Prof. Marko Dumančić
Office: Rice Hall 313
Phone: x 8527
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 3 p.m. -- 4:30
Wednesdays 4 P.M. – 5:30
Or by appointment
WA: Rebekkah Rubin
Office Hours:
Thu. 7-8 PM & Sun. 8-9 PM
@ the Writing Center
Email: [email protected]
HIST 108:
Russian History From 1861 - 2012
COURSE OVERVIEW
It is not uncommon to hear—especially in the U.S.—that the twentieth century was “an American
century.” However, it could be just as easily argued that the 20th century was very much a Russian one.
During the Imperial period, Russia enchanted Europeans with its writers (Lev Tolstoy, Nikolai Gogol, Fedor
Dostoevsky), painters (Vasilii Kandinsky), and ballet (Ballet Russes with Sergei Diaghilev at its head); shocked
them with its radical activists and anarchist philosophers (Aleksandr Herzen, Vera Zasulich, Vera Figner); and
beguiled with its autocratic political system and royal opulence. For its part, the Soviet Union transformed
“the old, tsarist Russia” and changed the world in the process. The communist system offered a political,
ideological, and cultural alternative to liberal democracy and fascism, made the defeat of Nazi Germany
possible, and conquered the space by sending the first satellite, man, and dog into space (in that order). This
course will not only identify the key triumphs and tragedies in Russian/Soviet history, but will also offer a
glimpse into how the imperial and communist systems functioned on top and bottom levels. We will pay as
much attention to foreign and domestic policy as we will to the changing (political, cultural, and
nationalistic) ideologies of both the imperial and socialist systems as they adapted to the world inside and
out.
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CENTRAL THEMES
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reforms of the 1860s-1870s, 1960s, and 1980s
the revolutionary movement; the 1905 and 1917 revolutions
the radical movements in pre-revolutionary Russia: anarchists, nihilists, populists
the Russian Civil War
origins and dynamics of Stalinism
the impact of World War II and the Cold War
daily life in the Soviet Union
history of non-Russian peoples in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union
the fall of communism, the collapse of the USSR, and the end of the Cold War
economic and social challenges facing post-Soviet Russia.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
I. Content:
By the end of the semester, students should be familiar with:
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the political, social, economic, and cultural development of Russia from 1861 to the present.
the general chronology of Russian/Soviet history.
basic theories, generalizations, and debates of Russian/Soviet history.
II. Cognitive skills: By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
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identify and relay an argument of a specific readings concisely and precisely
think critically about an author’s approach and execution of a historical problem.
think historically about events, processes, and significant individuals.
III. Communication skills: By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
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present their point of view concisely and persuasively while staying on topic.
participate in a group discussion in a productive and collaborative manner.
REQUIRED TEXTS (available at the Oberlin College Bookstore):
* Alan Wood, Origins Of The Russian Revolution 1861-1917, 3rd edition.
* Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution, 3rd edition.
* Fyodor Dostoevsky, Notes From Underground (Plume/Penguin, 2003).
* Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon, (Scribner, 2006).
* Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (NAL Trade, 2009).
* Vladimir Voinovich, Fur Hat (Mariner Books, 1991).
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WRITING ASSOCIATE (WA)
This class is very fortunate to able to count on the expertise of the course’s very own writing associate
Rebekkah Rubin. Ms. Rubin completed an incarnation of HIST 108 last year with flying colors and is an
excellent writer to boot. In addition to being familiar with the material we will be covering this semester, Ms.
Rubin is exceptionally well positioned to assist you to reach your writing goals. I strongly encourage you to
seek her out; I doubt not that she will be a uniquely terrific resource for each of you. She will be holding her
office hours at the Writing Center every Thursday between 7 and 8 p.m. and every Sunday between 8 and 9
p.m. She can be reached via email at [email protected]. At the end of your individual sessions with Ms.
Rubin, she will, with your permission, let me know that you have taken the time to see her with the aim of
optimizing your writing skills. Voluntarily meeting with Ms. Rubin and productively engaging with her
during your meetings will indicate to me that you take your writing seriously.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
~ Weekly Writing Assignments (30%) ~
To help you/motivate you to keep up with the readings, you will turn in twelve (12) reading responses that
should be between approximately 300-350 words in length. These assignments will be graded individually. In
the writing assignment, your task is to identify the central argument of the day’s readings. In other words, I
am not asking what the article “is about” but what the author’s argument is. In addition to identifying the
author’s argument, methodology, and sources, you are encouraged (though not obligated) to reflect on and
probe/problematize the author’s contentions. Theses assignments are meant to help you precisely and
concisely express your thoughts in any academic/professional setting.
Three cardinal rules about analytical short assignments: •
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You must turn in one writing assignment per week until you reach the assigned quota of 12 response
papers. You can turn in more than one response, but one assignment per week is obligatory. No
exceptions.
If you are absent from class, you must hand in a response paper for the class that you missed as soon
as possible. This will count towards your total.
You must hand in your assignments at the beginning of class in hard copy. No assignment can be
turned in after a reading has been covered in class (Unless, of course, you were forced to miss class.)
~ Attendance and Participation (20%) ~
Attendance is mandatory. Although I will keep track of your attendance, I primarily rely on your observance
of the Honor Code when you miss class due to illness/family emergencies/extenuating circumstances. I will
do everything in my power to make class a productive and enjoyable endeavor and your attendance and
participation are crucial elements of this goal.
Although some class sessions will be lectures, for much of the time we will collectively discuss the assigned
readings. Throughout the semester I will keep track of your participation – both in terms of quality and
quantity. The ability to engage meaningfully—to engage your colleagues in a way that will add depth and
dimension to an evolving discussion—is a crucial skill in both academic and professional settings. I will
provide you with individual feedback regarding this aspect of the course after the 3rd, 6th, and 9th week but I
encourage you to come speak with me if you have questions or concerns at any point in time. Moreover, I
will do everything in my power to create an environment in which all members of this learning community
feel welcome and encouraged to vocalize their views and ideas.
Note: I reserve the right to fail anyone with three unexcused absences. 3
~ Two Film and/or Book Reviews (15% each) ~
During the semester we will watch three Russian films—feature and documentary—about Russian history: Rider Named Death, My Perestroika, and Khodorkovsky. In addition, we will be reading three short novels: A.
Koestler’s Darkness at Noon, A. Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, and V. Voinovich’s Fur
Hat. You will be writing on two of the above works of your choosing – with the caveat that you must turn in
one review before spring break and one review after spring break.
I ask that you consider what the two works of your choosing are saying about the nature of
Russian/Soviet history. Both the films and novels assert a particular interpretation of historical events and
these reviews (of approximately 750 words each) are intended to aid you in becoming more self-conscious in
detecting the authors’ “agenda.” The goal of these reviews is not to discuss the historical accuracy of these
films/novels nor provide the summary of the plot, but rather to discern what the authors are attempting
to convince their audience of with their historical narrative.
~ Final Wikipedia Project (20%) ~
It’s no secret that Wikipedia has become the go-to source for information—despite the fact that we all
know these entries are incomplete or not always accurate (but more accurate than generally believed). In this
final mini-research assignment you will choose an aspect of Russia’s history between 1861 and 2011 and
add/modify an existing one. The assignment should be around 1000-1250 words. In addition to allowing you
to explore an aspect of Russian history you find most fascinating, this assignment will also allow you to
consider the implications and responsibilities involved with creating and “publishing” publicly-accessible
information.
POLICIES ON TARDINESS AND MAKE-UP WORK
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All written work must be turned in to receive a passing grade.
Final Wikipedia project and film/book reviews—The grade for the assignment will drop one-third of a
letter grade (from a "B" to a "B-," for example) for each 12-hour period. You will also not be allowed to
turn in further assignments until late work has been submitted. These further assignments will also
be penalized for late submission.
Extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be given in the case of
emergency/illness or if you ask for an extension because of a heavy workload during a week when an
assignment is due in this class. In the latter case an extensions will be given provided you give me no
less than a ten-day notice.
HONOR CODE
"The word plagiarism derives from Latin roots: plagiarius, an abductor, and plagiare, to steal. The
expropriation of another author's work and the presentation of it as one's own, constitutes plagiarism and is a
serious violation of the ethics of scholarship." [American Historical Association, Statement on Standards of
Professional Conduct]. Presenting the work of others as one's own goes against everything that a liberal
education is about. It is a serious affront to the other students in the course, to me as a member of the
course, and to the plagiariser him/herself. The College requires that students sign an "Honor Code" for all
assignments. This pledge states: "I affirm that I have adhered to the Honor Code in this assignment." For
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further information, see the student Honor Code which you can access via
Blackboard>Lookup/Directories>Honor Code. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism,
particularly in the context of joint or collaborative projects, please see me or raise it in class.
ACCOMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you
may require accommodations, please see me or the Office of Disability Services so that such accommodations
may be arranged.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Date
1861
1917
Theme
Reading/Assignment
UNIT 1
Radical Politics
&
The End of the Russian Empire
Week 1
M.
Feb. 6
Intro/Syllabus
None
* Marshall T. Poe, The Russian Moment in World History, 46-77.
W.
Feb. 8
The Russian Empire
Before and After the Great
Reforms of 1861
* Alan Wood, The Origins of the Russian Revolution, 1-12.
* Documentary Russia: Land of the Tsars Part IV, 1825-93
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXPP1j1yahg&feature
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PFQ7Th_rAs&feature
* We will hold a small workshop discussion of the Poe chapter and how Poe’s
argument relates to Wood’s depiction of Russian history.
F.
Feb. 10
The Russian Intelligentsia
and the Populist Movement
* Alan Wood, The Origins of the Russian Revolution, 12 – 26.
* Isaiah Berlin, “The Birth of the Russian Intelligentsia” and “ Russian
Populism” in Russian Thinkers, 130-45 & 240-72.
Week 2
M.
W.
Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Dostoevsky and
Western Europe
No Class
* Derek Offord, Journeys to a Graveyard: Perceptions of Europe in Classical
Russian Travel Writing, 197-220
* A workshop/discussion of the Offord’s chapter and his argument.
* Read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground in its entirety.
5
F.
Feb. 17
Dostoevsky’s Dystopia
* Discussion of the Underground Man and his worldview.
Week 3
M.
Feb 20
Russian Radicals and
Terrorists
* Alan Wood, The Origins of the Russian Revolution, 27-38.
* Steven Marks, “Organizing Revolution: Russian Terrorists,” in How Russia
Shaped the Modern World: From Art to Anti-Semitism, Ballet to Bolshevism,
7-36.
* View Rider Named Death / Всадник по имени смерть Dir. Karen
Shakhnazarov (2004, Russia) {108 min.}
W.
Feb 22
No Class
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v83jD-ccNTU]
*Write a film review and turn it in on Friday, Feb 24 (if you choose to
write one)
F.
Feb 24
Discussion of Russian
Terrorism
* Discussion of Rider Named Death / Всадник по имени
* Turn in the film review at the beginning of class (if you’re writing one)
Week 4
M.
Feb 27
World War I
and the
February Revolution
W.
Feb 29
Peace! Land! Bread!
Revolution!
F.
Mar 2
The Civil War
1917
1953
* Alan Wood, The Origins of the Russian Revolution, 39-63
* Documentary on the Russian Revolution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMGrIwLj7gU&feature=BFa&list=PL5923FE6250B3DD6E&lfd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdpEaPxNW0g&feature=BFa&list=PL5923FE6250B3DD6E&lf=BFa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mReH_vgrf-U&feature=BFa&list=PL5923FE6250B3DD6E&lf=BFa
* Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution (Oxford UP, 2008), 40-67.
* Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution, 68-92
THE SOCIALIST UTOPIA
&
STALINIST TERROR
UNIT 2
Week 5
M.
Mar 5
Godless Religion
* Richard Stites, Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental
Life in the Russian Revolution, 37-57 & 101-23.
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W.
Mar 7
F.
Mar 9
N(ew)
E(conomic)
P(olicy)
* Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution, 93-119
*Richard Stites, Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental
Life in the Russian Revolution, 124-44.
* Fitzpatrick. The Russian Revolution, 120–148
Enter Stalin
* Richard Stites, Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental
Life in the Russian Revolution, 225–52.
Week 6
M.
Mar 12
Ordinary Life in
Extraordinary Times
W.
Mar 14
No Class
Sheila Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism:
* Palaces on Monday (67-88)
* The Magic Tablecloth (89-114)
* Family Problems (139-163)
* Read Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon (1-288)
*Watch the BBC Documentary on the Gulag – Part 2
[www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vvYOTZoGxg&feature]
F.
Mar 16
Stalinist Show Trials
* Discussion of Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon and the BBC
documentary on the Gulag.
* Turn in a book review (if you’re writing one)
Week 7
M.
W.
Mar 19
Mar 21
World War II
Prelude to the Cold War
* From Ronald Grigor Suny, The Soviet Experiment, Chapter 14, The Great
Fatherland War, 336-61.
* "Underlying Antagonisms" from Jonathan Haslam's Russia's Cold War:
From the October Revolution to the Fall of the Wall, 1-28.
* CNN Perspectives: COLD WAR - Vol 1 - Comrades 1917-1945
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdD9kQSBoRw
* CNN Perspectives: Cold War: Iron Curtain 1945-1947
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NEiI9Dp3TE&feature
F.
Mar 23
Who Started the Cold War?
* Melvyn Leffler, "National Security and US Foreign Policy," in
Origins of the Cold War [1994], 15-41.
* John Lewis Gaddis, "Soviet Unilateralism and the Origins of the Cold War,"
in Griffith and Baker, eds., Major Problems in American History Since 1945,
96-110.
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Week 8
Spring Break!
Spring Break
Spring Break
1945
1989
UNIT 3
THE U.S.S.R. AS A SUPERPOWER
Week 9
M.
Apr 2
Khrushchev’s Thaw
&
Crisis in Eastern Europe
* William Taubman, 'The Khrushchev period, 1953–1964', in Ronald G. Suny,
The Cambridge History of Russia. Volume III: The Twentieth Century
(Cambridge UP, 2006): 268-91.
* CNN Perspectives: COLD WAR, After Stalin 1953-56
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GmxiGGtUos&feature
* The transcript of Khrushchev’s Secret Speech at the XX Party Congress in
1956
* Hope Harrison, "Driving the Soviets Up the Wall," Cold War History Vol. 1
No. 1 (2000): 54-74
W.
F.
Apr 4
Apr 6
The Building of the
Berlin Wall
Stalinist Gulag
Revisited
* CNN Perspective: COLD WAR, The Berlin Wall
Part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1874Y_yJL1A&feature Part 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvYFun15gNk&feature Part 3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-­‐Nb6w9-­‐6Bc&feature Part 4: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-­‐hwd_Qcjm0&feature * No Class - Read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in its entirety
* Watch the BCC documentary on the Gulag – Part 3
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9K9nzI__Uo&feature]
Week 10
M.
Apr 9
The Gulag Experience
* Discussion of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and the BBC
documentary on the Gulag.
* Turn in a book review at the beginning of class (if you’re writing one)
* From Ronald Grigor Suny's The Soviet Experiment, Chapter 18 - The
Paradoxes of Brezhnev's Long Reign: 447-74
W.
F.
Apr 11
Apr 13
Corruption and Stagnation
Under Brezhnev
* John Bushell, “The New Soviet Man Turns Pessimist” in R. Suny, The
Structure of Soviet History: Essays and Documents, 360-70.
*Pessimism in the USSR, Crisis in Czechoslovakia
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diSiCr4U_l8&feature
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=Nssk_2kFPes
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=I62mFyGdveU
Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=X3zZdAeVlEk
Read V. Voinovich’s The Fur Hat
&
Nikolai Gogol’s short story “The Overcoat”
No Class
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Week 11
M.
W.
Apr 16
Apr 18
Brezhnev-Era
Stagnation
The USSR
in Afghanistan
* Discussion of The Fur Hat and “The Overcoat”
* Turn in a book review at the beginning of class (if you’re writing one)
* Discussion of the mini-documentary of the Glasnost Film Festival on
Russian veterans from Afghanistan and an episode from the CNN Cold War
Series on the Afghan War
* Soldiers of God, 1975-1988 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PNv-yU44YI]
* Homecoming / directed by Tatyana Chubakova (17 min.) 1987 (Material
on reserve @ Mudd)
F.
Apr 20
1989
–
Present
The End of Communism in
Eastern Europe
UNIT 4
* CNN Perspectives: COLD WAR – The Wall Comes Down
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMv_gg_3vxw&feature}
THE COLLAPSE OF THE U.S.S.R
&
THE END OF THE COLD WAR
Week 12
* CNN Perspectives: COLD WAR – Conclusions
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOUuu8JFKfw&feature
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOUuu8JFKfw&feature
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kFVGYWaVxA&feature
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtsN0SsT-H8&feature
M.
W.
Apr 23
Apr 25
Gorbachev and the End of
the Cold War
The Collapse of the USSR
* Vladislav Zubok, "Why Did the Cold War end in 1989? Explanations of 'The
Turn'," in Reviewing the Cold War: Approaches, Interpretations, Theory,
Odd Arne Westad (ed.), 343-67.
*
Jeremi Suri, "Explaining the End of the Cold War: A New Historical
Consensus?" Journal of Cold War Studies Vol. 4. No. 4. (2002): 60-92.
The Breakup of the Soviet Union: Opposing Viewpoints. Editors William
Barbour and Carol Wekesser. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1994.
```
* George Urban, "U.S. Democracy Contributed to the Collapse of Soviet
Communism," pp. 17-21.
* John P. Maynard, "Soviet Communism Collapsed on Its Own," 22-27
* Edwin Meese III, "Ronald Reagan's Presidency Caused the Collapse of the
Soviet Union," 28-36.
* Daniel Deudney and G. John Ikenberry, "Ronald Reagan's Presidency Did
Not Cause the Collapse of the Soviet Union," 37-43.
* Francis Fukayama, "Political Reforms Alone Did Not Cause the Collapse of
the Soviet Union," 51-58.
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* VISIT TO THE ALLEN MUSEUM
F.
Apr 27
The Visual Culture of the
Soviet Union
* Watch the documentary My Perestroika (On reserve @ Mudd Library) for
Monday’s class.
* Complete Wiki Drafts, due Monday
Week 13
* Discussion of My Perestroika
M.
Apr. 30
Muscovites Looking Back
* Write a film review (if you are writing one)
* Turn in your wiki drafts at the beginning of class.
* Michael McFaul, “The Yeltsin Legacy” The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 2
(2000), pp. 42-47, 50-58
W.
May 2
After the Fall:
The Yeltsin Years
1991-2000
* Michael McFaul and Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, ”The Myth of the Authoritarian
Model: How Putin’s Crackdown Holds Russia Back,” Foreign Affairs Vol. 87
No. 1 (2008): 68-84.
* Aron Leon, “Was Liberty Really Bad For Russia, Part II,” Demokratizatsiya
Vol. 16 No. 2 (2008): 131-40.
* Watch documentary Khodorkovsky (dir. Cyril Tuschi, 2011)
(on reserve @ Mudd Library)
F.
May 4
No Class
* Write a film review (if you are writing one)
* Andrew Meier, “Who Fears a Free Mikhail Khodorkovsky?” New York
Times Magazine Nov. 18, 2009.
[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/magazine/22khodorkovsky-t.html]
Week 14
May 7
Khodorkovsky
&
Putin’s Russia
W.
May 9
Putin’s Russia
–
Whither Russia?
F.
May 11
M.
Conclusions
* Discussion of the documentary Khodorkovsky (dir. Cyril Tuschi, 2011)
* Turn in a film review at the beginning of class (if you’re writing one)
* Ellen Barry, “Memo From Moscow: A Dilemma for Russian Leaders: To
Suppress Protests or Not” in the NYT, Jan. 2 2012
[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/world/europe/in-russia-a-change-in-the-dynamic-ofprotests.html?_r=1&emc=eta1]
* Discussion: Was the 20th century a Russian century?
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