[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ WesMaps Archive ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]
Academic Year 2001/2002

Russian History to 1881
HIST 218 SP
Crosslistings:
REES 218

This course surveys Russian history from the origins of the Kievan state to the period of the Great Reforms of Alexander II, ending with his assassination in 1881. Although studying roughly a millennium of history seems daunting, the segmented character of Russian history facilitates our task. These are some important demarcations: Kievan Rus (c.900-1240), the Mongol period (c.1240-1480), the Muscovite period (including its rise under the Mongols and its emergence as a great power before Peter the Great), and the greater part of the St. Petersburg period (c.1700-1917). We focus upon the factors that shaped Russian culture (including its political culture) and gave modern Russia a history punctuated by desperate but futile upheavals from below and costly changes forced from above.

MAJOR READINGS

P. Avrich, RUSSIAN REBELS, 1600-1800
J. Billington, THE ICON AND THE AXE
R. Crummey, THE FORMATION OF MUSCOVY, 1304-1613
V. Figner, MEMOIRS OF A REVOLUTIONIST
In addition, a variety of readings on Russian religion and culture, important rulers, such as Ivan the Dread, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great, and on special topics, such as the growth of bureaucracy, economic transformation and social change.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

A three-hour final and three 6-8 page essays

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

This is mainly a lecture course, but some time will be set aside during each session for questions and comments. A few meetings will be devoted to discussion of selected texts.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2002

Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email

Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459