Course Description

Course Name

The Russian Revolutions Of 1917

Session: VGSS3122

Hours & Credits

20 SCQF Credits

Prerequisites & Language Level

Taught In English

  • There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

Overview

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.

*Course content subject to change