OLLI-HIST-2236 - Russia: From Czars to Commissars & Back, Part II

Course Description

The grand sweep of Russian history is replete with fascinating rogues, from Ivan the Terrible to Stalin and Putin. Czars and Commissars alike were confronted by challenging problems of climate and geography, the struggle to modernize while maintaining control, and threats from without and within. Picking up where Part I left off, we will examine leaders from Stalin to Putin, their domestic and foreign policies, WWII, the Cold War, Afghanistan ("Russia's Vietnam"), and the current war in Ukraine. We will study the Soviet system, the collapse of the USSR, and the ensuing short-lived effort to establish a democracy. We will conclude with a brief look at present-day Russia and Vladimir Putin's efforts to reassert Russian power in the world. The course format is lecture with time built in for questions and short discussions. This course is a continuation of the course offered in the Fall 2023 term. Participants are strongly encouraged to have participated in the Fall 2023 course before registering for this course.