Twentieth Century Russia

HIST 3644 explores the history of the Russian empire, Soviet Union, and post-Soviet states in the decades from the 1890s to the present. The course explores the most important topics of this period, including the crisis in Imperial Russia, revolution and reform in 1905-1907, world war one, the revolution of 1917, the civil war, the establishment of the Soviet Union, the New Economic Policy of the 1920s, Stalinism in the 1930s, world war two, postwar Soviet society, Khrushchev’s reforms in the 1950s, cold war confrontations, the Brezhnev era, detente in the 1970s, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the establishment of independent states, and the Putin era in twenty-first century Russia. This course will examine the interconnected histories of Russian and “non-Russian” peoples, spaces, and communities at each stage of this history. 

The course is designed to develop key skills:
1. An understanding of important people, events, and processes in twentieth century Russia
2. An ability to examine evidence and draw interpretations about historical change
3. An appreciation of multiple perspectives on key issues in this historical context
4. A capacity to work collaboratively to examine challenging problems and produce thoughtful analysis

Poster Exhibit: link