Handbook

This course will offer a political, social and cultural history of Russia since the turn of the 20th century. Russia under different political and social regimes has played a key role in modern global history. Under the Tsarist Empire, the Communist Bolshevik regime of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and his successors, and currently under Vladimir Putin, Russia experienced tumultuous times internally, and exported ideological, political and social systems that impacted and continue to impact countries throughout Europe and Asia. The course will introduce you to key personalities (including Nicholas II, Grigori Rasputin, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Vladimir Putin, as well as less well-known figures) and events in modern Russian history (the Russian Revolution, Stalinism, World War 2, the Cold War, and the liberalisation and authoritarianism of post-Communist Russia). It will explore Russian history in its global environment to enhance your comprehension of current world affairs in their historical context.