Russia: The Making (and Unmaking) of a Super Power

4 Credits.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has upended the European security order and restructured global geopolitics and commodity markets. As of this writing, the war’s outcome is uncertain, and the endgame is debated but unknown. The unfolding tragedy has renewed interest in imperialism as an organizing principle of Russian state formation, identity, foreign policy, and economic development. The course examines tensions among these factors to analyze and explain recurring cycles in Russian history as a rising and declining empire. From this vantage point, we gain deeper perspective on Russia and Ukraine as primary protagonists in the geopolitical tensions that emerged in Europe after the USSR dissolved.The central premise of the course is that Putin’s Russia, to paraphrase Mark Twain, does not repeat but rhymes with the Tsarist and Soviet eras. The content is structured chronologically and thematically to enable comparative analysis of key events in Russian and Soviet history that have a bearing on contemporary questions. The first half of the course covers the role of empire in Russian history up to the collapse of the USSR and end of the Cold War. The second half examines the rise of Putinism, emergence of hostilities in US-Russian relations, origins of conflict over Ukraine, and consequences for energy markets and Sino-Russian relations. Thematic topics include the impact of war on Russian society and politics; the consolidation and collapse of autocratic power; the evolution and resolution of conflict in Soviet/Russian foreign relations, and the potential for political change in Russia and a negotiated endgame to the Ukraine War. The course concludes with consideration of policy options for the post-war Russia.