Class Description
The horrific experiences of the Soviet peoples during the regime of Josef Stalin continue to stagger the imagination. This class will explore the historical context in which Stalin emerged to dominance and examine the extent of his crimes.
Topics to be treated will include Stalin’s ascendancy to power; the nature of his regime; the Five Year Plans; the Terror Famine; the Great Purges; Stalin’s foreign policy and the Nazi-Soviet Pact; the Great Patriotic War; and Stalin’s legacy.
Frank Biletz received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago, with a primary specialization in modern British and Irish history. He is currently Adjunct Instructor in History at Loyola University Chicago and has been teaching seminars at the Newberry since 1994.
Materials List
Required:
- Edvard Radzinsky, Stalin. Anchor Books, 1997. ISBN: 978-0-385-47954-9
Recommended:
- Sheila Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930’s. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0-19-505001-1
First Reading:
- For the first class meeting, participants should read Edvard Radzinsky, Stalin, chapters 1 to 6 (pp. 1-121).
Cost and Registration
Ten sessions, $365 ($328.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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