This course examines the development of major social, political, and intellectual movements from the time of Peter the Great to the fall of the Romanovs in 1917. The course evaluates standard dynastic approaches to Russian Imperial history. It also raises questions in line with current historiography, including the growth of new social groups, the impact of literacy on society, legal and social reforms in the 1860s, and many other factors important in understanding the ultimate breakdown of the Russian Empire.