44669 - History of Eastern Europe, Nation-Building and Protection of Minorities

Learning outcomes

At the end of the Course, students will be in possess of  a basic knowledge on the social and economic structure and on the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation, since her inception as an independent State (1992) to nowadays. The Course will also impart a basic knoweldge on the relation between the Federation and the other post-Soviet States. Last, the Course is forewarded by an introduction,  syntethising the history of the USSR.

In particular, students following the Course will be able to :

 - autonomously manage the flux of news provided by European media on ongoing Russian developments;

 - aptily infer from them the political trends which they suggest;

 - work out original projects aimed at knowing in depth the most important elements in the formation of the present Russian State;

 - articulate their choices of  further academic and non-academic learning programs, in order to become an interpreter, a mediator and an active actor in the field of Russian/European relations.

At the end of the Course, students will be in possess of  a basic knowledge on the social and economic structure and on the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation, since her inception as an independent State (1992) to nowadays. The Course will also impart a basic knoweldge on the relation between the Federation and the other post-Soviet States. Last, the Course is forewarded by an introduction,  syntethising the history of the USSR.

In particular, students following the Course will be able to :

 - autonomously manage the flux of news provided by European media on ongoing Russian developments;

 - aptily infer from them the political trends which they suggest;

 - work out original projects aimed at knowing in depth the most important elements in the formation of the present Russian State;

 - articulate their choices of  further academic and non-academic learning programs, in order to become an interpreter, a mediator and an active actor in the field of Russian/European relations.

Course contents

The title of the Course is "A history of Russia, Peter the Great to Dmitrii Medvedev (1709-2013)". It deals with the main political, economic and social developments of the country and with the changes occurred in its international position during  the last three centuries .

Special attention is devoted to both domestic and foreign politics of post-Soviet Russia (1992-2013).

Readings/Bibliography

1) - Three basic texts :

 A) - Chose one between:

       -   P.Bushkovitch, Breve storia della Russia. Dalle origini a Putin, Torino, Einaudi, 2012, pp. 93-531 (but  skip chapters X, XIII, XVIII);

  or:

       -R.BARTLETT, Storia della Russia, Milano, Mondadori, 2007, pp. 84-298;

or:

          - F.BENVENUTI, Storia della Russia contemporanea, Bari, Laterza, 1999, pp. VII-319;

B) -  F.BENVENUTI, La Russia oggi, Roma, Carocci, 2013, pp. 11-197;

C) - S.LOVELL, Destinazione incerta- La Russia dal 1989, EDT, Torino, 2008, pp. xii-xxvii, 1-203.

2) - Choose one:

• R.BRUBAKER, I nazionalismi nell'Europa contemporanea, Roma, Editori riuniti, 1998, pp. 1-254;
• R.MEDVEDEV, La Russia post-sovietica, Torino, Einaudi, 2000, pp. 1-421;
• A.RUBBI, La Russia di Eltsyn, Roma, Editori riuniti, 2002, pp. 1-526;
• J.J.LINZ, A.STEPAN, L'Europa post-comunista , Bologna, Il Mulino, 2000;
• A.GUERRA, URSS, perché è crollata, Roma, Editori riuniti, 2001, pp . 1-319.
  
  
   Students unable to attend classes will choose two texts.

Teaching methods

Teaching in classes.

Assessment methods

Final oral exam.

Teaching tools

None.

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Benvenuti