Stalinism

In this course we will explore the formation and functioning of Joseph Stalin’s dictatorial regime in the USSR, as well as historical debates on its structure and significance. What was Stalinism as a political, economic and cultural system? What role did coercion (both physical and psychological) play in establishing and maintaining the system? How did ordinary citizens navigate, adapt, survive or even prosper within this repressive state? Was Stalinism a corruption of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution or its natural outcome? What are the continuing legacies of Stalinism today, both in the former Soviet Union and in world politics? 3 hrs. sem.