to syllabus

Study Questions on R. G. Suny, The Structure of Soviet History:  Essays and Documents (New York:  Oxford University Press, 2003).  Week XIV, pp. 359-399, 403-406, 423-438.

pp. 359-99 is a "chapter" called "Stagnation."  It includes three essays--one by John Bushnell, one by James Millar, and one (a sort of memoir) by Fedor Burlatskii. I am going to ask each of you to volunteer to "report" on one of these essays (one essay per person, with a couple of you "doubled up.")  The rest of the chapter is composed of documents on issues such as non-Russian nationalism in the USSR, the Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia, and repression of political dissidents.  I will assign each of you to report on one of these documents as well.

 

pp. 403-406 is the intro to chapter 8....

 

pp. 423-438 are a selection from Gorbachev's memoir and a document on the election of Gorbachev as party leader in 1985.  I want each of you to write down at least one question about these two documents, and then you will ask other people in class to answer your question...