1938 and 2022, noting the uncanny similarity between Hitler’s denial of Czechoslovak state legitimacy in 1938 and Putin’s denial of Ukrainian state legitimacy in 2022.

1938: 1938 Anschluss

In 1938, Snyder references the 1938 Anschluss when Austrians were quicker to accommodate the joining of their country to Germany than even Hitler himself expected.

1939: Molotov-Ribbentrop pact

In 1939, Timothy Snyder references the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact as precedents for the exclusion of Ukraine from talks representing an attack on its sovereignty.

1963: Parents' Marriage

In 1963, Snyder's parents were married in a Quaker ceremony in Ohio.

1969: Timothy Snyder Born

In 1969, Timothy David Snyder, an American historian specializing in Central and Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Holocaust, was born.

1969: Snyder's Birth

In 1969, Timothy Snyder was born in the Dayton, Ohio, area.

1991: Marshall Scholar

From 1991 to 1994, Timothy Snyder was a Marshall Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford.

1994: Marshall Scholar

From 1991 to 1994, Timothy Snyder was a Marshall Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford.

1994: Fellowship at French National Centre for Scientific Research

From 1994 to 1995, Timothy Snyder held a fellowship at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris.

1994: Snyder marries Milada Vachudova

In 1994, Timothy Snyder married fellow academic Milada Vachudova, with whom he also collaborated on scholarly work.

1995: Fellowship at French National Centre for Scientific Research

From 1994 to 1995, Timothy Snyder held a fellowship at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris.

1995: Receives PhD from Oxford

In 1995, Timothy Snyder received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in modern history from the University of Oxford.

1996: Fellowship in Vienna

In 1996, Timothy Snyder held a fellowship at the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen in Vienna.

1997: Fellowship at Harvard University

In 1997, Timothy Snyder held a fellowship at the Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University.

1998: Academy Scholar at Harvard

From 1998 to 2001, Timothy Snyder was an Academy Scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

2001: Academy Scholar at Harvard

From 1998 to 2001, Timothy Snyder was an Academy Scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

2005: Snyder marries Marci Shore

In 2005, Timothy Snyder remarried to Marci Shore, a professor of European cultural and intellectual history at Yale University.

2013: Philippe Roman Chair of International History

For the academic year 2013-2014, Timothy Snyder held the Philippe Roman Chair of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

2013: René Girard Lecturer at Stanford University

In 2013, Timothy Snyder was the René Girard Lecturer at Stanford University.

2014: Philippe Roman Chair of International History

For the academic year 2013-2014, Timothy Snyder held the Philippe Roman Chair of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

May 2017: Snyder warns that the Trump administration would attempt to subvert democracy

In May 2017, in an interview with Salon, Snyder warned that the Trump administration would attempt to subvert democracy by declaring a state of emergency and take full control of the government, similar to Hitler's Reichstag fire.

2017: Snyder compares Trump administration to Hitler's rise to power

In early 2017, Snyder commented on the similarities between the Trump administration's agenda and Adolf Hitler's rise to power, cautioning that history offers examples and patterns that enhance our ability to anticipate and resist.

2017: Snyder elaborates additional lessons for the 21st century from On Tyranny

On October 30, 2024, Timothy Snyder elaborated additional lessons for the 21st century from On Tyranny including text from the 2017 book along with new reflections.

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

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December 2019: Snyder falls seriously ill

In December 2019, Timothy Snyder fell seriously ill following a series of medical misdiagnoses and while recuperating through the coronavirus pandemic he wrote Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary.

Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary

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November 2, 2020: Snyder repeats warning about Trump's plan to stay in power

On November 2, 2020, Snyder repeated his warning about Trump's plan to stay in power by some other way than winning the popular or electoral vote and that Trump's lies would lead to tyranny.

2020: Snyder explains how Trump's big lie about the 2020 elections mirrors Nazi history

In 2020, Snyder explained how Trump's big lie about the rigged election mirrors Nazi history and endangers democracy by forcing people to accept an illogical premise.

January 2021: Snyder publishes essay on the future of the GOP

In January 2021, Snyder published an essay in The New York Times blaming Trump and his enablers, Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, for the insurrection fueled by their claims of election fraud.

2021: Snyder elaborates on the resonance of Nazi history within Donald Trump's claim to a landslide victory

In 2021, Snyder elaborated on the resonance of Nazi history within Donald Trump's claim to a landslide victory, recalling the German Reich's "stab in the back" lie and how Trump's "big lie" tears the very fabric of factuality.

November 2022: Yale lecture series available to the public

By November 2022, Timothy Snyder's Yale lecture series, The Making of Modern Ukraine, became available to the general public on YouTube and as a podcast series, having been viewed by millions.

2022: Snyder compares Munich meetings

In 2022, Snyder compares Munich meetings in 1938 and 2022, noting the uncanny similarity between Hitler’s denial of Czechoslovak state legitimacy in 1938 and Putin’s denial of Ukrainian state legitimacy in 2022.

September 2023: Meeting with Olena Zelenska

In September 2023, Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, met with Timothy Snyder to discuss the mental health and resilience of Ukrainians at the Yalta European Strategy Annual Meeting.

November 2023: Snyder leads the "Ukrainian History Global Initiative"

In November 2023, Snyder began leading 90 scholars in the "Ukrainian History Global Initiative" to study Ukraine and its history, including disciplines beyond history and sponsoring academic conferences, publications, and archaeological excavations.

September 2024: Snyder's September 2024 essay Trump's Hitlerian Month

In September 2024, Snyder's essay "Trump's Hitlerian Month" argues that the American taboo on comparisons with Hitler functions as a shield for perpetrators and analyzes Trump's anti-Ukraine rhetoric.

September 17, 2024: Snyder's book, On Freedom, launched

On September 17, 2024, Snyder's book, On Freedom, launched, answering questions asked of him by readers of On Tyranny, explaining how proper notions of freedom allow good government to exist.

On Freedom

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October 30, 2024: Snyder elaborates additional lessons for the 21st century from On Tyranny

On October 30, 2024, Timothy Snyder elaborated additional lessons for the 21st century from On Tyranny including text from the 2017 book along with new reflections.

November 8, 2024: Snyder publishes "What Does It Mean That Donald Trump Is a Fascist?"

On November 8, 2024, Timothy Snyder published his essay "What Does It Mean That Donald Trump Is a Fascist?" in the New Yorker, asserting that both Putin and Trump are fascists, as they arbitrarily choose enemies without any real harm caused to followers.

2024: Snyder responds to media questions about democracy's connection to the 2024 kitchen-table concerns of voters

In 2024, Snyder responded to media questions about democracy's connection to the 2024 kitchen-table concerns of voters. Snyder predicts that a Trump-Vance electoral win would destroy the American economy.

2024: Snyder likens NBC's hiring of Ronna McDaniel to anticipatory obedience

In 2024, Timothy Snyder criticized NBC's hiring of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, comparing it to the anticipatory obedience he described in his book On Tyranny. He argued that NBC's action implied a possible breakdown of the democratic system and the acceptance of someone who had previously attempted to undermine it.

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

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February 2025: Teaching at the Munk School

In February 2025, Timothy Snyder is on leave from Yale University and will teach at the Munk School at the University of Toronto during the 2025-26 academic year.

2025: Snyder responds to media questions about democracy's connection to the 2024 kitchen-table concerns of voters

In 2025, Snyder responded to media questions about democracy's connection to the 2024 kitchen-table concerns of voters. Snyder predicts that a Trump-Vance electoral win would destroy the American economy.

2025: Snyder describes Trump as Russia’s "only chance of winning the war"

In 2025, Timothy Snyder stated that Trump is Russia’s "only chance of winning the war", adding that Trump has always been submissive towards the power in the Kremlin and seemed to enjoy being bullied by Putin.