logo

35 pages 1 hour read

Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2020

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter 6Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 6 Summary: “The Unending of History”

Applebaum begins the chapter by comparing the current political moment to the Dreyfus affair in France that began in 1894. During the Dreyfus affair, French society was divided by the debate over a Jewish army captain, Alfred Dreyfus, who was arrested and convicted on the charge of being a German spy. The charge would later be disproven. However, there were what Applebaum terms clercs who resorted to outright deception to maintain the argument that Dreyfus was guilty, and they characterized their opponents as not true French (173-75). More than an argument over one man’s innocence or guilt, it became about “two versions of the nation, this disagreement about ‘who we are’” (175). On one side there was a France “based on rational thought, rule of law, and integration with Europe” (177), while the other showed a socially conservative, rigidly nationalist France.

Applebaum describes another party she helped host in August of 2019. It was a diverse party with people of different social and national backgrounds. Her encounters with the guests made Applebaum think, “Europe, America, and the world are full of people—urban and rural, cosmopolitan and provincial—who have creative and interesting ideas about how to live in a world that is both more fair and more open” (182).

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 35 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,650+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools