Empire and Environment in Eurasia, 1700-

The Soviet Union, like the Russian Empire before it, straddled one-sixth of the planet’s landmass. Both powers drew on this territory’s vast resources—organic, mineral, animal, and human—to dominate their neighbors and exert power on the world stage. In the process, they dramatically reconfigured local ecosystems, from Central Asian deserts to Pacific islands. This seminar traces the interaction between empire and environment across three eras: Tsarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet. Its approach is comparative, framing developments in Russia alongside those elsewhere—in China, Europe, and the US. The course asks: How have modern polities transformed Eurasia’s land, water, and air? In turn, how has the natural world shaped the trajectories of diverse imperial projects? And what legacies have these encounters left for today? Topics include settler colonialism, energy transitions, “natural” disasters, warfare, environmentalism, scientific diplomacy, ecocide, climate change, and the comparative footprints of capitalism and communism. While the approach is historical, students will engage materials from across disciplines (alongside films, novellas, and other primary sources) with an eye towards today’s political and ecological dilemmas. The seminar is designed for upper-division and graduate students with an interest in environmental history methods. Previous exposure to Russian and Eurasian Studies is helpful, but not required.