Can the Russian Revolutions of 1917 be considered an example of class formation? Discuss the factors of class unity and class division in 1917. What goals and experiences brought workers to act together? What factors worked against unified class identity? Answer these questions by drawing on the readings in the Kaiser book by S. A. Smith, Diane Koenker, William Rosenberg, and Ronald Suny, as well as other readings and examples of class, class consciousness, and class action.

Use examples from readings and lectures. Give author, title, and page numbers as references where appropriate. (E.g. "Smith argues, ... [Kaiser, p. 63]", or "According to Suny, ... [Kaiser, p. 121]", or "As compared with the experience of the Berlin proletariat in 1918" [Lindemann, p. 209].

The paper is due Monday, April 10, at 10 am. There is no one right answer (not even mine! Although I stand by what I wrote, I would write that article differently today). Essays will be evaluated on the basis of clarity, logic of organization, and evidence that you have understood and synthesized the readings and class material.

The essay should be your own work, and all ideas borrowed from other sources must be acknowledged. Plagiarism is claiming that the work of someone else is your own. Plagiarism will be penalized by failure in the course.