Course Description
Traces rise of Russian state from Kievan Rus through Tsardom of Nicholas I. High points include Mongol legacy, rise of Muscovy, the "Time of Troubles," and creation of modern state structure by Peter I (The Great). Final focus is on nineteenth-century reform beginnings and rise of revolutionary movement.
Athena Title
Russia to the Great Reforms
Prerequisite
Any HIST course or ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101E or ENGL 1101S or ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
- By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about the rise of Russia by gathering and weighing evidence, logical argument, and listening to counter argument.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays. Students will be able to analyze ideas and evidence, organize their thoughts, and revise and edit their finished essays.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how the history of Russia to the Great Reforms shaped diverse social, cultural, and political identities and attitudes in the Russian Empire, encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources and to organize their evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities.
Topical Outline
- Kievan Rus’
- Novgorod, the Appanage Princes, and Power Struggles
- The Mongol “Yoke” and the Slavic Princes
- The Muscovite Order
- Ivan IV and the Problems of Power
- The Time of Troubles and Colonial Expansion
- Peter the Great
- Catherine the Great and Two Cultures
- From Superpower Status to Constitutional Revolt, 1801-1825
- Building a Russian Empire
- Social Change and Political Conservatism Under Nicholas I
- Crisis of Old Russia
- The Era of Great Reforms
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
