HIST 324: Russia & the Soviet Union: From the 1917 Revolution to Putin

The peasant emancipation from serfdom in 1861 left the overwhelming majority of Russians destitute and disenfranchised. How did the subsequent revolutionary movement that promised social and economic equality transform into such a brutally oppressive system under Stalin? How did the Soviet Union become a world superpower and what were the reasons for its downfall? Through the use of primary documents, this course will attempt to answer these questions and emphasize social history: the ideals, aspirations, and actions of ordinary Soviet citizens.