79-265 Russian History: Game of Thrones

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

How are states built and empires forged? This course, beginning with the first settlements of tribal nomads in the ninth century and ending with the abolition of serfdom in 1861, surveys the grand 'game of thrones' in Russian history. It explores the building of a Russian Empire from the first princely kingdoms at murderous war with each other to the emergence of a strong state, headed by a tsar and centered in Moscow. Over the centuries, we make the acquaintance of Mongol overlords, greedy princes, and desperate peasant rebels, as well as Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and the long succession of reformers and reactionaries who occupied the Russian throne. Giving careful attention to the expansion of Russia's borders and the gradual incorporation of multiple ethnicities and nationalities, we will follow the growth of the state, the brutal imposition of serfdom, and the great peasant rebellions. This course meets the Dietrich Gen Ed "Contextual Thinking" requirement.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Fall 2025

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