what is a good thesis statement for ww2

World War II Research Essay Topics

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Students are often required to write a paper on a topic as broad as World War II , but you should know that the instructor will expect you to narrow your focus to a specific thesis. This is especially true if you are in high school or college. Narrow your focus by making a list of words, much like the list of words and phrases that are presented in bold type below. Then begin to explore related questions and come up with your own cool WWII topics. The answer to questions like these can become a good starting point for a thesis statement .

Culture and People

When the U.S. entered into war, everyday life across the country changed drastically. From civil rights, racism, and resistance movements to basic human needs like food, clothing, and medicine, the aspects of how life was impacted are immense.

• African-Americans and civil rights. What impact did the war years have on the rights of African-Americans? What were they allowed or not allowed to do?
• Animals. How were horses, dogs, birds, or other animals used? Did they play a special role?
• Art. What art movements were inspired by wartime events? Is there one specific work of art that tells a story about the war?
• Clothing. How was fashion impacted? How did clothing save lives or hinder movement? What materials were used or not used?
• Domestic violence. Was there an increase or decrease in cases?
• Families. Did new family customs develop? What was the impact on children of soldiers?
• Fashion. Did fashion change significantly for civilians? What changes had to be made during wartime?
• Food preservation. What new preservation and packaging methods were used during and after the war? How were these helpful?
• Food rationing. How did rationing impact families? Were rations the same for different groups of people? Were soldiers affected by rations?
• Love letters. What do letters tell us about relationships, families, and friendships? What about gender roles?
• New words. What new vocabulary words emerged during and after WWII?
• Nutrition. Were there battles that were lost or won because of the foods available? How did nutrition change at home during the war because of the availability of certain products?
• Penicillin and other medicine. How was penicillin used? What medical developments occurred during and after the war?
• Resistance movements. How did families deal with living in an occupied territory?
• Sacrifices. How did family life change for the worse?
• Women's work at home. How did women's work change at home during the war? What about after the war ended?

Economy and Workforce

For a nation that was still recovering from the Great Depression, World War II had a major impact on the economy and workforce. When the war began, the fate of the workforce changed overnight, American factories were repurposed to produce goods to support the war effort and women took jobs that were traditionally held by men, who were now off to war.

• Advertising. How did food packaging change during the war? How did advertisements change in general? What were advertisements for?
• Occupations. What new jobs were created? Who filled these new roles? Who filled the roles that were previously held by many of the men who went off to war?
• Propaganda. How did society respond to the war? Do you know why?
• Toys. How did the war impact the toys that were manufactured?
• New products. What products were invented and became a part of popular culture? Were these products present only during war times, or did they exist after?

Military, Government, and War

Americans were mostly against entering the war up until the bombing of Pearl Harbor, after which support for the war grew, as did armed forces. Before the war, the US didn't have the large military forces it soon became known for, with the war resulting in over 16 million Americans in service.   The role the military played in the war, and the impacts of the war itself, were vast.

• America's entry into the war. How is the timing significant? What factors are not so well known?
• Churchill, Winston. What role did this leader play that interests you most? How did his background prepare him for his role?
• Clandestine operations. Governments went to great lengths to hide the true date, time, and place of their actions.
• Destruction. Many historic cities and sites were destroyed in the U.K.—Liverpool, Manchester, London, and Coventry—and in other nations.
• Hawaii. How did events impact families or society in general?
• The Holocaust. Do you have access to any personal stories?
• Italy. What special circumstances were in effect?
• " Kilroy was here ." Why was this phrase important to soldiers? 
• Nationalist Socialist movement in America. What impact has this movement had on society and the government since WWII?
• Political impact. How was your local town impacted politically and socially?
• POW camps after the war. Where were they and what happened to them after the war? Here's a starting point: Some were turned into race tracks after the war!
• Prisoners of war. How many POWs were there? How many made it home safely? What were some long-lasting effects?
• Spies. Who were the spies? Were they men or women? What side were they on? What happened to spies that were caught?
• Submarines. Were there enemy submarines on a coast near you? What role did submarines play in the war?
• Surviving an attack. How were military units attacked? How did it feel to jump from a plane that was disabled?
• Troop logistics. How were troop movements kept secret? What were some challenges of troop logistics?
• Views on freedom. How was freedom curtailed or expanded?
• Views on government's role. Where was the government's role expanded? What about governments elsewhere?
• War crime trials. How were trials conducted? What were the political challenges or consequences? Who was or wasn't tried?
• Weather. Were there battles that were lost or won because of the weather conditions? Were there places where people suffered more because of the weather?
• Women in warfare. What roles did women play during the war? What surprises you about women's work in World War II?

Technology and Transportation

With the war came advancements in technology and transportation, impacting communications capabilities, the spread of news, and even entertainment.

• Bridges and roads. What transportation-related developments came from wartime or postwar policies?
• Communication. How did radio or other types of communication impact key events?
• Motorcycles. What needs led to the development of folding motorcycles? Why was there widespread use of military motorcycles by the government?
• Technology. What technology came from the war and how was it used after the war?
• TV technology. When did televisions start to appear in homes and what is significant about the timing? What TV shows were inspired by the war and how realistic were they? How long did World War II affect TV programming?
• Jet engine technology. What advances can be traced to WWII needs?
• Radar. What role did radar play, if any?
• Rockets. How important was rocket technology?
• Shipbuilding achievements. The achievements were quite remarkable during the war. Why and how did they happen?

"America's Wars Fact Sheet." U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2017.

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How to Write about World War 2 – Essay Topics & Examples

The Second World War was a turning point in history that changed the world as we know it. Over two thousand days of hardship, courage, victory, and loss still fascinate and influence historians, filmmakers, novelists, and politicians worldwide. You may be asked to write a research paper or an essay on this 20th century conflict as part of your coursework. Our team has prepared several fascinating ideas you may explore in your writing.

• 🎖️ Top 10 World War 2 Topics
• 💡 Interesting WW2 Topics
• 🏆 Best WW2 Research Topics
• 📚 Research Questions
• ✒️ World War 2 Essay Questions
• 📝 World War 2 Essay Examples
• 🪖 General Information about WW2

🔗 References

🎖️ top 10 world war 2 essay topics.

We’ve compiled the topics that can inspire you to write an essay. To make the process simpler, we have included the main messages of each paper.

• Could the Axis powers have been defeated without opening the second front? Explore how the war would have gone without the invasion of Normandy.
• Why did Japan decide to side with Germany and Italy? List the social and political reasons that pushed the Empire of Japan to become an Axis power.
• Explore the impact of the battle for Stalingrad on the course of WW2. Show how the battle of Stalingrad turned the tide of war on the Eastern front.
• What were the causes of Germany’s military success in 1941?   Name the main causes of Germany’s successful assault on the Soviet Union.
• Discuss the dissolution of the British Empire after WW2. Talk about the leading consequences of disbanding the British Empire in its former colonies.
• What led to the start of WW2? Explore political and economic factors that caused the start of the Second World War.
• Was the US justified in using nuclear weapons against Japan? Explain the reasoning behind USA’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Discuss the role of the Munich Agreement in the rise of Nazi Germany . Explain how the Munich Agreement became one of the precursors of WW2 and the occupation of Western Europe.
• Explore the crucial battles of WW2. Discuss the pivotal conflicts of both the Western and Eastern fronts.
• Discuss the initial losses of the USSR in 1941-1942. Assess the reasons behind the colossal losses of the USSR in civilian and military casualties.

💡 Interesting WW2 Argumentative Essay Topics

Look at our list of the most intriguing titles dedicated to the cultural and military developments before, during, and after World War 2. You may find WW2 argumentative essay topics that will resonate with you and help you write an exceptional paper.

WW2 Essay Topics: Culture

Here, we unearth how World War II impacted the world’s cultures, making it a captivating subject for social studies enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of this transformative era.

• Explain the cultural impact of WW2 on the movie industry. Tell your readers about how WW2 influenced the American cinematic landscape in movies like Casablanca .
• How WW2 impacted American culture during the Cold War . Explore how the war’s events influenced American society, including its vehement anti-communist sentiment.
• The role of traditional culture in WW2 Japan. Discuss the role of bushido and other traditional elements in Japan’s wartime culture .
• Explore the changes in the USSR’s culture during the war period. Show how WW2 shaped different cultural aspects in the besieged USSR.
• How WW2 influenced the 20th-century music scene. Determine how the war influenced the music scene of the 1940s.
• The cultural impact of WW2 on modern video games. Explore the influence of WW2 on modern video games such as Call of Duty , Wolfenstein , and World of Tanks .
• Art and propaganda in Nazi Germany . Explain how Nazi Germany used art and movies such as Triumph of the Will in its propaganda machine.
• How WW2 changed attitude towards art and architecture. Tell about the main changes in architecture and art in the post-war period.
• Explore Germany’s post-war culture. Explore the cultural landscape of West and East Germany after the war.
• Discuss the cultural differences in North and South Korea after WW2. Show how cultures developed differently on different sides of the Korean peninsula.
• Veteran narratives in WW2 literature: An examination of memoirs and fictional works. Analyze how veterans’ stories, whether based on personal experiences or fictionalized, contributed to the cultural understanding of the war and its enduring impact on society.

WW2 Essay Topics: Military

This section delves into military records. It offers diverse ideas, inviting you to explore the strategic and tactical facets of the Second World War’s unparalleled military campaigns and conflicts.

• Which factors helped launch the German war machine? Explain the laws and decisions that made Germany the military powerhouse of Europe.
• What gave the Japanese superiority in the Pacific Theater? Detail the tactics, strategies, and weaponry that helped the Japanese army wage war in the Pacific.
• How the Lend-Lease Act helped the Soviet war effort. Show the significance of American aid in the USSR’s battles across the Eastern front.
• Explore the main reasons for Italy’s military losses in Africa. Tell about the tactical and strategic factors that caused Italy’s defeat in Africa.
• Compare the Soviet and German military in 1941. Give a rough comparison of the different army types both sides possessed at the start of their conflict.
• Discuss the significance of operation Bagration. Describe the main results of Operation Bagration and its role in the liberation of Belarus and Poland.
• Explore the results of the invasion of Normandy in 1944 . Explore the preparations, execution, and aftermath of D-Day .
• Could Germany have won WW2 with nuclear weapons? Analyze a scenario when Germany got hold of WMDs before the war ended and its consequences.
• Which military innovations spelled the turning point in the war? Tell about the most powerful weapons that helped the Allies win.
• Explore the military tech that was pioneered during WW2. Describe the most remarkable military technology that was developed during the conflict.

🏆 Best WW2 Research Paper Topics

We hand-picked a collection of interesting topics that will make your research paper shine and inspire you to write a great thesis statement . These WW2 research paper titles explore economic transformation and scientific developments during this period.

WW2 Research Paper Topics: Economy

Amid the tapestry of 20th-century wars, World War II emerged as a pivotal economic challenge. We present various research paper topics delving into the war’s economic dimensions. Expand your general knowledge by exploring the profound impact of economics on the global stage during this transformative period.

• What was the economic situation in Europe before WW2? Explore what the economy of European countries was before the war.
• Explore the factors that led to Germany’s economic rise in 1932-1939. Tell how Germany rose to economic power despite the catastrophe of the Weimar Republic .
• Discuss the causes of economic growth in post-war Japan . Describe laws and policies that caused the Japanese economic boom after WW2.
• What were the main factors of US post-war prosperity? Explain how the US enjoyed decades of prosperity post-conflict through generous loans to the suffering parties.
• Assess the impact of the war on the Italian economy. Describe the leading causes of Italy’s economic growth post-WW2.
• Explain the leading causes of industrialization in the pre-war USSR. Tell about the major decisions and policies that led to the USSR’s rapid industrialization in the 1930s.
• Discuss WW2’s impact on the developing world. Explore how the war impacted the developing countries outside the US and Europe.
• Which policies were used to fund the reconstruction of the European economy? Assess policies that led to progress in rebuilding post-war Europe, including the Marshall Plan .
• Explore the impact of war bonds on US military capacity . Showcase how war bonds were crucial in funding the US efforts in the Pacific and other war theaters.
• How the USSR funded its war machine. Explore the sources used for building and maintaining the Soviet military capacity.
• The global economic order and enduring issues: Post-World War II Bretton Woods Conference. Analyze how the decisions made at Bretton Woods, including the creation of the IMF or World Bank, continue to shape global economic policies and financial stability today.

WW2 Research Paper Topics: Science & Technology

Embark on a journey of historical research as we unveil captivating research paper topics in science and technology. You can explore remarkable breakthroughs, like innovations in the construction of planes.

• Could the atomic bomb have been made without WW2? Explain how World War 2 impacted the process of the creation of the atomic bomb.
• The role of German scientists in the NASA space program . Discuss the involvement of German scientists in various NASA projects, including the moon landing project.
• Explore the impact of jet engine development on aviation . Show how the creation of jet engines changed military and commercial aircraft.
• Discuss the impact of the first electronic computers made after WW2. Explore how the first ENIACs were used after WW2 and their influence on modern machines.
• Assess the main scientific breakthroughs of the post-war period. Showcase the main innovations that came around after WW2.
• How did WW2 influence the post-war automobile industry ? Describe the influence of the war on the car manufacturing business.
• What were the leading causes of the American post-WW2 tech boom? Assess the main reasons behind post-war technological advancements in the US.
• Did the invention of the atomic bomb prevent future major wars? Explore how nuclear weapons helped prevent future global wars but still couldn’t stop lesser-scale conflicts.
• Discuss the importance of radar technology during and after the war. Show how radar technology was used during the war and beyond.
• Explore the impact of WW2 on developing body armor technology. Talk about the influence of the war in developing sufficient body protection for police, military, and civilians.
• Naval warfare in World War II: The role of technological advancements in shaping maritime strategies. Discuss how innovations reshaped naval tactics, affected maritime supremacy, and influenced crucial battles in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters.

📚 Top 8 WW2 Research Questions

• Did the US decide to enter the war only after Pearl Harbor?
• Who were the most important political figures during the conflict?
• What were the main events that caused World War 2?
• Which World War 2 battles were the most significant?
• Why is D-Day a significant historical event?
• Which countries participated in World War 2?
• What was the strategic significance of the battle of Britain for the Allied powers in WW2?
• When and how did World War 2 end?

✒️ Top 8 World War 2 Essay Questions

• What are the most impactful technologies that came out after WW2?
• Did the US play a major role in defeating the Axis powers?
• Which countries had the worst casualty rates?
• How were POWs treated by different sides?
• How WW2 changed the world?
• Is there one particular party to blame for the conflict?
• Who lost World War 2?
• How many lives were altered by World War II?

📝 Second World War Essay Examples

We have listed several essay examples to guide you and serve as real examples for your future work. They cover cultural, military, and political aspects in the aftermath of the war for the US and Japan. Each offers an extended response into what post-war societies looked like in these countries.

• Cultural Changes in America after World War II This paper explores several things that defined the 1950s, including the budding civil rights movement, the baby boom, and the rise of anti-communist propaganda. These things shaped the cultural landscape, from arts and literature to music and movies.
• American Power During World War 2 and the Cold War The essay centers around the height of America’s power after the end of WW2 and its inevitable clash with the communist ideology of the Soviet Union. It explores some less reputable tactics the US used to undermine the USSR’s influence on the world.
• Japan and World War II Led by old rivalries with its neighbor China, Japan entered WW2 as a military powerhouse. The paper discusses its initial success in the war theater and the subsequent disastrous results.

🪖 World War 2: General Information You Should Know

Before you start working, it’ll be helpful to learn about the causes and consequences of World War II. These facts will help you better establish the theme of your future essay or research paper. Prepare to dive into one of the most critical periods and learn more about it.

World War 2: Significant Events

World War 2 was the biggest in the history of humankind. During over 2000 days of the conflict, several important events happened:

• September 1, 1939 . Germany invaded Poland and started the war.
• April 9 to June 22, 1940 . Most of Western Europe fell under German jackboots.
• July 10, 1940 . Germany began a massive bombardment campaign in the United Kingdom.
• September 22, 1940 . The signing of the Tripartite Pact and the birth of the Axis Powers.
• December 7, 1941 . Japan launched the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• December 8, 1941 . The US declared war on Japan.
• December 11, 1941 . The US got into military conflict with Italy and Germany.
• June 4 – 7, 1942 . America won the Battle of Midway .
• July 9, 1942. The Allies invaded Sicily.
• September 8, 1943 . Italy surrendered, but its northern territory was still occupied.
• June 6, 1944 . The US launched a landing operation in Normandy.
• August 25, 1944 . Allies liberate Paris.
• December 16, 1944. Germany launched a counterattack known as the Battle of the Bulge .
• February 19, 1945 . US Marines stormed Iwo Jima .
• March 22, 1945 . American troops crossed the Rhine River.
• April 1, 1945 . The US military arrived on the island of Okinawa.
• April 25, 1945 . Soviet and American troops encircled Berlin.
• May 8, 1945 . Germany surrendered to the Allies, ending the war in Europe.
• August 6, 1945 . The US bombed Hiroshima with a nuclear warhead.
• August 9, 1945 . America dropped the atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki.
• September 2, 1945 . The Japanese surrendered to the Allies.

World War 2: Crucial Facts

In this part, we present crucial facts about the war that shaped the world as we know it. Take a look at the most momentous events of this conflict:

• The war involved 30 countries.
• It was the biggest war waged on the European continent.
• Europe was rebuilt through the Marshall Plan, which invested $12 billion in its economy.
• The Holocaust resulted in the death of almost the entire Jewish population in Europe.
• Germany occupied most of Western Europe and a big part of the USSR.
• Stalingrad became the turning point in the war for the Allies.

World War 2: Casualties

WW2 was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history , not even in military casualties. It was the first war that deliberately targeted civilians in various countries. Scientists and historians still can’t determine the exact number of deaths. Several countries paid the most horrific price in this conflict.

World War 2: Causes

Here, we highlighted the main factors that caused the global conflict and launched World War II. Take a look at its leading causes:

• The unjust Treaty of Versailles . The leading cause of the war lies in the humiliating conditions Germany faced after WWI. Part of its territory was annexed, and the country had to limit its army seriously. The following 20 years of economic and cultural downfall became one of the factors for the rise of Nazism.
• The failure of peace agreements. After WWI, there was a lot of hope for the League of Nations organization . Its main goal was ending wars and leading countries to solve their disputes diplomatically. Unfortunately, all of the efforts failed as military conflicts slowly but surely engulfed the world.
• The rise of authoritarian movements. The failures of diplomacy and democracy in Europe made many nations abandon these principles. It caused the rise of many authoritarian governments in Spain, Italy, and Germany.
• The formation of the Axis powers . In 1940, Italy, Japan, and Germany signed a political and military alliance, forming an anti-communist coalition of countries. They were the primary enemies of the Allies formed by France, the United Kingdom, Canada, the USA, and the USSR.
• German aggression in Europe. Even before the official start of WW2, Germany conducted military operations on the continent. In 1938, it fully annexed Austria and took Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia in the autumn of the same year.
• The Great Depression . The European economy was highly indebted to the US. Governments in Germany, Italy, and France couldn’t manage economic growth sufficiently. On October 29, 1929, the US suffered the crash of the New York Stock Market and recalled all foreign loans soon after.

World War 2: Consequences & Results

World War II had long-lasting consequences that changed the world. This segment examines the major social, political, and economic transformations caused by this event.

• End of the euro-centric international power structure. WW2 ended the hegemony of Western Europe. The United States became less isolationist and more involved in global affairs.
• Start of the Cold War . After the Second World War, the US and the USSR became the leading political poles of the world. Both sides wanted to curb the spreading influence of their opponent.
• The end of empires . WW2 saw the disbanding of the French, British, Dutch, Portuguese, and Belgian empires. Many of their former colonies became independent states.
• Democratization of foreign policy . After destroying authoritarian regimes, the US turned to a more democratic foreign policy regarding its close and distant neighbors. It was greatly formed by local and world public opinion.
• A movement for independence in many countries . The fall of European hegemony worldwide caused many of its former territories to struggle for independence . Most prominently, it gave birth to the state of Israel.

We hope you found the right topic in the sea of WW2 research paper topics we offer in this article. Be sure to use our examples and short guide. Share this article with friends who’ll find it helpful.

• World War II in Europe. Timeline with Photos and Text. – The History of Place.
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• International Relations Since 1945 (INTR-5106). Impact of World War II on Global Politics. – Adeel Hassan, University of Sargodha

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World War 2 Essay Topics: 50+ Ideas and Examples for Your Paper

by  Antony W

December 5, 2023

Perhaps the most difficult part about writing an essay on World War 2 is to find a title. Brainstorming ideas and doing preliminary research to determine if a topic is good can take a lot of time. To make the ideation process easier for you, we’ve put together a list of 50+ topics that you might love.

World War II is a broad subject. So you want to make sure you first read the assignment brief and narrow down your focus on a specific area that you can cover within the scope of the assignment.

Of course, a list of 50+ prewritten topics means you have an unlimited option when it comes to topic selection. Yet, given that you can cover only one topic at a time, it’s best to single out what topic would be best for you to explore and then develop it based on the assignment brief.  

Key Takeaways

• While World War II is a broad area with hundreds of History essay topics , your focus should be on a specific topic that you can explore within the scope of the assignment.
• Choose a topic that you find fascinating, especially if falls within a theme that you’ve always wanted to explore.
• Refer to the assignment prompt if you’re in doubt about your topic, or seek guidance from your teacher for further clarity.

50+ Best World War 2 Essay Topics: 50+ Ideas for Your Paper

The following is a list of some of the best World War II topics for your next essay assignment:

Economy and Workforce Topics

The United States was already struggling to recover from the Great Depression, which means that World War II did have a severe effect on the economy and workforce of the states. Here are some topic ideas to consider.

• You can write an essay on how food packaging evolved during the war and the changes that occurred in advertisements.
• What were the newly created job roles, and who filled these new positions during the war
• Explain how the society reacted to the war’s propaganda, as well as the underlying reasons for these responses.
• How did Word War II alter the production of toys during the period that it lasted?
• What were the new products introduced that became part of popular culture during and after the war?

Culture and People Topics

Your essay can focus on the drastic changes to life after the United States of America got into World War II. From racism and civil rights to basic needs and resistance movements, here are some example topics to consider:

• What changes occurred in the rights of African-Americans during wartime?
• Did horses, dogs, birds, or other animals hold specific significance or functions in World War II?
• Was there a rise or decline in domestic violence cases during this period?
• Explain how the children of soldiers cope with the impact of the World War II.
• What changes did civilian fashion undergo during World War II and what were the impacts of the alterations?
• What do letters reveal about relationships, families, and gender roles during the World War II period?
• How was penicillin used, and was there any medical progress during and after the war?

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Technology and Transportation Topics

World War II contributed quite significantly to the development of transportation and technology . This change the way news spread, how people entertained themselves, and the way human beings communicated. Here are some topic ideas that fit into this area:

• What advancements in transportation infrastructure emerged from wartime or postwar policies, specifically in bridges and roads?
• Explain how radio or other communication methods influence significant events.
• Write about the needs that drove the creation of folding motorcycles and why military motorcycles in use wide use by the government?
• State the technologies that originated from the war and explain their implementation after the World War II.
• Which TV shows drew inspiration from the war, and how accurate were they?
• Can we attribute the progress in jet engine technology to the World War II?
• How crucial was rocket technology during this period?
• Why and how did remarkable shipbuilding accomplishments occur during the war?

World War II Argumentative Essay Topics

An argumentative essa y topic on the Second World War requires you to take a side and use evidence, statistics, and reasons to defend that position. You’ll have to look at both sides of the arguments, but then use the strongest pieces of evidence to explain why you believe your take on the topic (or issue) is more believable than the other is.  Here are some examples:

• Did the World War II even alter the global balance of power?
• Evaluate the roles played by nationalism, imperialism, and totalitarianism in causing WWII.
• Are there controversies surrounding the use of atomic bombs during the World War II?
• Look at the factors that facilitated the Holocaust on a massive scale during the Second World War.
• Did women have a strong contribution to the World War II and was their fight for equality during the time reasonable?
• Did propaganda affect public perception during the World War II?
• The World War II did not play a big contribution to the technological and scientific progress at the time.
• Was the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II a violation of their civil rights?

World War II History Topics

• How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to and influence the outbreak of World War II?
• Explain the factors that led to the ascension of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
• Assess the importance of the Battle of Britain in halting German advancement.
• What role did Winston Churchill play in guiding Britain through World War II?
• Examine the tactics and significant battles in the Pacific during World War 2.
• Analyze how resistance movements in occupied Europe contributed to the Allies’ success.

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About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

World War 2 Essay: Outline + 100 WW2 Research Topics

This time you have to write a World War II essay, paper, or thesis. It means that you have a perfect chance to refresh those memories about the war that some of us might forget.

So many words can be said about the war in that it seems you will simply get lost in a variety of WW2 research topics and questions.

Still, you do not know what to write about in your World War 2 essay for middle school. Of course, you may look through several free essays in search of ideas. However, you may find our suggestions interesting or get instant writing help right here.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• 🎓 Essay Topics for Student
• 🎖️ WW2 Argumentative Essay Topics
• 💡 More Topic Examples
• 📑 Outline Examples
• 💁 General Info

🔗 References

🔝 top 10 ww2 essay topics.

• Was the battle of Dunkirk a failure?
• WWII technologies that changed our lives
• The outcome of the Nuremberg trials
• Medical experiments during the Holocaust
• Battle of Midway as a turning point in WWII
• Why is penicillin a wonder of World War 2?
• Why is the Bataan Death March a war crime?
• The impact of propaganda during WWII
• Racial segregation in the armed forces during WWII
• What makes the Battle of Stalingrad the deadliest in WWII?

🎓 WW2 Essay Topics for Student

• Contributions of women pilots in World War II
• “Gesture Life” and “Maus”: post-World War II injuries
• The federal government’s actions during World War II
• Rebuilding Europe after World War II
• World War II in Europe: development and costs
• World War II: maskirovka military deception and denials operations
• World War II in the Pacific region
• The second World War’s historical aspects
• The rise and fall of communism after World War II
• South Africa in World War II
• Battle of the Midway during World War II
• World War II: the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• What effect did the World War II wartime experience have on African Americans?
• The battle of Britain during World War II
• World War II was a continuation of World War I
• Communism in Europe and America after World War II
• Camps for displaced persons after the end of World War II
• Nazis prosecution for the World War II crimes
• World War II was avoidable
• Nazi Germany’s resources and demise in World War II
• The United States and East Asia since World War II
• Japan after World War II: main events and modifications
• Atomic bomb technology and World War II outcomes
• Pacific theater of World War II
• Impact of World War II on Balkan nationalism, states and societies
• World War II: internment of the Japanese Americans
• World War II in “The Rape of Europa” Documentary
• The characteristics of successful warfare after the second World War
• Great Depression and World War II impact on the United States economy
• Battle of the Bulge during World War II
• Escape from Sobibor: World War 2 holocaust
• World War II: why Germans lost and allies won
• World War II impact on racial issues in the United States
• Women’s representations before and after World War II
• United States-Japan relations during World War II
• Second World War: cause and technology
• American foreign policy since World War II
• World War II, the Cold War and New Europe
• The Crete battle of World War II
• Home front of the United States during the second World War

🎖️ WW2: Argumentative Essay Topics

As it happens quite often, teachers like to ask students to write an essay on World War II. However, don’t expect it to be easy. It should be something more narrow than the essay about the causes of World War II.

You can use some practical techniques to come up with a suitable topic. For instance, some of the most popular ones are mind mapping and brainstorming. Don’t forget to use questions to create a perfect thesis statement.

But we have made your life so much easier and prepared this comprehensive list of WWII argumentative essay topics. There are also short hints to help you start with your paper.

🔫 World War 2 Essay Topics: Military

• Exploring the effects of WWII on life in Hawaii. Research the impact of those events on the social life of families living there.
• Family memories of the Holocaust. Dig deep and see if you have any (distant) relatives who were the witnesses.
• Something unique about Italy in WWII. Look into some exceptional circumstances that occurred there at the time of the war.
• The origins of the phrase “Kilroy was here.” It is quite a controversial topic, so you might want to study all the sources you can find.
• Nationalist Socialists: examine the importance of the movement in the US. What was its social impact since the war? Describe this in your WW2 essay.
• Write about your town/city. Conduct research to find out about the political changes in your hometown related to war.
• The transformation of the prisoner-of-war camps . Write about what happened to the POW camps after the end of the war.
• The fate of the prisoners of war. Study the documents to get to know what happened to them and whether they continued their healthy lives.
• Describe the spies that participated in WWII. Who were they? What usually happened to those who were caught by different sides?
• The role of women . Discover the contribution of the weaker sex in warfare and write about the most surprising facts.
• How important were the weather conditions for the outcomes of WWII ? Find out which battles were lost or won due to the weather.
• War crimes: consequences. Conduct research to answer the questions about the war crime trials, their outcomes, and the most notorious cases.
• Research the role of the US government in WWII . Compare it to the other governments and analyze the strategies they were using.
• The sense of freedom during the war. For this WW2 essay topic, you would need to look critically at how freedom was suppressed or expanded.
• What was so special about the movements of the troop? Here, you would be expected to provide the answers concerning the secrecy and challenges.
• The experiences of the attack survivors. Find out what was happening during the attack on the military units and the planes.

🤖 World War 2 Essay Topics: Technology

• The role of the submarines in the war. This World War II research topic is all about the importance of the submarines.
• Estimate the destruction in the UK. Find out how many historical places were wiped out as a result of the war.
• Was Winston Churchill prepared for it? Write about the background of that influential leader and how it helped him at the wartime.
• Write about the time the US entered the war. Are there any facts that we still don’t know well enough? What about the timing?
• The miracle of the radar. This WW2 essay topic would be interesting for those who are fascinated by technology. What was the role of that device in WWII?
• Rocket technology and the war. Write about the importance of the rockets and what the moment when they changed the course of the war.
• Building the ultimate warship. What was the driving force of the developments in the field of shipbuilding during WWII?
• Describe the main means of communication during the war. Don’t forget to mention the radio and its impact on the major events in your World War 2 essay.
• The development of bridges and roads. What were the main technological achievements in this field that still impact our everyday life?
• Explain the rise of the popularity of motorcycles during the war. Feel free to mention the folding bikes and their invention.
• The technology we have thanks to the war. Dedicate your WW2 essay to the inventions we can’t live without nowadays that were created during the war.
• What about TVs? You can narrow down this World War II essay question as you wish. For example, write about the shows dedicated to the war.
• The jet engines developed by the needs of war. Look into the reasons why those engines were created during WWII.

💰 WW2 Research Topics: Economy

• What about propaganda? This WWII essay should describe how people in the US were reacting to the war and why.
• The product of war: pop culture elements. Think about products that became popular and maybe even stayed a part of culture after the war ended.
• Toy story: WWII edition. Find out how the war influenced the toy production and whether it was a part of propaganda.
• The major changes in the job market sponsored by WWII. What new roles suddenly appeared on the job market, thanks to the war?
• The power of advertising. To narrow it down, you can even mention how the food packaging was adjusted and why.

🎨 WW2 Research Topics: Culture

• Discover the world of fashion during the wartime. It is one of the cool WWII essay topics. It should be about the new trends for civilians at the time.
• The analysis of artworks created during WWII. Choose a piece of art inspired by war and analyze it. What is its story?
• New times require new family traditions. How were the customs inside the families changed by the war? What about raising children? Highlight these issues in your World War 2 essay.
• The secrets of the love letters during the war. This short essay would require you to dig into the archives and find out what the letters could tell us about the relationships back then.
• What was the unique role of animals in WWII? Dedicate your writing to some type of animal and discuss how they were used.
• The rights of African-Americans during the time of war. Write about how their civil rights were changed and try to find the root causes.
• Food preservation methods: another revolution. This example is all about food and how it was packed and preserved during the war.
• The cases of domestic violence during the cold war. Were the rates higher at the time? Did political tension cause it? This is also a great World War 2 essay topic.
• Expanding the vocabulary. Just like any other part of life, the language also went through some changes. What were the new words that emerged?
• The troubled life of housewife during WWII. Describe the work women used to do at the wartime and how it was changed.
• Still resisting: the movements created by families. Here, you should concentrate on the experience of the families that live in the occupied territories.
• Lifesaving food: the role of nutrition in WWII. Try to research and find the battles that were lost or won due to the availability of food.
• The impact of food rationing on soldiers and families. Write your WW2 essay about the struggles of families and different groups of people.
• What were the common sacrifices of families during the war? In this essay, you would need to look into the negative changes in families’ lifestyles.
• The miracle of penicillin: WWII. This research aims to uncover the importance of penicillin or any other medicine of your choice.
• The clothes that saved lives. Write about different types of clothing and materials that were used to help the soldiers on the battlefield.

💡 World War 2 Essay: More Topic Examples

Below, other suggestions on what you might write about in essays on World War II are presented:

Present in Your World War 2 Essay Alternative Decisions That Could Have Changed the Course of the War Dramatically

Such World War 2 essay will aim to explore some of the greatest decision making mistakes of the world leaders. We do not mean that you should discuss some miraculous history events like “what if Hitler had a heart attack.” In the World War 2 essay devoted to this problem, give realistic alternative decisions that were considered but not realized. Analyze those alternatives that could have changed the end of the war.

“In Your World War Ii Essay, Try to Answer the Question “When Did Hitler Lose the War?”

When did Adolf Hitler lose his chance to win World War II? What was it? These are the World War 2 essay questions you have to answer. Analyze different viewpoints of historians and present your opinion in the essay on World War 2.

Cover the Themes of Atrocity and War-Crimes in the World War 2 Essay

Acts of genocides and atrocity against civil population occurred in such countries as Japan, the Soviet Union, and Germany. Some of them were so horrific and immense that they changed the psyche of many people and different nations. When disclosing this theme in the Second World War essay, tell about Nazi concentration camps, “Death-camps,” the Holocaust , etc.

If you are interested in other  history essay  topics, read our hints for writing terrorism essays . And don’t forget to tell us in comments below your opinion about the World War 2.

📑 World War 2 Essay: Outline Examples

The next is creating a neat outline, which would become a massive help for you during the process of writing. Find examples of World War II essay outlines below!

Example 1. Analyze how some alternative decisions could have changed the course of World War II

Try to pick something realistic. Merely writing that if Hitler suddenly died and the war had never happened is just dull. Get creative and maybe take as a basis some real facts that were considered but never came into life.

• In your World War II essay introduction , present the chosen decision. Include your thesis statement in this part as well. It should be your hypothesis concerning the topic.
• In the main body , give at least three arguments why and how that decision would have changed things. Here, you prove your hypothesis to be right. You may add one counter-argument if you wish. For instance, include the opinion of a historian saying that it wouldn’t change anything.
• In conclusion , state your opinion once again, which is now supported by arguments.

Example 2. When did it happen that Germany lost the war?

Think about when Adolf Hitler might have missed his chance to win World War II. What was it? Include some details. Once again, do your research and consider the opinions of different historians.

• In the introduction to this World War 2 essay , present your point of view. In the thesis statement, write the answer to World War II essay questions clearly and coherently.
• The main body here is for you to include three to five pieces of evidence that may prove you right. If you decide to write an argumentative essay, you might add some contradicting facts, too.
• In the last part of your writing, focus on paraphrasing your thesis statement.

Example 3. World War II: discuss war crimes and atrocity

This essay title is related to all acts of cruelty against the civil population, including genocides. You may want to narrow it down according to your preferences. For instance, you can talk about how concentration camps created by Nazis have changed the people’s psyche.

• Introduce this WW2 essay topic by stating how people have changed after surviving the Death Camps. It might be a good idea to include a sentence at the beginning that may serve as a hook to make your readers interested.
• In the body , present not less than three examples of what you think might be relevant. Those should be proven historical facts if you want your essay to be persuasive.
• Conclude by providing a summary of the facts presented in the main body. Add the paraphrased thesis statement.

💁 World War 2: General Information

World war ii: timeline.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. And on September 3, 1939, France and Britain, fulfilling their obligations to Poland, declared war on Germany and World War II began.

However, the beginning of World War II was preceded by some events, inextricably related:

• September 18, 1931. Japan attacked Manchuria
• October 2, 1935 – May 1936. Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia, conquered and annexed it
• October 25 – November 1, 1936. On October 25, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy concluded a cooperation agreement. November 1 announced the creation of the “ Rome-Berlin Axis “
• November 25, 1936. Nazi Germany and imperialist Japan concluded the Anti-Comintern Pact, directed against the USSR and the international communist movement
• July 7, 1937. Japan invaded China. The World War II began in the Pacific
• 11-13 March 1938. Germany joins Austria (the so-called Anschluss)
• September 29, 1938. Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France signed the Munich agreement obliging the Czechoslovak Republic to cede Nazi Germany to the Sudetenland (where the critical Czechoslovak fortifications were located)
• 14-15 March 1939. Under pressure from Germany, the Slovaks declared their independence and created the Slovak Republic. The Germans broke the Munich agreement , occupied the Czech lands, and established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

• March 31, 1939. France and the United Kingdom provided guarantees of the inviolability of the borders of Poland
• 7-15 April 1939. Fascist Italy attacked Albania and annexed it
• August 23, 1939. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact and a secret annex to it, according to which Europe was divided into spheres of influence

Some scientists think that the World War II was a continuation of the World War I ended in 1918.

September 2, 1945, is the date when the World War II ended. Japan, agreed to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, officially capitulates, thereby putting an end to World War II.

World War II: Key Facts

• Perhaps, the World War II was one the most destructive wars in modern history. About 27,000 people were killed each day from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945.
• The primary opponents were Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, Imperial Japan on the one hand, and the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France the United States , and China on the other.
• Germany capitulated on May 7, 1945 . At the same time, Japan continued to fight for another four months before their capitulation on September 2. Atomic bombs, dropped by American troops on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were first used against Japan.
• The end of the war was marked by Britain losing most of its empire . At the same time, World War II accelerated the revival of the US and Soviet economies as global superpowers.
• After the end of the World War II, the “Cold War” between the US and the USSR started.

World War 2: Casualties

The exact World War II casualties remain unknown. However, historians name that the total number of victims was over 60 million people including military and civilians killed. Below you’ll find the list of states suffered the highest losses:

• 42,000,000 people–USSR
• 9,000,000 people–Germany
• 4,000,000 people–China
• 3,000,000 people–Japan

World War II: Causes

Perhaps, there were many prerequisites for World War II:

• Japan’s victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) opened the door for Japanese expansion in the Asia-Pacific region
• The US Navy first developed plans to prepare for a naval war with Japan in 1890
• The Great Depression, and the global recession that followed
• The coming to power of Hitler and his statement about the injustice of the Versailles Treaty, signed in 1918
• The creation in 1935 of the Luftwaffe, as a direct violation of the 1919 treaty
• Remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936
• Anschluss of Austria and the annexation of part of Czechoslovakia
• Italy’s desire to create a Third Rome and Japan’s goal to create an independent state with the Pan-Asian sphere of influence

World War II: Results

The results of World War II are not limited to losses and destruction. As a result of the war, the face of the world changed: new borders and new states appeared, new tendencies of social development emerged, and significant inventions were made.

The war gave a strong impetus to the development of science and technology. Radar, jet aircraft, ballistic missiles, antibiotics, electronic computers and many other discoveries were made or entered into widespread use during the war. The foundations of the scientific and technological revolution were laid, which transformed and continued to change the postwar world.

The ideology of fascism, Nazism, racism, colonialism thoroughly discredited itself; on the contrary, the ideas of anti-fascism, anti-colonialism, democracy, and socialism gained wide popularity.

The human rights recorded in the UN Charter are internationally recognized. The influence of parties and groups that fought for democracy and social transformations–communists, socialists, social democrats, Christian democrats and other democratic forces, has sharply increased.

In many countries, significant reforms carried out: partial nationalization of industry and banks, the creation of a state system of social insurance, the expansion of workers’ rights. In some countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Japan, have adopted new, democratic constitutions. There was a profound renewal of the society, democratization of state and public institutions.

The colonial system disintegration was another significant result and consequence of the Second World War. Before the war, the vast majority of the world’s population lived in colonies, the area, and population of which many times exceeded the metropolitan countries: Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, and Japan.

During the World War 2 and after its end, part of the dependent and colonial countries (Syria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma, Philippines, and Korea) declared itself independent. In 1947, India became independent, divided into two dominions: India and Pakistan. The intense process of liberation of the colonial peoples began, which continued until the complete abolition of the colonies in the second half of the twentieth century.

As a result of the war, the balance of forces in the world has changed dramatically. Germany, Italy, Japan were defeated, for a time turned into dependent countries, occupied by foreign troops. The war destroyed their economy, and they for many years could not compete with their former competitors.

Compared with the pre-war time, the positions of France and even Great Britain weakened considerably. The USA came out of the war significantly strengthened. Having surpassed all other countries economically and militarily, the United States became the sole leader of the capitalist world.

The second “superpower” was the Soviet Union. By the end of the war, the Soviet Union had the most massive land army in the world and substantial industrial potential. The USSR Armed Forces were in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe, East Germany and North Korea.

Some countries liberated by the Soviet Union took the road of non-capitalist development. After the liberation from the occupiers in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, people’s democratic governments were established with the participation or under the leadership of the Communists, who began profound social transformations. By the Yalta agreements , these countries were considered to be the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union and were in fact under its control.

If the United States became the leader of the capitalist world, then the Soviet Union led the social forces that opposed capitalism. Two main poles of attraction of the world forces, conventionally called the East and the West, were formed; began to build two ideological and military-political blocs, the confrontation of which largely determined the structure of the post-war bipolar world.

The anti-fascist coalition split. Its participants came into conflict with each other, and the “ Cold War ” that lasted more than 45 years, until the collapse of the USSR.

This might be interesting for you:

• Interesting History Essay Topics and Events to Write About
• A List of History Websites for a Perfect Research
• Essay on India after Independence: How-to Guide and Prompts
• World War II Research Essay Topics: ThoughtCo
• Coming in from the Cold: The Newsmagazine of the American Historical Association
• A guide to historical research (BBC)
• Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: The New York Times
• Why Hitler’s grand plan during the second world war collapsed: The Guardian
• Historical Research: ECU
• Humanities Research Strategies: Historical Methodologies (USC Libraries)
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Thanks for these ideas for essays on World War II. These are what I need for my paper about WWII. Now I can start writing my essay on World War II.

To write World War II essays is very instructive – to know the reasons, the course of war events, the results. These all are necessary to comprehend and debar World War III as humanity won’t go through it!

Understanding the Scope of World War 2

World War 2 wasn’t just a series of battles. It was a global phenomenon that reshaped nations, cultures, and the very fabric of human civilization. To fully grasp the magnitude of this war, students must appreciate the broader picture— from the major events to the aftereffects that ripple into today’s geopolitics.

World War 2 wasn’t just a series of battles or mere dates in history textbooks; it was a transformative epoch that shifted the 20th century. It was a global phenomenon that reshaped nations, cultures, and the very fabric of human civilization.

The stories from the frontlines, while pivotal, are just one dimension. From the intense political maneuvers and espionage missions to the socio-cultural transformations that ensued, there’s an ocean of World War 2 topics to explore.

In my experience, many students get so engrossed in the prominent WW2 research topics that they sometimes overlook the profound societal and technological shifts. The war expedited technological advancements, leading to innovations and even the space race.

Choosing the Right Topic for WW2 Research Paper

The first and perhaps most crucial step is selecting your focus. While there are countless World War 2 consequences topics to explore, choosing one that genuinely piques your interest is essential. From the intricacies of military strategies to the socio-cultural impacts, every WW2 topic offers a unique perspective. According to general IB criteria, aligning your genuine interests with academic standards often yields the best results.

Going Thorough Research for WW2 Research Paper

As I know, thorough research forms the backbone of any compelling research paper. Primary sources, firsthand accounts, and authentic records give a factual foundation. On the other hand, secondary sources provide analysis and interpretation. Be sure to frame some pertinent research questions about World War 2 to guide your exploration.

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• Essay on Military Leadership
• Veterans Essay Ideas
• Veterans Day Essay Tips & Tricks
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How to write an Essay on Army Values?

Making a strong thesis statement for ww2 research paper.

Every IB student understands the weight of a robust thesis statement. Your thesis should reflect your chosen WW2 research topic and provide a fresh viewpoint. For instance, if your focus is on WW2 project topics related to technological advancements, your thesis might revolve around how these innovations changed the course of battles.

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Structuring World War 2 Research Paper

A clear structure is paramount. Start with an engaging introduction where you present your World War 2 research topic. In the body, dissect key events, figures, or consequences in detail. And in conclusion, tie all your findings together, highlighting the broader implications.

Revising and Proofreading World War 2 Research Paper

As any seasoned writer would advise, revisiting your work with fresh eyes can make a difference. It ensures factual accuracy, logical flow, and overall coherence.

Top WW2 Research Paper Topics to Consider

Drawing from my extensive background in the subject, and with a little help from our team of expert History essay writers , here are some intriguing topics to ignite your curiosity:

• Military Strategies & Tactics: The Art of War.
• The Political Landscape: Alliances and Treacheries.
• Women in WW2: Beyond the Home Front.
• Technology’s Role: From Enigma to the Atomic Bomb.
• The War’s Aftermath: The Dawn of the Cold War.
• WW2’s Influence on Modern Pop Culture.
• Propaganda’s Power: How Nations Were Moved.
• World War II’s Unsung Heroes.
• The Evolution of Warfare: Comparing WWI and WWII.
• The Human Cost: Stories Beyond the Battlefield.
• The Home Front: Mobilizing Industries and Morale.  
• Resistance Movements: The Underground War.  Tales of bravery from resistance fighters across Europe.
• The Holocaust: The Darkest Chapter. The most harrowing part of WW2.
• World War 2 and the Global Economy.  Economic shifts and consequences that laid the foundation for today’s economic order.
• Naval Warfare: The Battle of the Seas.  Understand the strategic importance of naval dominance.
• Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets of the War.  Stories of spies, their tactics, and their role in the war.
• Asian Theatre: Japan’s Expansion and its Impact.  Delving into the Pacific battles and Japan’s wartime strategy.
• The African Front: The War Beyond Europe’s Borders.  Exploring the lesser-known battlegrounds.
• Children of the War: Youth Amidst Conflict.  The tales of the youngest affected by the war.
• Medical Advancements and Challenges.  How did medicine evolve in the cauldron of WW2?
• Prisoners of War: Life in Captivity.  Personal accounts of soldiers taken captive.
• Aerial Battles: Dominance in the Skies.  Chronicling key air battles and their significance.
• The Role of Artists and Writers in WW2.  How did creatives contribute to the war effort?
• Allied Powers: Dynamics and Differences.  Delving into the unity and tensions between allies.
• Decoding War Communications.  Understanding wartime coding and the significance of breaking them.

Each of these research paper topics represents an interesting WW2 topic and can lead to a nuanced understanding of the broader historical context. The depth and breadth of World War II offer countless avenues for study, and these topics are just the tip of the iceberg. 

World War II remains an inexhaustible reservoir of research topics ripe for exploration. Tapping into this rich tapestry of events, characters, and consequences is more than just an academic exercise. It’s a journey into understanding the human spirit, resilience, and the complexities of global geopolitics. If ever you find yourself lost amidst the vast topics about World War 2, remember: it’s about finding a unique voice in the vast chorus of history.

In all other cases at Writing Metier , there is a team of writers who can help with World War 2 research papers . And always, always keep your passion for learning alive.

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Laura Orta is an avid author on Writing Metier's blog. Before embarking on her writing career, she practiced media law in one of the local media. Aside from writing, she works as a private tutor to help students with their academic needs. Laura and her husband share their home near the ocean in northern Portugal with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

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War Essay Titles

Choosing topics from the monumental World Wars to the intricacies of modern military strategies, these titles serve as a gateway to unravel the complex nature of conflict.

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Research starters.

Beginning a research paper on World War II can be daunting. With Research Starters, you can get a basic introduction to major WWII topics, see recommended secondary sources, and view primary sources you can use from the Museum’s collection.

Research Starters: Worldwide Deaths in World War II

See estimates for worldwide deaths, broken down by country, in World War II. 

Research Starters: D-Day

The Allied invasion of Western Europe was code named Operation Overlord. It required years of planning, training, and supplying by the United States and Great Britain, and was one of the most heavily guarded secrets of the war. 

Research Starters: US Military by the Numbers

See a breakdown of numbers in the US military, by branch and year, in World War II. 

Research Starters: The Draft and World War II

On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft.

Research Starters: The GI Bill

Research Starters: Higgins Boats

In the late 1930s, the U.S. military began developing small boats that could carry troops from ships to open beaches.

Research Starters: The Battle of Midway

Fought between the U.S. and Japanese navies June 4-7, 1942, this battle turned the tide of the war in the Pacific in favor of the Americans.

Research Starters: Women in World War II

With ever-growing orders for war materials combined with so many men overseas fighting the war, women were called upon to work in ways previously reserved only for men.

Ration Books

Ask anyone who remembers life on the Home Front during World War II about their strongest memories and chances are they will tell you about rationing. You see, the war caused shortages of all sorts of things: rubber, metal, clothing, etc. But it was the shortages of various types of food that affected just about everyone on a daily basis.

Take A Closer Look: America Goes to War

America's isolation from war ended on December 7, 1941, when Japan staged a surprise attack on American military installations in the Pacific. 

History At a Glance: Women in World War II

American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform.

The World War II: Impact and Consequences Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

World War II had a great impact on social order and international relations between the nations and continents. A major influence on international policies was the relations between the two opposite camps, the Allies and the Axis, and the views each held of the other. The Allies and the Axis were reluctant to follow any line that risked running into the antagonism of the other for fear of alienating their ally and therefore endangering one of the precepts of their distant policies (Gordon 32). In an epoch of growing international anxiety and doubt, Germany remained one of the few relatively sure supports upon which they could depend on. Certainly, in the formulation and conduct of international war policy the significance attached to the views and position of the other was considerable, indeed the contacts and discussions between them were often decisive. The history of World War II suggests that the greatest impact this war had in African and Asian countries was through the processes of decolonization and modernization coming to these geographical regions.

World War II changed the landscape of North Africa and opened new opportunities for independence. The countries became independent immediately after the end of the war, but the war changed the national consciousness and self-determination of the nations. For either to be successful the cooperation of their partner across North Africa was considered imperative. Neither the Allies nor the Axis was prepared to take any initiative alone: among diplomatic, military and political circles there was a refusal to act either against Italian hostility in North Africa or German treaty violations in Europe without the guaranteed support of their partner (Hargreaves 65). This perceived incapability to operate without the backing of the other extended at several vital junctures to the point where the Allies and the Axis allowed the other, possibly willingly so, to determine their own policies (Gordon 65).

The main African countries involved in World War II were under Italian rule and included the Italian North Africa, the Italian east Africa. Also, such Asian Middle East countries as Iran, Syria and Lebanon were involved. The outcome this emphasis placed on the other’s strategy was to strengthen the case for appeasing Italy and Germany. Each was depressed from taking a firm posture by the belief that the other was not committed to a policy of confrontation. During the first months of World War II, the countries recognized that, whatever their public statements, the British were not committed to a hard line over Italian hostility (Hargreaves 77). Later, following the reoccupation of the Africa, a similar sight was held in London of French attitudes. Equally important, each knew, indeed it was explicitly stated, that their ally would not act without them and without having first received a formal promise of their support. The Allies and the Axis pacification policies were further reinforced by the denial to accept a trade-off by which support for a policy of resistance against one fascist aggressor would be exchanged for the promise of support against the other (McGowen 87). The only result of these political maneuvers was to further damage their relations, with each berating the other for failing to provide the necessary support. In fact, these often hurtful exchanges had more to do with seeking to place the onus for (in)action onto their ally’s shoulders than with any wish to adopt a policy of resistance towards fascist hostility (Gordon 63). “Between Cairo and Cape Town operational activities were at first confined to a few ports and airfields. Freetown, an important staging-post and assembly-point for naval convoys, was quickly affected” (Hargreaves 51). The outcomes drawn from these common considerations, firstly, that it was impossible to act without the backing of their ally and, secondly, that their union was no more than half- hearted in its desire to oppose Italy or Germany (and also that they lacked the means even if they had desired to accept such a policy), accentuated their already unsure policies, impeded any firm answer, and acted as a further impetus to the policies of appeasement.

When considering the African and Asian responses to Italian hostility in East Africa, a contrast has been made between ‘the complicated “game” and the determination of the English Government; of a strong-willed British administration wanting to do all it could to halt Italy and defend the League but being held back by the cynical policies of the French (Hargreaves 66). The obvious contradiction with France’s traditional record of determination in upholding the settlement and the League, and with Great Britain’s previous half-hearted and flexible approach towards both, is explained away by a supposed dual volte-face in which each at the same time assumed the mantle of the other. This actually rapid and total about-turn in policy simply cannot explain the complexity of the Allies and the Axis policies. For both there were numerous issues to be taken into account, some pushing towards opposition to the Axis ambitions and defense, others towards maintaining Italian friendship through acceptance of her expansion at Africa’s expense. Although these were not felt equally, there were strong cases made on either side of the dispute in both countries (McGowen 34). In their respective parliaments, governments and public views the war crisis produced widely divergent, and often contradictory, opinions towards the Axis. The result was that neither was firmly attached either to opposing or conniving at Italian hostility. For the Allies and the Axis leaders the importance of the Africa crisis, coming at a critical time in international affairs, lay in its repercussions beyond Africa – in the Mediterranean, in Europe, and above all in their future relations with Germany (Gordon 49). Not surprisingly, their opinion turned as much towards Berlin as towards Rome, Addis Ababa or Geneva throughout the whole affair. Faced with growing evils in Europe, complicated by an expansionist Japan in the Far East, the significance of Italy greatly increased. With Germany rearming and clearly seeking to expand to the African and Asian continents and east the value of Italian support could not be overlooked. The result was an effort, led by the French but closely followed and supported by London, to tie Italy more closely to the western camp. “Political doctrines apart, all France’s African subjects suffered new hardships in consequence of the interruption of peacetime patterns of production and trade, and of increased demands by their rulers” (Hargreaves 53).

Not only was there a concern not to estrange their union and to keep as close to them as possible but both the Allies and the Axis also considered that their own policy could not be successful without the fuIl and active participation of each other. This refusal to operate outside a joint Allies approach acted throughout the crisis as a restraint on the policy initiatives that emerged from the Allies and the Axis whether they were for greater concessions or stronger coercive measures. Although for Great Britain the issue was less one of dependence there was still a great emphasis placed on Paris (McGowen 65). This was certainly much in evidence when consideration was given to the issue of sanctions. The issue of French military support should Italy attack the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean in some ‘mad dog’ attack was repeatedly raised. Equally, there was a general insistence that France should prepare fuIl-scale armed operations against Italy before sanctions could even be considered, and any policy of opposing Italian ambitions was simply considered impossible without the full military and diplomatic support of the French (Gordon 69). The war in Asia took place between Japanese and communist Chinese armies aimed to protect their national interest and became independent.

Time and again the Allies pointed to failure to provide this as a reason for their own unwillingness to consider sanctions. At the same time they insisted on the necessity of keeping in step with France and made this principle of their policy clear to all involved. British statements that they had no understanding with African countries, their demands that before sanctions were apprised upon France must be prepared to undertake large-scale military operations (in fact, take the brunt of these as well as from any Italian retaliation) and their refusal to offer in exchange for French support over Africa a guarantee of British support for future sanctions against Germany, only added to the general suspicion in Paris (Hargreaves 74). British demands that a sanctions policy be adopted, and moreover that it be led by France, met with little support (McGowen 48). French leaders, aware of British silence on this issue, saw no reason to do anything other than drag their heels – certainly they often argued that London would be only too pleased if sanctions were avoided.

Similar to Africa, Asia was intestinally involved in the war with poor military resources and colonial state power. It has been argued that the crisis posed a straightforward, if awkward, choice for the Allies and the Axis between resistance and appeasement, between threats (backed up if necessary by collective action) and sufficient concessions to Italy to prevent her from resorting to arms combined with pressure on the Asians to concede. In this the choice that confronted Paris and London over Asian nations reflected the wider and longer-term choice over policy towards the fascist powers. The choice was not, though, so simple. The recognized pattern of appeasing Mussolini and the desire to preserve the advantages of Italian friendship pushed them in one way; concern for the League and for the widespread public support it enjoyed pushed them in another (McGowen 65). Neither Government, though, saw the option in such stark terms. For both it was an issue of attempting to balance the many demands placed on them. Nor were conciliation and coercion considered as being equally exclusive but rather as two paths to be followed simultaneously. Both the Allies and the Axis were pushed towards what were often incompatible options by conflicting advice and concerns. The understandable inclination was to seek to avoid these alternatives, to preserve both Italian co-operation in Europe and the prestige and force of the League; neither France nor Great Britain accepted that by attempting to keep both they would fall between two stools (Gordon 77). The World War II led to formation of Asian states including the Republic of China (under Communist regime,) The North and South Korea, the Taiwan, and Vietnam. The decolonization process touched Indochina, Algeria, Indonesia and Madagascar, the dominion of India and Pakistan. Such states as Israel and Palestine were created in the Middle East.

The story of the Allies and the Axis policies towards the African and Asian countries is in large part that of how the Governments sought to come to terms with this dilemma. Neither saw a simple choice between coercion and conciliation and in neither country was the eventual outcome of the debate a clear decision either to resist or to cede to Italian demands. When faced with the threat and then the fact of Italian hostility against a fellow member of the League both France and Great Britain worked fervently to find a diplomatic solution (Hock 101). The central, seemingly insoluble, problem remained how this could satisfy both the League and Italy; how Italian needs could be sufficiently fulfilled to keep her in the anti-German camp while not delivering a fatal blow to the League and to the system of collective security. Such hopes proved to be based on an unfounded optimism or, more probably, on an irresolution characteristic of both countries’ leaderships. At the heart of British and French policies lay what were to prove intractable problems arising from inherent inconsistencies (McGowen 51). Furthermore, however understandable the policies pursued, they were always poorly adapted to the nature of Mussolini’s power. Given this, it is not surprising that their open rejection of effectual sanctions and their public acceptance of Italy’s need to expand did little to convince Mussolini of the need to accept anything less than the complete annihilation of North Africa. This gulf between fascist Italy and the democracies always worked against a successful resolution of the crisis along the lines envisaged in the Allies and the Axis. The weaknesses inherent in such an approach and the basic incompatibility of the two halves of the dual-line were never fully accepted by the Allies and the Axis policy-makers (Gordon 88).

Pushed in often opposite directions by various international and domestic considerations, the Allies and the Axis policies in Asia and Africa were equally ambivalent. The first inclination for both was to temporize, to leave the problem to others, to urge conciliation all round and to attempt to avoid the awkward dilemma posed by Italy’s hostility (Hock 103). Driven by conflicting advice, interests and considerations, weakened in their formulation by the absence of decisive leadership and in their application both by material weaknesses and the lack of Anglo-French solidarity, ended in failure: the League was ruined as an instrument of peace-keeping, the Italian alliance permanently damaged and mutual relations strained almost to breaking point. “The secretary of state entered 1941 certain that he wanted no confrontation with Japan over China or Southeast Asia until the situation in Europe had improved” (Lee 14).

Having unsuccessfully turned to each other for a lead, ministers and their military advisers looked to Great Britain for a way out of their predicament. Safe in the knowledge that British opposition would rule out any military response, the new direction was instructed to open talks under the auspices of the League. The crisis was, however, far from over (Hock 107). The importance of Asian theater was that for the Allies, all hopes of improving relations with Germany were dependent on one thing – the support of France. Everything turned on first neutralizing any French demands for action and then winning her over to the appeasement of Europe. For the Government in London the present dangers, and future possibilities, all revolved around an agreement with Paris. Both approached the events from this same sense of weakness (McGowen 38). Attempts to look to other allies (in the case of France to Poland, the Little Entente, the Soviet Union and Italy; for Great Britain to her Dominions) never got off the ground. Faced with growing threats in Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, Great Britain had to abandon her inclination to be the arbiter of Europe (Hock 106).

Their immediate reactions, however, were often to condemn their partner as much as the aggressor. The French attacked what they regarded as Great Britain’s lack of solidarity, their failure to provide adequate commitments to the defense of Western Europe, and for playing too much to a German tune. They also questioned the inconsistency with which the British sought to apply the Covenant against Italy while denying its value in Europe. In London French intransigence was blamed for the long-lasting failure to reach a settlement with Germany (McGowen 23). The inherent issues in relations between Britain and France in Asia were heightened by the fact that before either reached a policy decision the other’s attitude was solicited and, despite a pronounced lack of confidence, their support made an essential precondition for any diplomatic move (Kelly 81). Throughout both crises each constantly referred to the attitudes of other actors. In turn, the League, the United States, France’s Eastern European allies, British Dominions, and numerous other states as far apart as Turkey and Japan, were considered in policy deliberations. What really mattered, however, was the attitude of their partner across the Channel. Beyond the limitations imposed by material resources and the broad outlook and aims of the two leaderships, it was these considerations that each gave to the other’s position that was the major determinant of international policy (McGowen 87).

In Asia and Africa, the Allies relations were marked by requests and refusals for action against international hostility: British attempts to halt Italian ambitions in Ethiopia were blocked by French unwillingness to follow their lead; over the Asia the roles were apparently reversed, with Great Britain’s non-co-operation holding back the French. In both cases there is much in this that is simply myth. The myth, however, both at the time and since, proved to be remarkably useful. Consequently it took deep root (McGowen 47). That the Allies tensions were added to by these diplomatic exchanges is evident. Over the crisis the British disapproval of the French failure to stand by them was strongly voiced. In return, Paris attacked what many there considered to be Great Britain’s willingness to raise the stakes to dangerous levels.

Those successes offered twin rescue to a beleaguered Imperial Army. First, the colossal drain of the China “incident” might at last be ended by an occupation of French Indochina that would nearly sever the remaining flow of Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek. It was a perversion of the “total war” officers’ original attempt to achieve autarky (Lee 16).

In both cases these connections had a direct and lasting collision. In large part these divergences make clear the failure to overcome either crisis successfully (McGowen 54; McGowen 66).

In sum, African countries and Asian nations were the stronger partners is beyond doubt. The greater reliance of the Allies on ally was shown in the frequent use made of the unequal relations. None the less, the Allies retained a clear edge of political maneuver and took its own part in the policy of pacification. The direct insinuation of their recognized interdependence was a refusal to maneuver in the political arena outside the boundaries of what was jointly agreed and applied. World War II proposed great opportunities for Asian and African nations to become independent but it also ruined their cultural and social achievements. Their interdependence also meant that the world’s powers chose to bow to the other’s position. Critics told that the world’s powers would adjust their position to that of dependent nations. This is a mistaken impression and expression. The debate constantly placed Asian nations at the centre of their decisions and any action to resolve the war crisis, either along the path of further concessions or greater pressure on the Axis, was based on winning co-operation.

Works Cited

Gordon, J. W. The Other Desert War: British Special Forces in North Africa , 1940-1943 Greenwood Press, 1987.

Hargreaves, J.D. Decolonization in Africa ; Longman, 1996.

Hock, D. Legacies of World War II in South and East Asia . Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2007.

Kelly, O. Meeting the Fox: The Allied Invasion of Africa, from Operation Torch to Kasserine Pass to Victory in Tunisia . Wiley, 2002.

Lee, L.E. World War II in Asia and the Pacific and the War’s aftermath, with General Themes: A Handbook of Literature and Research . Greenwood Press, 1998.

McGowen, T. World War II. Childrens Press, 2002.

• Comparing World War II to September 11th
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• Promoting Production During World War II
• The Role of the United States in World War II
• Causes of World War II
• Female Russian Snipers: From Second World War to Present Day
• World War II and Germany’s Invasion Plans
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• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Developing a Thesis Statement

A thesis must be focused (specific and narrow enough for the scope of the assignment) arguable (not commonly accepted, open to debate) researchable (able to be verified or supported by evidence)

An Example Thesis Statement

Topic: World War II

Fancy topic (what might pass for a thesis in high school): World War II caused great economic devastation, affecting millions of people.

THESIS: World War II caused great economic devastation because the war displaced millions of refugees to countries whose post-war economies could not afford to support new citizens.

Notice the "Formula" we have here:

WWII caused economic devastation (assertion/thesis) because WWII (the war) displaced millions of refugees (proof/reason

A THESIS “FORMULA”

1. An assertion (thesis) that is a complete idea answering a question at issue. (CLAIM)

2. A because clause that provides the central reason in support of the assertion. (EVIDENCE)

3. The statement must answer a question at issue in the author's social or academic community. It must address something that the community cares about but does not necessarily agree upon.

4. There should be an unstated assumption behind the thesis. This is the "truth" on which the argument rests. The assumption must be something everyone in the author's audience is likely to agree with as an effective starting point for the argument. In the sample thesis above, the shared assumption might be “Economic devastation is always a result of a refugee crisis.”

5. There should, ideally, be a shared term that appears at the beginning of both the assertion and the because clause. This ensures that there is an obvious logical connection between the two. (The shared term may be implied by use of a pronoun—“it," "they.")

Explain how this thesis statement meets these five criteria of a sound thesis:

After-school jobs are bad for teenagers because they take away study time. After-school jobs are bad for teenagers because they [after-school jobs] take away study time.

1. The assertion is that "after-school jobs are bad for teenagers." (The term "bad" is a bit vague and would probably have to be more specific in a revised thesis.) 2. The reason is "because they take away study time." 3. The assertion has more than one side: Parents, teachers, and students are all likely to have different opinions on the matter, even within the groups.

4. The unstated assumption is that having less study time is bad for teenagers; this is the crux of the argument.

5. There is a shared term: "After-school jobs are bad for teenagers because they (after-school jobs) take away study time."

World War 2 - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

World War 2, spanning from 1939 to 1945, was a cataclysmic event that reshaped the global political and social landscape. Essays might delve into the origins of the war, exploring the political tensions, territorial ambitions, and ideological divides that fueled the conflict. The discourse might extend to the notable campaigns and battles, examining the strategies employed by the Axis and Allied powers. The human cost of the war, the Holocaust, and the war crimes committed could also form a significant area of discussion, alongside the exploration of the resistance movements and the home fronts. Moreover, essays could focus on the aftermath of the war, the establishment of the United Nations, the Nuremberg Trials, and the initiation of the Cold War. The lasting impact of World War 2 on modern warfare, international relations, and the collective memory could provide a profound exploration of the enduring legacy and the lessons derived from this monumental period in history. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of World War 2 you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

How did the Treaty of Versailles Caused World War 2

The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Those who act selfishly and maliciously are not particularly part of the majority in their ways of thinking and behaving. All it takes is a few good people to get the tail blazing and doing what needs to be done to keep evil from prevailing. Over the course of history many have been the victims of tyranny and overt xenophobic ruling. World War II and […]

World War 2 Propaganda

In 1932, during the Great Depression, Poland formed a pact of nonaggression with the Soviet Union. Then in 1934 signed a similar pact with Natzi Germany, which was broken five years later. World War Two began due to the United Kingdom Declared war on Germany for their invasion of Poland in 1939. In the same year the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the East, and divides Poland between the two countries. In 1941 the German concentration camps Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek […]

The Profession of Nursing during World War II

The profession of nursing has been a significant aspect of many wars. World War II is no exception. World War II and its aftermath saw many changes for the nursing profession. Nursing during the war and nursing today are extremely different. The roles, working conditions, education and socioeconomic factors during the war impacted nurses both during that time period and today. The role of nurses before the start of the war was very different from nursing today. The majority of […]

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Ethical Abyss: Examining the Nazi Medical Experiments during World War 2

The medical experiments carried out by the Nazis throughout World War II are an extremely unsettling period in the annals of medicine and human rights. The Nazi regime's physicians and scientists conducted these experiments, which resulted in the murder, mutilation, and systematic torture of thousands of concentration camp inmates. The purpose and character of these experiments, the ethical transgressions they constituted, and their enduring influence on medical ethics and human rights law are all aspects of this essay that are […]

Could World War 2 have been Prevented? a Scrutiny of Missed Diplomatic Opportunities

The question of whether World War II could have been prevented looms large in history. It leads us to wonder if this devastating conflict was inevitable or if there were ways to avoid it. By examining the critical decisions and key moments that led to the outbreak of the war, we can identify potential paths that might have stopped this catastrophe from occurring. While it's easy to see things clearly in hindsight, exploring these possibilities highlights the importance of diplomacy, […]

Causes and Effects of World War II

World War II, in terms of casualties and actual material destruction, was the most devastating war in human history. It cost a lot of countries a lot of money, a lot of soldiers, and much more. Economies crashed, governments crumbled, and some would even say that for the countries in the Axis Coalition, that they were in worse shape after World War II then they were during the Great Depression World War II left destruction in many countries, but not […]

Was the World War 2 a Continuation of World War 1?

World War II Research and Family Paper, The Second World War was one of the most tragic wars facing us in the 1900s. The Second World War is the continuation of the First World War but at a completely new level. I'll explain an overview of the war and what it was like to live through it in this research paper. The Genesis of World War II There were many things that could be considered to have caused the war, […]

Was World War 2 a Good War: Unraveling the Complex Tapestry of Morality and Change

The phrase "Good War" regularly appears when discussing how complicated World War II was. This term has many different meanings, and while it is evident that it caused unimaginable misery, agony, and loss, there were unquestionable components of the struggle that brought about constructive change. Suffering and loss were undeniable aspects of the conflict that led to positive change. Let's delve into the arguments surrounding characterization. The notion of World War II as the "Good War" has been cemented in […]

How did the Cold War Affect the World Today

This project is going to be about the Cold War affect at that time and today. The author-topic happened in the United States and the Soviet Union and during the mid of the 40's to late 80's. The author argument about a political and economic struggle between the two superpowers, we can describe it as militarism. This topic is essential to the United States Because the United States emerged as the sole superpower in the world and, capitalism beat communism. […]

Women in World War II

Many changes in the United States occurred with the start of World War II. These changes were heavily influenced by society, propaganda, and different kinds of advertising. One major change was the drastic shift of traditionally male jobs being taken over by women as a great number of men went off to fight in the war. This may seem like a step in the right direction for gender equality, but when the war concluded, women were expected to hand their […]

Societal Impacts of World War II on America

On September 1, 1939, World War II began with Germany invading Poland due to Adolf Hitler’s belief that the Aryan race was superior and that the Jews were the cause of all of Europe’s problems at the time, especially Germany. During this war, Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to remain neutral, but after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States joined into the war effort. During 1941 the United States was still trying to recover from the […]

The Aftermath and Effects of World War II on the United States

Despite the overall ending of World War II, the effects of the war brought both positive and negative changes to the United States. These changes included different economic, political, and social aspects that transformed America into all that it is today, and whether or not these changes where positive or negative, both are truly important to the history of the United States of America. According to the textbook, some of the positive changes that World War II brought to the […]

The Impact of African Americans during World War II

The United States was seen as a nation divided by the start of World War II. This division was spurred by race and religion. World War II is known for being a war centered around humanity, prejudice and basic human rights. While the Holocaust, Nazi Germany and Pearl Harbor are popular topics regarding World War II African Americans were ultimately the underdogs of the 1940's. The civil rights movements that followed were direct results of their impact during World War […]

The Allied Powers in World War II

The Allies defeated the Axis in World War II. The Axis were defeated because of various reasons. I believe the Axis lost the war because they were inexperienced and their actions throughout the war were not very smart. The Axis powers simply did not have enough supplies to compete with their enemy. The Allied forces have various supplies that gave them an advantage, things like rubber, cotton, nickel, and even oil. The Allied forces were involved with a lot of […]

Richard Nixon Foreign Policy and Cold War

The Cold War began to come to an end once President Richard Nixon stepped into office. He wanted to take a different approach to the international relations by using diplomacy instead of military action. In 1972, Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet premier, and Nixon signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. This treaty made both sides agree to halt all nuclear weapons manufacturing. This would then lead to a big step to ending the threat of nuclear war. Even though Nixon had […]

Penicillin during World War II

Humans and bacteria have co-existed for thousands of years. Many people have fallen to bacterial infections secondary to penetrating wounds or from being in proximity to those who are sick. Since ancient times, people have used honey, wine or vinegar on wound dressings, and used heavy metals such as silver or copper for vases to hold water to prevent bacterial growth (Greener, 2012). Also, our bodies naturally develop defenses against the deadly effects of bacteria, but it never seems like […]

Socratic Seminar Slaughterhouse Five

How does the Vonneguts time shifting technique affect the understanding of the novel? Is there any advantage of structuring the slaughter house five in the teleporting manner? There is a linear story that emerges from the time shifting details of the novel. There is the story of Billy,? who makes his own way through time travel across the era of World War 2 toward the Dresden and show the scene of destruction. Whenever we came to the thread of the narrator, […]

Nursing in World War II

Starting in 1939 with Hitler's invasion of Poland, World War II would officially begin its terror among the world. With an increase in need for soldiers, came a rising need for care and nurses (Levine, 2018). Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States officially entered this war and eventually brought a plethora of nurses with it (Wilson, 2018). American involvement in World War II had an extreme effect on the profession of nursing including the creation […]

World War i Vs World War II

World War I and World War II were very similar in many ways. Both began because of the clash of political ideologies. For example, there were imperialistic, nationalistic, and militaristic countries both involved in the wars. As they were similar, they also differ in a number of ways; none of the countries fighting in World War I had a dictator whereas World War II had multiple dictators from the same few countries. World War I and II also had differences […]

Post-World War II America

World War II was coming to a close. The United States had played a large part in the war by assisting in the victory of the Allies over the Axis Powers from the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor until the Japanese surrender in the summer of 1945. The U.S. had, at first, expressed the intent to remain neutral in the war - When the WWII first began with Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939, America portrayed itself […]

American Society after World War II

According to Wiese (2004), the 20th century history of the United States hinges on the post-world war era. Following the World War II, the U.S faced diverse changes which had both adverse and positive impacts on the American society.it was after this war that several policies and programs were formulated to transform the American society. This essay explores a number of issues that had an impact on the American society following the war. Suburbanization is considered to be among the […]

Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust

Introduction Have you ever visited the holocaust museum? Located in Washington D.C., it is a place were we honor the people who died in the Final Solution . The Final Solution was a plan made by adolf hitler to kill off the jews. German authorities persecuted other groups on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds. Among them were Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals. I wonder what the reality was in that time and place. Adolf hitler The one who started […]

World War Ll in History

Over 6 million jews died all in one period of time. All those people died in the holocaust because of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi group. The Holocaust changed the world forever, and is something we will never forget. Jews and many others had to experience harsh conditions, and the Holocaust made such a huge impact on our world. On the evening of April 20, 1889, at an inn called the Gasthof Zum Pommer in the village of Braunau Am […]

What is it that Made Germany and Japan do such a Terrible Act?

It has been a while since World War II, but the atrocities committed against humans in Germany and Japan are still vivid: human trials, massacres, racial discrimination, bacterial weapons, etc. are all unforgivable crimes committed against the world. So what is it that made Germany and Japan do such a terrible act? What horrible things have they done? First, why are they doing such atrocious things? As the leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler was very hated for the Jews. […]

The Effects that World War i and World War II had on Minority Groups in America

At the beginning of the 1900s, many problems were arising overseas that would eventually lead to the First World War. The expansion of the war happened quickly. Overall, thirty-two nations were involved. Twenty-eight of which were a part of the Associated powers (the Allies). The Allies included the British Empire, France, Serbia, the United States of America, Italy, and Russia. The Central Powers that opposed them were Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire. In the beginning, President Woodrow Wilson […]

The Nature of Crime during World War II

What if crime during wartime is viewed the same as crime in normal times? In Nazi Germany, crime during wartime is seen through a different lens in comparison to crime not during wartime. In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, Hitler is ruling the Germans with propaganda during World War II, around 1939-1945. During wartime, the nature of crime is atypical because of the circumstantial times that are brought upon them. Liesel and Rudy are only stealing when it is […]

The Holocaust in Two Parts

The beginning of the Holocaust started when WWI ended. Germany lost the war, and Adolf Hitler got furious at Jews, homosexuals, and religious groups like Gypsies, and also, there was a bit of an economic crisis, so he needed to go Thanos and wipe out pretty much half of all Jews, homosexuals, and persecuted religious groups. But before he could do that, he needed to rise to power. HITLER'S RISE TO POWER The roots of Hitler's particularly virulent brand of […]

Eugenics Continued after World War II

Francis Galton first coined the term eugenics as a philosophy to improve humanity by encouraging people with presumed desirable traits to have children, while discouraging those with unwanted' attributes to refrain from reproducing. Galton's theory developed with the assistance of his increasingly famous second cousin, Charles Darwin, and his theory of evolution (Galton). Eugenics theory gained further popularity throughout the 20th century, captivating the attention of medical and government leaders. This lead to the eventual artificial replication of the survival […]

The Backbone of the U.S Navy in World War II

It's 1941, World War II has been going on for three years at this point. The United States is at war with the Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean and is at a disadvantage. Most of the combat took place either in air-to-air fighter aircraft dogfights or upon carriers. The U.S Navy started the war using F4F Wildcat biplanes as their primary fighter aircraft in 1940. The Wildcat planes were mid-wing biplanes that were powered by a Pratt & Whitney […]

Race and Territorial Conflict in World War II

Individual ethnic groups possess their own beliefs and ways of doing things. Each group can have varying perspectives; however, some of those perspectives can be overlapping. Some of these ethnic groups have very extremist ways of viewing things. With that being said, many conflicts differ in conformity, social perception, and social cognition. Although these groups pull themselves further and further away from diversity, they all have the same wants; the want of territory. These groups are in a fight of […]

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How To Write an Essay About World War 2

Understanding world war 2.

Before starting an essay about World War 2, it's essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the war and its global impact. World War 2, fought from 1939 to 1945, was a global war involving most of the world's nations, including all the great powers, eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Start by outlining the major causes of the war, such as the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy, Japanese imperialism, and the aftermath of World War 1. Discuss key events of the war, including the invasion of Poland, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Understanding the geopolitical, economic, and social ramifications of the war is crucial for writing a comprehensive essay.

Developing a Thesis Statement

A strong essay on World War 2 should be centered around a clear, concise thesis statement. This statement should present a specific viewpoint or argument about the war. For example, you might analyze the role of technology in World War 2, the impact of the war on civilian populations, or the consequences of the war on the post-war world order. Your thesis will guide the direction of your essay and provide a structured and coherent analysis.

Gathering Historical Evidence

To support your thesis, gather historical evidence from credible sources. This may include primary sources like documents, speeches, and diaries, as well as secondary sources like scholarly articles and history books. Analyze this evidence critically, considering the context and the source's reliability. Use this evidence to build your argument and provide depth to your analysis of World War 2.

Analyzing the Impact of World War 2

Dedicate a section of your essay to analyzing the impact of World War 2. Discuss various aspects, such as the war's influence on international relations, the economy, technological advancements, and the social changes it brought about. Consider both the immediate and long-term effects of the war, and how it shaped the modern world.

Concluding the Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your discussion and restating your thesis in light of the evidence presented. Your conclusion should tie together your analysis and emphasize the significance of World War 2 in shaping global history. You might also want to reflect on the lessons learned from the war and their relevance to contemporary conflicts.

Reviewing and Refining Your Essay

After completing your essay, review and refine it for clarity and coherence. Ensure that your arguments are well-structured and supported by historical evidence. Check for grammatical accuracy and ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Consider seeking feedback from peers, teachers, or historians to further refine your essay. A well-written essay on World War 2 will not only demonstrate your understanding of this pivotal period in history but also your ability to engage critically with historical narratives.

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Home — Essay Samples — War — World War II — D-Day

Essays on D-day

D-day thesis statement examples, the significance of d-day in world war ii.

Thesis Statement: D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marked a pivotal turning point in World War II, as it not only established a foothold in Nazi-occupied Europe but also set the stage for the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi tyranny.

The Planning and Preparation for Operation Overlord

Thesis Statement: The success of Operation Overlord, or D-Day, can be attributed to meticulous planning, intelligence gathering, and the collaborative efforts of Allied military leaders, which culminated in a successful amphibious assault on the Normandy beaches.

The Role of Leadership in the Success of D-Day

Thesis Statement: The leadership and decision-making of key figures like General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay played a vital role in the success of D-Day, showcasing the importance of strong leadership in military operations.

The Heroic Sacrifices of D-Day Soldiers

Thesis Statement: The soldiers who participated in D-Day demonstrated extraordinary courage and selflessness, facing overwhelming odds and often making the ultimate sacrifice, all in the name of freedom and democracy.

The Impact of D-Day on the Nazi Regime

Thesis Statement: D-Day weakened the Nazi regime both militarily and psychologically, forcing Germany to fight a two-front war and significantly eroding the morale of the German forces.

The Legacy of D-Day in Shaping Post-War Europe

Thesis Statement: D-Day's impact extended beyond the war itself; it played a pivotal role in reshaping the political and social landscape of post-war Europe, setting the stage for the emergence of the Cold War and the eventual formation of the European Union.

The Role of Technological Advancements in D-Day

Thesis Statement: The success of D-Day was greatly influenced by technological advancements in weaponry, communication, and logistics, which enabled the Allies to execute a complex amphibious assault on the Normandy coast.

Hook Examples for D-Day Essays

Anecdotal hook.

"As I stood on the hallowed shores of Omaha Beach, I couldn't help but imagine the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers who stormed these very sands on D-Day, forever changing the course of history."

Rhetorical Question Hook

"What does it take to launch the largest amphibious assault in history? On June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied troops answered that question with courage and determination on the beaches of Normandy."

Startling Statistic Hook

"D-Day involved over 156,000 troops, 5,000 ships, and 11,000 aircraft, making it a logistical marvel. But beyond the numbers, it was a day of immense bravery and sacrifice."

"Winston Churchill once said, 'This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever occurred.' This statement captures the gravity of the D-Day landings."

Historical Hook

"On the morning of June 6, 1944, the fate of Europe hung in the balance as Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, a daring endeavor that would forever change the course of World War II."

Narrative Hook

"Imagine being a paratrooper dropped behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day, tasked with disrupting German defenses. The stories of these brave men provide a gripping narrative of heroism."

Contrast Hook

"In the serene beauty of the Normandy coast today, it's hard to imagine the chaos and carnage that unfolded on D-Day. Exploring this stark contrast offers valuable insights into history."

Emotional Appeal Hook

"The heart-wrenching letters of soldiers to their loved ones on the eve of D-Day reveal the emotional turmoil and profound love that fueled their courage in the face of danger."

Shocking Scenario Hook

"Picture this: young men storming a heavily fortified beach under relentless gunfire. This shocking scenario faced by Allied troops on D-Day is a testament to their bravery."

Curiosity Hook

"What drove ordinary men to perform extraordinary acts of valor on D-Day? Exploring the psychology of heroism sheds light on the remarkable human spirit."

D-day: a Day that Changed The Course of History

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The Factors of The Success of D-day in WWII

The role of d-day in the second world war, what we know about world war two's d-day and the involvement of the united states, analysis of d-day, june 6, 1944: the climatic battle of world war ii by stephen e. ambrose, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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D Day Speech Analysis

June 6, 1944

Normandy, France

Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning.

The majority of troops who landed on the D-Day beaches were from the United Kingdom, Canada and the US. However, troops from many other countries participated in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland.

It was the largest invasion ever assembled, before or since, landed 156,000 Allied troops by sea and air on five beachheads in Normandy, France. D-Day was the start of Allied operations which would ultimately liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany and end the Second World War.

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2021 2022 History Fair - Debate and Diplomacy in History: Writing a Thesis Statement

• What is History Fair?
• History Fair Theme
• Potential Topics
• Logging in, Creating a Project, and Sharing in Noodletools
• Building Context and Understanding Your Topic
• Writing a Thesis Statement
• Primary and Secondary Sources: What's the difference?
• Finding Secondary Sources
• Cite Secondary Sources
• Finding Primary Sources
• Cite Primary Sources
• Creating Your Website

Goals and Guiding Questions

• Understand the purpose of a thesis statement.
• Understand the parts of a thesis statement and how to write one.
• Create a thesis statement for your History Fair project.

Guiding Questions:

• How is a thesis statement different from a research question?
• What do I include in my thesis statement?
• What is my thesis statement for my HF project?

Your Thesis Statement MUST:  

Give specific details ​

Go beyond facts to discuss the importance of a topic on history (impact, significance) ​

Show the topic's connection to the theme – Debate and Diplomacy

Thesis Statement Worksheet and Example

Thesis statement tips, thesis statement tips: .

1.) Don't Use the First Person 

 2.) Don’t ask questions in your thesis. ​Answer them!

3.) Don't use present tense.

4.) Avoid using  “should”  in your thesis.​This is a historical argument, not philosophy.

5.) Avoid 'what if" history. Focus on what actually happened.

Writing Your Thesis Statement

Find the five ws:.

Who is involved in your topic?

What is happening?

Where is your topic taking place?

What time period is your topic in?

Why is this topic important? (significance, impa ct)

Look at these Thesis Statement Examples

• Thesis Statement Comparisons
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Collection Military Legal Resources

World war ii.

The United States entered World War II in December 1941 and became fully engaged in the war, both in the European and Mediterranean Theater as well as the Pacific Theater. This collection focuses on military legal documents and trials in the aftermath of the war, including the Nuremberg Trials, the World War II Board of Review Decisions, the Malmedy Massacre Report, and the trial of General Yamashita, in roughly chronological order.

Martial Law in Hawaii: the Papers of Major General Thomas H. Green, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army

On December 7, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Green was Staff Judge Advocate, Hawaiian Department. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he became executive to the military governor and was responsible for countless daily operations of the American military government in the Territory of Hawaii. His personal papers—spanning his entire career from 1917 through his retirement in 1949—include notes, speeches and newspaper clippings, as well as correspondence with such historic figures as the secretaries of War, Navy, and Interior, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Generals Walter Short and Delos Emmons, and Admirals William D. Leahy and Chester Nimitz.

Martial Law in Hawaii : December 7, 1941 – April 4, 1943. Major General Green's complete, unpublished manuscript.

Nazi Saboteurs Trial

In mid-June 1942, eight German saboteurs — Ernest Peter Burger, George John Dasch, Herbert Hans Haupt, Henry Harm Heinck, Edward John Kerling, Hermann Otto Neubauer, Richard Quirin, and Werner Thiel — entered the United States by submarine in two groups, one landing on the coast of Long Island, New York, and the other at Ponte Vedra, near Jacksonville, Florida. Per the instructions of the German High Command, both groups of men carried a supply of explosives, fuses and incendiary and timing devices, to be used to destroy vital infrastructure, war-related industries, and various commercial locations in the United States. Within two weeks, George John Dasch turned himself in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and divulged critical information that led to the arrest of the other seven saboteurs in New York City and Chicago. On July 2, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as commander in chief of the army and navy, issued two orders that empowered a military commission to prosecute the eight saboteurs. The first, Proclamation No. 2561 — “Denying Certain Enemies Access to the Courts of the United States” — states at the outset that all enemies of the United States who commit certain acts “should be promptly tried in accordance with the law of war.” Specifically, citizens and residents of nations at war with the United States “who during time of war enter or attempt to enter the United States … through coastal or boundary defenses, and are charged with committing or attempting or preparing to commit sabotage, espionage, hostile or warlike acts, or violations of the law of war,” were to be “subject to the law of war and to the jurisdiction of military tribunals” and prohibited from seeking remedy in the federal or state courts. The second order, issued by President Roosevelt under authority of Article of War 38, appointed a military commission to try the eight Germans “for offenses against the law of war and the Articles of War.” The commission was given “power to make such rules for the conduct of the proceeding, consistent with the powers of military commissions under the Articles of War, as it shall deem necessary for a full and fair trial of the matters before it.” The order also prescribed regulations for review of the record of the trial and of any judgment or sentence of the commission.

The commission was convened on July 8, 1942. The eight saboteurs sought to file a writ of habeas corpus with the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia, but their motion was denied. In late July, while the military commission was in session, defense counsel persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral arguments on defense challenges to the commission. The Supreme Court’s decision, Ex parte Quirin , issued on July 31, 1942, considered the petitioners’ “contention that the President is without any statutory or constitutional authority to order the petitioners to be tried by military tribunal for offenses with which they are charged” — violation of the law of war, violation of Articles 81 and 82 of the Articles of War, and conspiracy to commit these violations — and that they are consequently entitled to be tried in civil courts. The Court rejected these arguments, and ruled that the German saboteurs were “plainly within the ultimate boundaries of the jurisdiction of military tribunals, and were held in good faith for trial by military commission, charged with being enemies who, with the purpose of destroying war materials and utilities, entered or after entry remained in our territory without uniform — an offense against the law of war. Those particular acts constitute an offense against the law of war which the Constitution authorizes to be tried by military commission.” The military tribunal concluded on August 1, with a guilty verdict for all eight defendants. On August 8, 1942 Haupt, Heinck, Kerling, Neubauer, Quirin, and Thiel were executed. Burger and Dasch received prison sentences. The full text of Ex parte Quirin , linked below, is the electronic version of the final, official opinion of the Supreme Court, which is printed in the bound volumes of the United States Reports . As other documents related to the Nazi saboteurs case are converted to digital format, they will be added to this site.

Nazi Saboteurs Trial , Washington, D.C., 1942

Enactments and Approved Papers of the Control Council and Coordinating Committee, Allied Control Authority, Germany (1945-1948)

The Control Council and Coordinating Committee of the Allied Control Authority in post-World War II-occupied Germany issued a series of enactments and approved papers. This nine-volume series, compiled and printed by the Legal Division of the Office of the U.S. Military Government for Germany, represents the effort to rule an occupied country by unanimous agreement of representatives of the four occupying powers: The United Kingdom, the U.S.S.R., France, and the United States. The collection is not only of historical value, but is an important resource for current military legal scholarship.

• Volume VIII
• Legislative History, Law Index
• Legsilative History, Subject Index

Nuremberg Trials

24 major political and military leaders of Nazi Germany, indicted for aggressive war, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, were brought to trial before the International Military Tribunal. More than 100 additional defendants, representing many sectors of German society, were tried before the United States Nuremberg Military Tribunals in a series of 12 trials known as “Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings.” The four major publications linked below contain: the official proceedings of the trial of the major war criminals (The Blue Series), documentary evidence and guide materials from that trial (The Red Series), the official condensed record of the subsequent trials (The Green Series), and a final report on all the war crimes trials held in Nuremberg, Germany, from 1945 to 1949.

Nurnberg Military Tribunals: Indictments, Case No. 1-12

Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal ("Blue Series") Nuremberg, 14 November 1945 - 1 October 1946

This 42-volume series, also known as “ The Blue Series ,” is the official record of the trial of the major civilian and military leaders of Nazi Germany who were accused of war crimes. The accused were: Hermann Wilhelm Göring, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Robert Ley, Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Alfred Rosenberg, Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Julius Streicher, Walter Funk, Hjalmar Schacht, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, Karl Dönitz, Erich Raeder, Baldur von Schirach, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred Jodl, Martin Bormann, Franz von Papen, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Albert Speer, Constantin von Neurath, and Hans Fritzsche. The International Military Tribunal, under the jurisdiction of the Allied Control Authority for Germany, directed the publication of this series.  The London Agreement of 8 August 1945 established the tribunal, which was composed of one member and an alternate from each of the four Allied countries: the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.  English, French, German, and Russian were the languages used throughout the hearings. Documents entered into evidence were reproduced in this series only in the original language, but as the result of the absence of a Soviet editorial staff, none of the Russian-language documents were published.

• Volume XIII
• Volume XVII
• Volume XVIII
• Volume XXII
• Volume XXIII
• Volume XXIV
• Volume XXVI
• Volume XXVII
• Volume XXVIII
• Volume XXIX
• Volume XXXI
• Volume XXXII
• Volume XXXIII
• Volume XXXIV
• Volume XXXV
• Volume XXXVI
• Volume XXXVII
• Volume XXXVIII
• Volume XXXIX
• Volume XLII

Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Office of the United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality ("Red Series") Nuremberg, Germany (1945-1946)

This eight-volume, 12-book series, also known as “ The Red Series ,” is a “Collection of Documentary Evidence and Guide Materials Prepared by the American and British Prosecuting Staffs for Presentation before the International Military Tribunal at Nurnberg, Germany.”  The Red Series makes available an indexed sampling of the evidence used to support the charges made against the major Nazi war criminals in their trial at Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946.  Volumes I and II serve as an overarching guide for the Red Series. They contain essays that summarize and link together the documents that follow.  Volume II also contains a glossary along with short biographies of the German defendants, as well as summaries of the individual cases against them.

• Opinion and Judgment
• Supplement A
• Supplement B

Trials of War Criminals Before the Nurenberg Military Tribunals Under Control Council Law No. 10 ("Green Series") October 1946 - April 1949

This 15-volume series, also known as “ The Green Series ,” focuses on the 12 trials of almost 200 defendants. The defendants included: diplomats, politicians and jurists, such as Ernst von Weizsaecker, the State Secretary of the Foreign Office, cabinet ministers Schwerin von Krosigk and Hans Lammers, and the Acting Minister of Justice Franz Schlegelberger; military leaders, including Field Marshals Wilhelm von Leeb, Wilhelm List, and Georg von Küchler; SS (Schutzstaffel) leaders, such as Otto Ohlendorf and Oswald Pohl; leading industrialists, such as Friedrich Flick, Alfred Krupp, and the directors of I. G. Farben; and physicians, such as Gerhard Rose. The trial proceedings, conducted in English and German, were carried out under the direct authority of the Allied Control Council, Law No. 10, the text of which is included in Volume I of “the Green Series.”  The trials lasted two and a half years, and produced more than 300,000 pages of testimony and evidence. This publication by the United States Government Printing Office is the official abridged record of the individual indictments and judgments, as well as the administrative materials that were common to all the trials.

The OCCWC (Office, Chief of Counsel for War Crimes) was officially established on October 24, 1946 and formally deactivated on June 20, 1949. The OCCWC was established in the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) [OMGUS], by General Order 301, Headquarters U.S. Forces in Europe, and was the successor to the Subsequent Proceedings Division of the Office of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality. In this report on the Nuremberg war crimes trials, which were conducted under the authority of Control Council Law No. 10, Brigadier General Telford Taylor, Chief of Counsel for War Crimes, also describes the creation, organization, and functioning of the OCCWC. His report covers the period from the beginnings of the OCCWC in October 1945 to its deactivation in 1949.

Final Report to the Secretary of the Army on the Nuernberg War Crimes Trials Under Control Council Law No. 10 Telford Taylor, Brigadier General, Chief of Counsel for War Crimes Washington, D.C., 15 August 1949

World War II Board of Review Decisions

European Theatre : includes Volumes 1-34, index digests 1-2, and Index Supplement Digest 1

North African/Mediterranean Theatre of Operations : includes Volumes 1-7 and Digest of Opinions

Pacific Ocean Areas : includes Volume 1

Southwest Pacific Asia/Pacific : includes Volumes 1-4, Appendix, and Index

China, Burma, India/India-Burma Theater : includes Volumes 1-3

Malmedy Massacre Investigation and Record of Trial

Malmedy massacre investigation and report, malmedy, belgium, 17 december 1944.

On December 16, 1944, the German Army began the Ardennes offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge.  On December 17, 113 American soldiers surrendered to a German armored column under the command of SS Colonel Joachim Peiper [variant: Piper]. After the American prisoners were disarmed, they were assembled in a field near Malmedy, Belgium, and shot. The German soldiers involved in this massacre of the American prisoners were later prosecuted by the U.S. Army for war crimes in 1946 in what is known as the Malmedy Massacre Trial.

In March 1949, in response to charges concerning the unfair conduct of the prosecution in the Malmedy cases, the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services appointed a subcommittee to review the Army’s investigative and trial procedures. The Hon. Raymond E. Baldwin, chairman, presided over the subcommittee hearings, which were held in April, May, June, and September 1949. The subcommittee report was released by the full committee on October 13, 1949. The full text of these hearings as well as the subcommittee report are linked below.

Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services

• Part 1: April 18, 20, 22, 29; May 4, 5, 6 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24; June 1, 2, 3, and 6, 1949
• Part 2: September 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, and 28, 1949
• Report, October 13, 1949

Malmedy Massacre Record of Trial: United States v. Valentin Bersin et al., Dachau, Germany, 16 May - 16 July 1946

Following the end of World War II, the attention of the entire world was focused on the proceedings of the International Military Tribunal, which had begun in Nuremberg, Germany, in November 1945, and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, which had begun in Tokyo, Japan, in April 1946. Both trials saw the countries’ leaders charged with, among other things, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

On May 16, 1946, an equally important, though lesser known, war crimes trial began in a courtroom at the former Dachau concentration camp. A general military government court of seven U.S. Army officers began to try members of Battle Group Pieper (so named after its commander, SS Colonel Joachim Pieper), former Waffen SS soldiers who were accused of murdering 84 American prisoners of war on December 17, 1944 at a road intersection near Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge. As survivors of the massacre reached American lines, word of the killings quickly circulated among American troops and steeled their determination to halt the German offensive.

American newspapers and magazines immediately began calling these killings “the Malmedy Massacre,” the name by which these war crimes will forever be known. Army war crimes investigators immediately began collecting evidence, but it was not until mid-January 1945 that the bodies of those killed were recovered and given proper burials.

Following a two-month trial, during which survivors identified many of the accused in court and testified that many wounded Americans had been shot in the head at close range, all 73 of the accused SS soldiers were found guilty on July 11, 1946. For an excellent summary of the trial and its aftermath, see The Malmedy Massacre Trial: The Military Government Court Proceedings and the Controversial Legal Aftermath (page 22) by Fred L. Borch, III, Regimental Historian and Archivist for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Trial of the major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, 14 November 1945-1 October 1946

• Volume I | Volume II | Volume III
• Volume IV | Volume V | Volume VI
• Volume VII | Volume VIII | Volume IX
• Volume X | Volume XI | Volume XII
• Volume XIII | Volume XIV | Volume XV
• Volume VII includes Additional Content and appendices B-F, G-J, K-P, R-S, T-Z

*The additional content is a book presented to Ellis F. Burton, Assistant Army Judge Advocate and chief prosecutor on the Malmedy Massacre War Crimes Trial. This book is available in the Library of Congress Law Library Rare Book Room .

General Yamashita Trial and International Military Tribunal of the Far East

The case of general yamashita: a memorandum.

In September 1945, Tomoyuki Yamashita, in his capacity as commanding general of the Japanese Fourteenth Army Group in the Philippines, became a prisoner of war of the United States Army Forces and was charged with violations of the law of war. The official charge from the Judge Advocate General’s Department of the Army states that between October 9, 1944 and September 2, 1945, General Yamashita “unlawfully disregarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control the operations of the members of his command, permitting them to commit brutal atrocities and other high crimes against people of the United States and of its allies and dependencies, particularly the Philippines.” On December 7, 1945, a military commission found General Yamashita guilty as charged, and sentenced him to death. Yamashita filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus to the United States Supreme Court, challenging the commission’s lawful authority and jurisdiction to try him. On February 4, 1946 the Court denied the general’s petition, and he was executed shortly thereafter.

The Case of General Yamashita: A Memorandum was written in November 1949 by U.S. Army Brigadier General Courtney Whitney to refute the arguments presented in a book written, but not at that time published, by one of Yamashita’s six defense counsels, Captain A. Frank Reel. In support of its rebuttals to Reel’s book, the memorandum cites as authorities the Supreme Court opinion, In re Yamashita , 327 U.S. 1 (1946); the United Nations War Crimes Commission Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals ; and the Judge Advocate review of the record of trial, all of which are included as appendices to the memorandum.

The memorandum takes exception to Capt. Reel’s use of the dissenting opinions in the Yamashita decision to “support his post-judicial contention that Yamashita was irregularly tried and unjustly executed.” It affirms the three major findings of the Court: the military commission which tried and convicted Yamashita was lawfully created and lawfully convened; the allegations of the charge against Yamashita adequately alleged a violation of the laws of war; and the regulations governing the procedures to be followed by the commission were not in conflict with the Articles of War and did not deprive Yamashita of due process. The memorandum notes that General MacArthur, who served as the final reviewing authority prior to ordering the execution of sentence, supported the majority opinion of the Court. The memorandum includes in its entirety General MacArthur’s statement of record enumerating his reasons for approving the military commission’s judgment.

The commentary written by the United Nations War Crimes Commission discusses at length the Yamashita decision, focusing on the questions of international law which were involved in that case. Specifically, this document addresses “the legality of the trial of war criminals after the termination of hostilities; the finding that an alleged war criminal is not entitled to the protection of the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention relating to trial; the types of evidence admitted in war crime trial proceedings; the stress placed by the Commission on the need for expeditious procedure; and the responsibility of a commander for offences committed by his troops.” The Memorandum finds the commentary’s “discussion of the validity of that part of the regulations governing the procedure to be followed by the military commission in the admissibility of evidence” to be of particular interest.

The memorandum provides a lengthy recitation of the “specifications to the charge on which Yamashita was tried, convicted, and executed,” and states that it “established a pattern of the ... misconduct of the troops under Yamashita’s command.” The memorandum also quotes extensively from the Judge Advocate General’s review of the trial record to illustrate “the voluminous evidence before the military commission pointing to full knowledge by the high command of this reign of terror instituted against non-combatants and prisoners over a wide area.” The Judge Advocate’s review of the trial concluded that the military commission was legally constituted, and had jurisdiction of Yamashita and the offense with which he was charged. It also found that the evidence in that case supported the finding of guilty, that the trial record disclosed no errors in violation of the rights of the accused, and that the sentence was legal.

The Case of General Yamashita: A Memorandum , Brig. Gen. Courtney Whitney (1949).

See also "Trial of General Tomoyuki Yamashita" in volume 4 of the U.S. Crimes Commission's Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals (1948), Case No. 21 (Page 1).

United States of America v. Tomoyuki Yamashita: Record of Trial Manila, Philipines 8 October - 7 December 1945

On October 8, 1945, a military commission—acting under authority from Gen. Douglas MacArthur—began the trial of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita on the charge that between October 9, 1944 and September 2, 1945,

at Manila and at other places in the Philippine Islands, while a commander of [the] armed forces of Japan at war with the United States of America and its allies, [he] unlawfully disregarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control the operations of the members of his command, permitting them to commit brutal atrocities and other high crimes against people of the United States and of its allies and dependencies, particularly the Philippines; and he, General Tomoyuki Yamashita, thereby violated the laws of war.

Two bills of particulars, consisting of 123 distinct paragraphs alleging Yamashita’s violations of the laws of war, were introduced into evidence by the prosecution. The commission heard from 286 persons and received a total of 423 exhibits. The record of trial totaled 4,055 pages.

On December 7, 1945, the fourth anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the military commission found Gen. Yamashita guilty as charged and sentenced him to death by hanging. Yamashita petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States for writs of habeas corpus and prohibition. The opinion of the court, which rejected Yamashita’s petition, was delivered by Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone on February 4, 1946 ( 327 U.S. 1 ). President Harry S. Truman likewise rejected Yamashita’s plea for clemency. Gen. MacArthur reviewed the record of trial and affirmed the death sentence recommended by the commission. Yamashita was executed by hanging on February 23, 1946.

Before the Miliary Commission convened by the Commanding General, United states Army Forces, Western Pacific. United States of America vs. Tomoyuki Yamaskita. [Proceedings].

• Public Trial - 29 October 1945
• Public Trial - 30 October 1945
• Public Trial - 31 October 1945
• Public Trial - 1 November 1945
• Public Trial - 2 November 1945
• Public Trial - 3 November 1945
• Public Trial - 5 November 1945
• Public Trial - 6 November 1945
• Public Trial - 7 November 1945
• Public Trial - 8 November 1945
• Public Trial - 9 November 1945
• Public Trial - 12 November 1945
• Public Trial - 13 November 1945
• Public Trial - 14 November 1945
• Public Trial - 15 November 1945
• Public Trial - 16 November 1945
• Public Trial - 17 November 1945
• Public Trial - 19 November 1945
• Public Trial - 20 November 1945
• Public Trial - 21 November 1945
• Public Trial - 22 November 1945
• Public Trial - 23 November 1945
• Public Trial - 24 November 1945
• Public Trial - 26 November 1945
• Public Trial - 27 November 1945
• Public Trial - 28 November 1945
• Public Trial - 29 November 1945
• Public Trial - 30 November 1945
• Public Trial - 1 December 1945
• Public Trial - 3 December 1945
• Public Trial - 5 December 1945
• Public Trial - 7 December 1945
• Exhibits Volume 1 - Prosecution Exhibits
• Exhibits Volume 2 - Prosecution Exhibits
• Exhibits Volume 3 - Prosecution Exhibits
• Exhibits Volume 4 - Prosecution Exhibits
• Exhibits Volume 5 - Defense Exhibits

Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East Tokyo, Japan; 1946-1948

The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) was established by a special proclamation issued January 19, 1946, by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. The first meeting of the IMTFE was held in Tokyo, Japan, on April 29, 1946. By the time the tribunal ended over two and a half years later, 419 witnesses had appeared in 818 court sessions and 779 affidavits and depositions had been presented. The IMTFE rendered its judgment November 4–12, 1948, in an opinion that took seven months to prepare and was 1,218 pages long. Maj. Gen. Myron C. Cramer, who served as Judge Advocate General of the Army during World War II, represented the United States at the tribunal.

Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East

• Volume I, Part A: Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III
• Volume I, Part B: Chapter IV | Chapter V
• Volume II, Part B, continued: Chapter VI | Chapter VII | Chapter VIII
• Volume II, Part C: Chapter IX | Chapter X | Annexes and Appendices

Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals

Law reports of trials of war criminals selected and prepared by the united nations war crimes commission (1947-1949).

This 15-volume series summarizes the course of the more important proceedings taken against individuals accused of war crimes during World War II, excluding the major war criminals tried by the Nuremberg and Tokyo International Military Tribunals. These representative trials of war criminals were selected for this series based on the major points of municipal and international law that were raised and settled during the trials as well as the potential for the greatest legal interest. Each volume begins with a unique introduction by the Right Honorable Lord Wright of Durley, Chairman of the United Nations War Crimes Commission.

Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals, Volumes 1-15

Nazi War Crimes & Japanese Imperial Government Records

In October 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act (NWCDA), which required the U.S. Government to locate, declassify, and release in their entirety, with few exceptions, remaining classified records about war crimes committed by Nazi Germany and its allies. The act required the President to establish an Interagency Working Group to oversee its implementation, which became the largest congressionally mandated, single-subject declassification effort in history, resulting in over 8 million pages of records being opened. This report is concerned with the process of implementing the Disclosure Acts and with the effectiveness of the acts, including the extent to which the acts resulted in the release of relevant records, the extent to which records were not released, and why. The report does not attempt to assess the historical value of the documentation covered by the acts; nor does it describe or present historical analyses or interpretations of declassified documentation. These interpretive tasks are appropriately left to historians and others with the expertise to study the raw sources made available by the Disclosure Acts. (excerpted from the introduction)

Nazi War Crimes & Japanese Imperial Government Records (April 2007)

Report of the Deputy Judge Advocate Report on War Crimes, European Command

This report was submitted by Lieutenant Colonel Clio Edwin Straight, Deputy Judge Advocate for War Crimes, European Command, to Colonel James L. Harbaugh, Jr., Judge Advocate, European Command. It covers pre-trial and trial phases of the war crimes program that dealt with so-called conventional war crimes cases, which were conducted by the United States Military Forces in Europe, from June 1944 to July 1948.

Report of the Deputy Judge Advocate Report on War Crimes, European Command June 1944 to July 1948

Report of Robert H. Jackson, United States Representative to the International Conference on Military Trials

In December 1947 Justice Robert H. Jackson submitted a “documentary record of negotiations,” which he had conducted from June to August 1945 as U.S. representative to the International Conference on Military Trials with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, and the USSR. The purpose of this conference, held in London, was to establish “methods of procedure for the prosecution and trial of the major European war criminals,” and resulted in the adoption of an agreement and charter of London, signed by representatives of the four conferring powers on August 8, 1945.

The Jackson report includes numerous preparatory documents for the 1945 conference: minutes of conference sessions; reports of the drafting committee regarding the agreement and charter; redrafts of the definitions of key terms; and amendments and other proposals submitted by the American, British, French, and Soviet delegations.

In his preface to this report, Justice Jackson highlights the difficulties in reconciling the “divergence in legal concepts and traditions” among the four delegate nations. A consistent point of separation was the difference between the Soviet practice of judicial inquiry, and the Anglo-American theory of criminal trials, coupled with opposite views of the function of the judiciary. Jackson describes these discords as “stubborn and deep,” noting the failure to include in the final charter the American proposal to define “aggression.” There was a significant “difference of viewpoint concerning the principles of conspiracy as developed in Anglo-American law,” and the most serious disagreement concerned the definition of crimes.

The charter was, however, in many respects a success. It defines three broad categories of acts as criminal—crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It also “enacts the principle that individuals rather than states are responsible for criminal violations of international law and applies to such lawbreakers the principle of conspiracy by which one who joins in a common plan to commit crime becomes responsible for the acts of any other conspirator in executing the plan.” The procedural provisions of the charter are significant because they “represent the first tried and successful effort by lawyers from nations having profoundly different legal systems, philosophies, and traditions to amalgamate their ideas of fair procedure so as to permit a joint inquiry of judicial character into criminal charges.”

This document also includes two reports to the President of the United States submitted by Justice Jackson in June 1945 and October 1946. The 1945 report, which was widely published in the United States and throughout Europe, “was accepted by other governments as an official statement of the position of the United States and as such was placed before all of the delegations to the London Conference.” In this report Jackson outlines the basic features of the plan of prosecution on which the United States was proceeding in preparing its case. The case would begin with the assumption that “an inescapable responsibility” rested on the U.S. “to conduct an inquiry, preferably in association with others, but alone if necessary, into the culpability of those whom there is a probable cause to accuse of atrocities and other crimes.” A fair hearing would be conducted to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused, employing procedures not necessarily consistent with those of a trial under the U.S. system of justice. The hearings would bar “obstructive and dilatory tactics” by the defense, and would disallow the defense from arguing the doctrines that “a head of state is immune from legal liability, and that orders from an official superior protect one who obeys them. It will be noticed that the combination of these two doctrines means that nobody is responsible.” The defendants would consist of a large number of persons who were in authority in the German government and the military establishment, as well as in the financial and industrial sectors, “who by all civilized standards are provable to be common criminals.” Voluntary organizations such as the Gestapo, whose criminal activities subjugated the German people and their neighbors, would be accused as well, with the intent of demonstrating “their declared and covert objectives, and methods of recruitment and effectuating their programs.” The report notes that the U.S. case would need to be “factually authentic and constitute a well-documented history of” what the U.S was convinced was “a grand, concerted pattern to commit aggressions and barbarities which have shocked the world.” The report enumerates the atrocities and offenses, and violations of international law, with which the top Nazi leaders and voluntary associations were being charged. The basic premise of liability would be that “all who participate in the formulation or execution of a criminal plan involving multiple crimes are liable for each of the offenses committed and responsible for the acts of each other.” The United States “proposes to charge that a war of aggression is a crime, and that modern International Law has abolished the defense that those who incite or wage it are engaged in legitimate business. Thus may the forces of the law be mobilized on the side of peace.”

The 1946 report to the President summarizes the judgments of the International Military Tribunal sitting at Nurnberg (Nuremberg), Germany that were rendered on September 30 and October 1, 1946. It also provides statistics regarding testimony and other evidentiary material presented at this lengthy trial, which began on November 20, 1945. The report notes the subsequent war crimes work that would be supervised by Brigadier General Telford Taylor, specifically the prosecution of “representatives of all the important segments of the Third Reich including a considerable number of industrialists and financiers, leading cabinet ministers, top SS and police officials, and militarists.” The core of this report is Justice Jackson’s summary of the accomplishments of the four delegate nations. He states that the Agreement negotiated and concluded by these parties “made explicit and unambiguous that to prepare, incite, or wage a war of aggression, or to conspire with others to do so, is a crime against international society, and that to persecute, oppress, or do violence to individuals or minorities on political, racial, or religious grounds in connection with such a war, or to exterminate, enslave, or deport civilian populations, is an international crime, and that for the commission of such crimes individuals are responsible.” This agreement “is a basic charter in the International Law of the future. Its principles have been incorporated into a judicial precedent,” because from this point forward no one would be able to “deny or fail to know that the principles on which the Nazi leaders” were adjudged to have committed capital offenses “constitute law—and law with a sanction.” The Agreement is also noteworthy because it “devised a workable procedure for the trial of crimes which reconciled the basic conflicts in Anglo-American, French, and Soviet procedures.” The documentation of Nazi aggressions, persecutions, and atrocities, documented from German sources “with such authenticity and in such detail,” would preclude any “responsible denial of these crimes in the future.” Jackson concludes by stating that the Agreement and the military tribunal together have “put International Law squarely on the side of peace as against aggressive warfare, and on the side of humanity as against persecution.”

Report of Robert H. Jackson, United States Representative to the International Conference on Military Trials London, 1945

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

Revisiting WWII: My Senior Thesis

May 7, 2021, roberto hasbun.

One of the most important milestones of the Princeton undergraduate experience is the senior thesis . Almost all departments require a thesis or some type of independent work. Writing a total of 28,000 words and 110 pages was definitely challenging, but extremely rewarding. I was able to embark on my own research project, choose a topic I was passionate about and put into practice all of the historical methods I had learned in class.

My senior thesis, ““Americanos Todos”: Redefining U.S. Latino and Latina Identity during the Second World War”, investigates the wartime experiences of Latinos who served in both the homefront and battlefront during World War II. Despite posing significant contributions to the war, Latinos remain neglected in dominant narratives of WWII. My work attempts to address this historical silencing and uncover the Latino wartime experience. I ultimately argue that the war influenced the emergence of new forms of identity by confounding what it meant to be “Latino” and “American” and catalyzed movements for inclusion that formed a Latino civil rights consciousness.

My research was based primarily on 47 interviews of Latinos and Latinas who participated in the war. Listening to their wartime experiences and how they championed sacrifice and patriotism despite encountering discrimination was extremely inspiring. They were constantly treated as second-class citizens and had to fight for their own inclusion and future in the country, motifs that resonate in modern discussions over Latino immigration. 

The overall process of crafting my own arguments and contributing to the historiography really helped strengthen my writing and critical thinking skills. Moreover, turning in this thesis, the longest research project I have worked on, demonstrated that I could do anything I set my mind to. There were many times that I was stuck with my topic or didn’t know how to approach the primary source, but my adviser was always extremely supportive. Everyone is paired with an adviser for the thesis and my adviser was extremely generous with her time and provided instrumental feedback.

For prospective students, don't be afraid of the senior thesis! I know it seems daunting but Princeton prepares you and provides you with all of the resources and support you need to succeed. All of the papers I had written in other classes and previous independent work played a huge role in helping me navigate and complete my senior thesis. Looking back on my undergraduate career, writing my senior thesis is probably my proudest accomplishment.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/

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