WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Virtual Campus
Wayland Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically
challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, and service to God
and humankind.
Course Title, Number, and Section: HIST 5333 VC 01- Regional History: The Soviet Union
Term: Spring 2015
Instructor: Dr. Eric Ash
Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: 907-375-4515 cell 907-830-6168 E-mail: ashe@wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: 10am to 6 pm, M-F
Parkside Center, Anchorage, Alaska
Room 206
Class Meeting Time and Location: Virtual Campus, Blackboard
Catalog Description: Study of selected geographic regions in historical context; may be repeated for credit when
the topic changes.
There is no prerequisite for this course
Required Textbook(s) and/or Required Material(s): A History of Russia: Combined Volume. 8th ed., Nicholas
Riasanovsky and MarkSteinberg, Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN: 0-19-534197-X ISBN-13: 978-0-19-534197-3
Optional Materials: (See Reading List)
Course Outcome Competencies: Students will understand and be able to explain the political, social, economic,
religious and intellectual history of the region, the impact of geographical factors in shaping it, significant persons
and events, and the relationship of the region to the rest of the world. Specifically, at the end of this course,
students will understand and be able to explain the significant scholarship in:
This course on Russo-Soviet history is designed with a balanced focus on intellectual, social, political, and military
history using a chronological approach that begins with a brief survey of Russian historical roots and then steps
through the history of the Soviet Union from the turn of the 20 th century to the current timeframe. The course
concentrates on both Soviet history and Russian/Soviet historiography. Studying history at the graduate level involves
a lot more than just memorizing names and dates. Students should learn to focus on the major historical themes
surrounding the important names and dates in Soviet history, and they should also pay attention to the principal
historians who have written the history and debated the historical themes. For example, even though both books are
on the same subject, there is a noticeable difference between Richard Pipes’ The Russian Revolution and Robert
Daniels’ Red October: The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. It is important for the student of history to ask not only what
happened, but also to ponder why.
This is a reading course primarily. Students will do a lot of reading to become familiar with seminal works in RussoSoviet historiography and the major themes they present. In addition, any distance-learning/internet type course
requires effective communication between the instructor and the students. This necessity simply cannot be overstated.
Therefore, it falls on both the instructor’s and each student’s shoulders to make this happen. Students must make a
concerted effort to keep the instructor informed of their learning status and must communicate any uncertainty or
confusion they may experience.
To kick-start effective communication, each student must communicate with the instructor via e-mail ashe@wbu.edu or
telephone. 907-375-4515/907-830-6168. This must be accomplished during the first week of the course.
Attendance Requirements: On Blackboard.
Virtual Campus
Students are expected to participate in all required instructional activities in their courses. Online courses are no
different in this regard; however, participation must be defined in a different manner. Student “attendance” in an
online course is defined as active participation in the course as described in the course syllabus. Instructors in
online courses are responsible for providing students with clear instructions for how they are required to participate
in the course. Additionally, instructors are responsible for incorporating specific instructional activities within their
course and will, at a minimum, have weekly mechanisms for documenting student participation. These mechanisms
may include, but are not limited to, participating in a weekly discussion board, submitting/completing assignments
in Blackboard, or communicating with the instructor. Students aware of necessary absences must inform the
professor with as much advance notice as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements. Any student absent
25 percent or more of the online course, i.e., non-participatory during 3 or more weeks of an 11 week term, may
receive an F for that course. Instructors may also file a Report of Unsatisfactory Progress for students with
excessive non-participation. Any student who has not actively participated in an online class prior to the census
date for any given term is considered a “no-show” and will be administratively withdrawn from the class without
record. To be counted as actively participating, it is not sufficient to log in and view the course. The student must
be submitting work as described in the course syllabus. Additional attendance and participation policies for each
course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the university’s attendance
policy.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Wayland Baptist University observes a zero tolerance
policy regarding academic dishonesty. Per university policy as described in the academic catalog, all cases of
academic dishonesty will be reported and second offenses will result in suspension from the university.
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the
university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and
should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must
accompany any request for accommodations.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Evaluation:
Examinations will be conducted through Blackboard and will be scheduled for specific weeks.
Research Essay: Late papers are not accepted; the research essay is due at the time specified on the course syllabus lesson
schedule. This essay is a research essay that can be written on any topic related to Soviet history. Students will use Turabian
as the style guide for the course. The essay should be sufficiently researched to cover the topic (i.e., no specified number of
sources). The paper is to be between 10 and 20 pages, double spaced.
Graded Work:
4 précis (50 points each)
200 points
Research Essay
500 points
Discussion Board Participation
100 points
Final Quiz
200 points
Course Total
1000 points
Examinations: 1 Quiz - (20% of the final grade)
Research Project: A scholarly essay on a specific topic, containing a definite thesis statement - (50% of the final grade)
Précis and Participation: (30% of the final grade)
Method of determining course grade:
The University has a standard grade scale:
A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F= below 60, W = Withdrawal, WP = withdrew passing, WF =
withdrew failing, I = incomplete. An incomplete may be given within the last two weeks of a long term or within
the last two days of a microterm to a student who is passing, but has not completed a term paper, examination, or
other required work for reasons beyond the student’s control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work
required is completed prior to the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks) term, unless the instructor designates an
earlier date for completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is converted to an F.
Student grade appeals:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic evaluation. A
student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or
appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process
described in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any
stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive
Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty
Assembly Grade Appeals Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more
proper evaluation.
Tentative Schedule:
Lesson Assignments: Students will read the assigned section from the course textbook, as well as the voiceover Power Point
lesson. In addition, every other lesson students must select a book (or one volume from a multi-volume set) from the course
bibliography listing and write a 1-page, double-spaced précis (analytical review of that book’s major themes, positive
attributes, and shortcomings). The précis are to be submitted on Blackboard’s discussion board according to the course
schedule (following). Students must write a short, 1-paragraph critique of one other student’s précis (as a thread on the
discussion board). The précis and critiques are due as indicated on the course schedule. PLEASE NOTE: Books listed in the
bibliography may or may not be readily available at different libraries, to include Wayland’s learning resource center in
Plainview, Texas. Therefore, students are encouraged to select their books for each lesson early in the course and to
work arrangements to obtain the books. For some lessons, they may have to choose a book simply based on what is
available through a local library or through inter-library loan.
Course Schedule:
Lesson
Lesson #1
Date
Feb 23-Mar 1
Time Frame
500-1900 (Russia’s historical roots/overview)
Assig nment
Blackboard Voiceover Power Point
Lesson #1and Text: 181-222; 298-316;
341-373
Lesson #2
Mar 2-Mar 8
1900-1914 (incl. Russo-Japanese War & 1905 Rev) PPT #2 and Text: 373-392
Précis #1due at midnight June2nd/critiques due at
midnight CTZ Mar 8th
Lesson #3
Mar 9-15
1914-1917 (incl. WWI and Brest Litovsk)
PPT #3 and Text: 392-438
Mar 16-20
(Spring Break; no class)
Lesson #4
Mar 23-29
1917-1921 (incl. Russian Revolution and Civil War) PPT #4 and Text: 439-475
Précis #2 due at midnight CTZ June 16th/critiques due
at midnight CTZ Mar 29th
Lesson #5
Mar 30-Apr 5
1921-1925 (incl. Lenin, NEP)
Lesson #6
Apr 6 – Apr 12
1925-1939 (incl. Stalin, industrialization, collectivization, purges) PPT #6 and Text: 482-500
Précis #3 due at midnight July 1st/critiques due
at midnight CTZ Apr 12th
Lesson #7
Apr 13 – Apr 19
1939-1947 (incl. Great Patriotic War)
PPT #7 and Text: 501-516
Lesson #8
Apr 20 – Apr 26
1947- 1965 (incl. Cold War)
Précis #4 due at midnight July 14th/critiques due
at midnight CTZ Apr 26th
PPT #8 and Text: 517-528
Lesson #9
Apr 27 - May 3
1965-1985 (incl. Proxy Wars)
PPT #9 and Text: 529-583
Lesson #10 May 4 – May 10
1985-2010 (incl. Glasnost and Perestroika)
Research Essays due at midnight CTZ May 10th
PPT #10 and Text: 584-665
Lesson #11 May 11 – May 17
Take-home final exam due at midnight central time May 18th
PPT #5 and Text: 476-481
Reading List:
Lessons 1/2: Historical roots through turn of the century
Bakunin, M. Selected Writings, 1974.
Black, C., ed. Aspects of Social Change since 1861: The Transformation of Russian Society, 1960
Burbank, J. and Ransel, D.L. eds. Imperial Russia: New Histories for the Empire, 1998.
Chernyshevsky, N. G. What is to be Done? 1989.
Karamzin, N.M. Memoir on Ancient and Modern Russia. 1959.
Karpovich, M. Imperial Russia, 1801-1917, 1932.
Kliuchevsky, V.O. Peter the Great, 1959.
Kornilov, A. Modern Russian History from the Age of Catherine the Great to the End of the Nineteenth Century. 1970.
Lincoln, W.B. The Great Reforms: Autocracy, Bureaucracy, and the Politics of Change in Imperial Russia, 1990.
Miliukov, P. Russia and its Crisis. 1962.
Mironov, B., and Eklof, Ben, The Social History of Imperial Russia, 1700-1917. 2 vols, 2000.
Radishchev, A.N. A Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow. (Edited by R.P. Thaler) 1958.
Raeff, M. Imperial Russia, 1682-1825: The Coming of Age of Modern Russia. 1971.
Seton-Watson, H. The Russian Empire: 1801-1917. 1967.
Wirtschafter, E.K. Social Identity in Imperial Russia, 1997.
Zetlin, M. The Decembrists, 1958.
Billington, James. The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian Culture, 1970.
Engle, B.A. Between the Fields and the City: Women, Work, and Family in Russia, 1861-1914., 1982.
Florinsky, M.T. The End of the Russian Empire, 1931.
Schwarz, S.M. The Russian Revolution of 1905: The Workers’ Movement and the Formation of Bolshevism and Menshevism.
1967.
Shevzov, V. Russian Orthodoxy on the Eve of Revolution. 2003.
Venturi, F. Roots of Revolution: A History of the Populist and Socialist Movements in Nineteenth Century Russian Thought.
1960.
Verner, A. The Crisis of Russian Autocracy: Nicholas II and the 1905 Revolution, 1990.
Woehrlin, W.F. Chernyshevsky: The Man and the Journalist, 1971.
Lesson 3/4: WWI through revolution and Civil War
Golovin, N.N. The Russian Army in the World War, 1931.
Kerensky, A., Russia and History’s Turning Point. 1965.
Miliukov, Paul. Political Memoirs, 1905-1917, 1967.
Rabinowitch, A. The Bolsheviks Come to Power, 1976.
Sazonov, S.D. Fateful Years, 1909-1916, 1928.
Siegelbaum, L. Soviet State and Society Between Revolutions, 1918-1929, 1992
Stone, Norman. The Eastern Front, 1975.
Zenkovsky, A.V. Stolypin: Russia’s Last Great Reformer, 1986.
Butt, V.P. The Russian Civil War: Documents from Soviet Archives, 1996.
Carr, E.H. A History of Soviet Russia, Vol 1-3: The Bolshevik Revolution, 1917-1923, 1953.
Corney, Federick. Telling October: Memory and the Making of the Bolshevik Revolution, 2004.
Cohen, Stephen. Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution: A Political Biography, 1980.
Daniels, Robert. Red October: The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, 1967.
Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution, 2008.
Geyer, D. The Russian Revolution: Historical Problems and Perspectives, 1987.
Karensky, A. The Catastrophe: Kerensky’s Own Story of the Russian Revolution, 1927.
Mawdsley, E. The Russian Civil War, 1987.
Pipes, Richard. The Russian Revolution, 1990.
Porter, C. Women in Revolutionary Russia, 1988.
Reed, John. Ten Days that Shook the World, (reprint) 2006.
Service, Robert. The Russian Revolution, 1999.
Smele, J.D. Civil War in Siberia: The Anti-Bolshevik Government of Admiral Kolchak 1918-1920, 1996.
Steinberg, M.D. Voices of Revolution, 1917, 2001.
Sukhanov, N.N. The Russian Revolution of 1917, 1955.
Thompson, John. Revolutionary Russia, 1917, 1981.
Trotsky, L. The History of the Russian Revolution, 3 vols., 1957.
Ulam, Adam B. The Bolsheviks, 1965.
Wade, R.A. The Russian Revolution, 1917, 2000.
Lesson 5/6: Lenin through Stalin
Clements, B.E. Bolshevik Women, 1997.
Florinsky, M.T. Russia: A History and an Interpretation, 1953.
Husband, W. Godless Communists: Atheism and Society in Soviet Russia 1917-1932, 2000.
Kennan, George. Russia and the West under Lenin and Stalin, 1960.
Kollontai, Alexandria. The Workers Opposition in Russia, 1921.
Lenin, V.I. Collected Works, 1927-1942.
Read, Christopher. From Tsars to Soviets: the Russian People and their Revolution, 1996.
Service, Robert. Lenin: A Political Life, 2 vols,1991.
____________. Lenin: A Biography, 2000.
Siegelbaum, L. Soviet State and Society Between Revolutions, 1918-1929, 1992.
Scott, J. Behind the Urals: An American Worker in Russia’s City of Steel. 1989.
Adrew, C. and V. Mitrokhin. The Sword and the Shield: the Mitrokin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB, 1999.
Daniels, R. The Stalin Revolution, 1990.
Figes, Orlando. The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin’s Russia, 2008.
Fitzpatrick, S. Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times; Soviet Russia in the 1930s, 1999.
Gellately, Robert. Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe, 2008.
Getty, J.A. and D.V. Naumov. The Road to Terror: Stalin and the Self-Destruction of the Bolsheviks, 1932-1939, 1999.
Husband, W. Godless Communists: Atheism and society in Soviet Russia 1917-1932, 2000.
Montefiore, Simon. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, 2009.
Patenaude, Bertrand. Trotsky: Downfall of a Revolutionary, ______.
Schepiro, Leonard. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1960.
Service, R. Stalin Biography, 2006.
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr. Gulag Archipelago, 3 vols, 2007.
Trotsky, L. The Revolution Betrayed, 1937.
Volkogonov, D.A. Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy, 1991.
Lesson 7/8: GPW through Cold War
Carr, E.H. A History of Soviet Russia, 10 Vols, 1951-1972.
Gellalely, R. Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe, 2008.
Liddell-Hart, B. The Red Army, 1956.
Overy, Richard. Russia’s War, 1998.
Patenaude, B. Trotsky: Downfall of a Revolutionary, 2009.
Solzhenitsyn, A. The Gulag Archepelago 1918-1956, 3 Vols, 1973.
Suny, R. The Structure of Soviet History: Essays, 2002.
______. The Soviet Experiment, 1998.
Adrew, C. and Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB, 1999.
Gaddis, John. The Cold War, 2006
Kollontai, Alexandra, The Workers Opposition in Russia, 1921.
Stites, R. Russian Popular Culture: entertainment and Society Since 1900, 1992.
Ulam, A. Expansion and Coexistance, 1968.
Vladislav,Z and Pleshakov, C. Inside the Kremlin’s Cold War: From Stalin to Khruschev, 1997.
Zubok, Vladislav. A Failed Empire: The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev, 2009.
Lesson 9/10: Proxy wars through Perestroika
Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 2009.
Leonard, R.A. A History of Russian Music, 1968.
Nove, A. An Economic History of the USSR, 1917-1991, 1992.
Shipler, David. Russia: Broken Idols, Solemn Dreams, 1983.
Breslauer, G.W. Gorbachev and Yeltsin as Leaders, 2002.
Brown, A. The Gorbachev Factor, 1996.
Dunlop, J. The Rise of Russia and the Fall of the Soviet Union, 1995.
Goldfrank, David; Huhges, Lindsey; Evtuhov, Catherine; Stites, Richard. A History of Russia: Peoples, Legends, Events,
Forces,
2003.
Gorbachev, Mikhail. Perestroika. 1987.
Kotkin, Stephen. Uncivil Society: 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment, 2009.
____________. Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1917-2000, 2001.
Malia, Martin. Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia, 1917-1991, 1995.
Nove, A. An Economic History of the USSR, 1917-1991, 1992.
Ries, N. Russian Talk: Culture and Conversation during Perestroika, 1997.
Service, Robert. A History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the 21st Century, 2009
Strayer, R.W. Why did the Soviet Union Collapse?: Understanding Historical Change, 1998.
Tucker, R. Political Culture and Leadership in Soviet Russia from Lenin to Gorbachev, 1987.
Additional Information:
http://catalog.wbu.edu