Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - HIST 334 D100

The Making of Imperial Russia (4)

Class Number: 5802

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Fri, 12:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 106.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An examination of major themes in Russian history up to the Revolution of 1917, including the emergence of the modern Russian state; the organization of the empire at the center and the periphery; the contest between imperial, national, and religious identities; social, economic, and cultural transformations; and the Russian Empire's involvement in world politics.

COURSE DETAILS:

Content: This is a study of Russia from 1721 to 1917.  After a brief consideration of Russia’s development, we will spend most of the semester examining the Russian Empire from the time of its proclamation under emperor Peter I (also known as “Peter the Great”) in the early 18th century until its collapse during the First World War.

On the grander level, we will pay attention to the organization of the empire at the centre and the periphery; the tensions between imperial, national, and religious identities; and debates among the Russians about the destiny of their country and its place in the world.  We will examine the Russian empire’s social and cultural transformations, multiethnic character, territorial expansion, imperial and colonial policies, economic strategies, and role in world affairs.  But as we pay attention these broader developments and contexts, we will also look at the lives of some ordinary folks, and ask ourselves: what was it like for them to live in this empire-state?

Grading

  • Participation 15%
  • Response papers 15%
  • First test 30%
  • Second test 40%

NOTES:

Requirements and Grading: There will be weekly (two- to three-page double-spaced) response papers and two in-class tests. Grading breakdown as above.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Paul Bushkovitch, A Concise History of Russia. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Olga Semyonova Tian-Shanskaia, Village Life in Late Imperial Russia. Bloomington, Ind.:  Indiana University Press, 1993.

Leo Tolstoy, Hadji Murat. Vintage, 2012.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.