HIST 322 - Seminar in Russian History

Planned Offering: Winter
Credits: 3 credits in fall or winter, 4 in spring

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Note: Completion of HIST 102 or 221 is recommended but not required prior to taking HIST 322. Selected topics in Russian history, including but not limited to heroes and villains, Soviet biography, Stalin and Stalinism, the USSR in the Second World War and origins of the Cold War, the KGB, and the decline and fall of the Soviet Union and the re-emergence of Russia. May be repeated for degree and major credit if the topics are different.

Winter 2017, HIST 322-01: Seminar in Russian History: The KGB (3). Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Note: Completion of HIST 102 or 221 is recommended but not required prior to taking HIST 322. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Note: Completion of HIST 102 or 221 is recommended but not required prior to taking HIST 322. Russian President Vladimir Putin rose through the ranks of the KGB (Committee for State Security). Its successor in the post-Soviet era, the FSB (Federal Security Service,) has assumed great prominence in Russia today. This seminar analyzes the history of Russia’s secret security service from the time of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 up to the present. Students read and discuss several recent books that examine how the security apparatus has functioned domestically and how it has conducted espionage and other activities abroad, including within the United States. Students also write a research paper on a topic of their choice with the instructor’s approval. Bidlack.