Catalog Description

Advisory: Eligibility for ENGL 1A
Hours: 54 lecture
Description: Survey of Russian history from the 10th century to the present. Includes the Slavic, Kievan, Muscovite, and Imperial eras through the Revolutions of 1917, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and the post-Soviet era. Emphasis on the major political, social, economic, and cultural trends that define Russian and Soviet civilizations. (CSU, UC)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Analyze the role of geography in economic and political changes in Russian history.
  • CSLO #2: Compose coherent, persuasive academic historical arguments using correct academic citation methods.
  • CSLO #3: Differentiate primary and secondary sources and how each are used to make historical claims.
  • CSLO #4: Investigate major political, economic and social changes with emphasis on culture, race, class, gender and/or ethnicity.

Effective Term

Fall 2019

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

54

Outside of Class Hours

108

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

1. Demonstrate the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument which uses them, as appropriate, for support.
2. Compare and contrast Russian political structure during the Kievan, Muscovite, tsarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras.
3. Analyze the Slavic, Asian/Mongol, Byzantine, and European influences on Russian culture, religion, and society.
4. Analyze the political, economic, and cultural reasons for the development of Russian serfdom, its endurance, and its eventual abolition.
5. Identify the most significant cultural, religious, and literary persons of Russian history, and analyze their individual contributions and their historical context.
6. Analyze the social, ideological, economic, and political causes and the economic, cultural, and social effects of all major Russian revolutions, successful and unsuccessful.
7. Compare and contrast the treatment of political dissidents, and ethnic and religious minorities, during the tsarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras.
8. Identify and locate the major cities and geographical features of Russia and the Soviet Union, and analyze the influence of geography on the Russian culture and economy.
9. Compare and contrast Russian foreign relations during the tsarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras, including political, economic, and religious aspects.
10. Identify and analyze the causes and results of Russia's major wars, especially the Russo-Japanese War, the Napoleonic War, World Wars I and II, and the Cold War.
11. Compare and contrast Russian expansion and imperialism during the Muscovite, tsarist, and Soviet eras.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • AA/AS - Literature & Language
    • AA/AS - Multicultural Studies
    • AA/AS - Social Sciences
  • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
    • CSUGE - C2 Humanities
    • CSUGE - D6 History
  • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
    • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)
      • IGETC - 3B Humanities
      • IGETC - 4F History

    Articulation Information

    • CSU Transferable
    • UC Transferable

    Methods of Evaluation

    • Classroom Discussions
      • Example: Using assigned primary documents, evaluate the influence of the Enlightenment on the policies and actions of the Empress Catherine ("the Great"), and the effects on the various social classes within Russia during her reign. Assignment will be assessed based upon participation and a rubric shared with students.
    • Essay Examinations
      • Example: Using information from assigned readings and class lectures/activities, write an in-class essay on a topic related to the course, which was listed on a study sheet for the exam.
    • Objective Examinations
      • Example: Using information from the assigned readings and class lecture/activities, answer 20 multiple-choice and 10 fill-in-the-blank questions regarding the social, political, and philosophical causes of each of the 1917 Revolutions.
    • Projects
      • Example: Using guidelines provided by the instructor, locate appropriate research materials and create a visual and/or oral presentation on an approved topic related to the course.
    • Reports
      • Example: Write a 1000-word essay appraising the impact of the Decembrist Revolt on Russia's domestic and foreign policies over the following fifty years. Essay will be graded based upon structure, evidence, and clarity of writing.

    Repeatable

    No

    Methods of Instruction

    • Lecture/Discussion
    • Distance Learning

    Lecture:

    1. Instructor presents a lecture analyzing the influence of Tsar Peter I on the culture, military, and society of Russia. This lecture critically evaluates how European practices influenced Peter to impose changes upon Russia, utilizing both primary and secondary sources.
    2. Instructor sets up a group activity with primary and secondary sources evaluating the influence of the Era of Mongol Domination on Russian political structure and on the Russian Orthodox Church. This activity requires students to compare and contrast the Mongol era with the Khazar era and the Kievan era.

    Distance Learning

    1. In an online class, instructor creates a discussion assignment in which students use the textbook and Atlas to analyze and discuss the influence of geography and climate on Russia's wars during the 19th century.

    Typical Out of Class Assignments

    Reading Assignments

    1. Based upon textbook and assigned primary documents, evaluate the relative influence of foreign relations and economic concerns in the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. 2. Analyze assigned primary and secondary documents and historical maps to discuss the influence of Catherine the Great on Russia's economy and social structure.

    Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

    1. Analyze the historical significance of "The Nakaz" (primary document) in relation to the political successes and failures of Catherine the Great, and write a 2-page essay explaining your conclusions and comparing the document information to the information presented in the textbook. 2. Write a short essay on an exam comparing & contrasting the 1905 Revolution and the Decembrist Revolt. Include details about long-term causes, immediate causes, and participants.

    Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

    1. Using maps, online documents, and written sources, create a visual presentation (using Powerpoint or Prezi or a physical poster) that illustrates the effects of geography and climate on the culture and major events of the Kievan era. 2. Choose a research topic related to the course and locate appropriate primary and secondary sources. Based on those sources, write a 10-page research paper analyzing the topic. Include properly-formatted quotes, citations, and a bibliography.

    Required Materials

    • A History of Russia
      • Author: Steinberg and Riasanovsky
      • Publisher: Oxford University Press
      • Publication Date: 2018
      • Text Edition: 9th
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • The Routledge Atlas of Russian History
      • Author: Gilbert
      • Publisher: Routledge
      • Publication Date: 2007
      • Text Edition: 4th
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • Russia: A Historical Introduction from Kievan Rus' to the Present
      • Author: Thompson
      • Publisher: Westview Press
      • Publication Date: 2018
      • Text Edition: 8th
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • The Human Tradition in Imperial Russia
      • Author: Worobec
      • Publisher: Oxford University Press
      • Publication Date: 2010
      • Text Edition: 1st
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:

    Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.