From the Tsar to the Emperor: Russia in the Early Modern Period 1547-1725

Code School Level Credits Semesters
HIST2018 History 2 20 Autumn UK
Code
HIST2018
School
History
Level
2
Credits
20
Semesters
Autumn UK

Summary

This module considers:

  • the emergence of Muscovite Russia as a major player on the European arena by the early eighteenth century
  • the structure of political power in early modern Russia
  • rapid territorial and racial expansion from the sixteenth century and its consequences
  • the Time of Troubles: Muscovy’s first civil war and the change of ruling dynasty
  • the struggle of the Russian crown to curtail the power of its aristocracy
  • the beginning of Russia’s slow progress towards ‘Westernisation’
  • the ground-breaking reforms of Peter I

  • Target Students

    2nd-year BA History Single and Joint Honours only

    Classes

    Two-hour seminar is fortnightly. This module ties in with Doing History, a series of lectures and seminars designed to: i) develop your awareness of both the craft of the historian and the discipline of history; ii) refine your key historical skills, including essay-writing, source analysis and critical reflection; and iii) support you in your development as a historian.

    Assessment

    Assessed by end of autumn semester

    Educational Aims

    The purpose of this module is to explore in depth the transformation of Muscovite Russia from the medium-sized grand ducal state it was at the beginning of the sixteenth century to an empire and the world’s largest country by 1725. It offers a coherent view of the development of Russia’s political, social and cultural institutions throughout this period. The module also discusses the emergence of principal areas of tension, which would have a long-term effect on Russian history: Russia’s growing territory and diverse population; the increasingly centripetal nature of state organisation; the monarchy’s over-reliance upon the nobility in running the country; the attendant difficulty of exerting efficient control over a political entity of such complexity.

    Learning Outcomes

    a. Knowledge and understanding of:

  • the impact of the geographic and climatic factors on the course of Russian history, politics, society and culture in early modern Muscovy
  • its evolution into a multinational and multiracial empire
  • continuity and change in Russian history; the main lines of historiographical debates surrounding Russia’s ‘special way in history’
  • the reflection of ‘Otherness’ in how Russia was perceived abroad

    b. Intellectual skills:

  • to think critically and imaginatively about the transformation of Russia in the early modern period
  • to develop an awareness of the range of secondary sources for the study of Russian history in the period under discussion
  • to form independent judgments based on the evidence acquired in the process of learning
  • to identify key problems pertaining to the subject
  • to assess and evaluate competing historical interpretations found in literature
  • to formulate conclusions in a competent and coherent fashion

    c. Professional/practical skills:

  • to assess, categorise and synthesise information obtained from secondary sources
  • to pinpoint and evaluate central arguments in those materials
  • to demonstrate essential footnoting and bibliographical skills
  • to use the electronic and library resources effectively
  • to use IT to complete written assignments in line with the conventions adopted by the School

    d. Transferable skills:

  • to manage large, incomplete and disparate bodies of knowledge
  • to take responsibility for their own learning
  • to work as part of a team
  • to allocate individual study time efficiently and meet deadlines
  • to offer a clearly structured argument in their written work
  • to communicate their thoughts in an articulate and concise manner orally and in writing
  • to use IT and the appropriate Internet resources

  • Conveners

    View in Curriculum Catalogue
    Last updated 07/01/2025.