Politics of Post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine (369-0-20)

Instructors

Jordan Gans-Morse
847/467-1154
2001 Sheridan Road, 3166
Office Hours: By appointment only

Meeting Info

2001 Sheridan GPC 1125: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

When Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he turned the international order upside down, initiated the largest war in Europe in over half a century, and set the stage for Russia’s return to totalitarianism. How did this catastrophic turn of events come to be, and what will happen next? This course analyzes the political, economic, and foreign policy upheavals that shook Russia and Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Through the lens of the Russian and Ukrainian experiences, we will examine key concepts in comparative politics, such as revolution, regime change, market formation, nationalism, and state building. We will also consider key international relations debates pertaining to NATO enlargement, Russian imperialism, and other topics essential to understanding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing geopolitical crisis it unleashed.

Class Materials (Required)

• Daniel Treisman, The Return: Russia’s Journey from Gorbachev to Medvedev (Free Press, 2011) (digital version available via NU library)
• Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel, Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States (Polity Press, 2024)

Class Attributes

SoC Individual and Social Behavior Distro