What you must do in this unit
- You've already read about Marxism in Russia, particularly pages 364-65 and 417-18.
- Check the remarks by Professor Blois and Professor Evans on Marxism in Russia.
- Study the Questions to Consider and the Key Terms for the Unit.
- Post (or respond) with your thoughts/ideas/comments about this unit's reading in the Canvas discussion forum (5 points).
What you can do in this unit
- In 1963 Professor Samuel Baron published his definitive biography of Georgii Plekhanov, one of the key founders of the Marxist movement in Russia. Read some of Baron's reflections on long, and continuing, study of Plekhanov in *.doc or *.PDF format.
Some videos that you can watch for this unit
- (Part 1) Lenin: Revolutionary – Documentary
- Lenin (biography)
- Lenin's Speech: What Is Soviet Power? / Ленин:Что такое Советская власть?
- Leon Trotsky Speech in Mexico about the Moscow trials in English ~1937 (complete version)
- For extra credit please suggest to your instructor a relevant video for this unit of the course. Send the title of the video, the URL and a brief explanation of why you find the video interesting and applicable to the material that is being studied in this unit.
Extra Credit Options
- For up to 25 points of extra credit, submit the Lenin paper assignment based on Lenin's, What is to be Done? (1902).
- For a maximum of 25 points extra credit, read excerpts from Lenin's “Our Programme” (1899) and explain the basic ideas of Lenin’s plan for a social-democratic uprising?
- For up to 25 points of extra credit, read R. N. Carew-Hunt, The Theory and Practice of Communism: An Introduction (1957) and write a one-page paper explaining the main tenets of "Russian" communism.
- For up to 25 points of extra credit, read Fedor Dan, The Origins of Bolshevism (1946) and write a one-page paper in which you answer the question, "What were the origins of Bolshevism?"
- For up to 25 points of extra credit, read Trotskii, My Life (1930) and write a one-page paper in which you explain why Trotskii became a revolutionary.
- For up to 25 points of extra credit, read Philip Pomper, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin (1990) and write a one-page paper comparing the lives of these three revolutionaries.
- For up to 10 points of extra credit, watch Stachka (Strike) and write a long paragraph in which you explain some of the ideology behind the movie.
- For up to 10 points of extra credit, read Trotsky's remarks on the use of terror in his 1920 pamphlet, Dictatorship vs. Democracy (Terrorism and Communism), and explain his justifications for the use of terror in a long paragraph.
Unit Learning Objectives
- Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to (1) demonstrate knowledge of the introduction of Marxism to Russian radicals and intellectuals.