Below is a list of the fair-copy essays I have written for my pupils. They are not perfect, but they are a starting point.

Each essay has two parts:

	a summary, which gives you the basics (this is all that some pupils manage to learn),
	a fuller, detailed answer (if you want to learn in more depth).

I have distinguished between 'What...' essays (which simply ask you for the facts), and 'analytical' essays (which ask you to explain a situation). In the lists, 'What....' essays are listed in grey, and analytical essays are listed in purple.

Help! - How do I Write an Essay?

There are fair-copy descriptive and analytical essays about the following topics:

1. The Treaty of Versailles

2. The League of Nations

3. The Road to World War II

4. Russia 1917–1941

5. The Cold War

The Essays

[AQA Students: note that you are only likely to meet essays now in the Depth Study Paper 2.]

Russia 1917– 41

	What Problems faced the Provisional Government, and how successful was it in dealing with them?
	Why did Civil War break out in Russia 1918–21?
	Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War?

The Treaty of Versailles

	What were the aims of the makers of the Treaty of Versailles?
	How did the ‘Big Three’ feel about the Treaty of Versailles?
	Describe how the Treaty of Versailles weakened Germany: a. Through the loss of territory, b. Militarily, c. Economically.
	The Peace Treaties of 1919–20 made many territorial changes in Central and Eastern Europe. Describe those changes.
	What was ‘self-determination’, and how did the principle affect the peace treaties of 1919–1920?
	What were ‘reparations’, and what changes were made to the Treaty of Versailles over the issue of reparations in the period 1919–1932?
	Why was there opposition in Germany to the Treaty of Versailles?

The League of Nations

	Describe the aims and work of the League of Nations in the 1920s.
	Describe the organisation of the League of Nations.
	What were the strengths and weaknesses of the League of Nations in the 1920s?
	What were the successes and failures of the League of Nations in the 1920s?
	Describe Japan’s invasion of Manchuria (1931–3) and what the League of Nations did about it.
	Describe Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia (1935–6) and what the League of Nations did about it.

The Road to World War II

	Describe the ways in which Germany broke the Treaty of Versailles in the period 1935–1938.
	Describe the ways that Hitler threatened the peace of Europe in the years 1933–38.
	What was appeasement? Describe how Britain and France ‘appeased’ Hitler in the period 1933–1938.
	Describe the events of the Sudeten crisis of 1938.
	Describe the steps after the Munich conference of September 1938 that led to the outbreak of war in September 1939.
	In March 1939, Britain changed its policy towards Germany. Why?

The Cold War

	Describe the events between 1945 and 1948 which plunged Britain and the USA into a Cold War with the USSR.
	Why had the Superpowers become suspicious of each other by March 1946, when Churchill made his important speech at Fulton?
	What was the Truman Doctrine?
	What was the Marshall Plan?
	What Caused The Berlin Blockade, 1948–49?
	One of the first events of the Cold War was the Berlin blockade and airlift of 1948–49. Describe what happened.
	Why did the Korean War break out in 1950?
	Describe the main events of the Korean War, 1950–53
	Describe the events of the Cuba crisis, 1962