Imperial Russia

3 units

The Russian tsars, from Peter the Great to Nicholas II, built the empire which became the Soviet Union. Now that the USSR is gone, historians focus not only on the governance of the Russians, but also on the fate of scores of nationalities ruled by them. This course also explores the changing reputation of Russia's rulers, especially the women rulers of the 18th century; the rise of an intelligentsia committed to radical reform; the fate of millions of serfs, and the government's efforts to steer a path between Muscovite traditions and a dynamic West.