Russia and Europe in the 21st Century

This course will begin with a study of historical background, including the Russian Westernizers of the 19-20th centuries, “Europeanization” and “modernization,” territorial changes in Eastern Europe after World War Two, the Cold War, and the “velvet revolutions” of 1989. Next, we will consider aspects of the contemporary geopolitical map of Europe: the wars in former Yugoslavia, NATO and EU expansion, Russian exports of oil and gas, the pipeline “wars,” and Vladimir Putin’s “special relationship” with Germany, France, and Turkey. Finally, we will examine Russian imperialism in post-Soviet space – the Baltic states, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, and Ukraine – with a focus on the war against Ukraine.