HIS 203 — Vladimir Lenin: Hero, Tyrant, Revolutionary
Quarter: Fall
Instructor(s): Kristen Edwards
Date(s): Sep 23—Nov 18
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Please Note: No class on October 14
Tuition: $495
Refund Deadline: Sep 25
Unit(s): 1
Status: Registration opens Aug 17, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Fall
Day: Wednesdays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Sep 23—Nov 18
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $495
Refund Deadline: Sep 25
Instructor(s): Kristen Edwards
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Aug 17, 8:30 am (PT)
Please Note: No class on October 14
Few figures have shaped the modern world as decisively as Vladimir Lenin, architect of the first communist state and inspiration for revolutionary movements across the globe. This course offers an in-depth examination of his life, thought, and lasting impact. We will trace Lenin’s rise in three phases: his early radicalization in late imperial Russia, shaped by his embrace of Marxism and his brother's execution; his leadership during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917; and his role in building the Soviet state until his death in 1924. The course examines his key writings, including What Is to Be Done? and Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, and his policies, such as War Communism and the New Economic Policy. The course also examines his years in exile, his partnership with his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, and rivalries within the revolutionary movement. Together, these perspectives illuminate the paradoxes of Lenin’s legacy and the enduring consequences of the revolution that shaped the modern world.
KRISTEN EDWARDS
Independent Scholar
Kristen Edwards received a PhD in history from Stanford. She has taught Russian, European, and world history at Menlo College, Notre Dame de Namur University, and Stanford. She has contributed to Seventeen Moments in Soviet History (an online media archive) and led Stanford Travel/Study trips to Russia. Having taught Russian film in her history courses since Putin's early years in power, Edwards is researching his use of film in shaping Russian culture and society today. Textbooks for this course:
(Required) Victor Sebestyen, Lenin: The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror (ISBN 978-1101974308)
(Required) Vladimir Lenin, Essential Works of Lenin: "What Is to Be Done?" and Other Writings (ISBN 978-0486253336)
(Required) Vladimir Lenin, Essential Works of Lenin: "What Is to Be Done?" and Other Writings (ISBN 978-0486253336)