Open Educational Resources
Document Type
Syllabus
Publication Date
Spring 1-27-2026
Abstract
The 19th and 20th centuries in Russia were a time of unprecedented creation and destruction. During this period the Russian Empire—arguably the most politically backward nation in Europe—transformed into the Soviet Union—the most radical modern political experiment in history. The life of the Soviet Union is itself bookended by the two most unlikely and unexpected moments in world history: the Russian Revolution at one end, and the collapse of the Soviet empire on the other. And decades after the Soviet Union’s collapse, experts are still debating what finally precipitated the sudden death of an empire that seemed for so long impervious to change. This course will introduce students to the key movements, events, personalities, and conflicts, that led to the Russian Empire’s collapse and the Soviet Union's unlikely creation and ultimate catastrophic destruction. We will use interdisciplinary approaches to examine primary sources created by important cultural, intellectual, and political figures as well as ordinary individuals in history. We will analyze these sources in the context of broad historical and cultural narratives. Students will learn to sort fact from myth in Soviet history, while also learning to appreciate the important role of mythologies in modern history. Above all, they will develop their own areas of interest and expertise and use available resources to create their own positions on issues which they will then discuss and defend with the class.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
CUNY OER Funding
CUNY OER Initiative
Comments
This OER was funded in part by the CUNY OER Initiative.