History 337B: History of Russia since 1865

T. Weeks (tadeusz@siu.edu)

SIU, Spring 2002

Class meets Faner 1224, Tth 9:35 - 10:50 a.m.

Texts: J. N. Westwood. Endurance and Endeavour. Russian History, 1812-1992.

Olga Semyonova Tian-Shanskaia. Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia.

M. Bulgakov. Heart of a Dog.

R. Kapuciski. Imperium.

Week One (January 15, 17) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 1 & 2 (review).

Tues: Introduction

Thurs: Unreformed Russia: The Empire before 1855

Week Two (January 22, 24) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 3 & 4.

Tues: Why the Great Reforms: Russia at a Turning Point in history

Thurs: The Great Reforms

Week Three (Jan 29, 31) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 5 & 6.

Tues: Russia as Empire: The Problem of Nationality

Thurs: The "post-1866 reaction" and Revolutionaries

Week Four (Feb 5, 7) Readings: Village Life.

Tues: Alexander III and Reaction

Thurs: Nicholas II ("the last"), life/reign to 1905. Discussion of Village Life.

Week Five (Feb 12, 14) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 7 & 8.

Tues: The Revolution of 1905-1907

Thurs: 1907-1914: Nationalism, Reform, Reaction Paper # 1 Due

Week Six (February 19, 21) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 9 & 10.

Tues: The Great War and Russia

Thurs: Revolutions of 1917

Week Seven (Feb 26, 28) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 11 & 12.

Tues: War Communism and Civil War

Thurs: NEP: Politics, Economics, Culture

Week Eight (March 5, 7) No new Readings.

Tues: Midterm

Thurs: The USSR and Nationalities: Forging the Union

March 11-15 : Spring Break - Enjoy it!

Week Nine (March 19, 21) Readings: Heart of a Dog, Westwood, Chapter 13.

Tues: Discussion: NEP through Bulgakov's Eyes.

Thurs: Collectivization and the First 5-Year-Plan

Week Ten (March 26, 28) No new readings.

Tues: The Great Purges

Thurs: Building Socialism in the 1930s

Week Eleven (April 2, 4) Readings:Kapuciski, "Pisk, '39", Westwood, Chapter 14.

Tues: 1941-1945: The Great Fatherland War

Thurs: Postwar Stalinism

Week Twelve (April 9, 11) Readings: Imperium, pp. 19-79, Westwood, Chapters 15 & 16.

Tues: After Stalin: Party Politics and the "Thaw"

Thurs: Khrushchev - the Man and his reforms

Week Thirteen (April 16, 18) Readings: Imperium, pp. 83-end; Westwood, Chapter 17.

Tues: Khrushchev's Failure, Brezhnev's "Success"

Thurs: Discussion of Imperium. Paper # 2 Due

Week Fourteen (April 23, 25) Readings: Westwood, Chapters 18 & 19.

Tues: Gorbachev and the End of the USSR

Thurs: Discussion: Where did Gorby go wrong?

Week Fifteen (April 30, May 2) No new readings.

Tues: Yeltsin and post-1992 Transformations

Thurs: The Future of Russia - ?

Final Exam: (In Faner 1224) Wednesday, 8 May, 3:10 - 5:10 pm.

Grading: Two Short Papers 30%

Midterm 20% Final 25%

Attendance and Participation 25%

Please note that attendance is required. Missing more than six lectures may lead to a lowering of your final grade. If you have special problems or circumstances to explain, please see me.

Office: Faner Hall 3270, telephone 453-7874.

Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 11 am to 2 pm; Wed. 10-12 am, and any time by appointment

I work in my office: come by!!