Russian nationalism after Stalin`s death, 1953-1991 (Eichstaett, 21.04.09-21.07.09)

Kursbeschreibung / -kommentar

In this seminar (Übung), we will deal with the paradoxical phenomenon of Soviet Russian nationalism in the post-Stalinist period of the history of the USSR.
What is nationalism as a generic phenomenon, and how has it been defined? What were the reasons and functions of the emergence of nationalism in general, and Russian nationalism, in particular? What are the major ideas of Russian nationalism? How was it possible that genuine Russian nationalism became, after Stalin's death, not only an increasingly important current in the Soviet dissident scene, but also an integral part of Soviet cultural life and, at some points, even a significant component of CPSU politics? How did the various Russian nationalist trends in Soviet society interact with, and relate to, each other? What was the impact of Russian nationalism on Soviet policies, and how did it preview Russian nationalist trends today? For this seminar, you should have, at least, intermediate English language listening comprehension and speaking proficiency, as well as advanced reading proficiency in English as well as intermediate reading proficiency in either German or Russian. While the seminar will be conducted and most of the reading assignments be in English, some of the relevant literature is in German. The weekly reading load will be high. Though this is a seminar of the history department, the course may be also suitable for students of political science, sociology, European studies, journalism, geography, ethnology, philology, and international relations.