Overview

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:

This is a study of Russia from 1721 to 1917.  After a brief consideration of Russia’s development up to that point, 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 18^th 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

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: