Essays and Research Papers on European History

A five-page paper which looks at the background to the European Enlightenment and considers whether the contribution of Scottish philosophers such as Hume and Ferguson to intellectual thought of the time constituted a uniquely Scottish Enlightenment. Bibliography lists four sources.

11 pages in length. When Yeltsin announced his resignation to the world and that his hand-picked successor would be Vladimir Putin, it was a surprise to all. This paper is a discussion of this action and the different styles of leadership as the world will see between these two politicos. Bibliography lists 23 sources.

This 30 page paper considers the nature of the Jewish resistance movements during the Holocaust, and reflects on the significant issues raised during this era and the attempts to quell the German objectification and murder of millions of Jews in Germany and Poland. This paper assesses the success of resistance movements, including those that ...

(7 pp) Rousseau developed the concept of the "noble savage," and to test it, tried living in the woods. Burke believed equality was a conception against nature and served in the English Parliament. One could claim they were both living out their political convictions, yet actually there is a lot more to their ...

An 11 page discussion of the decisions which were made regarding East Germany and West Germany after World War II. Details the outcome of the Yalta conference and the relegation of West Germany to U.S. influence and East Germany to Russian influence. Contends the ultimate economic and political success of West Germany to ...

A five page paper which analyses the similarities and differences between “The First Examination of Anne Askew” and “Anna Trapnel’s Report and Plea”, showing the ways in which the two women relate to their personal interpretation of God and how they use theological knowledge and logic in their defences in court. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

(10pp) The nineteenth century in Spain began with the enmeshment of Church and State and concluded with complete separation. This discussion will look at some of the convoluted historical steps that occurred in between. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A five page paper which looks at Napoleon’s career and the military and political background to his last stand at the Battle of Waterloo, describing the main events of the battle itself and why its outcome was the final ruin of Napoleon. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

(6pp) It has been argued that Catherine was an educated ruler, not necessarily an enlightened one. The argument being that the Enlightenment was a time when people were discussing abstract ideas, and attempting to reach consensus in the process. However in Europe this was mainly discussion between intellectuals, and since at the ...

This 5 page report discusses the British movement in the mid-18th century to form the Free British Fishery Society in order to reclaim deep-sea herring supremacy from the Dutch. The entire process presents people of the 21st century an opportunity to see how the patriotism, commerce, and politics of the United Kingdom worked in the 18th century. Bibliography lists one ...

(11 pp) Since Louis XIV was such an absoluter monarch and went out of his way to maintain that type of control, it is suggested that rather than proposing that you are a minister of the court, since those are so historically well-defined, that you establish a correspondence with one of the minister of the ...

An 8 page paper discussing the differences in the politics of Russia's first and second presidents. Putin is much younger than Yeltsin and more energetic, but there is evidence that there is little other difference. Putin campaigned on extensive reforms and gave hope to restoring law and order while reducing corruption, but one of his first acts ...

A five page paper looking at this excellent analysis of the causes and ramifications of World War I. By 1914, author John Keegan points out, instruments of mass destruction had been invented, but unfortunately, the tactical ability to fight with them had not; and political and military leaders led their nations into war with little idea ...

A 3 page contention that ever since the Revolution of 1789 the French have exhibited a tendency to look to 'great men' to restore order and tranquillity after moments of great political or social upheaval. Notes that this tendency is really not that uncommon, however, for people who have lived under a monarchy or ...

This 5 page paper relies on the textbook on Western Civilization by Jackson J. Spielvogel to explore the traditions of restoration, reform and revolution that defined the French Revolution. It then gives a brief definition of both liberalism and nationalism as they pertained to the French Revolution. No additional sources are listed.

A five page paper which compares Renaissance society to that of the present day, specifically with regard to the position and role of women in society; and the way in which the role of the artist has been changed and redefined.

6 pages in length. One the eve of World War I, there existed a disagreement between the "optimists" and the "pessimists" as to the impending global conflict. The optimists felt that the Russian state and society were gradually evolving into something better during the final decades of the nineteenth century, believing that the ...

10 pages in length. The life of Marie Antoinette reflected a woman who did not fit in to the traditional role that society had created for her. Wanting to live life on her own terms, Antoinette soon found that such actions would be the cause of her demise. She won no admiration ...

(10 pp) Britain has admitted that the tone of the country's recent asylum debate could encourage racial prejudice. That government acknowledgement has resulted from criticism, by rights groups at a United Nation's meetings in Geneva to discuss racial discrimination. Britain "remains attractive to migrants precisely because it is seen as a tolerant ...

This 8 page paper takes a look at changes in the world and how warfare has been affected since the second world war. Technological change is the focus of this paper but insights into ideological and political differences are also included. The change from a strategy of attrition to a new way of thinking in ...

A 4 page paper which examines the entrenchment of Communism in Russia, how it attempted to take over Spain, the role of the Soviet Union in World War II, and the spread of Communism after World War II. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 5 page paper considers why a person may chose to live in the Renaissance if they had the chance. The looks at both the positive aspects and the negative aspects of this age, focusing on the cultural revolution that was occurring. The bibliography cites 5 sources.

A 10 page overview of three of the most popular political systems in the world. Details the specific format of each utilizing examples from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and other countries to illustrate each system. Illuminates both similarities and differences in these political systems concentrating on the way which officials ...

An eight page paper which considers the ways in which the Axis powers might have employed alternative strategies and tactics during the Second World War in order to produce an outcome more favourable to them. The writer looks specifically at Russia’s engagement with Germany on the Eastern Front, the Battle of Midway, the Normandy Landings ...

(6 pp). Ivan IV or Ivan the Terrible,1530-84, grand duke of Moscow (1533-84), was the first Russian ruler to assume formally the title of czar. Ivan the Terrible, the most famous tsar before Peter the Great and the most brutal ruler of Russia before Stalin, inherited the throne as a three-year-old boy ...