History 4360 — Fall 2007

G. Shanafelt

Books

Edward Acton, Russia, The Tsarist and Soviet Legacy Nikolai Gogol, Dead Souls

Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution, 2nd ed. William Tompson, The Soviet Union Under Brezhnev

The Course

Winston Churchill called it “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”  Whether under the tsars or the communists, explaining Russia has been a major problem for people — a problem which has in no way gone away since the fall of the Iron Curtain.  The purpose of this course is not to find a definitive answer to the question, but, through a study of the country’s past, to explore some of the answers that have been suggested.  Specifically, by the end of the course students will be able to

1.	Compare the characteristics of Russian history that have been seen as setting it apart from the rest of Europe with those that have been seen as being held in common with it;
2.	Explain the factors involved in the origins of the tsarist autocracy;
3.	Elucidate the background to and unfolding of the communist revolution that overthrew it;
4.	Describe the evolution of the Soviet economic and political system from Lenin through Stalin to Brezhnev;
5.	Discuss the problems that led to the collapse of the Soviet system under Gorbachev.

Reading Assignments

The reading assignments should be completed on the week assigned to make possible full comprehension of the lectures or participation in class discussion.


Tests

There will be a total of three tests during the semester. The final exam will simply be the third test; it will be non-comprehensive.


Paper

George Orwell, the British writer, once observed that “the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.”  To develop both your thinking and your writing ability, you will write a 5-8 page research paper on a topic in Russian or Soviet history to be chosen later in the semester.


Grade

The final grade will be computed as follows: 25% for each of the two midterms, 25% for the paper, and 25% for the final exam.


Students With Disabilities

McMurry University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulates that no otherwise qualified student shall be denied the benefits of an education “solely by reason of a handicap.” If you have a documented disability that may impact your performance in this class and for which you may be requesting accommodation, you must be registered with and provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Services Office, located in Old Main Room 102. Arrangements will be made for students needing special accommodations.


Proposed Class and Reading Schedule

Aug 28 Aug 30	Origins: What is Russia? The Autocracy and the Time of Troubles	Acton, 1-37 Gogol, Pt. 1, chs. 1-4
Sept 4 Sept 6	The Petrine Reforms From Peter to the Decembrists	Acton, 38-64 Gogol, Pt. 1, chs. 5-8
Sept 11 Sept 13	The System of Nicholas I Society and Culture; Discussion of Gogol	Gogol, Pt. 1, chs. 9-11 (skip Pt. 2)
Sept 18 Sept 20	The Tsar-Emancipator The Revolutionary Intelligentsia	Acton, 65-92 Fitzpatrick, 1-23
Sept 25 Sept 27	FIRST TEST The Last Tsars and the Police State	Acton, 93-119
Oct 2 Oct 4	Lenin and the Bolsheviks 1905	Fitzpatrick, 23-39
Oct 9 Oct 11	On the Eve World War I	Acton, 120-148
Oct 16 Oct 18	The Provisional Government The Bolshevik Seizure of Power	Acton, 149-177 Fitzpatrick, 40-67
Oct 23 Oct 25	Reds, Whites, and Interventionists: The Civil War Kulaks and NEPmen	Acton, 178-209 Fitzpatrick, 68-119
Oct 30 Nov 1	World Revolution or Socialism in One Country? SECOND TEST
Nov 6 Nov 8	Stalin’s Russia: The Five-Year Plans — I Stalin’s Russia: The Five-Year Plans — II	Acton, 210-242 Fitzpatrick, 120-147
Nov 13 Nov 15	Stalin’s Russia: The Purges The Great Patriotic War	Acton, 243-252 Fitzpatrick, 148-172
Nov 15	PAPER DUE
Nov 20	The Cold War	Acton, 253-272
Nov 21-23	[Thanksgiving Vacation]
Nov 27 Nov 29	Khrushchev: Thaw The Brezhnev Years	Acton, 273-308 Tompson, all
Dec 4 Dec 6	Gorbachev and the End of the Soviet Union Another Time of Troubles: Another Boris	Acton, 309-356
Dec. 11	FINAL EXAM (10:30-12:30)