Essay+Topics

=** Essays ** 1,500 words Typed, double spaced Must include //Works Cited page// ( **5 sources – at least** **3 books**). //Outline//.(**Thesis statement at the top**) to be passed in within two weeks.. =

** References ** – formal research essay **must** have references (3 -4 at least per page) or footnotes/endnotes Follow //Form and Format// or other **Topics** 1. Was Marx’s program of communism ever implemented in the former Soviet Union? 2. Woodrow Wilson told the American people in 1916 that an Allied victory would “ make the world safe for democracy”. Why did he think so? Did his prediction come true? 3. Was the unification of Germany accomplished by the “will of the people” or “by the will of one man”? 4. Was World War One a turning point in the history of the modern world? 5. In an assessment of the causes of the Great Depression, is it possible to single out one or two factors that were the major causes? 6. Under the theory of collective security, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union should have cooperated to stop the aggressor nations. Explain why they did not do this. Does their failure to do this in the 1930’s prove that collective security was a poor policy? 7. Considering that Hitler openly declared his design for war and conquest, was appeasement a wise policy in the 1930’s? 8. Was the United States justified in dropping two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945? 9. Compare the role of the United States in Korea and in Vietnam. What were the similarities and differences in the American involvement in these wars? Also, explain the difference in the attitude of the American public towards these two wars. 10. Explain thoroughly, the Sino-Soviet dispute which erupted during the Cold War. 11. Explain Mao’s rise to power in China, and how he “modified” Marx so as to make the “communist revolution” possible in China. 12. Can one say that Canadians made a more significant fighting contribution than the Americans during World War One? 13. Was the philosophy of Karl Marx simply the wishful thinking of a disgruntled pauper? 14. Analyze the causes of the failure of the League of Nations. 15. Did the Vietnam War have any justification in fact? 16. Analyze the causes of the breakup of the Soviet Union. 17. The War in Afghanistan was Russia’s Vietnam. Discuss. 18. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world has come to Nuclear War. In discussing this statement consider other close calls the world has experienced with Nuclear War. 19. Where did Hitler make his fatal blunder? Was it the Blitz, Operation Barbarian or some other major campaign? 20. Stalin was a ruthless leader. How does he compare with Hitler ? How much does it matter to people’s view of leaders, if they win or lose? 21. Britain controlled a huge empire at the turn of the 20th century. Was it to the advantage of the people to have British control or was it an inexcusable restriction of their freedom? . 22. “Considering the studied neglect of the realities of the Nazi racial policy and the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945, perhaps all of Western Civilization should have been put on trial at Nuremberg.” Discuss this hypothesis in terms of the actions prevalent during the period. 23. The United Nations has helped keep the world from a major war longer than the League of Nations. How are the two different in the way they are structured, run and supported? What could be the fatal flaw in the United Nations. 24. “The Weimar Republic never had a chance to be successful.” Investigate this experiment in democracy in Germany after WWI and discuss whether this is a true statement. 25. The Peace treaties at the end of World War I had a major impact on the Middle East. Discuss these treaties and the reasons the West felt that they were necessary. What is their responsibility for the conflict in the Middle East today?. 26. How did Cold War Détente represent “a thaw in US-Soviet relations”? 27. Compare Napoleon’s Grand Design of 1805 with the European Union of 2011. 28. Churchill and Roosevelt had different views on the USSR. What were they, and who was right? 29. “During the 1920’s and 1930’s, most of the eastern European states moved away from democracy towards some form of authoritarian rule.” Explain why such states as Hungary, Poland and Rumania, originally established as the Treaty of Versailles, eventually established authoritarian regimes. =** Essays ** 1,500 words Typed, double spaced Must include //Works Cited page// ( **5 sources – at least** **3 books**). //Outline//.(**Thesis statement at the top**) to be passed in within two weeks.. =
 * Construction ** **Formal Essay**
 * Follow MLA (new) or Chicago style*
 * Do not use personal pronouns or slang or metaphors (argumentative essay)
 * Numbers should be written out (except for dates and “ inside quotes”)
 * Tense – use the same tense (**past**, if possible) - Thesis statement must be in the first
 * No contractions ( can’t, don’t etc.) paragraph– refer to thesis
 * Sentences - make sure that you have a subject and a verb statement in the conclusion
 * Paragraphs – should not take a whole page! Each paragraph should connect to
 * Each paragraph should have a focus the thesis.
 * Page numbers top right hand corner
 * Spelling – use spell check and proof read (led, too, their)
 * Watch for apostrophes and commas
 * information which is not general knowledge and direct quotes
 * must be acknowledged - use “in-line parentheses”
 * use quotation marks if it is an **exact** quote reputable source. owl@purdue.org Internet source – give the author, address ( page if possible) and date retrieved

** References ** – formal research essay **must** have references (3 -4 at least per page) or footnotes/endnotes Follow //Form and Format// or other **Topics** 1. Was Marx’s program of communism ever implemented in the former Soviet Union? 2. Woodrow Wilson told the American people in 1916 that an Allied victory would “ make the world safe for democracy”. Why did he think so? Did his prediction come true? 3. Was the unification of Germany accomplished by the “will of the people” or “by the will of one man”? 4. Was World War One a turning point in the history of the modern world? 5. In an assessment of the causes of the Great Depression, is it possible to single out one or two factors that were the major causes? 6. Under the theory of collective security, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union should have cooperated to stop the aggressor nations. Explain why they did not do this. Does their failure to do this in the 1930’s prove that collective security was a poor policy? 7. Considering that Hitler openly declared his design for war and conquest, was appeasement a wise policy in the 1930’s? 8. Was the United States justified in dropping two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945? 9. Compare the role of the United States in Korea and in Vietnam. What were the similarities and differences in the American involvement in these wars? Also, explain the difference in the attitude of the American public towards these two wars. 10. Explain thoroughly, the Sino-Soviet dispute which erupted during the Cold War. 11. Explain Mao’s rise to power in China, and how he “modified” Marx so as to make the “communist revolution” possible in China. 12. Can one say that Canadians made a more significant fighting contribution than the Americans during World War One? 13. Was the philosophy of Karl Marx simply the wishful thinking of a disgruntled pauper? 14. Analyze the causes of the failure of the League of Nations. 15. Did the Vietnam War have any justification in fact? 16. Analyze the causes of the breakup of the Soviet Union. 17. The War in Afghanistan was Russia’s Vietnam. Discuss. 18. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world has come to Nuclear War. In discussing this statement consider other close calls the world has experienced with Nuclear War. 19. Where did Hitler make his fatal blunder? Was it the Blitz, Operation Barbarian or some other major campaign? 20. Stalin was a ruthless leader. How does he compare with Hitler ? How much does it matter to people’s view of leaders, if they win or lose? 21. Britain controlled a huge empire at the turn of the 20th century. Was it to the advantage of the people to have British control or was it an inexcusable restriction of their freedom? . 22. “Considering the studied neglect of the realities of the Nazi racial policy and the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945, perhaps all of Western Civilization should have been put on trial at Nuremberg.” Discuss this hypothesis in terms of the actions prevalent during the period. 23. The United Nations has helped keep the world from a major war longer than the League of Nations. How are the two different in the way they are structured, run and supported? What could be the fatal flaw in the United Nations. 24. “The Weimar Republic never had a chance to be successful.” Investigate this experiment in democracy in Germany after WWI and discuss whether this is a true statement. 25. The Peace treaties at the end of World War I had a major impact on the Middle East. Discuss these treaties and the reasons the West felt that they were necessary. What is their responsibility for the conflict in the Middle East today?. 26. How did Cold War Détente represent “a thaw in US-Soviet relations”? 27. Compare Napoleon’s Grand Design of 1805 with the European Union of 2011. 28. Churchill and Roosevelt had different views on the USSR. What were they, and who was right? 29. “During the 1920’s and 1930’s, most of the eastern European states moved away from democracy towards some form of authoritarian rule.” Explain why such states as Hungary, Poland and Rumania, originally established as the Treaty of Versailles, eventually established authoritarian regimes.
 * Construction ** **Formal Essay**
 * Follow MLA (new) or Chicago style*
 * Do not use personal pronouns or slang or metaphors (argumentative essay)
 * Numbers should be written out (except for dates and “ inside quotes”)
 * Tense – use the same tense (**past**, if possible) - Thesis statement must be in the first
 * No contractions ( can’t, don’t etc.) paragraph– refer to thesis
 * Sentences - make sure that you have a subject and a verb statement in the conclusion
 * Paragraphs – should not take a whole page! Each paragraph should connect to
 * Each paragraph should have a focus the thesis.
 * Page numbers top right hand corner
 * Spelling – use spell check and proof read (led, too, their)
 * Watch for apostrophes and commas
 * information which is not general knowledge and direct quotes
 * must be acknowledged - use “in-line parentheses”
 * use quotation marks if it is an **exact** quote reputable source. owl@purdue.org Internet source – give the author, address ( page if possible) and date retrieved