Term Paper Topic Ideas

[amirsan]

I am currently thinking of topics for our AP European History class Term Paper due June 15. Basically, we can do it on anything between the Renaissance to Modern times, and atleast 1000 words.

Some topics I have been interested in is Metternich, Bismarck, Humanism, and thats about it. Possibly other topics, but I think Metternick and Bismarck are among the most interesting figures in European history.

However I am not sure where to go after that. WHAT about Metternich? Or Bismarck? I can't just write a general biography, or else that is not a research paper, and it wouldn't be very good if done in a couple pages.

So any ideas on where I can go further with my interest in Metternich and/or Bismarck? I am particularly interested in their foreign policies... however I need a more minute topic, something sound and focused to go by.

 

[Plotinus]

What about the Kulturkampf?

Although I have to say, I can't imagine that you'll have to do much research to fill 1,000 words. The last term paper I did was 15,000 words!

 

[amirsan]

Hey Plotinus, well, 1000 words is the minimum, but personally I'd rather write more - lol, but not as much as 15,000 lol.

About Kulturkampf, its interesting, but its more domestic and if not domestic, limited to German relations with the Church. I'd rather do something focused on the foreign policy of nations - mainly because I do want to major in International Relations.

Also, I might consider doing more indepth research on whatever topic after June 15, and possibly even submit it to a journal like tcr.org.

 

[amirsan]

Anyone else have some ideas?

Or you, Plotinus?

 

[ULTIMATEGP]

does WW2 count as modern time because you could do Stalingrad as it was the first battle that started urbn warfare.

 

[Plotinus]

Well, I don't know anything about Metternich and the Kulturkampf is the main thing I know about Bismarck. Perhaps you could do something about the treaties he set up and their role in the causes of WW1, but that wouldn't be very original or interesting!

 

[ULTIMATEGP]

Well Bismark is one of my favorite people in history. Maybe you can do resaerch on the event's leading to his resignation.

 

[The Yankee]

Anything about Ireland in the 20th Century seems to fit and a lot of topics would easily cover 1000 words. Plus, it's not much of an obvious topic, which should help some.

I did a basic paper for a literature class this term on the Irish 20th century, included things from the war to it's economic emergence.

 

[TheBladeRoden]

How did the English Empire become the top scorer by the start of the Industrial Era with such a lousy starting position?

 

[7ronin]

The Highland clearances and Scottish emigration to the Americas.

Wilhelm II's foreign policy post Bismarck: brakes off and full speed ahead to World War I?

The dominoe theory and the containment of Communism.

Douglas MacArthur and the occupation of Japan.

The importance of railroads in the war fighting strategies of both the North and the South during the Civil War.

The Imperial Japanese Army as a prime mover in Japanese modernization.

The United States' submarine campaign against Japan in World War II.

Jacques Louis David and the French Revolution.

Hannibal's use of elephants.

The political context of Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon.

Egyptian naming of the pyramids.

The role of magistrates in Tang China.

World War II: Continental invasion possible in 1942?

POW utilization by the allies during World War II.

Did the A bombings induce Japan to surrender?

 

[soul_warrior]

does a paper on CROMWELL and the reasons he got to where he got interest you?
how about the long lasting effect of the English civil war?

Bismark's foriegn policy?

German Imperialism - a survey.

something about the Religious Wars of germany? Martin Luther, etc.

 

[Mano3]

Here are some title of papers I had to do. Maybe they'll spark an idea:

Treaty of Portsmouth

Causes of the War of 1812

 

[amirsan]

Thanks for the ideas guys! Well I would personally like to stick to either Metternich or Bismarck, my question is WHAT about them? What about them should I write about them? It has to be specific.

So I am particuarly interested in their foreign policy, but that is still a broad topic. Basically I am looking for some direction towards that path.

7ronin, lots of great topics, but many are not in my time period or region, I need to stick to renaissance-modern Europe.

As for English history, I'm not particularly interested, however some key figures like Elizabeth I, Disraeli, and Churchill do interest me.

 

[Plotinus]

Well then, maybe something on Bismarck and Disraeli together. A comparison of great facial hair of the 1870s, perhaps.

 

[Kamilian]

haven't seen you in a LOOONG time, amirsan

possible topics could be also like
Prelude to World War I - how factors such as the Balkan and Moroccan crises, as well as colonialism in Africa and nationalism contributed to that war

Results of World War I on Europe, short-term and long-term - ie, the collapse of major European powers and how that conflict essentially kick-started the process of the fall of European hegemony and its replacement by the USA as the leading influence and superpower. It could cover even the European Union, and you could examine in what ways might the European Union be an effort by Europe's once-superpowers to restore European supremacy in world affairs

Examine Stalinism in Russia and its effects on Soviet communism - was Soviet communism always bound to be so tyrannical, cloistered, repressive, since its inception by Lenin in 1918, or did Stalin's rule essentially replace what could otherwise have been a more accepting government/society with a rule-by-terror tyranny?

The League of Nations and the United Nations - in what ways is the UN more successful/effective than its failed parent, the LoN? In what ways is it the same (such as that the peacekeeping forces are supposed to preserve, not enforce, peace)? You could easily cite Abyssinia, Manchuria, Rhineland for LoN and particularly the current nuclear Iran crisis for UN. Talk about the workings of both organizations, which are similar, with the Security Council members having veto power and requiring unanimous approval - how this unanimous-agreement rule may be hampering effectiveness and activity.

Why did communism not take hold in post-war France and Italy, despite the activity of those nations' communist movements in the wartime resistance? (though this might not be the best one for a 1,000+ paper, you could build on it somehow, or maybe talk about how/why/with what effects did the Western European communist parties diverge from Moscow and become "Eurocommunist"?)

Compare Metternich and Bismarck's policies - Metternich being a conservative who readily crushed nationalist movements in the German states while Bismarck reconciled his conservatism with nationalism by pressing to unify Germany under Prussia. This suggestion of mine might be even worse than the one above, but I'm sure you can figure out how to build on it, or someone else can come up with something better or more specific or whatever.

 

[amirsan]

I like the idea of comparing Disraeli and Bismarck, I'm going to think about that.

I also like your last suggestion Kamilian, about comparing the foreign policy of Metternich and Bismarck. Ofcourse it might be a bit tough though, but its a good start.

 

[The Yankee]

Perhaps Bismarck's view of the Great European Powers that preferred a divided Germany and how he coped with that as he went on campaigns? I'm sure he had to have had them.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

One good one might be the relationship between Britain and her colonies, and how they changed through the year of the Empire, from the American Revolution to India to the World wars to the independence movements to the commonwealth system we have today.

Another one I doubt people would write about ( which are the best topics in my opinion) would be the Spansh Civil War. You could talk about how it allowed the Germans to get around the Versailles Treaty, etc etc and how Franco kept the Spanish out of the war maybe?

 

[Verbose]

If you want to deal with Bismarck, and since Britain and its colonies have already been brought up, how about using the 1885 Berlin Conference as a starting point for discussing the Scramble for Africa? I imagine I'd use it to describe inter-European rivalry and to compare the modalities colonialism in the major European powers.