Good Discursive Essay Topics: 20 Ideas For Your History Class

There are many different history classes that students need to take in order to graduate. In these classes, one of the most common assignments is the discursive essay. A discursive essay is a type of writing where the writer is supposed to present a balanced view on a topic. The topic may be controversial, but the writer is not supposed to present their own viewpoint in the discursive essay. Instead, this type of history writing is supposed to be completely objective. To get started on finding a discursive essay topic for history, students should read through the following list of ideas. These topics can be used as they are written, or they can be modified to suit the student's class subject.

Discursive Essay Topics for History

1. 1. What factors caused the fall of the Roman Empire?
2. 2. After the signing of the Treat of Versailles in 1919, what happened? What were some of the consequences?
3. 3. What was the United States military reason for dropping the atomic bombs during World War II?
4. 4. What caused opium consumption to grow in the 1800s? How did opium lead to the Opium Wars between China and England?
5. 5. How did the Norman invasion of England change the English language?
6. 6. What were some of the influences on the United States conservative movement of the 1960s?
7. 7. What historical event caused the tradition of burning a “Guy” in England?
8. 8. What role did the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor play in the United States entry into World War II?
9. 9. What are some of the theories behind the cause of the Salem witch trials?
10. 10. Who are the various people thought to be William Shakespeare?
11. 11. What caused Alexander the Great's empire to break apart after his death?
12. 12. Why did Cleopatra marry Julius Caesar?
13. 13. What caused the French Revolution to take place? How did this encourage the formation of other democracies?
14. 14. Did Marie Antoinette really say “let them eat cake”? Why did this rumor spread so rapidly?
15. 15. How was the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s actually get defused?
16. 16. How did Simon Bolivar impact the formation of Latin American countries? Why was his goal of one South American country never realized?
17. 17. What factors caused the creation of the European Union? How long did it take for this development to take place?
18. 18. What was the pact between Hitler and Stalin? What were the consequences of this pact?
19. 19. How did the Bolsheviks take hold of Russia?
20. 20. What role did Mahatma Gandhi play on the creation of a modern, independent India?