Need paper topic, pls

[thenooblet22]

Hey, I really need some ideas for a term paper I have to write for my German History course (1815-present). The topic can be anything pertaining to Germany during this time period, with the exception of historical figures (not a biography). The paper has to be about 15 pages in length (double-spaced, around 4,500 words), so I would really appreciate it if you could give me a topic that was genuinely interesting for me to research and write about, as I will be spending a good deal of time doing so.

The topic is due by tomorrow before midnight. Thank you if you can help!!

tl;dr Modern Germany research paper, no historical figures, please help me decide on topic!!

 

[sophie]

Hey, I really need some ideas for a term paper I have to write for my German History course (1815-present). The topic can be anything pertaining to Germany during this time period, with the exception of historical figures (not a biography). The paper has to be about 15 pages in length (double-spaced, around 4,500 words), so I would really appreciate it if you could give me a topic that was genuinely interesting for me to research and write about, as I will be spending a good deal of time doing so.

The topic is due by tomorrow before midnight. Thank you if you can help!!

tl;dr Modern Germany research paper, no historical figures, please help me decide on topic!!

Easy one: factors leading to the unification of Germany in 1870/71

Easier one: something arbitrary about WWI

More difficult but possibly more rewarding: general effect brought about by German unification for the people . We need some help here, anything is a little broad. What do you like? Political history, social history, economic history?

Easier easier: Ask Dachs, this stuff is right up his alley.

 

[Ajidica]

I would go with the German Unification. I did a presentation on it in AP Euro and I found it fascinating. I mean, you get the best of Napoleon, the collapse of the HRE, the Dual Revolution, the Revolutions of 1848, the German Unification itself, a nice war with France, the development of the Central Powers and the Triple Entente, and finaly, the disintigration of the 'balence of power' ideology which set the stage for WWI. You literaly get everything.

 

[sophie]

the disintigration of the 'balence of power' ideology which set the stage for WWI. You literaly get everything.

You best watch out for Dachs with rhetoric like that.

 

[bombshoo]

Personally, as a fan of Cold War history, I'd go with something to do with the two Germanies.

If you want to be very specific, the revival of German science in Post-war West Germany is an interesting subject, espeically when compared with the stagnation of the GDR.

 

[thenooblet22]

Hey, thanks for the responses guys.

I'm not necessarily looking for easy. I appreciate some challenge. Plus, I don't want to do what everyone else will be doing themselves. But I'm open for almost anything.

@bombshoo - Cool, thanks. I'll look that up tomorrow and see if I like it.

Keep up the suggestions! I'm terrible at brainstorming this kind of stuff I really appreciate anything you can offer

 

[sophie]

We need some help here, anything is a little broad. What do you like? Political history, social history, economic history?

This, again.

 

[civ-addicted]

The Hambach Festival? Colonies of Germany, somthing about Deutsch-Südwest (some people there still speak german in Namibia)? I'd pick something from the 19th century; WWI, WWII and Cold War is just way too mainstream.

 

[Dachs]

How about the negotiations surrounding the Prussian Zollverein in the 1830s and 1840s (and you could include the Austro-Prussian wrangling over Grossdeutsch solutions in the '50s as well)? Right there you've got economics, especially trade, but you've also got the military policy of the DB intimately connected to it, and of course geopolitics. So long as you don't use the tired thesis of the Zollverein being the chief agent in German unification you'll be fine.

Alternatively, you could look at the so-called "silent dictatorship" of Ludendorff and von Hindenburg. The juxtaposition of what is sometimes called military autocracy and the fact that that "autocracy" was anything but could lead you into some interesting commentary on the Wilhelmine Kaiserreich. Bonus points for comparing the silent dictatorship to the position of, say, Joffre in France. (Because comparative/supernational history is ALL THE RAGE these days.)

Bismarckian international relations tied to internal politics in the Kaiserreich - the relationship of, say, the Chancellor to the Nationalliberale, or the role that international crises played in Reichstag elections - could be theoretically very fertile ground. You might be even able to get fifteen pages out of the Eastern Rumelian Crisis (the one that blew up into "everybody in Europe against the UK") and the 1887 elections. So long as the whole thing doesn't turn into Bismarck hero-worship or homage, you'll do well.

It'd make things a lot easier if you told us what you were interested in, though.

 

[Dragonlord]

Some very cool topics, here! Be sure and post your paper in this forum, when you're finished, please! Whichever you pick...

And, BTW: tomorrow at midnight? Left it a bit late, haven't you? Let me guess: burst worker? I can sympathize, but that is a bit extreme...

Oh, and on topics: How about something about the difficulties of reintegrating the former GDR into a unified Germany. With special emphasis on the problems with the currency conversion 1:1? Hint: Kohl got re-elected, and we are still paying for it..

 

[Masada]

4500 words? That's not enough.

 

[sophie]

4500 words? That's not enough.

This fosho.

and

It'd make things a lot easier if you told us what you were interested in, though.

 

[thenooblet22]

And, BTW: tomorrow at midnight? Left it a bit late, haven't you? Let me guess: burst worker? I can sympathize, but that is a bit extreme...

I've never been able to kick the procrastination habit I'm a glutton for all-nighters.

It'd make things a lot easier if you told us what you were interested in, though.

We need some help here, anything is a little broad. What do you like? Political history, social history, economic history?

Sorry, my interests are intolerably broad. My major is history, my minor is political science, and I've taken classes in economics and anthropology. I'll bite on any interesting topic. Sorry for the vagueness.

---

Thanks for all the topics guys! I'm going to look through them all today and hopefully decide by this evening. Thanks again!!

 

[Dachs]

Lemme know what you do decide on, because I can dump a ton of sources on your ass, nineteenth-century German history being of...particular interest to me

 

[Luckymoose]

Write about the Holocaust, and deny it every step of the way.

 

[Japanrocks12]

Weltpolitik

 

[Dachs]

Most people - especially most undergrads - who write about Weltpolitik do it wrong.

 

[thenooblet22]

Alright. So what I finally decided on was the influence of the Balkans on Bismarckian international relations, specifically the events surrounding the Bulgarian Crisis -- basically what Dachs suggested. My professor still need to approve my topic choice, so I'll see what he thinks about it, probably by tomorrow. If not, my secondary choice was anything pertaining to the Wiemar under von Hindenberg -- again, thanks Dachs! And thanks to everyone else who suggested a topic. You all really helped me out.

I might post some paragraphs here and there to see if I'm wandering astray. I don't want to post my entire paper because I don't know what kind of anti-plagiarism devices my professor uses. I don't want him to think I plagiarized from myself

Again, thanks for the brain power guys!

 

[Joecoolyo]

I might post some paragraphs here and there to see if I'm wandering astray. I don't want to post my entire paper because I don't know what kind of anti-plagiarism devices my professor uses. I don't want him to think I plagiarized from myself

Well, maybe you can post it afterwords, I'd be very interested to read it. Especially considering that the Wikipedia article on it (at least the Bulgarian Crisis) is about four sentences long

 

[Dachs]

For starters, a lot of useful primary sources are available here, at the German Historical Institute's GHDI collection. You should find electoral data for the Reichstag there, and plenty of information on the Nationalliberale and Freisinnige parties.