S/P/143. "The Cold War was the excuse for McCarthyism rather than the cause". Discuss.

The paper examines the role of McCarthy and his Cold War doctrine offering an overview of his political ideas, and discussing the split between East and West after the Second World War, the trends in the American foreign policy, etc.

S/H/71. The end of the First World War in 1918

The paper examines the situation around the end of World War 1 reviewing the British newspapers of November 1918 and discussing the reaction of the media to the armistice and the war's outcome. The objectivity of the papers' response to the social and economic effects of the war on Britain is argued.

S/P/126. Assess the state of diplomatic relations between Britain and America in March 1938 – August 1939.

The paper examines British-American relations before the beginning of World War 2 (WW2) presenting an overview of the international situation in the late 1930s, the policy of Hitler in Eastern Europe, the steps taken by the US and UK in strengthening their defences against a possible war with Germany, etc.

S/H/65. Has the Armenian Massacre been properly recognized as the first major genocide of the 20th century?

The paper examines the massacre of Armenian civilians in Turkey in the beginning of the 20th century providing a review of academic opinions on the historical situation in Turkey, the actions of the Turkish government, and the issue of genocide.

C/P/56. Who caused the Cold War? Critically assess different claims made for the culpability of the USA and USSR

The paper reviews the roots of the Cold War. The discussion starts with the review of orthodox, revisionist and post-revisionist views of the war origins. Additionally, the paper considers realist view on a war as inevitable outcome of the relations between the states. Referring to theories of superpower competition, balance of interests and security concerns it views the Cold War as the evolutionary process.

E/P/29. Kemal Ataturk and Turkish Republic

The paper examines the role of Kemal Ataturk in the formation of the new Turkish Republic discussing his vision of the republic principles, the implementation of the secular reform, the influence of the military, the link to Fascism, etc.

E/H/11. To what extent was Hitler a weak leader over party and state in terms of German domestic politics during 1933 – 1939?

The paper examines the policy of Hitler during the pre-war period looking at the clashes between Nazi and state organisations, the inability of Hitler to control the government, his disregard for economic policy and concentration on foreign policy. Hitler’s tactics to attack the opposition are discussed arguing whether his leadership could be considered as weak.

P/H/98. Political and ideological impacts of Vietnam War on US

The paper examines the impact of the Vietnam War on the US society and military system discussing political and psychological consequences of the war. A critical review of literature touches upon the failure of the US military and political management, the lessons to be learnt from Vietnam, the role of media in shaping US foreign policy in the post-Vietnam period, the issues of the Balance of Power policy, the Cold War Consensus, etc.

P/H/94. Collapse of fascist Italy in WW2

The paper examines the causes of ItalyÌs military failure in World War 2 reviewing historiansÌ opinions about the home and foreign policy of Mussolini, the problems of Italian war industry, economy and agriculture, the implications of the fascist ideology, etc.

P/H/91. Why did Germany fail to create A-Bomb?

The paper examines the history and outcomes of the A-Bomb development in Germany analysing the reasons behind the programmeÌs failure and reviewing opinions about whether it was due to a scientific error or to moral qualms.

S/H/56. Oshry and Tory: Different perspectives on the Holocaust

This paper compares two different perspectives on the Holocaust, a secular and a religious one. Rabbi Ephraim Oshry and Avraham Tory's accounts of their experiences in the Kovno ghetto are compared on different levels. While Oshry describes more of the religious aspects of being Jewish and living in the Ghetto, Tory describes the day to day events as the secretary of the Jewish Council of the Kovno Ghetto.

S/H/52. Was it idealism or realism which persuaded Woodrow Wilson and the American Congress to declare war on Germany in 1917?

The paper considers the factors that contributed to Wilson's decision to commit US forces to the Allied effort in April 1917. From an initial stance of neutrality; the paper considers economic pressures; cultural affinities with Britain; US public opinion; American attitudes to European power politics; increasing antagonism towards Germany (Lusitania, Zimmerman telegram etc); Wilson's ideological principles and his desire to play a leading role in determining a new world order after the war.

S/H/51. How did Soviet Foreign Policy in 1930 differ from that of 1920?

This paper examines the fundamental shift in Soviet foreign policy that occurred during the 1920s. From post-revolutionary idealism and the belief that world revolution was inevitable it charts the gradual drift to a more expedient policy based upon the needs of economic regeneration political stability. The paper considers the impact of the failure to ignite revolution in Germany, China and elsewhere culminating in, first a dual policy and finally the adoption of the tactics of the Third Period,

S/H/44. The Causes of the Sino-Soviet Split

This paper examines the turbulent relationship between the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China from the latter's establishment to the Nuclear Test Ban treaty of 1963. It accounts for the deterioration in relations and scrutinizes the ideological and diplomatic divergence that developed from the mid 1950s after the death of Stalin culminating in the full blown polemic between Khruschev and Mao from 1960. It also considers the triangular politics of the US that attempted to widen the gulf between the two Communist powers.

S/H/46. Dissertation. Comintern and China 1920-27

This dissertation re-examines the causes of the Soviet failure to stimulate a communist revolution in China in the 1920s. It challenges the widely held view that Stalin's distortion of Lenin's united front tactics was culpable, arguing that the policy of both leaders would have delivered the same outcome and that hitherto accounts fail to emphasise sufficiently the role of Chiang Kai-shek. The paper scrutinizes the theoretical differences between the approaches of Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky; the manifestations of the policies of Lenin and Stalin and the perspective of both the Guomindang and the CCP using a wealth of primary evidence to support the thesis.

P/P/314. Polish Solidarity movement: history of emergence and failure

The paper examines the reasons behind the emergence and the failure of the Polish Solidarity movement providing information about its history, political and economic background, the position of the Polish Communist party, the role of the Soviet Union, etc.

P/H/89. Role of UK in Bretton Woods agreement between Allied nations

The paper examines the historical significance of the Bretton Woods International Monetary Agreement signed in July 1944 by the Allied nations describing its political background and examining the role of Great Britain in shaping the content and the details of the agreement through negotiations and concessions with the USA.

P/H/87. Role of realism and liberal idealism in the outbreak of WW1 and WW2

The paper explores the ideological climate between World War 1 and World War 2 discussing the failure of liberal idealism and the League of Nations to prevent the war, the emergence of the new generation of realist writers in late 1930s, etc.

P/P/298. Nuclear weapons and the Cold War

The paper examines the role of the nuclear weapons in the post-war international relations discussing the beginning of the conflict between two opposing political-military blocks and arguing whether the insertion of nuclear weapons was the cause of the Cold War.

P/P/286. International political impacts of Soviet Sputnik launch

The paper examines the impacts of the Soviet launch of Sputnik on the development of international events in the 20th century reporting on the change in the British intelligence estimates of the Soviet nuclear capabilities. The actions of the JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee), the Soviet Government’s policy and the possibilities of the new war are discussed.

P/H/81. Role of intelligence in Cold War: review of Cuban crisis

The paper compares the policy of the US president John Kennedy and the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev over the crisis of October 1962 reviewing academic opinions on the role of intelligence and comparing intelligence systems of both countries.

P/H/80. Success of Operation Barbarossa and Soviet intelligence

The paper examines the attack of Nazi Germany on Russia on 22 June 1941 known as Operation Barbarossa analyzing the reasons behind the Soviet failure to foresee the attack and discussing theoretical and practical issues of intelligence, including the Soviet intelligence system and the impacts of Stalin’s totalitarianism on intelligence collection network.

S/H/24. Causes of Cold War termination

The paper examines the factors that brought about the end of the Cold War discussing the fall of the Berlin Wall, the roles of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the history of political tension in the world, the implications of nuclear disarmament, the decline in the Soviet economy etc. Opinions of politician on the causes of the termination of the Cold War are reviewed.

S/H/23. What were the real causes of the Cold War?

The paper examines the causes of the cold war reviewing the policy of the USA and the Soviet Union, the development of the traditional, revisionist and post-revisionist schools of thought and their ideological clashes, and arguing that the actual cause of the Cold war was not related to the clash between Capitalism and Communism.

S/H/22. Confrontation between Cuba and USA in 1960s

The paper reports on the US attempt to overthrow the Cuban government in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 analysing the policy of John Kennedy and Fidel Castro, reviewing opinions about the errors in the Bay of Pigs operation, the confrontation between the USA and the Soviet Union, etc.

P/H/78. Protest movements in Spain and France: comparative analysis

The paper examines the 1960s’ protest movement in Spain analysing the country’s political situation and the implications of Franco’s dictatorship. Spanish experience is compared to the forms of protest in France under General De Gaulle identifying the contrasting nature of these social movements.

P/H/77. Role of five-year plans in industrialization of Soviet Union

The paper examines the role of five-year plans in the development of Soviet economy before the Second World War. Economic and political background of the Soviet Union is reviewed; the positive and negative outcomes of industrialisation are identified.

P/H/74. Role of Dubcek in Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia

The paper looks at the attempt of Dubcek in Czechoslovakia to earn the leading role in the communist party (CPCS). International reform movements in Eastern Europe in 1960s are reviewed discussing Dubcek’s political ideas and the reasons behind the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

P/H/73. Reasons behind Yugoslavia’s break-up

The paper examines the reasons behind the break up of Yugoslavia reviewing literature on the history of the country’s establishment, the nationalist policy of Milosovic, socio-political, ethnical and religious roots of the conflict in Kosovo, the stand of Western European countries, the features of the Balkan society, etc.

P/H/69. Remembrance of World War I in art and literature

The paper examines the ways of remembering the battles of the First World War including state, collective and individual remembrance. The role of the war in changing traditional literary conventions and introducing modern cinema and theatre genres is discussed highlighting the return to the Apocalypse images.

P/H/67. What is a just war?

The paper seeks to identify justifications for starting a war addressing the issues of political parties’ status, war casualties, the theory of war, etc. Germany’s aggression in the late 1930 is discussed in the context of the Versailles treaty arguing if the reasons behind Nazi policy could be considered as just.

P/H/61. Air power in World War 1

The paper examines the importance of air power in World War 1 reviewing the evolution of the British air defence, describing the aircraft used in the battles, the pilots, the concept of strategic bombing, etc. The contribution of WWI to the advance of air power is discussed.

P/P/237. Career and trail of Nazi arms minister Albert Speer

The paper examines the career and criminal activities of Albert Speer, minister of arms in Nazi Germany and Hitlers friend, arguing why the international military tribunal at Nuremberg did not sentence him to death, as other leading Nazi war criminals, for the use of slave labour in the production of armaments.

P/H/60. Role of Reichstag fire in Nazi history

The paper discusses the implications of the Reichstag fire of 1933 for the consolidation of the Nazi against their opponents. Political situation around the event is described focusing on the actions of Hitler.

P/H/56. Undergraduate Thesis. Impacts of rebellion in Rands Gold Mines on South African economic and political development

The paper reports on the impacts of gold mining on South African economy discussing the rebellion in Rands Gold Mines in 1922. Literature is reviewed on the history of gold mining and Transvaals industry, the causes of the rebellion, its consequences for white labour and mining capital, the long-term political implications of the Rand rebellion including the election of the Pact government, etc.

P/H/55. Historical causes and consequences of Soviet industrialisation policy

The paper examines the causes and consequences of centrally planned industrialisation policy in the Soviet Union reviewing the countrys history over 1920s – 1930s up to the beginning of the Second World War. Economic and political frameworks of Bolshevism, Socialism and Marxist-Leninism are reviewed including the so-called New Economic Policy (NEP), NEPs incompatibility with the ruling ideology of the period, the success of the first 5-year plans, etc. Advantages and disadvantages of the centrally planned economy are outlined.

P/H/46. The policy of ‘sanitization in Poland after WWI

The paper offers an overview of the policy of ‘sanitization (sanacja) introduced by Pilsudski in Poland after World War I providing its historical, ideological, religious and socio-economic background. The factors allowing for Pilsutskis political control over the country and the implications of sanacja are discussed.

P/H/34. Italian Unification

The paper looks at the history of Italy in the second half of the nineteenth century centring around the process of Italian unification. The activities of the political figures of the period are discussed focusing on the principal protagonists of the unification, i.e. Cavour and Mazzini.

P/H/35. Russian people in the war against fascism

The paper examines the views of Western historians on the role of the Soviet system in the victory over fascism in the Second World War. The response of the Russian people to the German attack is traced through the war years (1941-1945) revealing the sources of peoples endurance and heroism. Controversial views on the role of partisans movements are discussed; the sufferings of the civilian population are described.

P/H/36. Bolsheviks seizing power in Russia

The paper looks at the overthrow of Russian government in October 1917 by Bolsheviks arguing whether it was a revolution or a coup. The concepts of revolution and coup are defined; the historical background and the consequences of the described event are examined. The features of the October uprising are analysed.

P/H/33. Constitutional monarchy in France: social and political analysis

The paper looks at the history of France in the first half of the 19th century after the abdication of Napoleon. The economic, political and social impacts of the revolution are discussed highlighting the policy of the royalists towards the middle class and accounting for the reasons why the petty bourgeoisie felt bad about the new regime.

P/H/30. Topographical and legal boundaries of Danelaw between the 9th and 11th centuries

The paper looks into the English history of the ninth century seeking to identify topographical and legal boundaries of the area called Danelaw. The history of the Danish settlement is reviewed; its geographical location and legal definition are argued. Linguistic analysis of place names is suggested. The conclusions are made about the political and social status of the area.

S/H/16. Why did the British Union of Fascists (BUF) fail to mobilise mass popular support in Britain, 1932-40?

In this paper, the failure of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) is comprehensively analysed. Begining with membership figures, it is argued that the popularity of the movement is difficult to gauge as sales of Fascist publications remained high at times of low membership for the organisation. BUF strategy is also questioned, as the adoption of political violence in 1934 alienated many members and made enemies, the withdrawal of Lord Rothermeres press support after the violent events of Olympia for example. The joint Jewish and Communist counter-propaganda movement also demonstrates that the BUF was significantly damaged from a number of sources.

S/H/12. Both Russia and the Ukraine have adopted presidential systems - what were the reasons for and implications of this institutional choice?

This essay deals with the topic of the form of leadership of presidency and its situation within Russia and Ukraine. It is relatively simple to discover the real reasons for the presidency regime being applied, especially in Russia, as it's empowering is due to more short-term reasons and events, rather than a long-term plan or cause. In 1991 the Communist party was beaten, and was no longer in control of their USSR. However, the fall of the Communist regime in the Soviet Union was more than a political event….

P/H/22. America's response to Nazi's savagery in the Second World War

The paper seeks to answer the question why so little information about Nazi's atrocities during World War 2 reached American public. Drawing on the review of literature the author contends that the main reason why American government did not protest more fervently against Nazi crimes was sheer disbelief in the stories of savagery and the terrible plight of European Jews, because Holocaust did not exist in peoples mindset at the time.

P/H/21. Palestinian Intifadas of 1987 and 2000

The paper seeks to compare Palestinian strategy in two uprisings (intifadas) against Israel: the 1987 Intifada and the 2000 al-Aqsa Intifada. The author examines the reasons behind both intifadas and comments on the difference in Israeli response to the uprisings. The significance of Yassir Arafats leadership during both uprisings is outlined; their international resonance is highlighted.

P/H/17. The role of 1936 Four Year Plan in the preparation of Nazis Germany for the war

The paper examines the features of Hitlers economic policy in 1933-1939 showing the ways of Germany's preparation for the war. The laws and programmes adopted by the Nazis government (Law to Reduce Unemployment; The Reich Entailed-Farm Law, etc.) are reviewed with the focus on the Four Year Plan introduced in 1936. The importance of the Four Year Plan for the war economy is shown.

P/H/14. The Fall of the Berlin Wall: unification or Anschluss?

The paper analyses the situation in Germany in 1989 trying to establish whether the creation of one Germany can be regarded as unification or Anschluss (take-over). It gives a historical flashback that allows the author to conclude that the fall of the Berlin Wall was closer to unification for a number of reasons. Firstly, the pressure to unite came from the broad masses of both the GDR and the FRG. Secondly, the March 1990 General Election was the first free election to be held in East Germany since 1933. Thirdly, the legal implication of merging was adaptation of East Germany to the political structures of the West. The paper dwells on psychological, economic, financial and social aspects of the unity, building the argument on a variety of sources. In conclusion a parallel is drawn between the analysed event and the annexation of Austria in 1938 that created the notion of Anschluss. The paper notes that though there was no external intervention in Germany, the similarities between the two events are still rather obvious.

P/H/11. Study of Emancipation: Oral Archives and Personal Testimony

The paper with reference to My Folks Don't Want Me to Talk about Slavery compiled and edited by Belinda Hurmence collection assesses the value and limitations of oral archives and personal testimony for the study of Emancipation.

S/H/11. Why did Russian Social Democracy split into Bolshevik and Menshevik factions in 1903?

There are varied ideas over the main reason for the split occurring, and many historians argue over the underlying factor in causing it. The two parties had grown increasingly noticeable within the RSDLP leading up to the eventual 1903 split, with an increasing number of disagreements and differences being apparent between a number of influential party characters. At the time the party had a certain group of members who seemed 'in control' of decisions made. This group included such individuals as Lenin, Plekhanov, Trotsky and Martov…

S/H/10. What were the Reasons for the outbreak of the Crimean War?