21H.244
Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics, 1700-1917
Analyzes Russia's social, cultural, and political heritage in the 18th and 19th centuries, up to and including the Russian Revolution of 1917. Compares reforming and revolutionary impulses in the context of serfdom, the rise of the intelligentsia, and debates over capitalism. Focuses on historical and literary texts, especially the intersections between the two.
Fall 2019
This course analyzes Russia's social, cultural, and political heritage in the 18th and 19th centuries, up to and including the Russian Revolution of 1917. It compares reforming and revolutionary impulses in the context of serfdom, the rise of the intelligentsia, and debates over capitalism, while focusing on historical and literary texts, especially the intersections between the two.
Readings
- [C] = Cracraft, James, ed. Major Problems in the History of Imperial Russia . D.C. Heath and Company, 1993. ISBN: 9780669214970.
- [D] = Daly, Jonathan, and Leonid Trofimov, eds. Russia in War and Revolution, 1914–1922: A Documentary History . Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2009. ISBN: 9780872209879.
- [DM] = Dmytryshyn, Basil, ed. Imperial Russia: A Source Book, 1700–1767 . 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School, 1990. ISBN: 9780030334191.
- [K] = Kivelson, Valerie A., and Ronald Grigor Suny. Russia’s Empires . Oxford University Press, 2016. ISBN: 9780199924394.
- SESS #: 1 · TOPICS: Introduction to the Course · READINGS: No readings assigned
- Be sure you understand the four characteristics of empire that Kivelson & Suny discuss and their periodization of the key periods in Russian and Soviet history. What do they mean by imperial practices? Make a list of the key practices you see in this article.
- Discussion five years after the annexation of Crimea.
- Notice references to Valaam monastery in Putin election videos.
- Current news:
- Discussion of climate change and movement of nomadic peoples.
- Also good for understanding Siberia.
- [K] Chapter 2: Imperial Beginnings: Muscovy.
- What are the big ideas in this chapter? What do you find surprising about medieval practices? Muscovy was the name derived from Mosocw which became the new center of Russia in the 14th century.
- A glossary of key concepts for the early part of the course.
- [K] Chapter 4: Responsive Rule and Its Limits-Force and Sentiment in the Eighteenth Century, pp. 89–98.
- [K] Chapter 4: Responsive Rule and Its Limits: Force and Sentiment in the Eighteenth Century, pp. 98–105.
- For reference: Figure 1 in this article shows the genealogy of the 18th century heirs of Aleski (Peter’s father). The individuals who actually ruled are listed in bold. The key ones are Anna (daughter of Ivan V, ruled 1730–1740 after Peter II died); Elizabeth (daughter of Peter I, ruled 1741–1762); Peter III (nephew of Elizabeth; ruled for 6 months in 1762); Catherine II (wife of Peter III who overthrew him and ruled 1762–1796.)
- [DM] Chapter 11: The Nakaz , or Instruction , of Catherine II to the Legislative Commission of 1767–1768.
- [K] Chapter 4: Responsive Rule and Its Limits-Force and Sentiment in the Eighteenth Century, pp. 106–14.
- [DM] Chapter 14: The Pugachev Rebellion.
- [K] Chapter 5: Russians’ Identities in the Eighteenth Century: A Multitude of Possibilities, pp. 116–39.
- [K] Chapter 6: Imperial Russia in the Moment of the Nation, 1801–1855, pp. 140–57.
- [DM] Chapter 32: Reactionary & Repressive Policies of Nicholas I.
- [K] Chapter 6: Imperial Russia in the Moment of the Nation, 1801–1855, pp. 157–81.
- “Putin’s Family Values.” Dateline. SBS. May 9, 2017.
- [A] Chapter 3: The Village.
- [A] Chapter 4: Estate Management.
- Pay particular attention to Antonova’s sources and her methods.
- [A] Chapter 7: Domesticity and Motherhood.
- [A] Chapter 8: The Education of Aleksei.
- Note: Russian has two words that are closely related but distinct. One is education, meaning book learning and schooling (obrazovanie) and the other means upbringing (vospitanie). Pay close attention to how Aleksei’s vospitanie or upbringing is conducted.
- [A] Chapter 9: Education for All.
- [A] Chapter 10: The Landscape of Ideas.
- [DM] Chapter 42: Russian Serfs and Their Emancipation in 1861.
- [K] Chapter 7: War, Reforms, Revolt, and Reaction, pp. 183–203; skim 203–15.
- This is an excellent slide show by a geographer on the ways in which Russia’s sale of Alaska to the U.S. in 1867 has been used as propaganda by Russian “patriots” in the last hundred years and especially today. Slides 1–6 are good historical background; compare to slide 23 on the current politicized history.
- [DM] Chapter 48: The Catechism of a Revolutionary, 1868.
- [DM] Chapter 49: Demands of the Narodnaia Volia (People’s Will), 1879.
- [K] Chapter 7: War, Reforms, Revolt, and Reaction, pp. 215–26.
- [K] Chapter 8: Imperial Anxieties: 1905–1914, pp. 227–40.
- [C] “S.D. Urusov Explains Russian Antisemitism, 1907.”
- Christian incitement to the 1903 Kishinev pogrom & Korolenko describes House no. 13.
- [C] “V.I. Gurko Recalls Sergei Witte’s Years in Power, 1892–1906.”
- Gurko (b. 1862) hailed from a hereditary nobility family from Tver; served in the Imperial Council; harshly criticised Witte.
- Two articles about the crisis of the social estates at the end of the 19th century.
- Kanatchikov describes his journey from peasant childhood to becoming increasingly radicalized as a worker. Pay particular attention to the factors that contribute to his radicalization.
- Vera Zasulich wrote to Marx asking his views on the Russian peasant commune, and he replied. What do you think of the possibilities for a peasant revolution based on the commune judging from their correspondence?
- Don’t worry about the 1st paragraph. What practical tasks is Lenin talking about?
- Von Laue, Theodore H. “First Crisis, 1900-1905.” Chapter 3 in Why Lenin? Why Stalin? A Reappraisal of the Russian Revolution, 1900–1930 . 2nd ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1971. ISBN: 9780397472000.
- Stolypin gave this speech to the state Duma (Parliament) on May 10, 1907.
- [DM] Chapter 56: Father Gapon’s Petition to Nicholas II, January 22, 1905.
- [DM] Chapter 57: Concessions of Nicholas II in the Revolution of 1905.
- [DM] Chapter 58: The Fundamental Laws of Imperial Russia, 1906.
- [DM] Chapter 59: Programs of Russian Political Parties.
- [K] Chapter 8: Imperial Anxieties: 1905–1914, pp. 240–54.
- This is an excellent overview of the events and significance of 1905.
- Especially recommended: Milyukov on the need for political reform; Nicholas II’s October Manifesto. But the various accounts of 1905 present a range of different views of the revolution.
- This was written by Sergei Witte and issued by Tsar Nicholas II.
- Steinberg, Mark D., and Vladimir M. Khrustalev, eds. “Introduction: Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intellectual Portrait.” In The Fall of the Romanovs . Yale University Press, 2012. ISBN: 9780300070675.
- [D] Chapter 1.7: Notes from Meetings of the Council of Ministers.
- [D] Chapter 1.8: Description of General Headquarters, March 1916.
- [D] Chapter 1.9: Selections from the Correspondence of Nicholas and Alexandra.
- [DM] Chapter 64: Durnovo’s Memorandum, February 1914.
- [K] Chapter Nine: Clash and Collapse of Empires: 1914–1921, pp. 255–66.
- This on-line version, while not the whole text, has some useful hyperlinks to explain particular items.
- Anatoly Karlin, the author, is not a professional historian but he’s done a nice job giving some quotes from three famous prophets of World War I.
- This might be useful as an overview of the developments and casualties of the war.
- [K] Chapter Nine: Clash and Collapse of Empires: 1914–1921, pp. 266–75.
- I recommend you start on the last paragraph of p. 43 where Kolonitskii talks about the “complex” phenomenon of the February Revolution. You don’t need his initial thoughts on “The Russian Idea.”
- View the website:
- This is a reference website showing the changes in popular attitudes between February and October 1917.
- Click on each link to see these three primary texts. Pay close attention to the language of each.
- [D] Chapter 2.14: International Women’s Day: The Revolution Begins, February 23–24. 1917
- [DM] Chapter 66: Abdication of the Romanovs, March 1917.
- Suny, Ronald Grigor, ed. “Order No. 1.” In The Structure of Soviet History: Essays and Documents . 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780195340549.
- ———. “V.I. Lenin,‘The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution (‘April Theses’)’.” In The Structure of Soviet History: Essays and Documents . 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780195340549.
- SESS #: 24 · TOPICS: Wrap Up and Review · READINGS: No readings assigned
- Kivelson, Valerie A., and Ronald Grigor Suny. Russia’s Empires . Oxford University Press, 2016. ISBN: 9780199924394.
Prerequisites & course information
Same subject as 21G.085[J] Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2019
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.