HISTORY 138 · also RUSSIAN 224
From Stalin to Putin: The Art of Dictatorship
Anna Krylova
Description from DukeHub
When the Soviet Union ceased to exist, many believed that Russia's history of autocratic rule might finally end. Today Russia under Putin appears to be retreating from democracy. Putin's rule is routinely compared to a dictatorship. The Soviet most notorious dictator, Stalin is being rehabilitated by the Russian establishment. This course traces the history of modern Russian politics from Stalin to Putin and examines how such completely ordinary individuals managed to amass the kind of power that is best described dictatorial. It examines the complex evolution of communist and post-Soviet leadership. The course is comparative and draws on Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy as case studies.
Skills
No skill passed the confidence bar. Weak matches go to review instead of this page: an AI pass that has to quote the description, then a person.
AI-resilient: 1 of 5
- No: Physical, lab or field work
- No: Live work with people
- Yes: Judgment someone is accountable for · "leadership"
- No: A craft you practice with your hands or body
- No: Small, in-person format
The checks lean on Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025), which found generative AI applies least to physical work and hands-on work with people. A signal, not a promise. How the score works
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