History 5546 

                                                        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 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 contributed in the end 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, eds. 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.

M.A. students will have additional readings on reserve. See syllabus for listed readings. The assignments in the Suny text, The Soviet Experiment, are intended to provide historical background for the more specialized M.A. readings, many of which deal with critical historiographical issues.

Grading:

Final Exam: 35%

Historiographical Essay: 30%

Summary-Analyses of Supplemental and M.A. Readings: 25%

Reports, Writing Assignments/Quizzes, and Class Participation: 10%

I. Grading--Examinations

There will be one take-home final examinations. It may consist of any or all of the following: identification questions (write a detailed paragraph explaining the significance of specific 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. The 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). You 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). You are to write two to three page, typed summary-analyses for two of the assigned supplemental readings, Bitter Waters, A Revolution of Their Own, and A Week Like Any Other, and for six of the assigned M.A. readings.

For the three supplemental readings, 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?

For the assigned MA articles, you must turn in no less than six summary-analysis papers during the semester. You should identify/summarize the author’s argument and assess its quality and depth. What historiographical issue does the reading address? Is the author arguing against a specific school of thought or a specific historian’s work? If there are two or more articles assigned, do the authors agree or disagree? Draw connections between the articles if possible. Are they providing insight into different dimensions of a single issue? Discuss the relative merits of the argument(s) and assess the author’s sources and methodological approach. Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions, and why? What contribution does the article make to the understanding of Soviet history? If there are documents included, then discuss each as an historical source. Identify the document and explain its historical significance. What does it tell historians, and how can it be used to understand or reconstruct the Soviet past? How reliable is the document?

Be prepared to share information and conclusions from your M.A. readings with the rest of the class. You may be asked to lead class discussions from time to time.

The summaries are due on the dates assigned for discussion of the books and articles.

3. Each student will write an 8-10 page historiographical review essay of at least four books (excluding those required for the course) on the same specific issue, event, or person in Soviet history. You will choose four books to read, with my approval, each of which must deal with the same topic. The point of the paper is to assess the historiography of a specific topic and discuss the place of these works within it. You will contrast and critique the content, style, methodology, etc. of the books. As background, you will need to discuss the historical issue treated by the books in addition to evaluating their specific presentation of that issue. You must select the four books and have them approved by me no later than September 22.

Questions to consider include: How do the approaches or methodologies of the authors differ; can you detect distinct biases in each; how are primary sources used? What archival work has been done by the authors? How effective is the argumentation? Which book is most useful for understanding Soviet history and the specific issue in question? What can be concluded definitively about the issue or problem being treated? Is there any consensus among the authors; if different, are the conclusions in opposition to each other?

The historiographical essay is due by 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, 2004.

All written assignments must be typewritten and doublespaced, exclusive of endnotes and bibliography (works cited) page. Margins must be no larger than one inch. 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 book store 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. 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, and do not use contractions in formal writing. 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.

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 at least two weeks prior to due date) and offer comments.

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. Graduate students will be expected to lead discussions and share points drawn from their extra readings with the class.

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. These are based primarily on the textbook and supplemental readings, and are meant for the entire class. They do not specifically relate to the M.A. readings. But 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

***M.A. Reading: Lynne Viola, “The Cold War and American Soviet Historiography and the End of the Soviet Union,” Russian Review 61 (January 2002): 25-34

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

Reserve Reading: Selections from Lenin, What is to Be Done?

***M.A. Reading: “The Revolution of 1917,” in Ronald Grigor Suny, The Structure of Soviet History. Essays and Documents (Oxford University Press, 2003), pp. 3-47

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

***M.A. Reading: Sheila Fitzpatrick, “The Legacy of the Civil War,” in Koenker, Rosenberg and Suny, eds., Party, State, and Society in the Russian Civil War, pp. 385-398

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

***M.A. Reading: Michael Cox, “Trotsky and His Interpreters; or, Will the Real Leon Trotsky Please Stand Up?”, The Russian Review 51 (January 1992): 84-102; Terry Martin, “An Affirmative-Action Empire: The Emergence of Soviet Nationalities Policy, 1919-1923,” in Suny, The Structure of Soviet History, pp. 93-102

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

***M.A. Reading: Richard Stites, "Bolshevik Ritual Building in the 1920s," pp. 295-309; Helmut Altrichter, "Insoluble Conflicts. Village Life Between Revolution and Collectivization," pp. 192-209

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?

September 29: The Stalin Revolution

TEXT, Chapters 9-10 (optional for this week–focus on the MA reading)

“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

***M.A. Reading: “The Stalin Revolution,” in Suny, The Structure of Soviet History, pp. 151-241

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

***M.A. Reading: “The Great Terror: Why Did the Terror Take Place?” in Christopher Read, ed, The Stalin Years: A Reader (Palgrave-MacMillan,2003), pp. 102-144

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

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

***M.A. Reading: Melvyn P. Leffler, “America’s National Security Policy: A Source of Cold War Tensions,” Vladislav Lubok and Constantine Pleshakov, “Stalin’s Road to the Cold War,” and Frank Costigliola, “Demonizing the Soviets: George F. Kennan’s Long Telegram”

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

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

***M.A. Reading: Susan E. Reid, “Cold War in the Kitchen: Gender and the De-Stalinization of Consumer Taste inthe Soviet Union under Khrushchev,” Slavic Review 61 (Summer 2002): 211-252

Questions for Discussion: (Optional–you may do this for extra credit but it is not required) 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. 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.

November 17: The Brezhnev Era: Stagnation, Detente, and the Social Compact

TEXT, Chapter 19

***M.A. Reading: “Stagnation,” in Suny, The Structure of Soviet History, pp. 359-399

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

HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY IS DUE BY 3:30 PM ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1

HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY IS DUE BY 3:30 PM ON WEDNESDAY, 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

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, Chapter s 21-22

***M.A. Reading: John Gooding, “Perestroika as Revolution from Within: An Interpretation,” Russian Review 51 (January 1992): 36-57; Lilia Shevtsova, “Russia’s Post-communist Politics: Revolution or Continuity?” in Suny, The Structure of Soviet History, pp. 478-492

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 13, 2004 BY 6:00 P.M.