USSR and Post-Soviet Russia

4.0 credits

This class examines the history of the Soviet Union from foundation (1917) to collapse (1991), focusing on internal developments in the Russian part of the Union. We will begin with a discussion of the background to the collapse of the imperial Russian state in 1917, including changes in Russian society and World War I. Later, the class will look at questions such as: Did the New Economic Policy of the 1920s create a stable socioeconomic order? How did Stalin defeat his political rivals and create a personal dictatorship? What were the motivations for the Great Terror of 1937-1938? How did the Soviet Union defeat Nazi Germany in World War II? We will also devote some time to the Soviet role in the Cold War and the appeal of Leninism in colonized and post-colonial societies. The course will conclude with a discussion of the collapse of the USSR and the emergence of a soft authoritarian order in post-Soviet Russia. The syllabus will emphasize primary-source readings and class discussion.