CARLETON UNIVERSITY Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies EURR 4202A/5202F Special Topics in Russian, Eurasian and Transition Studies: Nazism and Stalinism Fall 2013 Thurs., 11:35 am - 2:25 pm, Southam Hall 315 Prof. Jeff Sahadeo Tel: 613-520-2600, ext. 2996 Office: Rive Building 3305 Office hours: Monday and Friday 3:00-4:00 pm or by appointment. Email:
[email protected] Prof. James Casteel Tel.: 613-520-2600, ext. 1934 Office: River Building 3306 Office hours: Mondays 9:45-11:15 am or by appointment. Email:
[email protected] Nazism and Stalinism left an indelible mark on the histories of Europe, Russia and Eurasia in the twentieth century, and the memories and legacies of these political regimes are still subjects of controversy in the region today. This course will engage in a comparative study of the politics, society, and cultures of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Stalin. Scholars and theorists of totalitarianism have often pointed towards similarities between the two regimes focusing on such factors as the leadership cult, role of the party, emphasis on the mobilization of the masses, and the erosion of boundaries between the private and the public. Yet, there were also substantial differences in the workings of the two systems in terms of the relationship between state and society, dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, and the role of violence in constructing each regime’s respective social utopia. In this course, we will aim to read these two histories in tandem, comparing and contrasting the regimes, pointing to both similarities and differences.