Russia to Peter I

HIST 3604: Russia to Peter the Great, Virginia Tech
Fall 2020, Tom Ewing

This course examines the period from the formation of the Russian state in the ninth century through the establishment of the Imperial system by Peter the Great at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Tracing the historical development of Russian politics, society, and culture through the Kievan, Appanage, Mongol, and Muscovite periods, this course devotes particular attention to the process of nation-building in the Eurasian steppes, the relationship between Russia and its bordering states, the role of the Orthodox Church in shaping ideology and culture, the formation of distinct social classes, the role of prominent personalities, comparisons of women in elite, urban, and peasant communities, the establishment of serfdom, the emergence of an autocratic political system, the repeated threats of war and foreign occupation, and attempts to modernize Russia in response to the dominant powers of Europe.

This course is designed to encourage students to pursue three objectives:
1) To become familiar with the most important events, people, and processes of Russian history in its first millennium.
2) To understand how these historical events, people, and processes have shaped the evolution of Russia and the contemporary world.
3) To develop analytical skills necessary to think and write effectively about processes of change in terms of both the experiences of individuals and the development of broader communities.

Assignments:
20%: Exams, 2 @ 10% each, Canvas, October 5 and November 16; Exam 2 was made optional
20%: Weekly assignments based on lectures and readings, 10 @ 2 points each, Canvas
20%: Final essay, due December 7, 2020 (question distributed August 26)
40%: Collaborative research projects on 1648 Moscow Uprising, 4 @ 10% each, due September 21, October 12, November 2, and December 2

Required Books:
Gregory Freeze, ed., Russia: A History (2nd or 3rd edition, Oxford University Press) ebook available *
Valerie A. Kivelson and Ronald G. Suny, Russia's Empires (Oxford University Press) print, on reserve library

E. Thomas Ewing, “Teaching the 1648 Moscow Uprising in 2020,” Newsnet, Vol. 62, No. 4, August 2021, pp. 7-10.
https://www.aseees.org/newsnet-current