HISTORY 382G: MODERN RUSSIA

 

Spring 2006

W: 6:00-8:30

 

Dr. Nathan Brooks               

Office:  240 Breland

Telephone: 646-1824; History Dept. Office Tel.: 646-4601

Office hours:  T: 4:00-6:00

           W: 4:00-6:00; and by appointment

e-mail:  nbrooks@nmsu.edu

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to provide an introductory survey of the history of the Soviet Union, from its antecedents in the tsarist period until the present day.  The lectures and discussions will focus on some of the major historical issues concerning this time period, such as why the 1917 revolution took place, Stalin=s rise to power, the collectivization of agriculture, the Great Purges, the Soviet Union in World War II, Khrushchev=s attempts to reform the Stalinist system, Gorbachev=s Perestroika, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the post-Soviet Russian state under Yeltsin and Putin.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 

 

1)  EXAMINATIONS: Students in this course will read both a textbook as well as selections from a book which contains original source materials about various topics in modern Russian history.  Information from both of these books will be covered in the examinations, so it is very important that students keep up with the reading assignments.  In addition, student will read a series of oral interviews concerning the lives of women during the twentieth century in Russia, plus a short novel.  The information in these books also will be covered in the examinations.

 

There will be two examinations in this course: one examination during the semester and a final examination.  Both the mid-semester examination and the final examination will count as 100 points each, for a total of 200 points.  The examinations will consist of essay questions, short essay/identification questions, and identification of quotations from the assigned readings.  The instructor will hand out a list of the essay questions prior to the examinations.  One of the questions from this list will be on the examination.  Students are strongly encouraged to prepare for the essay questions ahead of time.  Also, many students find that discussing the questions with other students helps them prepare for the examinations better than studying individually.  I encourage students to form study groups to discuss the questions.  Students will need to bring a bluebook to each examination. 

 

2) SHORT PAPERS AND MAP QUIZ: Three short papers (3-4 pages each) will be assigned during the semester.  Specific details will be discussed in class.  If any student would like to complete an alternative project in lieu of one or more of the short papers, please see the instructor.  However, if this option is selected, the student will still need to read the assigned materials.  In addition, there will be an in-class map quiz on April 5.  A list of possible items on the quiz will be distributed in class.

 

3) RESEARCH PAPER: Students will write a research paper of 8-10 pages in length (excluding the cover page and bibliography) on a topic in modern Russian history using the resources of the NMSU library, interlibrary loan, and the required reading for the course.  Each student must obtain approval for his/her topic before beginning the paper.  It is strongly advised that the students begin the research paper as early as possible.  Additional instructions will be distributed in class.

 

No extra credit work will be accepted.  In addition, students will not be allowed to resubmit work done in other courses.

 

Lecture topics are subject to change without prior notice.  It is up to each student to be aware of any announcements made in class regarding lecture topics or anything else regarding the course.  Also, it is not possible to cover all of the topics during lectures.  If any student would like to cover a specific topic that will not be discussed in class or to cover a topic in more detail, please contact the instructor.

 

Please note that this course meets the Viewing a Wider World requirement ONLY for students who are majors in colleges OTHER than Arts and Sciences.

 

 

GRADING:

Mid-semester examination                                            100 points

Final examination                                              100 points

research paper                                                  100 points

writing assignments (25 points each)                              75 points

map quiz (25 points)                                           25 points

 

total      400 points

 

 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:  If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office located at Garcia Annex (phone: 646-6840).  If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes.  It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.

 

If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or which may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the instructor and/or Mr. Michael Armendariz, the SSD Coordinator.  Feel free to call Ms. Angela Velasco (Interim EEO/ADA and Employee Relations Director) at 646-3333 with any questions about the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  All medical information will be treated confidentially.

 

 

WITHDRAWALS: It is your responsibility to come to class and to complete all of the assignments.  The instructor will not automatically drop students for not attending class.  Please note that Arts and Sciences students do not need to obtain the instructor or department head=s signatures when they drop classes.  No withdrawals from individual courses are allowed after the mid-point of the semester.

 

S/U: The minimum standard for an S grade in this course is a C-. 

 

 

 

ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: Cheating in all forms is prohibited in this course.  Students must be especially aware of plagiarism on written work.  Use your own words!  If there are any questions concerning the use of sources, please contact the instructor.  Cheating on tests also is prohibited.  However, it is perfectly acceptableBand strongly encouragedBfor students to study together before an exam.  But the examination itself must be the own work of the individual student. 

 

ATTENDANCE: Attendance is not mandatory for this course.  However, students are strongly encouraged to attend every class.  Experience has shown that students who miss classes seldom do well on the examinations.

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE READINGS:

 

M. K. Dziewanowski, Russia in the Twentieth Century, sixth edition (2003).  (= text)

 

Robert V. Daniels, ed., A Documentary History of Communism in Russia.  From Lenin to Gorbachev.  (= documents)

 

Barbara Alpern Engel and Anastasia Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, A Revolution of Their Own.  Voices of Women in Soviet History.  (= Voices)

 

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.  (= Solzhenitsyn)

                                               SCHEDULE OF LECTURE TOPICS

 

NOTE:  THE READINGS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE DATE ON THE SLLABUS (EXCEPT FOR WEEK 1).

 

WEEK 1                                             INTRODUCTION

January 25                                            RUSSIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

RUSSIA IN THE 19^TH CENTURY

text chap. 1, 2

 

 

WEEK 2                                             THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONARY TRADITION

February 1                                           1905 REVOLUTION AND AFTER

text chap. 3, 4, 5

documents pp. 3-26; 36-38

 

 

WEEK 3                                             WORLD WAR I AND THE 1917 REVOLUTION

February 8                                           THE FIRST STEPS OF THE NEW REGIME

text chap. 6, 7

documents pp. 42-82

Voices pp. 1-16

 

 

WEEK 4                                             CIVIL WAR

February 15                                         THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY

**DEBATE ON RUSSIAN REVOLUTION**

Writing assignment #1 due

text chap. 8, 9, 11

documents pp. 85-123

                                                            Voices pp. 17-46

 

 

WEEK 5                                             THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER

February 22                                         text chap. 12

documents pp. 124-164

Voices pp. 47-84

 

WEEK 6                                             THE STALIN REVOLUTION

March 1                                               **DEBATE ON STRUGGLE FOR POWER**

                                                            Writing assignment #2 due

text chap. 13

documents pp. 164-190

Voices pp. 47-84

WEEK 7                                             THE 1930S; THE PURGES

March 8                                               text chap. 14, 15

                                                            documents pp. 190-223

                                                            Voices pp. 85-116

 

WEEK 8                                             MID-SEMESTER EXAMINATION                                      

March 15                                            

 

 

SPRING BREAK

 

 

WEEK 9                                             FOREIGN POLICY UP TO WORLD WAR II

March 29                                             THE SOVIET UNION IN WORLD WAR II             

                                                            LATE STALINISM

                                                            text chap. 10, 16, 17, 18, 19

documents pp. 223-245

Voices pp. 117-131

Solzhenitsyn = begin

 

 

WEEK 10                                                                               KHRUSHCHEV

April 5                                                                                                  **MAP QUIZ**

                                                                                                            text chap. 20, 21, 22

documents pp. 246-279

Voices pp. 132-154

Solzhenitsyn = continue

 

 

WEEK 11                                           BREZHNEV   

April 12                                                                                    text chap. 23

documents pp. 280-336

Solzhenitsyn = finish

 

 

 

WEEK 12                                           GORBACHEV AND PERESTROIKA

April 19                                                                                    text chap. 24, 25

documents pp. 337-392          

Voices pp. 155-174

 

                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK 13                                           GORBACHEV AND PERESTROIKA (CONTINUED)

April 26                                                Writing assignment #3 due

text chap. 24, 25

documents pp. 337-392

Voices pp. 175-218                

 

 

 

RESEARCH PAPER DUE MAY 3!

 

 

 

WEEK 14                                           YELTSIN AND PUTIN

May 3                                                                                                  text chap. 26

Voices pp. 219-228