HI 320 Russia From the Tsars to Putin

Arts & Letters-History. Russia has become a major player once again in the political affairs of the world, generating controversy through its annexation of territory, its intervention in foreign conflicts such as Syria, its resurgent anti-Western nationalism, and its attempts to influence elections in the leading Western democracies. Understanding the dramatic sweep of Russia's history helps us to understand the challenges the country faces and poses today. This course will begin with Tsar Alexander II's authoritarian attempts to modernize Russia in the 1860s, explore the Russian Revolution and the resulting coercive utopian project of the Soviet Union, and then study the solutions Russia has embraced to find a post-Communist identity. The 300-level students will be expected to develop their research and argumentation skills by writing a research paper that brings new information and interpretations to the class, showing they can evaluate primary source documents. The 300-level students will also be expected to develop their own ideas about historical connections and comparisons. 300-level students will be excused from taking quizzes, but will be expected to attend six discussion sessions and will mentor 200-level discussions. Students not meeting these requirements are encouraged to take the crosslisted course, HI 230 (students can't take or get credit for one course if they have taken the other).

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Must have completed freshman year. Take a previous History course, except HI-230, with a minimum grade of B- (or scored a 4 or 5 on an AP History exam, giving you college credit for HI-121). Students must have completed freshmen year. Students not meeting these requirements are encouraged to take HI 230.

Distribution

CL,HIS

Offered

At the Discretion of the Dept At the Discretion of the Dept