From Utopia to Crisis: The Dark History of Soviet Russia

Name: From Utopia to Crisis: The Dark History of Soviet Russia
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Russia from the October Revolution to the Authoritarianism of Putin. Social, economic, policy, cultural transformations

Created byOlga Tereshina

Last updated 4/2026

English

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What you'll learn

Understand the evolution of the Russian state and society: reforms' and contr-reforms, wars and international treaties XXc.
Identify the issues of international relationship: WWI, WWII, Cold War.
Identify Russian monarchism, democratic and social democracy ideology, communism, terrorism
Understand the specifics of Russian political opposition and methods of its struggle.

Course content

6 sections • 22 lectures • 6h 55m total length

Introduction6:43
Trace the rise and collapse of the USSR, from World War I and civil war through Stalinist rule and censorship to the era of the Russian Federation.
Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. Revolution and reforms21:36
1. The situation in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. A country of contradictions.
2. The first Russian revolution of 1905-1907
3. Stolypin agrarian reform
The 1st experience of Russian parliamentarism16:22
• Formation of political parties, their programs, and activities.
• I and II State Dumas.
The foreign policy of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century20:35
1. Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905
2. Causes and nature of WWI. Military actions
3. Attitude of society and political parties to the WWI
4. Economic situation in Russia
Februare and October revolutions 191718:32
• February Revolution. Abdication of the Romanov's from the throne and the creation of the Provisional Government.
• Growing socio-economic and political crisis. July crisis.
• Kornilov's rebellion. October Revolution. Assessments and interpretations

Civil War in Russia. 1917-192214:43
1. Civil War and Foreign Intervention in Russia.
2. Red Generals White Generals. Main Stages
The Soviet State in the 1920s. War communism21:20
The Soviet State in the 1920s
1. The first decrees of the Soviet government. Formation of a new political system.
2. The Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federate Socialistic Republic of 1918
3. The Brest Peace. End of WWI.
4. The policy of "war communism". Red terror.
The new economic policy21:01
1. New Economic Policy (NEP).
2. Formation of the USSR. First Constitution of the USSR.
Socio-economic development of the USSR in the late 1920s - 1930s.20:59
1. Industrialization.
2. Collectivization.
3. Results of the first five-year plans.
The Soviet State in the 1920s17:18
1. Mass repressions in the USSR. The "Great Terror" of the 1930s
2. Deformation of the political system

Versailles-Washington system of international relations22:10
1. Formation of the Versailles-Washington system of international relations. League of Nations
2. The foreign policy of the Soviet state in the 1920s. International recognition of the USSR.
3. Foreign policy situation in the 1930s. Territorial claims of Germany in the 1930s
4. "Comintern" and its role in foreign policy of the 1920s-30s
5. The first months of World War II
World War II22:40
1. Planning the WWII
2. Periodization
3. Combat operations
4. Foreign policy of the USSR during the war

USSR in 1945–1953. Overcoming the consequences of war and the cult of Stalin’s p17:15
1. Restoration and development of the USSR economy after the end of the Great Patriotic War: successes and difficulties.
2. Socio-political life of the country in the post-war period. Strengthening the administrative-command system.
3. Continuation of the policy of repression.
4. Foreign policy situation
Domestic Policy 1953-1965. "Khrushchev's Thaw"16:17
1. “Khrushchev’s Thaw”. An attempt to democratize socio-political life. 20th and 22nd Congresses of the CPSU.
2. Attempts to reform the economy. Development of virgin lands.
3. Social sphere.
4. Khrushchev’s resignation.
Foreign policy of the 1950s-1960s. Cold War.17:29
1. The concept of the "cold war", its origins and content.
2. "Marshall Plan"
3. Formation of military-political blocs
4. Arms race
5. Regional conflicts
6. Attempts at peaceful coexistence

USSR in the 1960s – mid-80s. Growing crisis phenomena. The stagnation19:46
1. Economic stagnation. Growing socio-economic and socio-political crisis. Authoritarianism. Brezhnev. Constitution of the USSR of 1977
2. Foreign policy. "Détente", relations with socialist countries and third world countries.
3. Yu. V. Andropov and K. U. Chernenko: on the eve of "perestroika".
USSR in the mid-1980s–early 1990s. "Perestroika"19:52
M.S. Gorbachev. "Perestroika" in sociology-political life. Course on "renewal of society."
Deterioration of the economic situation in the USSR
New foreign policy principles.
Exacerbation of inter-ethnic conflicts. Events from August 19–21, 1991. Collapse of the USSR.
Reforms of the 1990s24:03
1. Reforms of the government of E. T. Gaidar. Liberalization of prices. Privatization.
2. Political crisis of 1993.
3. Constitution of the Russian Federation of 1993.
4. Reforms of the government of V. S. Chernomyrdin.
5. Default of 1998. Resignation of Yeltsin.

Russian Federation at the beginning of the 21st century. Autocracy of V.V. Putin20:57
Presidency of V. V. Putin. First and second terms (2000–2008)
1. Domestic policy
2. Foreign policy
Tandem of V.V. Putin and D.A. Medvedev. Part 2.18:27
D. Medvedev as the President of Russia in 2008-2012.
1. Domestic and foreign policy of Russia in 2008-2012.
2. Mass protests of 2011-2012. The Party "United Russia" .
Domestic policy 2012–2017. Third presidential term of V.V. Putin25:10
1. Domestic policy. Opposition leader: A.Navalny
2. Foreign policy
3. Parliamentary elections in 2016
The fourth presidential term of V.V. Putin11:50
Pandemic in Russia
Results of V.V. Putin's presidency

Requirements

The curiosity about Russian/Soviet history
The interest in the attempt of socialism and communism’s construction.
English

Description

In 1991, a huge empire, the USSR, collapsed. It existed for almost 70 years and largely determined world history in the 20th century. Who is to blame, how it all began, how it ended, what was done in the attempt to achieve socialism/communism, who participated, and who led—this educational course tells. 22 lessons with applications (original historical sources, diagrams, links to videos, and articles) will introduce you to Soviet history. This fascinating reading and video will allow you to understand the present and future of your own country, find commonalities and differences, and draw conclusions about the role of each person in historical turns. Many aspects of historical development are considered: changes in the political system as a result of reforms and revolutions (1905-1907, 1917, Stolypin's reforms, adoption of the Constitutions of 1918, 1922, 1936, 1977, 1993, overcoming the cult of personality and the dissident movement, authoritarianism of Putin in the early 21st century), transformations of economic life (war communism, New Economic Policy, industrialization and collectivization, recovery after World War II, reforms of the time of stagnation, perestroika, reforms of 1990s), foreign policy (world wars, the Cold War, propaganda and imposition of socialism in Europe / Asia / Africa, international relations of the period of "détente", 1980s and 1990s).

Who this course is for:

For Beginner
For Slavic Studie's students
For Russian
For International relationship's researchers
For Europe History Researcher
For Historian

From Utopia to Crisis: The Dark History of Soviet Russia

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Course content

The collapse of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th c.5 lectures • 1hr 24min

Soviet Russia in 1920-19305 lectures • 1hr 35min

Foreign policy of the USSR before and during World War II2 lectures • 45min

Internal policy of the USSR 1945-19533 lectures • 51min

Domestic and Foreign Policy of the USSR In 1965-19843 lectures • 1hr 4min

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN THE 1990s - THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY4 lectures • 1hr 16min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: