Modern Russia

Russia at the turn of the century was faced with a crisis of transition from the traditional world to the modern. The first half of this course will focus on the social, economic and political causes of the crisis, which culminated in the Russian Revolutions of 1917. The course then follows the revolution through the civil war and NEP periods to Stalin's "Revolution from Above," which was largely responsible for creating the Soviet Union as we knew it. The course concludes by examining the collapse of the Soviet Union, the rise of Russia, and the renewal of attempts to modernize. 2 hrs. lect. 1 hr. disc.