Syllabus:

Lecture Schedule

Assignments

Class Meets Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30-5:20 pm, Thomson Hall 331

This course surveys the history of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the broader Baltic region, concentrating on the twentieth century. Students will explore uses of personal documents (memoirs, letters, and oral history interviews) in historical research.

Course Objectives:

·        Know a timeline of 20^th-century Baltic History, and be able to discuss connections between events

·        Learn how to do source critical analysis of primary and secondary sources

·        Analyze the role of individual persons in experiencing and shaping historical events

·        Research a problem related to 20^th-century Baltic history, and write an essay presenting your findings.

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Grades

• Source analysis 10%
• Research paper, 12-15 pages 50%
• Quizzes, class participation 20%
• Final examination (Thursday, December 14) 20%

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Required Readings   

• Modris Eksteins, Walking since Daybreak (Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999)
• Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania: Independent Again (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2000)
• Toivo Raun, Estonia and the Estonians, 2nd ed. (Stanford, Calif : Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University, c2001)
• Selected primary/secondary sources (handouts packet and links in the Lecture Schedule)
• Optional background information: David J. Smith, Artis Pabriks, Aldis Purs and Thomas Lane, The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (London: Routledge, 2002)

Recommended Reading:

• Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 4th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2004)

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Written Assignments

(Due dates vary), Source Criticism: Prepare a 5-10 minute oral presentation about a primary source in the class reading assignments, to be presented in class on the due date for that reading assignment (Use Rampolla’s Handbook as a guide). You may do extra presentations for extra credit.   

Due December 8: Write an entry for the Encyclopedia of Baltic History.  Portions of this paper will be due on Oct 2, 13, and 27.  A draft is due on November 17.  See the Assignments page for details. 

Due December 1: Critique of a classmate's paper draft, as discussed in class. 

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Last Updated 06/06/2008