From Lenin to Putin: A History of the Soviet Union, 1917–1991

Students explore the history of the Soviet experience from 1917 to 1991, and its legacies in the post-Soviet period. They learn about a range of topics, including the origins and outcomes of the October Revolution; the formation of the Soviet state and the problem of violence; the monumental political, social, and economic changes brought on by Stalin in the 1930s; Soviet sacrifices and victory in the Second World War; post-Stalinist reconfiguration; Soviet actions in the Cold War; and the decline and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. This enables students to assess the weaknesses of the Soviet system while debating whether reforming the system was a viable solution.