HIST 3363 - Russia and the USSR: Multiethnic Empire, Revolution, and Communism

Analysis of the major political, economic, social and cultural transformations that took place in the last half century of tsarist rule in Russia and in the Soviet Union. Emphasis is placed on the crisis of autocratic rule in the late empire, the emergence of the Soviet Union in the cauldron of World War I, the influence of a diverse, multi-ethnic population on both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the nature of the radical and often violent experiment that was Soviet rule, the role of the Soviet Union in World War II and in the Cold War, and the ultimately revolutionary policies of Mikhail Gorbachev. Post-Soviet Russia and the Soviet successor states are also examined. Special emphasis will be made in this course on students writing about events in Russian history that have relevance in current-day discussions and debates regarding Russia's place and actions in the world. An important part of this will be analyzing and writing about Russia's war in Ukraine. 3 credits.