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Red Empire: The Soviet Union and After (HIST20084)

Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Semester 2
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In the lands formerly ruled by the Tsars, the first half of the twentieth century was a violent period with five revolutions, an extremely destructive Civil War, two World Wars and a whole range of smaller military conflicts. This atmosphere of upheaval was reinforced by waves of state terror against a variety of groups (from peasants to bureaucrats, and from the intelligentsia to jazz fans).

Within this cauldron of violence the Russian Empire was unmade, re-constituted as the Soviet Union, and eventually stabilized in a new Red Empire locked in the Cold War with the west. This subject explores the society of the Soviet Empire and the transformations of this social system in the less tumultuous periods between Stalin's death in 1953 and the 1980s. It also explains the crisis and breakdown of the Soviet Union and the continuing struggle of the fifteen successor states to find a stable economic and political system. Particular emphasis is placed on the critical and creative use of the wide variety of sources available for the study of the Soviet Union.

This subject forms part of the pathway “political and international history” within the History major.

Intended learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students will:

  • Understand the analytical challenges in the interpretation of Russian and Soviet history;
  • Have acquired the ability to overcome some of these challenges by critical analysis of a variety of primary evidence available to the historian of the Soviet Union;
  • Have learned to creatively and imaginatively use primary sources to build an argument about the Soviet past;
  • Situate their arguments within the larger scholarly debate on Soviet history.

Generic skills

Students who complete this subject should develop their:

  • Critical and analytical skills (including argument identification and analysis);
  • Communication (written and oral);
  • Engagement (with real world ideas and problems)

Last updated: 8 August 2023

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Non-allowed subjects

None

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.

Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Last updated: 8 August 2023

Assessment

Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS

DescriptionTimingPercentage

Weekly multiple-choice online quiz, due weekly

  • 1000 words (equivalent)
Throughout the teaching period30%

Time-line with annotated primary sources

  • 1000 words
Mid semester30%

Essay-length source interpretation

  • 2000 words
During the examination period40%
Hurdle requirement: A hurdle requirement of a minimum attendance at 75% of lectorials applies in this subject. All pieces of assessment must be submitted to pass this subject. Students must successfully complete the online 'Researching History' program in order to pass this subject.Throughout the teaching periodN/A

Additional details

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day, after 5 working days late assessment will not be marked.

Last updated: 8 August 2023

Dates & times

  • Semester 2
    CoordinatorMark Edele
    Mode of deliveryOn Campus (Parkville)
    Contact hours24 hours: 2 hours of lectorials per week
    Total time commitment170 hours
    Teaching period 3 August 2020 to 1 November 2020
    Last self-enrol date14 August 2020
    Census date21 September 2020
    Last date to withdraw without fail16 October 2020
    Assessment period ends27 November 2020

Time commitment details

170 hours

Last updated: 8 August 2023

Further information

Last updated: 8 August 2023