For a country that no longer exists, the Soviet Union continues to have substantial impact on the contemporary global order. In 2005, Russian leader Vladimir Putin called the collapse of the Soviet Union “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century”.  He added that “for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy”, lamenting how millions of them were left outside of an “historical Russia”. At the time, many observers considered that and similar comments Putin made as nationalist rhetoric or simple nostalgia for a time when Russia represented more of a global power. However, following Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea, and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s comments reveal a much more complex and dangerous world view: focused, at least in part, on the restoration of Russian and Soviet empires long since passed. In that respect, understanding the history of the Soviet Union is key to understanding modern Russia and the pivotal role it plays in today’s international order. It is also essential to understanding the fifteen other countries that used to be part of it, and the contemporary conflicts that haunt many of them.  This course explores the history of the Soviet Union from its origins to its collapse, with respect to both national and international dimensions. Topics include the collapse of imperial rule and the Russian Revolution; the civil war; Soviet efforts to reshape politics, the economy, and history; that nature of “everyday life” for the millions who lived in the country; the pivotal role of leadership, ideology, and ‘world views’; state violence and genocide; the Second World War; de-Stalinization and détente; Cold War foreign policy; division and decline in the Soviet empire; and the eventual collapse of the state. We will also examine the legacy of Soviet rule in the region today, particularly with respect to modern Russia, its role in global affairs, and the war in Ukraine.