In The Road to Unfreedom, Snyder contrast two overarching political ideologies: the politics of inevitability and the politics of eternity. The former is a liberal narrative that suggests that liberal democracies are the ultimate destination of any political evolution, presuming a linear progression toward more open and democratic societies. This view, according to Snyder, has dominated Western thinking since the end of the Cold War, illustrated in the triumphalist rhetoric of discussions about globalization and the spread of democratic values.

Contrasting with the politics of inevitability is the politics of eternity, which Snyder attributes to authoritarian regimes, notably Russia under Putin. This ideology is characterized by a nostalgic and nationalistic longing for past glories and a cyclical view of history, where external threats are perpetually imminent and internal unity is enforced through a narrative of national victimhood. This narrative serves to legitimize authoritarian practices, suppress political dissent, and undermine democratic norms both domestically and internationally.

Therefore, Snyder aims to provide clarity in a political environment that seems overly complicated and difficult to untangle by reducing the ideological battle to two main tendencies. Many criticize this view, however, as the contemporary ideological terrain is much more complicated than the two streams traced by Snyder.