History 4446
Soviet RussiaFall 2004
Wednesdays, 3:30-6:00 pm
Dr. Elaine MacKinnon
Office: Rm 3222 TLC
E-mail address: emcclarn@westga.edu
The course will introduce students to the history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1991. We will cover selected topics in political, social, and cultural history, with a particular focus on the Stalinist period from 1929 to 1953. We will examine the evolution of the Soviet system: the visionary expectations of its founders, the bureaucratization and brutalization of the Stalinist period, the movement for reform under Khrushchev followed by the reactionary conservatism of the Brezhnev era, the return to reform and "New Thinking" under Gorbachev, and finally, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the wake of serious economic decline, rising nationalism, and the discrediting of Soviet ideology. We will explore the relationship between state and society and evaluate Soviet communism as a mobilizational political culture. We will consider the multi-ethnic structure of the Soviet Union and how this shaped its history and eventually contributed to its denouement. Although we will be focusing on Soviet leaders and outstanding figures who have shaped Soviet history, we will also examine the lives of ordinary Soviet citizens, their experiences, hopes, and tragedies. Our goal is to understand the multiple factors that shaped the Soviet system, why it enjoyed popular support, why it collapsed, and why its appeal may not be entirely extinguished.
The format for the course is a seminar, organized around weekly discussions of assigned readings, supplemented by informational and background lectures. In order for the class to succeed, everyone must be ready to discuss and ask questions. This means that you must do the readings each week and be prepared to take part in class. The textbook will provide chronology, basic facts and historical background, while the supplemental readings will give you a deeper understanding of and exposure to Soviet life and society.
Required Texts:
All of the following are available for purchase in the campus bookstore.
Ronald Grigor Suny, The Soviet Experiment: Russia, the USSR, and the Successor States. Oxford University Press, 1998. Abbreviated in the syllabus as TEXT.
Gennady Andreev-Khomiakov, Bitter Waters. Life and Work in Stalin’s Russia. Trans. Ann E. Healy. Westview Press, 1997
Barbara Alpern Engel and Anastasia Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, editors. A Revolution of Their Own: Voices of Women in Soviet History. Westview Press, 1998
Natalya Baranskaya, A Week Like Any Other. The Seal Press, 1979.
Grading:
Mid-term Exam: 25%
Final Exam: 30%
Research Essay: 30%
Reports, Writing Assignments/Quizzes, and Class Participation: 15%
I. Grading--Examinations
There will be two take-home examinations, a midterm and a final. These may consist of any or all of the following: identification questions (write a detailed paragraph explaining the significance of specific terms or explaining the connection between two terms), map questions, short-answer questions, and essays. The final will not be comprehensive, but the essays may ask you to reflect on the entire course and/or the legacy of Soviet history. Each exam should be typed with one-inch margins, font-size of either 10 or 12 points.
II. Grading--Written Assignments:
You will have both formal and informal writing assignments.
1). Each student will write and present orally in class a 2-3 page report on a topic listed for class discussion. You will be expected to complete the assigned readings for the day, give a brief summary of the main themes and issues covered in the readings, and explain the relevance of the readings and the topic for understanding Soviet history. In class you will present your summary-analysis and lead discussion of the main issues. Topics will be selected on the first day.
2). Each student will write a 2-3 page report on at least two of the assigned supplemental readings, Bitter Waters, A Revolution of Their Own, and A Week Like Any Other. In your report, you should evaluate the reading as an historical source, and consider the value and viability of using memoir and fiction as a basis for studying history. You should give a brief overview of the contents (an analytical summary, not a retelling of the story), explain the historical context, the main purpose or theme, and analyze the significance of the reading for understanding Soviet history. What insight into particular aspects of Soviet history do these readings provide? How can individual experiences contribute to an understanding of historical development in the Soviet Union? How can you relate the personal experiences to the textbook’s presentation of events during a particular period? What intersections are there between these personal experiences and the larger events in Soviet history? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using memoir and fiction as historical sources?
After evaluating the work as an historical source, you should record your own individual reactions to the readings. What have you gained from reading this work? What do you find to be most significant or most striking about the reading? Questions to consider include: What do you learn from the work that you could not learn from a textbook? To what extent are the experiences described unique to Soviet society, and to what extent are they universal? Can you relate in any way to the individuals in these works? What does the human experience recorded in these works tell us about the Soviet system, the Soviet people, or even about the twentieth century as a whole and modernity?
The reports must be typed with one-inch margins and either 10- or 12-point fonts. They are due on the days listed in the syllabus for discussion of the supplemental readings. The report on Bitter Waters is due October 13; the report on A Revolution of Their Own is due November 3; the report on A Week Like Any Other is due November 17.
3). Each student will write a 6-8 page research essay, typed with one-inch margins and either 10-point or 12-point font. You must choose one of the essay topics listed on the last page of the syllabus. Topics must be selected by September 22. In addition to your required readings, you are expected to use at least three books and one article from a scholarly journal. Examples of scholarly journals carried by the Ingram Library at West Georgia include Russian Review, Slavic Review, Journal of Modern History, and more are available through Galileo and the internet.
Late papers will be penalized 10 points for each day late. Each paper should be at least four pages in length, typewritten and doublespaced, exclusive of endnotes and bibliography (works cited) page. The standard guide of the history department is Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 5th edition, available in the reference section of the bookstore and of the library; in addition, the library has three copies on permanent reserve--ask at the circulation desk.
You will be graded for both content and style. Each paper should have a concrete thesis; an introduction that states your purpose, what questions you will address and what methodology you will use; a body that develops your argument/thesis in an orderly sequence; and a conclusion that is not just a restating of the topic, but that sums up your argument and explains what you have discovered. Factual material should be clearly presented and relative to the theme of the paper. You need to put forward your own ideas based on reading and research. Do not pour out everything you have gathered; select the facts which best explain, illustrate, or substantiate your points. You should include in your body discussion of the historiographical debates connected with your theme. You may want to critically engage a particular author’s view on a topic and present your own view. Credit direct quotations of ideas or data of others in endnotes at the back of the paper (or in footnotes at the bottom of the page). Errors in logic or fact, errors in mechanics (grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and general messiness will lower your grade. Avoid slang or sloppy constructions. Learning how to express your thoughts in a clear and logical manner is an invaluable skill.
Start Early! Be sure to keep a copy for your files.
PLEASE NOTE: Computer glitches do not excuse you from the established deadlines.
You will be asked to present progress reports at designated dates in the syllabus. Failure to do so could lower your grade. If time permits during the last two class meetings, then each student will present orally to the class a synopsis of his or her research. If you have any problems or questions regarding the writing of essays and reports, please see me or make use of the excellent University Writing Center. I will be happy to examine rough drafts (submitted no later than November 17) and offer comments.
The final draft of the research essay is due by 3:30 pm on Wednesday, December 1.
III. Grading--Class Participation
You should take part in class discussions, ask questions, and be present for in-class writing assignments. The more you participate, the more you will learn, and the more likely it will go in your favor if you are in a borderline grading situation. Included in class participation are unannounced quizzes and writing assignments as well as the report on class discussion topics and the assigned readings.
Questions are provided in the syllabus (See “Questions for Discussion”) which may form the basis for either in-class writing assignments or out-of-class assignments. You may be asked to write responses to these questions, so be sure to think about them as you do the assigned readings. The questions are intended to prepare you for class discussions and activities.
*Students will also receive credit for doing independent research into general questions raised in class discussion that merit further investigation. You can take on a question and do outside research, and then present your findings to the class either in an oral presentation, a single-page information sheet, or a set of questions and answers, etc. The findings are meant to be shared with the class, not graded, but students will receive credit for their work.
Assignments:
Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings in advance of each class session and to be able to discuss them. Some of the readings are lengthy, so plan ahead and budget your time accordingly. Try not to fall behind! All written assignments are due on the specified date; unexcused late work will lower the grade by one grade level for each late weekday.
Cheating Policy and Plagiarism:
Anyone caught cheating or helping someone to cheat will be asked to leave the class and will receive a course grade of "F." Plagiarism, or claiming someone else's work as your own, will result in failure. This rule is in effect for all assignments, examinations, quizzes, and extra credit work.
Attendance:
Make every effort to be in class and on time. You are responsible for all materials and announcements presented in class. If you must be absent, be sure to get the notes from a classmate. More than one unexcused absence will affect your final grade. More than two may lead to a W/F. Absences due to illness or school business will be excused if you bring me a written note. Being late to class or leaving class early will also lower your grade. Two tardies will count as one unexcused absence, and the same for leaving early. If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to inform me of your presence at the end of class. Regular attendance and punctuality will enhance your learning experience and can work in your favor in borderline grading situations (or against you, if not maintained). Missed quizzes cannot be made up, so repeated absences can bring down your class participation grade.
Office Hours:
My office is Room 3222 in the TLC Building and the hours are Monday and Wednesday, 9:00 am–12:00 pm or by appointment. My office phone number is 836-4553. Please see me if you have questions or concerns with any part of the course.
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Tentative Course Outline and Readings Schedule
August 25: Introduction/The Legacy of Imperial Russia
TEXT, Chapter 1
“Introduction,” Engels and Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, A Revolution of Their Own, pp. 1-16
Questions for Discussion: Why are you taking this course? Have you ever studied Russia or the Soviet Union? Is there a particular aspect of Soviet history that you want to explore? What questions do you have at this point? What is the relationship of Soviet history to Russian history? What connections are there between Imperial Russia and Soviet Russia? How did the October Revolution transform the lives of women in the former Russian Empire?
September 1: Lenin and Marxism/The Collapse of Tsarism in 1917
TEXT, Chapter 2
Reserve Reading: Selections from Lenin, What is to Be Done?
Questions for Discussion: How does Lenin define the tasks of the revolutionary party? What role does he ascribe to the workers? Does he modify Marxism in any way? How, and with what consequences? What are the major factors that led to the collapse of tsarism? Why did the revolution come in February 1917, and not at another time?
September 8: The October Revolution/Civil War
TEXT, Chapters 2-4
Questions for Discussion: Consider the nature of the October Revolution. How do we define revolution? Was this a revolution in the true sense of the word, or was it a coup from above? What role did Lenin play in the revolution? Can you draw any comparisons between the October Revolution and other revolutions you have studied, such as the American or French Revolutions?
September 15: The Era of NEP
TEXT, Chapters 5-6
Questions for Discussion: What impact did Lenin’s death have on the evolution of the Soviet system? What do you think Soviet Russia would have been like had Lenin lived? What were Lenin’s intentions for the New Economic Policy? Was it a temporary break from the intensity of War Communism, or an alternative path to building socialism in Russia? How effective was the NEP as an economic policy? What were the factors that aided Stalin’s rise to power?
September 22: NEP Society
TEXT, Chapters 7-8
Questions for Discussion: Why does the author characterize NEP society in the Soviet Union as a society full of contradictions? How did the NEP influence political, economic, and cultural trends in the 1920s? What was the “Cultural Revolution” and how did it affect cultural and intellectual life? How did workers, peasants, and the intelligentsia fare in the first decade of Soviet power? What did the revolution mean for women? How were their lives changed?
***LAST DAY FOR CHOOSING TOPIC FOR RESEARCH ESSAY
September 29: The Stalin Revolution
TEXT, Chapters 9-10
“Overcoming an ‘Incorrect’ Birth,” in Engels and Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, A Revolution of Their Own, pp. 101-116 and “A Life in a Peasant Village,” in the same, pp. 117-131
Questions for Discussion: How did the Stalin Revolution affect Soviet society? What were the consequences of forced collectivization and industrialization? Compare/contrast the impact of the Stalin revolution and Soviet power on the lives of Antonina Aleksandrovna Berezhnaia and Irina Ivanovna Kniazeva. How were the lives of women affected by industrialization and collectivization?
October 6: Stalinist Society/The Terror
TEXT, Chapters 11-12
***Brief progress report due. Turn in your thesis and working bibliography.
Questions for Discussion: What is the meaning of the term “Stalinism”? What was the nature of Stalinist society, and how was it built? What role did terror play in Stalinist society? How did terror shape the Stalinist society and state? What is meant by Socialist Realism? What was the nature and impact of Stalinist nationality policy? How did the non-Russian nationalities fare under Stalin?
October 13: Life and Work in Stalinist Russia: One Man’s Experience
Andreev-Khomiakov, Bitter Waters, all
***Report due
Questions for Discussion: What insights into the Soviet economy does Andreev-Khomiakov offer? What are the problems he identifies? How did his experiences in the camps affect his life? What picture of Stalinist society emerges from these pages? How do the experiences of Andreev-Khomiakov and the people he describes contradict or challenge the notion of Stalinist society as “totalitarian”?
October 20: The Road to WWII/The Great War of the Fatherland
TEXT, Chapters 13-14
“Four Years as a Frontline Physician,” in Engels and Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, A Revolution of Their Own, pp. 175-218
Questions for Discussion: What were the goals of Soviet foreign policy during the 1930's? What factors led to the Nazi-Soviet pact, and why did it stun the world? What accounts for the catastrophic losses suffered by the Soviet Union in World War II? What was the significance of the battle of Stalingrad and the siege of Leningrad? What impact did the war have on the Soviet state and society? How did the war affect women?
October 27: Origins of the Cold War/High Stalinism
TEXT, Chapters 15-16
****Take-home Midterm Due
Questions for Discussion: Who is to blame for the Cold War? What different points of view are there concerning the origins of the Cold War? What were the major turning points in the Cold War between 1945 and 1953? What were Stalin’s foreign policy goals in the immediate post-war period? How did life in the Soviet Union change after World War II? What impact did the war have on the Soviet economy? On the Party?
November 3: Life and Work in Stalinist Russia: From the Perspective of Women
Engels and Posadskaya-Vanderbeck, A Revolution of Their Own, all remaining selections
***Report Due
Questions for Discussion: What do these interviews show us about the significance of gender and gender issues in the Soviet Union? About the significance of class or religion in Soviet society? What commonalities do you find in these accounts of women’s lives? What differences are there, and what accounts for these differences? What were the major transformations in women’s lives illuminated in these interviews? Did these women experience a “revolution of their own”?
November 10: The Thaw: Reform and De-Stalinization under Khrushchev
TEXT, Chapters 17-18
***Progress report due. Turn in at least two pages or six index cards of notes; you may submit xeroxed copies.
Questions for Discussion: Find a web site dealing with Khrushchev or with events during the Khrushchev era, such as the launching of Sputnik, the building of the Berlin Wall, or the Cuban Missile Crisis. Alternatively, locate a primary source document dealing with the same. Evaluate the web site (or primary document) as a source of information on the post-Stalinist period. How does the site interpret Khrushchev’s role as a leader? reformer? Is the website a useful source of information? Who are the authors and what are their credentials? Can you detect any biases in the presentation and interpretation of events? Please provide the complete address for the web site you select. If you use a document, explain what kind of document it is and how it is connected with the post-Stalin period. What insight does it provide into this period?
November 17: The Brezhnev Era: Stagnation, Detente, and the Social Compact
TEXT, Chapter 19
***Optional--Rough drafts due
Questions for Discussion: What are the “paradoxes of Brezhnev’s long reign”? Is it fair to refer to this period as one of “stagnation”? Why is it that many Russians even today look back nostalgically upon the Brezhnev period? In what ways had Soviet society modernized? What is the nature of the “social compact” forged by the regime with society, and how effective was it? What problems were emerging by the end of the Brezhnev era?
November 24: Thanksgiving Holiday Begins/NO CLASS
RESEARCH ESSAY DUE BY 3:30 PM ON DECEMBER 1
December 1: Post-Stalinist Society and Trends/The Roots of Perestroika and Glasnost’
TEXT, Chapter 20, Baranskaia, A Week Like Any Other, pp. 1-62
***Report Due
Questions for Discussion: As you read Baranskaia’s story, think about the role and status of women in Soviet society. What comparisons can you draw between the women in Baranskaia’s story and the women interviewed in A Revolution of Their Own? How do these readings illuminate the concept of the “double burden” in Soviet society? Do you find any issues or problems that are universal, and not unique to Soviet society? What is the significance of Mikhail Gorbachev for Soviet history? For World History? Was he a revolutionary or a reformer? What were his goals? Did these goals change over time? How did perestroika and glasnost’ change Soviet society?
December 8: Revolution, Collapse, and Rebirth: The Enigmatic Legacy of Soviet Russia
TEXT, Chapters 21-22
Questions for Discussion: How old were you when the Soviet Union came to an end in 1991? Were you aware of what was going on at the time–did you discuss it in school, at work, or at home? How did you understand this process; did people try to explain it? Did you know about the August Coup in 1991? If you had to explain the collapse of the Soviet state now to a group of students, what factors would you identify as most critical? What has been the most significant consequence of this collapse? Do you consider it a positive or negative historical process?
TAKE-HOME FINAL DUE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2004 BY 5:00 P.M.
Soviet Russia
Topics for Research Essay
Select one of the following topics for your research essay. If you would like to do an essay on a topic that is not included below, then please speak with me. No more than three students can do a topic. Topics will be assigned on a first-come basis. You must choose a topic by September 22.
1. Examine the significance of Lenin for the development of Bolshevism, for the October Revolution of 1917, and for the evolution of the Soviet regime.
2. Analyze the nature and causes of the October Revolution in 1917. Why does a second revolution take place in 1917? What role did the peasants, workers, national minorities, and soldiers play in this revolution? What role did Lenin play? In what ways does the October Revolution influence the evolution of the Soviet system?
3. Examine the meaning of the term “Stalinism.” What factors contributed to the rise and triumph of Stalinism? To what extent was Stalin responsible for Stalinism? Was Stalinism rooted in Leninism, Marxism, Russian history, or was it a product of multiple factors? Was the “Stalin Revolution from Above” a betrayal of the revolution or its inevitable outcome?
4. Analyze the causes and consequences of the Cold War. Why did the Cold War result from World War II? What are the origins of the Cold War? Is either side more to blame? What impact did the Cold War have upon post-war history? What led to the end of the Cold War?
5. Compare/contrast Khrushchev and Gorbachev as Soviet reformers in terms of their goals, policies, personal styles, and motives.
6. Evaluate the status and role of women in the Soviet Union. What were the gains women made under the Soviet system and what were the problems? Did the gains outweigh the problems? What were the roots of the “double burden”? Was this intrinsic to the Marxist ideology or were there deeper roots?
7. Examine the factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. What role did nationalism play in this process? Why did Gorbachev’s reform program fail to revitalize the Soviet system as intended? Was this collapse inevitable, and if so, why?
8. Analyze Soviet nationality policies during a specific period such as the NEP, the Stalinist period, the Post-Stalinist period, or perestroika. How did the Soviet system deal with its multi-ethnic population? How did nationalities policy evolve over time? In what ways did ethnic nationalism contribute to the collapse of the Soviet Union?
9. For this essay, you must engage in role playing. Assume the role of one of the following figures. Trace the life of this figure, with their birth taking place between 1880 and 1900. You are to do this in the form of an autobiography. You must trace your person’s life under Soviet rule, trying to illuminate key events between 1917 and 1991 through the personal experiences of your subject. Events that could be used in your account include the 1917 October Revolution, the Civil War, the NEP, Stalin’s Revolution from Above, collectivization, the Stalinist Terror and Gulag, World War II, the Khruschev Thaw, Brezhnev’s stagnation, and Gorbachev’s perestroika. Exercise your creative powers, but you must base your fictionalized depiction on solid historical research and facts, which you must cite in the paper just as for an analytical essay. Describe activities you would engage in, events you would have witnessed, personal reactions to developments in Russian society and government, etc. Provide through your autobiography a picture of what life in the Soviet Union was like during these momentous periods in history, refer to specific facts and events, and evaluate Soviet historical development through the eyes of this person.
If you choose this option, please meet with me to work out your approach to the project.
a. a worker in the Putilov machine factory in Petrograd (Leningrad)
b. a peasant from the Poltava province
c. a kulak exiled to the north during collectivization
d. a professor who is arrested in 1934 and sent into the Gulag
e. a university student who joins the Bolsheviks in 1917
f. a soldier in the Civil War
g. a revolutionary idealist who joins the Cheka
h. a wife of a top-ranking Red Army general or major Party leader arrested during the Terror
i. an Orthodox priest
j. an Uzbek woman who throws away her veil