We live in an international system dominated by accusations of growing Russian power and meddling in the affairs of other countries -- from the civil war that has raged in Ukraine since 2013, to the US presidential elections of 2016. These stories show that Central and Eastern Europe -- a region largely taken for granted since the end of the Cold War -- has once again become a battleground for the future of the international order. This course will both offer a broad overview of that region's history since the late 1700s -- through empires, revolutions, and cold wars -- and provide students with the critical tools to develop their own views on that history.