Russian History and Revolutionary Socialism

9 units · Undergraduate

Intermittent: 9 units This course covers an epic set of events in Russian history beginning with the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and ending with the death of Stalin in 1953. Spanning almost a century of upheaval and transformation, it examines the terrorist and populist movements against the tsar, the growth of urbanization and a new working class, the great general strike and revolution of 1905, the Russian revolution in 1917, and the Communist Party's attempt to build a new socialist society amid the wreckage of the old. We will discuss the struggle for power within the Party in the 1920s, Stalin's triumph over his opponents, the wrenching processes of collectivization and industrialization, and the "Great Terror." The course will explore the Soviet role in World War II, the shattering losses, and the death of Stalin in 1953. This course meets the Dietrich Gen Ed "Humanities" requirement.