HISTORY OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY EURASIA

This course aims to define the main historical dynamics of Eurasia in modern and contemporary times. The course will first of all touch the expansion of the Russian empire starting from the second half of the sixteenth century: Tatar khanates of Volga and Crimea, Siberia, Caucasus, Central Asia and Far East. In-depth attention will be devoted to the dynamics of political, social and cultural interaction between the Russian center and the populations gradually included in the empire. The Soviet era will then be taken into consideration, with particular reference to nationality policies and to the relationship with neighboring states. Finally, the last part of the course will address the political situation that arose after the dissolution of the USSR, outlining especially the establishment of independent republics and their relations with the Eurasian Economic Union and the Chinese infrastructure projects (BIS).

Knowledge and understanding::
- to develop a good understanding of the the general lines of the history of Eurasia with particular reference to modern and contemporary times

Applying knowledge and understanding:
- to understand the specificity of this huge geographical and cultural area that in modern times has seen the expansion of Russia with complex dynamics of relationship with the conquered populations, mainly Muslim and Buddhist, as well with China and Japan.
- to develop an appropriate approach to this particularly complex area, insisting above all on its geographical, economic and cultural importance.

Making judgements:
- to produce critical judgments on the historical and cultural phenomena of the course
- to analyze various types of sources according to a critical approach

Communication:
- to express and re-elaborate the contents of the programme in written form.

Lifelong learning skills:
- to know how to take notes in an effective way
- to know how to critically integrate the study of different materials (notes, slides, manuals, creative texts, academic articles)
- to be able to independently study materials and topics not covered during the lectures
- to refine one's ability to study materials in English

No previous knowledge in the field is required.

Formation of the Russian Empire: Kievian, Byzantine and Mongolian heritage.
The conquest of the khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan and Sibir
Siberia in the Russian Empire.
The conquest of the Crimean khanate
Caucasus in the Russian Empire
The conquest of Central Asia
The Russian-Chinese border
The push towards the Far East
The Soviet period
The dissolution of the USSR
Post-Soviet dynamics
Eurasia between Russia and China

Two volumes of your choice among the followings (three for non-attendant students):

- O. Roy, The New Central Asia: The Creation of Nations, I. B. Tauris, London 2000.
- P. Sartori, Altro che seta. Corano e progresso in Turkestan, Campanotto, Udine 2003.
- M. Buttino, La rivoluzione capovolta. L’Asia centrale tra il crollo dell’impero zarista e la formazione dell’Urss, L’ancora del Mediterraneo, Napoli 2003.
- A. Kappeler, La Russia. Storia di un impero multietnico, Edizioni Lavoro, Roma 2006.
- P. Chuvin, R. Létolle, S. Peyrouse, Histoire de l’Asie centrale contemporaine, Fayard, Paris 2008.
- A. Ferrari, Breve storia del Caucaso, Carocci, Roma 2007.
- A. Ferrari, La foresta e la steppa. Il mito dell'Eurasia nella cultura russa, Mimesis, Milano 2011.
- A. Ferrari, Quando il Caucaso incontrò la Russia. Cinque storie esemplari, Guerini e Associati, Milano 2015.
- D. Trenin, Post-Imperium. A Eurasian Story, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington 2011
- A. J. Rieber, The Struggle for the Eurasian Borderlands: From the Rise of Early Modern Empires to the End of the First World War. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

The exam consists of an oral examination concerning the topics of the programme

Conventional, with powerpoint presentations

Italian