Course Catalogue

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This is an Honours course taught by Central and East European Studies. It can be taken as part of the MA Honours Social Science Programme. The aim of this course is to explore the nature of the popular protest which first overthrew the Tsar and then brought the Bolsheviks to power in October 1917.

When Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized power in October 1917 they changed the course of twentieth century history. This course should appeal to all students interested in understanding how the old Tsarist order collapsed and why the Bolsheviks emerged as the dominant force in the ensuing disorder. With this in mind, the course aims to explore the nature of the popular protests which first overthrew the Tsar and then brought the Bolsheviks to power. Throughout, the dynamic between political ideologies and popular aspirations will be explored, alongside the role played by the Bolshevik Party in mobilising the masses. It will cover the following themes:

(i) The impact of the First World War on Tsarist society

(ii) The causes and consequences of the February Revolution

(iii) Dual Power: the Soviet versus the Provisional Government

(iv) Insurrection: the debate about the October Revolution.

The course will draw heavily on the wide range of documentary material available in translation, in order to help understand the motivation of past political actors.

One 2 hour class per week

This course may not be running this year. For further information please check the CEES Moodle page or contact the subject directly.

Mandatory entry requirements
Entry to CEES Honours normally requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over CEES 2A and CEES 2B as a first attempt.

None

None

■ One 3000 word essay (50%)

■ One open-book examination (40%)

■ In-class participation (10%)

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The aim of this course is to explore the nature of the popular protest which first overthrew the Tsar and then brought the Bolsheviks to power in October 1917. Throughout, the dynamic between political ideologies and popular aspirations will be explored, along side the role played by the Bolshevik Party in mobilising the masses.

The course will draw heavily on the wide range of documentary material available in translation, in order to help understand the motivation of past political actors.

By the end of the course, in the context of the years in question, students will be able to:

■ demonstrate a thorough knowledge of political developments in Russia;

■ assess the differing impacts of those political developments on a variety of social groups;

■ understand the use and impact of propaganda and other methods of mass mobilisation;

■ understand the limits of mass mobilisation and the role of political expediency;

■ explain the inter-relationship between domestic and international politics;

■ examine critically and interpret (translated) primary source material;

■ present knowledge acquired during the course in the form of coherent written expression.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.