Need help deciding on a world history paper topic

[forgop]

So, I have a world history class and I have to write a 5-6 page paper on ANY topic pertaining to world history since 1500. It's supposed to have a real thesis and everything rather than a simple biography of sorts. I have to be able to answer questions pertaining to what events led up to said event, immediate consequences, long-term results, and most significance of said event to world history.

It can be anything, but just drawing a blank of something interesting. Anyone have a wealth of information on something I might find interesting? Things that popped into my mind would be something from the civil war, Kennedy assassination, or maybe even the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Thanks for any suggestions you may have.

[cjhalbrooks]

you could do the start of WWI very little people really understand how it started. Or you could write about how the manhattian project was comprised by the Russians.

[shark]

you could do the start of WWI very little people really understand how it started. Or you could write about how the manhattian project was comprised by the Russians.


WWI was the first thing that popped into my head as well.

[forgop]

you could do the start of WWI very little people really understand how it started. Or you could write about how the manhattian project was comprised by the Russians.

It's been awhile, but wasn't it the assassination of some dude in Europe? ;)

It easily goes through a lead up and the major repercussions thereafter. I'll do a bit of googling, but I like the idea a lot. So many great topics to choose from, but I'm trying to do it with as little "work" as possible.

Yeah, makes sense cuz it's pretty cut and dry, whereas a lot of other things have a lot more moving pieces. :tu

[markem]

Get thee to the library. Check out a book called "Connections" by James Burke. Loads of information there. The premise of the book is that you start with something innocuous and wind of with something really amazing.

[cjhalbrooks]

It's been awhile, but wasn't it the assassination of some dude in Europe? ;)
but I'm trying to do it with as little "work" as possible.

Yeah, makes sense cuz it's pretty cut and dry, whereas a lot of other things have a lot more moving pieces. :tu

Well this is really easy the war was started because of the assassination of a prince, Before that there had been lines drawn in the sand (so to speak) as in each side had chosen allies. And i want to say that germany was on the princes side. It was all a powder keg

[kelmac07]

I'm partial to the Civil War.

[forgop]

Well this is really easy the war was started because of the assassination of a prince, Before that there had been lines drawn in the sand (so to speak) as in each side had chosen allies. And i want to say that germany was on the princes side. It was all a powder keg

Just a quick search and a short clip on youtube I saw said a month after the assassination, war was declared. However, there was mention about rising tensions because of rising imperialism in Europe with dwindling resources that something was bound to happen whether the assassination happened or not.

[forgop]

I'm partial to the Civil War.

Yeah, I have a lot of interest in the Civil War myself. Once I get done with nursing school and I'm only working 2-3 days/week, I intend to make a much bigger hobby of reading rather than having my face in a dumb computer screen or iPhone. I have several books about the Civil War, WWI, and WWII in my closet, but I just don't have the time available to get my nose in anything else.

The Civil War series I really look forward to reading is the 3 book series by Shelby Foote. It'll take me awhile to get through them, but I'm hoping that I spend a lot of nice days in a hammock smoking a cigar on my deck to get through them. :tu

[CigarNut]

Do yourself a favor -- whatever topic you choose -- do real research and write a real paper. My guess is that most instructors in most cases will not like "YouTube" as a source for information in your paper.

There are lots of resources on the Internet, but your local library or school library might be better.

You only get as much out of something as you put into it...

Just my :2...

[Jbailey]

The World History Of Kingsford Charcoal.

[forgop]

Do yourself a favor -- whatever topic you choose -- do real research and write a real paper. My guess is that most instructors in most cases will not like "YouTube" as a source for information in your paper.

There are lots of resources on the Internet, but your local library or school library might be better.

You only get as much out of something as you put into it...

Just my :2...

I'm not using youtube as a source-just wanted a brief description since it's been several years since I'd read anything about it. I'll write a good paper, but for the moment just taking a few minutes to direct me down a path as I'm submitting my topic tonight.

At the end of the day, it's a 3 credit elective while I'm in school full-time, work 24 hours/week, while also being a dad/husband. It's just 5-6 pages long, so it certainly won't come anything to my graduate research project I completed for my masters degree. ;)

[hotreds]

How about the American Revolution?

[CigarNut]

I'm not using youtube as a source-just wanted a brief description since it's been several years since I'd read anything about it. I'll write a good paper, but for the moment just taking a few minutes to direct me down a path as I'm submitting my topic tonight.

At the end of the day, it's a 3 credit elective while I'm in school full-time, work 24 hours/week, while also being a dad/husband. It's just 5-6 pages long, so it certainly won't come anything to my graduate research project I completed for my masters degree. ;)I was not accusing you of citing YouTube in your paper -- your paper is not written, so there are no references. I was trying to give an example of a bad thing do to.

No need for you to justify your actions to me -- I was making a simple statement which you can choose to accept or ignore.

You are either going to put in the effort and do a good job or you are not. Your choice. You are the only one that has to live with the results.

The thing that galls me is people who do a poor job and then rant that they were treated unfairly, or it is not their fault (again, not an accusation).

[markem]

Here is a quick wiki article about a system that I helped to invent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIMNET

The parts of the system that are really fascinating for your paper is that the system is able to create very accurate (to the 3' resolution level) training simulators in real time from Landsat stereo images (e.g., you train where you will fight). Without that system, the first gulf war would have turned in to a protracted shooting war. I was on the Delta Graphics team.

[hammondc]

The events leading up to and possible resolution of the Cuban Embargo?

[ninjavanish]

I gotta go with Pirates, conquistadors, the colonization of the West Indies, the discovery of tobacco, it's cultivation and introduction to Europe (And eventually Colonial America/The U.S.) and the springboard that the tobacco trade became to the development of the economy of the Western Hemisphere and the lasting effects it had.Huge scope (Roughly dating from the 1600's to current.), but you can focus on something that you like, and maybe tell an interesting story while doing so.

[CigarNut]

I gotta go with Pirates, conquistadors, the colonization of the West Indies, the discovery of tobacco, it's cultivation and introduction to Europe (And eventually Colonial America/The U.S.) and the springboard that the tobacco trade became to the development of the economy of the Western Hemisphere and the lasting effects it had.Huge scope (Roughly dating from the 1600's to current.), but you can focus on something that you like, and maybe tell an interesting story while doing so.
This would be a good one -- one that I might enjoy reading!

[MarkinAZ]

I'm partial to the Civil War.

:D...Of course you are. One side chose Connecticut and the other Maduro;)

[VirtualSmitty]

Just a quick search and a short clip on youtube I saw said a month after the assassination, war was declared. However, there was mention about rising tensions because of rising imperialism in Europe with dwindling resources that something was bound to happen whether the assassination happened or not.

Tension between France and Germany after the Franco-Prussian and the end of the second french empire and the loss of the Alsace-Lorraine river valley, the failure of Bismarcks diplomatic strategy, the two Balkan Wars, the German Kaisers goal to out build the British Navy, imperialist colonization and competition, the First World war was the result of many things not just a single assassination. Hence the term powder keg, when Archduke Ferdinand was murdered that was the spark that ignited over fifty years of tension. That topic however requires far more work than Youtube or wikipedia can provide.

Why not do something simpler?

[emopunker2004]

How about the American Revolution?

:tu

[forgop]

Tension between France and Germany after the Franco-Prussian and the end of the second french empire and the loss of the Alsace-Lorraine river valley, the failure of Bismarcks diplomatic strategy, the two Balkan Wars, the German Kaisers goal to out build the British Navy, imperialist colonization and competition, the First World war was the result of many things not just a single assassination. Hence the term powder keg, when Archduke Ferdinand was murdered that was the spark that ignited over fifty years of tension. That topic however requires far more work than Youtube or wikipedia can provide.

Why not do something simpler?

I'll get to that-all I was looking for was just a cliff notes version for submitting my proposed topic last night.

[Fia]

I gotta go with Pirates, conquistadors, the colonization of the West Indies, the discovery of tobacco, it's cultivation and introduction to Europe (And eventually Colonial America/The U.S.) and the springboard that the tobacco trade became to the development of the economy of the Western Hemisphere and the lasting effects it had.Huge scope (Roughly dating from the 1600's to current.), but you can focus on something that you like, and maybe tell an interesting story while doing so.

I like this one..spain made more money from tobacco then they ever did from gold exploration. Tobacco practically built the US. Can even go into the history of taxation, bans, etc of tobacco that are not much unlike what we have today!

[replicant_argent]

How about the invention of the coupon and its direct correlations to modern insanity?

[chippewastud79]

Europe's transition to the euro and the effect on the global economy. :tu

[ninjavanish]

Welllllll.....?

What was your proposed topic?!

We're all dying to know!

[icehog3]

Tension between France and Germany after the Franco-Prussian and the end of the second french empire and the loss of the Alsace-Lorraine river valley, the failure of Bismarcks diplomatic strategy, the two Balkan Wars, the German Kaisers goal to out build the British Navy, imperialist colonization and competition, the First World war was the result of many things not just a single assassination. Hence the term powder keg, when Archduke Ferdinand was murdered that was the spark that ignited over fifty years of tension. That topic however requires far more work than Youtube or wikipedia can provide.

Why not do something simpler?

The Curse of the Goat on the Chicago Cubs?

[replicant_argent]

The Curse of the Goat on the Chicago Cubs?

The impact on the planet is immense. Everyone knows if not for the curse, the Cubs would be the Windy City Yankees.
An effect on human history, indeed, sir.

[markem]

The origin and meaning of the phrase/cartoon "Kilroy Was Here" during WWII.

[CigarNut]

The origin of the "Legend" of Green M&M's.

[Adriftpanda]

The history of pugs. They're so cute.

[shilala]

I'd totally go with the Civil War. I think I'd delve into the reasons why they called it civil when it was anything but. And I'd see if there's any connection between that anomaly and the act of making a "reservation" at a restaurant. If I had reservations, I'd certainly not make an appointment to eat there. Plus their checks don't cash worth a sh1t. Try taking one to your bank.

[icehog3]

Maybe something to let the world know that Soylent Green is made out of people?

[Silound]

The eradication of wide-spread diseases in the world during the late 1800's through the early 1940's is always an interesting topic.

The Irish potato famine and its reaching effects is a tremendous thing to read about.

The decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire is a fascinating subject to me, mostly because the Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest lasting empires in world history; one which almost a century after dissolution still impacts our world heavily today.

[Blak Smyth]

Zombies - A living history (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnCbOs5alYA&feature=player_embedded)

I watched this on The Discovery Channel, very interesting. They talk about how people once believed cannabalism could turn you into a blood hungry zombie. Actually a very informative and interesting little documentary about the idea of zombies.

[SDmate]

How about a paper on the history of the greatest game ever invented (http://www.tiddlywinks.org/history/) :)

[VirtualSmitty]

The decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire is a fascinating subject to me, mostly because the Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest lasting empires in world history; one which almost a century after dissolution still impacts our world heavily today.

That's an excellent topic. Especially post Tanzimat reform Ottoman Empire, but again requires a ton of research.

How about the history of chewing gum? It's origins may surprise you!

[icehog3]

How about a paper on the history of the greatest game ever invented (http://www.tiddlywinks.org/history/) :)

Hungry Hungry Hippos??

[T.G]

The sociological impact of Lucas's changes to the Star Wars movies.

[bvilchez]

Did I just see what I think I saw?!?!?!?!?!?

[CigarNut]

Did I just see what I think I saw?!?!?!?!?!?Probably, unless you were sober... In which case you got it backwards.

[SDmate]

to help in your research of world history... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5pABj8F68k

[14holestogie]

to help in your research of world history... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5pABj8F68k

Who's got three minutes to watch that? This paper needs to get done! :D