The Russian Revolution: Sources
| Module title | The Russian Revolution: Sources |
|---|---|
| Module code | HIH3257 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Matt Rendle (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 16 |
|---|
Module description
The Russian Revolution was one of the greatest events of the twentieth century, heralding the emergence of the first communist regime and providing the inspiration for subsequent revolutions across the world. This module examines the revolutionary period from 1914 to 1922, exploring how and why revolution emerged, the progress of events during the crucial year of 1917, and how the Bolsheviks seized and held on to power during a tumultuous civil war. As well as examining political developments, it seeks to explore the fluctuating aspirations of ordinary people and the emergence of a revolutionary culture, whilst contrasting Bolshevik aspirations to build a pioneering new state and society with the reality of the foundation of the Soviet Union.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module studies the revolutionary period in Russian history (1914-22) through the wide range of sources available, including memoirs, diaries, letters, political manifestos, official documents and correspondence, newspapers reports, photographs, and film. It encourages students to analyse and evaluate the reliability and value of these sources, place them in the broader context in which they were produced, and relate them to the subsequent arguments of historians.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Have a detailed knowledge of the different sources available for the study of the Russian Revolution, together with a very close specialist knowledge of those sources which the students focus upon in their seminar presentations and written work.
- 2. Analyse the complex diversity of the sources studied.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Analyse closely original sources and to assess their reliability as historical evidence. Ability to focus on and comprehend complex texts
- 4. Understand and deploy relevant historical terminology in a comprehensible manner
- 5. Follow theories and evaluate critically the often complex reasoning of contemporary discourses
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Independently and autonomously study and work within a group, including presentation of material for group discussion, developed through the mode of learning.
- 7. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment.
- 8. Present complex arguments orally.
Syllabus plan
This module begins by examining the political, social and economic position of Russia on the eve of the First World War before exploring the impact of the war and the background to the February Revolution. The main body of the module focuses on analysing the events of 1917 with seminars covering the political developments, popular interpretations of the revolution, and the role of regionalism and nationalism. The module then examines how the Bolsheviks established their authority, the failure of socialist alternatives, and the interplay between different forces during the civil war. It finishes with the formation of the Soviet Union in 1922, and an assessment of the image of the revolution in Soviet Russia and its broader impact.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 44 | seminars (22 x 2hrs) |
| Guided independent study | 256 | Reading and preparation for seminars, coursework and presentations. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar discussion | Ongoing through course | 1-6, 8 | Oral from tutor and fellow students |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 70 | 2 assignments totalling 4000 words | 1-7 | Verbal and written |
| Individual presentation | 30 | 25 minutes | 1-8 | Verbal and written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio assignment | Portfolio assignment | 1-7 | Referral/deferral period |
| Presentation | Written transcript of 25 minute presentation (2,500 words) | 1-8 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
The re-assessment consists of a 4,000 word portfolio of source work, as in the original assessment, but replaces the individual presentation with a written script that could be delivered in such a presentation and which is the equivalent of 25 minutes of speech (2,500 words).
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Acton, E. and Stableford, T., The Soviet Union: A Documentary History. Vol. I (Exeter, 2005)
Browder, R. and Kerensky, A., The Russian Provisional Government. Documents (3 vols., Stanford, 1961)
Butt, V. et al. (eds.), The Russian Civil War: Documents from the Soviet Archives (Basingstoke, 1996)
Denikin, A., The Russian Turmoil (Westport, 1973) and The White Army (Westport, 1973)
Got'e, Iu., Time of Troubles: The Diary of Iurii Vladimirovich Got'e,1917-1922 (London, 1988)
Keep, J. (ed.), The Debate on Soviet Power (Oxford, 1979)
Kerensky, A., The Kerensky Memoirs (London, 1966)
Kowalski, R., The Russian Revolution, 1917-21 (London, 1997) [collection of various sources]
Steinberg, M., Voices of Revolution, 1917 (New Haven, 2001)
Sukhanov, N., The Russian Revolution, 1917: A Personal Record (Oxford, 1955)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11346
Lenin's Collected Works and those of other socialists: www.marxists.org
Russian Civil War Posters: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?col_id=195
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (DVD, dir. S. Eisenstein, 1928)
The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (DVD, dir. E. Shub, 1927)
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15.00 |
| Module pre-requisites | At least 90 credits of History at level 1 and/or level 2 |
| Module co-requisites | HIH3258 The Russian Revolution: Context |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Last revision date | 20/08/2020 |
