In October 1917 the Bolsheviks under Lenin and Trotsky seized power in Petrograd and a revolutionary new era in Russian history began. The press was censored, a ruthless secret police was set up and political dissent was suppressed. Over the next five years, the new Soviet Union was faced with a brutal civil war, a famine and a succession crisis. When Stalin emerged triumphant the repression intensified and millions of Soviet citizens were sent to the gulag or were executed, but at the same time the Soviet Union was industrialising rapidly. It was taken by surprise by the German invasion of 1941 but emerged victorious in the Great Patriotic War. However, after the war, the repression increased and was only brought to a halt by the death of Stalin.
Course aim
to show the political, economic and cultural developments within the Soviet Union from the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 to the death of Stalin in 1953.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- You will need your own personal email address so that you’re able to login to the WEA’s digital learning platform: WEA Canvas. You will need to be able to understand how to follow URL links to pages on the internet. If you want to understand more about Canvas please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- This course is for a group of around 15 students studying in a live video-learning platform conference and an online digital learning environment platform from the comfort of your own home.
- This course is suitable for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- understand the main events in the history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1953.
- be aware of the importance of Communist ideology in determining policy in the period
- recognise the role of Stalin and the cult of personality surrounding him
- understand the details of the collectivisation of agriculture and the transformation of industry
- understand the purges, the gulag and the apparatus of repression
How will I be taught?
- The WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas will be used to provide resources or to support lessons, enable assessment, provide learner feedback and for other activities for individuals away from the course. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- You will be able to keep a record of your progress and achievement using photos, audio, text or documents uploaded into the WEA’s digital learning platform, WEA Canvas.
- Your tutor will provide written, text and audio feedback recorded in WEA Canvas, WEA’s digital learning platform.
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
- You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
What else do I need to know?
- What you need: You will need an internet connection, speakers, a microphone and a webcam so that you can use our video learning platform, Zoom. If you’d like to understand more Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
- You will need a personal email address to join the WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas so that you can receive resources, record your progress and achievement and to work with others and share ideas. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading is required but research on the subject on the internet or in the library may be helpful
- A reading list will be provided at the beginning of the course.
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Progress to a course with another provider
Download full course information sheet
The Soviet Union: from Lenin to Stalin, 1917-1953 - Anne Stott
