The Red Century: The Entangled Histories of Soviet Union, Communism and Cold War

Course Content: This course surveys the history of the world’s first socialist state, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the larger framework of 20th century’s global history. While it introduces students the history of the Soviet Union from its foundation in 1917 to its disintegration in 1991, a particular focus will be placed on the Cold War. The following questions will be addressed throughout the semester:

• What conditions of 20th-century Russia prepared the ground for the first socialist revolution?
• How did the Soviet Union influence the course of the Cold War, and was influenced by it?
• Why did this once formidable empire disintegrate, and was this outcome inevitable? The course will cover issues such as: the New Economic Policy, the struggle for power within the Communist Party during the 1920s, collectivization, World War II, the Soviet’s participation in the Cold War, the impact of socialism on decolonization movements, and the gradual decline of the Soviet Union’s economic model. At the end of this course, students will develop an informed understanding of the Soviet Union’s role in 20th- century global history. Students are NOT expected to have prior knowledge of the Soviet Union’s history to take this course