• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

The Russian Revolution

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, while 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 you 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. Identify the different sources available for the study of the Russian Revolution, and be able to describe in detail sources which you focus upon in your seminar presentations and written work
• 2. Analyse a range of complex and diverse sources pertaining to the Russian Revolution.
• 3. Describe the changing causes of and responses to the Russian Revolution

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Analyse closely original sources and to assess their reliability as historical evidence.
• 5. Comprehend complex historical texts.
• 6. Understand and deploy relevant historical terminology in a comprehensible and sophisticated manner.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Select, organise and analyse material for written work and/or oral presentations of different prescribed lengths and formats.
• 8. Present complex arguments orally.
• 9. Present an argument in a written form in a clear and organised manner, with appropriate use of correct English
• 10. Through essay development process, demonstrate ability to reflect critically on your own work, to respond constructively to feedback, and to implement suggestions and improve work on this basis

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

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)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

The re-assessment consists of an 8,000 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 a 20 minute presentation plus supporting materials (3,000 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) [collection of various sources]
• Kowalski, R., The Russian Revolution, 1917-21 (London, 1997) [collection of various sources]
• Orlovsky, D. (ed.), A Companion to the Russian Revolution (Chichester, 2020)
• Smith, S., Russia in Revolution (Oxford, 2017)
• Steinberg, M., Voices of Revolution, 1917 (New Haven, 2001) [sources]
• Steinberg, M., The Russian Revolution, 1905-1921 (Oxford 2017)
• Swain, G. et al. (eds.), The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Russian Revolution (London, 2023)
• Wade, R., The Russian Revolution (3^rd edition, Cambridge, 2017)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE –
• 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)

Key words search

Russia, Revolution