Name: ________________________
IB 20th World History:
Midterm Essay Topics
SL Students:
 1 Paper 2: Topic 3: SPS Essay
 1 Paper 2: Topic 5: Cold War Essay
HL Students:
 1 Paper 2 Essay
 1 Paper 3 HOA Essay
Paper 2: Topic 3: Single Party States
1. For what reasons, and with what success, did rulers of single-party states use foreign policy to maintain their power? At least two rulers should be considered.
2. Analyse the methods used by either Stalin or Nasser or Mao to obtain and maintain power
Paper 2: Topic 5: Cold War
1. To what extent were Soviet policies responsible for the outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949?
2. Why did the Cold War spread from Europe to other parts of the world after 1950?
Paper 3: HOA
1. With reference to at least one country in the region, to what extent was the Wall Street Crash of 1929 a cause of the Great Depression?
2. “The rise of radical African American activism (1965-1968) damaged the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King to achieve racial equality in the United States.” To
what extent do you agree with this statement?
Papers 2 & 3: Tips & Tricks
“Candidate performance in all essay responses could be improved significantly by taking time to plan the answer- where possible organising the response into suitable themes
rather than producing narrative /descriptive accounts. Five to ten minutes drawing up an essay plan is time well spent despite what many candidates may think in their
eagerness to address the question. … There is no substitute for sound knowledge, as this is the foundation of all good essays answers.” - MAY 2009 IB Subject Report
“The best responses revealed command of chronology, task identification, structure and above all the provision of relevant historical detail. It cannot be emphasized enough
that answers must be supported by reference to historical knowledge.” – May 2010, History Subject Report
Pre-writing:
•
1.
Select Task
 Do you understand what you are being asked to do?
 Can you fully address this Task?
2.
5 Minutes to jot down ideas & groupings
 Key names, policies, dates, events, historiography
3.
Develop Thesis  Be Specific
 Address the task
 Explain WHY?
 Introduction & Thesis = 4-6 sentences at most
Writing the Paper 2 OR 3:
Intro & Thesis
– Strong, argumentative thesis (take a stand)
– Address the task in its entirety
– Can include some background
•
Body Paragraphs (3 or more!)
– Organized by argument or theme
– Strong topic sentences
– Historical vocabulary
– ANALYSIS!!!!
– Do not “name drop” historiography out of context
– Avoid narration & description (and then and then and then…)
•
Conclusion
– Restate thesis
– acknowledge limitations and counter-arguments
IB Markscheme:
[0 to 7 marks]
for inadequate/ general
material
[8 to 10 marks]
for narrative with
implicit analysis and
assessment of methods
and conditions for “rise
to power”
Implicit = implied,
unspoken
[11 to 13 marks]
Meets 8-10 marks
criteria AND…
[14 to 16 marks]
Meets 11-13 marks
criteria AND…
[17+ marks]
Meets 14-16 marks
criteria AND…
for more exact focus
and explicit assessment
of methods used (e.g.
why they succeeded) and
conditions for “rise to
power”
for a structured,
analytical response
focused on methods and
conditions
for balance and an
extra quality such as
different interpretations
(historiography)
Explicit = overt,
unambiguous
Analytical = logical,
systematic
Extra Quality = Think
AP Expanded Core 
Thesis, Multiple POVs,
insight, comparison/
contrasts, synthesis…
Paper 2: Topic 3: Single Party States
1. For what reasons, and with what success, did rulers of singleparty states use foreign policy to maintain their power? At
least two rulers should be considered.
Break down the
task: What are you
being asked to do?
-Notes
-Groupings
-Key info
*Historians*
Body Paragraphs
Thesis
2. Analyse the methods used by either Stalin or Nasser or Mao
to obtain and maintain power
Paper 2: Topic 5: Cold War
1. To what extent were Soviet policies responsible for the
outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945
and 1949?
Break down the
task: What are you
being asked to do?
-Notes
-Groupings
-Key info
*Historians*
Body Paragraphs
Thesis
2. Why did the Cold War spread from Europe to other parts of
the world after 1950?
Paper 3: HOA
The Great Depression and the Americas 1929 – 1939
1. With reference to at least one country in the region, to what
extent was the Wall Street Crash of 1929 a cause of the Great
Depression?
Break down the
task: What are you
being asked to do?
-Notes
-Groupings
-Key info
*Historians*
Body Paragraphs
Thesis
Civil Rights and Social Movements in the Americas
2. “The rise of radical African American activism (1965-1968)
damaged the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King to achieve
racial equality in the United States.” To what extent do you
agree with this statement?
Historiography
A Note on Historiography (as a component of the Paper 2 essay): If you cannot provide direct historiography, use indirect phrases such as … Historians have
debated … or some historians suggest that … while others suggest that … This provides the examiner with the knowledge that you know historical debate exists.



General Historiography
Orthodox: 1st view or interpretation of events

Revisionist: The counter argument or anti-thesis
(response to orthodox view)

Post-Revisionist: Most recent, blend of
orthodox and revisionist elements, new
interpretations


More Specific
Western Liberal, Traditional Western,
Orthodox Western View: Capitalism &
Democracy = #1, USSR is the aggressor
Soviet Orthodox: Communism = #1, USA and
west are the aggressors
Libertarian or New Left: 1960s and 1970s,
social historiography
Post-1991: After the fall of the USSR, opening
of the Archives



Specific Historians
Russia/USSR: Sheila Fitzpatrick, Robert
Service, Robert Conquest, Richard Pipes,
Robert Service, Orlando Figes, Dmitri
Volkogonov, Official USSR (Pravda)
Egypt: Anthony Nutting = Aid to Anthony
Eden, Arab Nationalist, Arab socialist, Pan Arab
China: Edgar Snow, Chang and Halliday,
Jonathan Spence, John King Fairbank and
Merle Goldman, Official PRC view (People’s
Daily)
Tip: Go to: https://quizlet.com/ and search: “Paper 2 (historiography) Cold War” OR “Paper 2 (historiography) Single Party States” OR “”
HOA Historiography:
Great Depression:
Where Historians Disagree - Causes of the Great Depression:
Civil Rights:
Where Historians Disagree – The Civil Rights Movement
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073513237/student_view0/chapter25/debating_the_past.html
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073385492/student_view0/chapter29/where_historians_disagree.html
The Great Depression: An Overview
Different Perspectives on the Civil Rights Movement:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/essays/great-depression-overview
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/civil-rights-movement/essays/different-perspectives-civilrights-movement



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
Schlesinger
Degler
Robinson
Bernstein
Jackson and Brinkley



Zinn
W. Van Deburg
D. Kennedy
Tip: Go to: https://quizlet.com/ and search “Paper 3 Historians” OR “HOA Historiography” OR “HOA Historians” OR “Paper 3 HOA”