HI31E-30 Stalinism in Europe, 1928-1953
Introductory description
This 30 CATS final-year undergraduate Advanced Option module aims to examine the phenomenon of Stalinism between 1928 (the beginning of the “Revolution from above”) and 1953 (Stalin’s death). After a discussion of the transformation of the economy, society and culture the focus is on the social and cultural history of Stalinism as a ‘civilisation’. The Soviet leadership attempted to implement a socialist way of life and to construct a socialist identity. The consequences of this attempt for everyday life are considered as are central mythologies of Stalinist propaganda and the ‘culture of violence’. We will also discuss how far Stalinism was a purely Russian/Soviet phenomenon. We will therefore look at the consequences of Stalinism for the international communist movement and for the sovietisation of Eastern Europe after 1945.
Module aims
Students will examine theories on Stalinism and how the Cold War affected the interpretation of Stalinism. We will discuss the totalitarian approach, the revisionist approaches of the 1980’s and the post-revisionist discussions of the recent period. Students will examine primary sources, including official materials such as political speeches and propaganda and sources such as private letters, diaries, and memoirs.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
- What is Stalinism?
- ‘Socialism in one country’: The Soviet Union in the 1920’s
- Transforming Russia: the ‘Revolution from above’
- Industrialisation and Economic Planning
- Looking East: Perceptions of the Soviet Union in Europe
- Stalinist Culture
- Society and Everyday Life
- The ‘Stalinist Self’ I
- The 'Stalinist Self'' II
- Communism vs. Fascism
- The 'Great Terror'
- The Imperial Dimension
- Anti-Soviet Campaigns and Fellow-Travelling
- Russian Nationalism and Soviet Patriotism
- The Great Patriotic War
- Late Stalinism
- The Sovietisation of Eastern Europe
- Stalinism after Stalin
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of the key social, political and cultural developments occurring within the Soviet Union between 1928 and 1953
- Critically analyse and evaluate a broad range of primary sources (including political speeches, propaganda material, diaries, art, and film) relating to the history of Stalinism.
- Effectively communicate ideas, and make informed, coherent and persuasive arguments, relating to the history of Stalinism
- Critically review and consolidate theoretical, methodological, and historiographical ideas relating to the history of Stalinism
Indicative reading list
- Stalin, J.V., ‘The Tasks of Economic Executives. Speech Delivered at the First All-Union Conference of Leading Personnel of Socialist Industry, February 4, 1931’, in J.V. Stalin, Works, Vol. 13 (Moscow, 1955), pp. 31-44. Link 1 Link 2 (Faksimile)
- Trotsky, L.D., ‘The Soviet Thermidor,’ in C. Ward (ed.), The Stalinist Dictatorship (London, 1998), pp. 13-24 (= Chapter 5 of 'The Revolution Betrayed', 1935) Link 1
- Siegelbaum, Lewis, ‘Building Stalinism, 1929-1941’, in Gregory L. Freeze (ed.), Russia. A History (Oxford, 2002), pp. 291-318. (or any other overview on this period in a 'History of Russia' or 'History of the Soviet Union', for example by Christopher Read, Geoffrey Hosking or Robert Service)
- Fitzpatrick, Sheila, 'Introduction', in Sheila Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism. Ordinary life in extraordinary times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s (New York, 1999), pp. 1-13 (electronic copy in library)
- Read, Christopher, Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin (London: Routledge, 2017), Chapter 1, pp. 1-38 (electronic copy in library)
- Kotkin, Steven, Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization (Berkeley, 1995), pp. 1-25 [= ‘Introduction: Understanding the Russian Revolution’]
- Gill, Graeme, The Origins of the Stalinist Political System (Cambridge, 1990)
- Davies, Sarah and James Harris, ‘Joseph Stalin: power and ideas’, in Davies/Harris (ed.), Stalin. A New History (Cambridge, 2005), pp. 17 ff
- Laue, Theodore von, ‘Stalin in Focus’, in Ward (ed.), The Stalinist Dictatorship, pp. 24-43
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
See learning outcomes.
Transferable skills
See learning outcomes.
Study time
Type | Required |
---|---|
Seminars | 18 sessions of 2 hours (12%) |
Tutorials | 4 sessions of 1 hour (1%) |
Private study | 260 hours (87%) |
Total | 300 hours |
Private study description
History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group A1
Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
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Assessment component |
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Seminar contribution | 10% | No | |
Reassessment component |
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1000 word reflective essay in lieu of Seminar Contribution | Yes (extension) | ||
Assessment component |
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1500 word essay | 10% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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3000 word essay | 40% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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7 day take-home essay with citations and a bibliography | 40% | No | |
Reassessment component is the same |
Feedback on assessment
Written feedback provided via Tabula; optional oral feedback in office hours.
Courses
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
- Year 4 of UHIA-V101 Undergraduate History (with Year Abroad)
- Year 4 of UITA-R3V2 Undergraduate History and Italian
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 3 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology
- Year 4 of UHIA-VL14 Undergraduate History and Sociology (with Year Abroad)