Topic+ideas

This is a not at all comprehensive list of topics that students have tackled in the past, you might be interested in something here or you might use this to come up with your own topic. The most important thing in picking a topic is to find something that you are curious about and that will keep you interested. Believe me, few things are worse than having to write a paper on something that you have no interest in. Pick wisely, all of these are large enough for writing a 12pg paper (at least) but does the topic interest you, what aspect of the topic will you choose for your argument? That is the interesting part. You are making a cohesive and well researched argument, you need to care about the topic, but it must be historically sound.

A great list of topics to get your juices flowing is found here: fresno

Cultural Revolution and/or Mao Zedong's influence Hong Kong or Taiwan’s relationship with the PRC Education in China during the modern era Chinese Communist propaganda Women in China or Japan during the modern era or their changing roles, including but not limited to Geisha, bound feet, in PRC, The Rape of Nanking (Of interest is a Nazi named Rabe who wrote letters to Hitler asking for relief from Germany) Meiji Restoration, technology in Japan, Japanese rejection of nature/natural world Japan reinventing itself after WWII Chinese economy, modern era “To get rich is glorious” Impact of the French on "French Indochina" today, the rise of Ho Chi Minh The movement to and embrace of socialism, independence movements in Southeast Asia since North Korea during the modern era, Kim Jung Il, Kim Il Jung, N/S Korean relations, propaganda, reunification possibilities Opium Wars, why England was the largest drug dealer in the world The One Child Policy in China and why it has ended Modern Myanmar/Burma Khmer Rouge killing fields
 * East Asia **

Creation of Israel, Yom Kippur War, Six Day War, Balfour Declaration, etc. Fall of Ottoman Empire or rise of the Young Turks Armenian Genocide why Turkey denies it to this day Iranian Revolution, nuclear proliferation Women in Saudi Arabia (or other Muslim country) during the modern era PLO, Arab League, Islamic Nationalism Muslim art (Geometry) Rise of Isis, why do young people want to join? esp young women who will be enslaved? Sharia during the modern era, issues with technology, modernity, women, FGM, etc Oil crisis at various times. Issues of Fundamentalism, Jihad, why they are not really part of Islam at all. peace process in Israel and why it keeps falling apart
 * Middle East **

The Raj ends Sepoy Mutiny The Partition –Hindu Muslim relations- Kashmir Gandhi, Nehru, or Mohammed Ali Jinnah Caste System, how it still exists today and why Arts of region (painting, dance, architecture, technology) Monsoon, Environmental/Population issues of region (Bhopal) during the modern era (just not too much of a science paper...) Slumdogs today, an examination of the remnants of the caste system
 * India/Pakistan **

Independence movements throughout Africa or end of Imperialism or recovery from it. Issues of women, education, urbanization, etc during the modern era Kenyatta, Mandela, Biko, other significant African leaders of the modern era Boer War Berlin Conference The Great Trek HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa, how the politics of SA spread the disease when it should have been fighting it African impact on Western music, arts West African Indigenous Religions East/North African Muslim Populations End of Apartheid, socially, politically, economically The impact of Ebola in East Africa Environmental and/or Population Issues of Africa
 * Africa **

Nicholas II and Alexandra, Rasputin, the children of the last Romanoffs Russo-Japanese war, final gasp of Absolutism vs Industrialization Gulags, Stalinism, Leninism, 5/10yr plans, Communism/Totalitarianism Soviet Space program, Propaganda, Soviet sports programs Perestroika Collapse of Eastern Europe East Germany and now Oestalgia, was it really a good time? Cold War (KGB other related issues) Chinese-Soviet relations, why do they hate each other so much and why did the US miss that totally? Khrushchev Chernobyl, Aral Sea, environmental disasters in region Eastern Orthodox Church's hidden impact
 * Russia **

Arts (any country in region) during the modern era Diego Rivera, muralists Nationalism (any country in region) during the modern era Life in Cuba during the modern era Rainforest/deforestation issues-Population and Environmental issues of region Afro-Carribean music, religion and foods, the impact of a two way street Venezuela's internal corruption issues Argentina and the hidden Nazis Cuba returns to the World, when the US opens to Cuba, what will they find? They killed the students. The massacre of students in Mexico, 2014-2015 Drug Wars, but not focusing on US or legalization...including Columbian cartels
 * Latin America **

Issues of industrialization, colonialism, nationalism, urbanization, demilitarization, technology, and/or revolutions impact on somewhere in E during the modern era Communism, Fascism, Totalitarianism, Democracy, Women’s Movement, and/or Immigration’s impact on somewhere in E during the modern era Globalization, Muslimization, changes in social, political, and or economic issues. Weimar Germany The creation of the Berlin Wall Hungarian Revolution, Revolutions of 1848, League of Nations, Establishment of EU and a single currency Fall of British Empire, the last Queen of England End of Monarchies in Europe or a new beginning? IRA Northern Ireland, Irish Nationalism The Hague, war crimes now have a criminal court Holocaust, treatment of homosexuals, Jews, Communists, Roma/Stini during that time Islam in Europe today The rise of neo-Fascism in Greece today How can Greece ever repay Europe, a new debt crisis This list is just to get your juices flowing; it is not comprehensive in any way, just a random jumping off place for you to get started… Please pick a topic that interests you. If nothing on Earth interests you…well, that is sort of sad, find something!
 * Europe **

Write down 5 topics that interest you from this list or beyond, but historically from 1789 to today and must be primarily beyond the scope of US history.
 * Step 1**

Most of these topics are actually too large for this assignment. Many have hundreds of books written about them, each hundreds of pages. Think about a part of a topic, like "the last days of the Romanoff family" or "the end of the Holocaust." You can not do a biography paper, (the life of __) but focusing on "the impact of Otto Von Bismark on Germany" or "Nelson Mandela's fight for equality in South Africa" would be acceptable. You are creating an argument, it has to be focused.
 * Step 2**

What would be the focus of the paper? Start out with a few bullet points per topic that could eventually become a thesis sentence. Don't worry about the wording of a specific sentence, just figure out what parts of the topic interest you.
 * Step 3**