The failure of international peacekeeping organizations to restrain the outbreak of a second world war

The failure of international peacekeeping organizations to restrain the outbreak of a second world war
Analysis of the differing pre-war diplomatic maneuverings of major and minor powers
The diplomatic and strategic working relationships between the Axis and Allied powers
Interwar technological developments and their effect on the outcome of the war
The Versailles Treaty and the rise of rightist parties in Germany
The relationship between World War One and fascist ideology
Colonialism and its influence on the cause and conduct of the War in the Pacific
Differing war economies and their respective effectiveness
The relationship between intelligence (Enigma and MAGIC programs) and Allied military success
The factor(s) that led to Allied victory and/or Axis defeat
The importance of ideology in tactical and strategic mobilization
The Holocaust and the relationship between the war and its development/progress/goals

HIS 241 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project forthis course is the creation of a thesis-driven research paper on a historical argument that demonstrates an understanding of WorldWarTwo.
You will construct a fully researched narrative containing both primary and secondary sources. Your final project is divided into three milestones, which will be
submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two,
Four, and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Analyze the causes and conditions that led up to WWII
Analyze the basic reasons and motivations that lead nations to pursue military objectives in dealing with other nations
Assesstheprimary reasonsandcausesthatpreviouslydividedtheworldbetweentheeasternandwestern blocksofnationsfrom1945to1989
Prompt
To begin, you will choose a topic around which you will base your thesis statement. Your thesis statement will establish a historical argument that will be the
focus of yourpaper.
Some possible topics for your final paper include, but are not limited to:
The failure of international peacekeeping organizations to restrain the outbreak of a second world war
Analysis of the differing pre-war diplomatic maneuverings of major and minor powers
The diplomatic and strategic working relationships between the Axis and Allied powers
Interwar technological developments and their effect on the outcome of the war
The Versailles Treaty and the rise of rightist parties in Germany
The relationship between World War One and fascist ideology
Colonialism and its influence on the cause and conduct of the War in the Pacific
Differing war economies and their respective effectiveness
The relationship between intelligence (Enigma and MAGIC programs) and Allied military success
The factor(s) that led to Allied victory and/or Axis defeat
The importance of ideology in tactical and strategic mobilization
The Holocaust and the relationship between the war and its development/progress/goals
After choosing your topic, narrow your focus to a manageable question that can be answered in a coherent, thesis-driven fashion. It is best to begin by trying to
craft an appropriate research question. The start of your paper begins by highlighting an area (Midway), person (Rommel), or topic (Radar) that interests you.
While identifying what interests you is a good start, just discovering a topic of interest is not a sufficient basis for a good research question. Often you develop
theresearchquestionasyoubegintoresearchthetopicitself.Onceyouhavedoneso,youcanbegintoformulatearesearchquestionthatwillenableyouto
develop a clear and argumentative thesis.
For example:
IfyouwereinterestedinthebombingcampaignoverGermany,youmightbeginresearchingthetopicanddiscoverthatagreatdebatehasbeenoverwhether
the bombing was successful. Some argue the bombing was war-winning, while others label the actions ofBomber Command in 1944–1945 as nearly a war crime
in terms of devastation with little purpose. Having done this research, you could now come up with several research questions:
 “How effective was the bombing campaign in Europe?”
 “What were the differences between the bombing campaigns in Europe and in Japan?”
 “How did Bomber Command evolve during the war,and what shaped its development and focus?”
Asyoucansee,allofthesehaveallowedyoutogofromgeneraltopic(bombing)tosomethingmorespecific.Youwillalsonotethatinansweringeachofthese
questions, you should be able to develop a clear, thesis-driven argument to provevia yourresearch.“Despite assurances by air-power enthusiasts, the bombing
campaign in Europe was a general failure in achieving its military and political goals”; or “While popular culture suggests the bombing campaign in Europe was
both ineffective and morally reprehensible, the campaign actually accomplished a multiplicity of military tasks as well as serving to shorten the length of the war
as a whole.”
Please feel free to revisit any/all of the following links for suggestions on how to improve your thesis or pursue an actionable research question:
Research QuestionWorksheet
Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument
Developing a Thesis
Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements
It may also be helpful to spell out what this paper is NOT in order to prevent you from falling into any traps:
This paper should not be a descriptive essay of a person, military campaign, or event.Youneed to make and prove an argument, not prove you read
books about atopic.
This paper should utilize a number of sources but should not merely be a recapitulation of them. As a check, highlight your quotes/block quotes in your
paper, and if your paper looks more like a coloring book, you might be overdoing it.
These papers should not be biographical essays about particular people, as you should be focused on making a larger argumentative point about the war
as a whole.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Introduction: Createanintroduction thatincludes a descriptionof your chosen topic aswell as theresearch questionyouwill address inyourthesis
statement.
Thesis Statement: Craft a thesis statement that addresses the issue you identify within your chosen topic and identifies supporting points that you will
explain in the body paragraphs of your paper.
Historical Context: Discuss thecontext or historical setting surrounding yourtopic, specifically how yourtopic relates tothe larger setting ofWorldWar
Two.BesuretoaddressthecausesthatleduptoWWII,thebasicreasonsthenationsrelatedtoyourtopicpursuedmilitaryobjectives,and/orthe
reasons that the Eastern and Western nations were divided from 1945 to 1989.
Supporting Points: Explain each of the supporting points you identified in yourthesis statement. For each supporting point, you should explain how the
point supports your thesis and include specific evidence from your primary and secondary sources.
 Integration of ScholarlyResearch:Inthebodyparagraphsofyourpaper,integrate scholarly researchfromprimaryandsecondarysourcesthroughout to
defend your thesis statement. Please note that in the “Guidelines forSubmission” section below, you are instructed to use at least eight scholarly sources
in your paper (two of which must be primary sources).
Conclusion: Develop a conclusion that summarizes your thesis/historical argument and the main points of your paper.
MilestoneOne: PaperTopicSubmission
Milestones
In Module Two, you will submit your paper topic submission. You will submit a one-page (minimum) Word document mapping out your topic, a short summary
ofhowyouintendtoresearchprimaryandsecondarysources(withatleastsomeindicationofwhatsourcesyouwilluseandwhattheywillprovide),andaplan
forhowyou will narrowyourtopic intoa thesis-drivenpaper.This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Paper Topic Submission Rubric. The instructor
will providefeedback.
Milestone Two: Annotated Bibliography
In Module Four, you will submit an annotated bibliography. This bibliography should document at least five sources you haveuncovered in your research in
Chicago citation. In creating your annotated bibliography, propose a detailed thesis statement that will help establish the central argument of your paper. For
annotation,besureto:statethemainconclusionsofeachresource,describehowthesourcesconnecttotheargumentandwillbeappliedinthepaper,and
indicate connections between the sources. Your annotated bibliography should interrelate the sources rather than documenting them in a vacuum. Does one
source contradict another?Support a point developed in another source? For each source, give a brief description (1–2 sentences) of the source’s contents and
explainbriefly(again, 1–2sentences)howitwillbeusedinthefinaldraftof yourpaper.ThismilestoneisgradedwiththeMilestoneTwoAnnotated
Bibliography Rubric.
Milestone Three: Final Project Draft/Outline
InModuleFive,youwill submitadraft/outlineof yourresearchpaperthusfar.This canbeeitheracompletedraft oramixtureofadraftandoutline.Ata
minimum, you should provide four pages of text, including introduction and thesis statement, in addition to any outline. This milestone is graded with the
Milestone Three Final Project Rough Draft Rubric.
Final Submission: Final Paper
InModuleSeven,youwillsubmityourfinalresearchpaper.Itshouldbeacomplete,polishedartifactcontainingallofthecriticalelementsofthefinalproduct
andshouldreflecttheincorporationoffeedbackgainedthroughoutthecourse.Besuretoincludeeightscholarlysources(twoofwhichmustbeprimary
sources). This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading
One Paper Topic Submission Two Graded separately; Milestone One Paper Topic
Submission Rubric
Two Annotated Bibliography Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Annotated
Bibliography Rubric
Three Final Project Draft/Outline Five Gradedseparately;MilestoneThreeFinalProjectRough
Draft Rubric
Final Submission: Final Paper Seven Graded separately; Final Project Rubric
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines forSubmission:Yourfinalresearchpapershouldbe8–10pagesinlength(notincludingcoverpageorresources).Usedoublespacing,12-pointTimes
New Roman font, and one-inch margins.Yourpaper must include eight scholarly sources (two of which must be primary sources) and use Chicago- orTurabianstyle citations.
Instructor Feedback: This activity uses anintegratedrubric inBlackboard.Students canviewinstructorfeedback intheGradeCenter.Formoreinformation,
review these instructions.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
descriptions demonstrate keen
insight into the event and
include exceptional detail
Creates an introduction that
includes a description of the
chosen topic as well as the
research question that will be
addressed by the thesis
Creates an introduction, but
the introduction does not
include a description of the
chosen topic or the research
question that will be addressed
by the thesis
Does not create an
introductionthatincludesa
description of the chosen
topicaswellas the research
question that will be
addressed by the thesis
10
Thesis Statement Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
thesis statement is clear and
concise
Craftsa thesis statement that
addressestheissueidentified
within thechosentopic and
identifiessupportingpoints
Craftsathesisstatementthat
either does not address the
issuewithin thechosentopic
ordoesnotidentifysupporting
points
Does not craft a thesis
statement that addresses the
issue identified within the
chosen topic and does not
identify supporting points
15
Historical Context Meets “Proficient” criteria and
includes information that is
exceptionally detailed
Discusses how chosen topic
relatestothelargersettingof
the developments of World
War II
Discusses how chosen topic
relatestothelargersettingof
World WarII, butdiscussion is
cursory orcontains
inaccuracies
Doesnotdiscussthehistorical
context surrounding the
chosen topic
20
Supporting Points Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
explanation is clear and
exceptionally detailed
Explainseachofthe supporting
points identified in the thesis
statement
Explains the supporting points
identified in the thesis
statement, but is either missing
key points or explanation is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies
Doesnotexplaineachofthe
supporting points identified in
the thesisstatement
20
Integration of
Scholarly Research
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
sources are especially well
suited to support and defend
the thesis statement
Integrates scholarly research
throughout the paper to
defend the thesis statement
Integrates scholarly research in
the paper, but the research
included is not explained
properlyor doesnotalignwith
supportingpoints,orresources
are not integrated consistently
throughout the paper
Doesnotintegrate scholarly
research throughout the
papertodefendthethesis
statement
20
Conclusion Meets “Proficient” criteria and
is especially clear and
organized
Develops a conclusion that
summarizes the thesisand the
main points of the paper
Develops a conclusion, but
either lacks clarity or ismissing
oneof thekeycomponentsto
summarize the paper
Does not develop a
conclusionthatsummarizes
thethesisandthemainpoints
of the paper
5
Articulation of
Response
Submissionisfreeoferrors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organizationandispresented
inaprofessionalandeasy-toread format
Submissionhasnomajorerrors
relatedtocitations,grammar,
spelling,syntax,ororganization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submissionhascriticalerrors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or
organization that prevent
understanding ofideas
10
Total 100%