Most students know that it takes a great choice of topic when writing an essay. Students can usually find good topics by reviewing classroom lecture notes, textbooks, or on the web. Finding good WWII research paper topics might be a little trickier because there aren’t many new questions being discussed. While there are hundreds of great discussions around WW II topics worth researching and writing about, students usually do better when they write about something unique and are interesting WW2 topics. Here are some WWII essay topics you might want to consider for an assignment. We also advise you to learn how to write a civil war essay.
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World War 2 Paper Topics for Middle School
When writing any assignment, you always want to make sure you choose a good topic. These WW2 argumentative essay topics are great for students that are still learning skills in researching and writing. The WW II topics listed below don’t require a lot of in-depth academic research and can be dealt with by doing some easy background research on the web:
- Why did the United States enter the Second World War?
- What were the major countries in the war?
- What are the most important figures in the war?
- What role did Russia have in winning the war?
- How were women’s lives impacted by the war?
- Why did the U.S. wait before helping its allies?
- Why did the battle of Midway matter so much?
- How did aerial advancements impact the war?
- What role did women have in supporting the war?
- How did the U.S. discriminate against African Americans during the war?
- Why did the U.S. force people into internment camps?
- Did African Americans have equal rights during the war?
- Why did Italy align itself with Germany?
- What impact did the war have on U.S. citizens?
- Why did Austria support Germany in the war?
- Why were trains so important to the military?
- In what ways were animals used during the war?
- How did the French invasion occur so easily?
- How did England fend off the German air raids?
- How was Russia able to win the Eastern front?
- Did Germany make a mistake by pushing far into Russia?
- How did the war influence artists at the time?
- Why was communication so important during the war?
- What role did Australia have in the war?
- Why did some European nations refrain from entering the war?
- What impact did Churchill have on England’s war efforts?
- Why was D-Day such an important event?
- How was Hitler able to rise to power?
- What mistakes did Hitler make to lose the war?
- How did rations help the U.S. war effort?
- Why is WWII considered the golden age of aviation?
- What impact did WWII have on the quest to put a man on the moon?
- What were the most important battles of WWII?
- What impact did the Tuskegee airmen have on the war?
- Why was the battle of Midway so important?
- In what way did the U.S. invasion of Normandy change the war?
- How accurate are war films showing the Normandy invasion?
- How did life across the country change when the U.S. entered the war?
- How did the war impact civil rights for African Americans?
- How did the atomic bomb change how the U.S. interacts with allies?
Middle school students can generally finish with any of these WWII topics within a couple of days. It’s still a good idea to get started right away so you aren’t overburdened the night before the assignment is due.
World War 2 Research Topics for High School
By the time you’re in high school, you would have had some experience writing argumentative papers. The following World War 2 topics are a little tougher than anything you might have seen. But they are challenging for a reason: they get you to do more in-depth research:
- Why weren’t African Americans allowed in Caucasian military units?
- What were African Americans not allowed to do during the war?
- In what ways was propaganda used to generate war funds?
- How did food packaging change at the start of the war?
- Did propaganda play a part in the number of people who enlisted?
- Why was propaganda so important to fund the U.S. war efforts?
- How did the manufacturing of toys change because of the war?
- How did the U.S. economy recover at the start of the war?
- How did propaganda differ between U.S. and England?
- What were the new jobs that were created because of the war?
- How did food consumption change during the war?
- What impact did horses have in the second world war?
- Did people have to change the way they dressed to support war efforts?
- How important was the use of heavy metals in war?
- How did the British beat the German submarine attacks?
- What art movements were inspired by WWII?
- How did the war help the U.S. emerge from the Great Depression?
- Why was it so important for women to enter the workforce?
- How did advertisers change the way they sold products?
- What did young people do during the war?
- Why is America’s entry into the war so significant?
- What factored into the U.S. entering the war so late?
- How did life change in England because of the war?
- What impact did the interception of the Zimmerman letter have on the U.S.?
- What interests did England have in entering the war?
- Is Hitler the only person to blame for the outbreak of WWII?
- How did the second world war affect society in the U.S.?
- What role did China play in WWII?
- What role did women play to generate support for the war?
- Could the second world war have been avoided?
- Had the U.S. aligned with Germany would the Axis have won?
- What would have happened if the U.S. had not entered the war?
- How did the U.S.’s foreign policy change because of the war?
- How strong was the U.S.’s relationship with its allies?
- What was the biggest tragedy of the second war?
- How did the Third Reich use propaganda to gain support?
- How did the U.S. use advertisements to support the war effort?
- How did advertising change in the United States?
- What role did Walt Disney have in generating support for the war?
- How important was it to have the latest military technology?
All of these WWII topics for research will require you to read academic works such as books and journals. You can’t rely on online research alone and should emphasize library research.
WWII Topics for Research Paper in College
The following WWII debate topics are more difficult and designed specifically for college students. Most essays at this level will require a lot more research primarily done at the library where access to academic books and journals is better:
- Why did England and France allow Germany to annex Austria?
- Why did Italy decide to get involved in the conflict?
- How did Italy affect the direction of the war for Germany?
- Why did the U.S. decide to use atomic bombs against Japan?
- How was Germany fortunate by Italy’s choice to enter the conflict?
- If it wasn’t for the atomic bomb could Japan have defeated the U.S.?
- How did the U.S. manage to regain control of the Pacific?
- Were the post-war sanctions against Japan fair?
- Why did Germany have a hard time rebuilding after the war?
- How did Germany’s fall lead to the start of the Cold War?
- Should the Western Allies have done more to stop the Soviets from gaining so much power?
- What impact did the women’s workforce have on the U.S. economy?
- What actions did Britain take to keep Germany from invading?
- Why did France fail to hold Germany from invading the country?
- What were the deciding factors of the Battle of Berlin?
- What was the role of women during the Second World War?
- How did the French Resistance influence other countries?
- What role did secret services during the Second World War?
- Did prisoners of war get appropriate treatment?
- What did we learn from the way massive invasions occur?
- Are civilian deaths during war acceptable collateral damage?
- How did the allied bombing of Dresden affect the war?
- Was the invasion of Poland a justifiable act?
- How did Polish propaganda lead to Germany’s invasion?
- How did the events of WWI lead to the start of WWII?
- How did the German depression lead to the rise of the Nazi Party?
- Why was D-Day so important in changing the war?
- Should the U.S. have waited to see if they could win by using the atomic bomb?
- What are the major components of the Treaty of Versailles?
- What was the most important battle of the war?
- Did the Treaty of Versailles lead to the start of the war?
- Did Japan have justification for bombing Pearl Harbor?
- How was the U.S. able to regain control of islands along the Pacific Rim?
- How did the second world war impact life in Hawaii?
- What was the outcome of the Munich Conference?
- What was the outcome of the Yalta Conference?
- How was the second world war different from the first world war?
- Did the Allied Forces commit any atrocities?
- Why was the Battle of Blitzkrieg?
- What led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party?
If you want to earn a high score on your assignment, you need to be sure you select one of these World War 2 research paper topics that you are sure you can adequately find sources to support your argument.
World War II Research Paper Topics for Grad School
As you can see, these topics on WW2 require students to conduct thorough research. While a lot of information is available online, it’s better to do most research at the school library where you will have access to reputable and trustworthy resources.
- How did Adolf Hitler use propaganda to gain support?
- What was the purpose of the League of Nations?
- Which job industry grew the most during the war?
- What impact did African Americans have on the workforce?
- What happened to German officials after the war?
- How effective was the use of the A-bomb to end the war?
- How did Australian society change after the war?
- How did the war impact Britain’s economy?
- What actions did the U.S. federal government take to empower women?
- What did the U.S. Navy do to recover from the Pearl Harbor attack?
- How was the wartime different between England and the U.S.?
- Why were people of Japanese descent targeted for detainment?
- Could the U.S. grow its economy during peacetime?
- Why weren’t people of German or Italian descent targeted for detainment?
- Did England’s and Russia’s economies expand during the war?
- What role did Oscar Schindler play in saving the lives of Jewish people?
- What impact did Benito Mussolini have on Adolf Hitler?
- How did Joseph Stalin affect the way Russians fought the war?
- What role did aircraft play in winning the war?
- How was the strategic bombing of high-population areas justified?
- Was over 50 million civilian deaths collateral damage?
- How was Germany able to gain control of the majority part of Europe?
- Why did Germany launch attacks against civilian ships?
- How was Germany able to ally with Japan during the war?
- What was the fate of both Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini?
- Was the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima justified?
- How did the First World War influence Hitler’s rise to power?
- What role did Zygmunt Berling have in Poland’s anti-Nazi movement?
- What were the terms of Berlin’s occupation after the war?
- Would the Holocaust have been avoided if the U.S. would have intervened earlier?
- What influenced Mussolini’s position in the war?
- Why was the U.S. so ambivalent about joining the war?
- What were the economic and political impacts of the war in Europe?
- How was Canada involved in the war?
- Why was nationalism important in Germany?
- How was Britain able to break the Enigma Machine code?
- What needed to happen for the Allies to form?
- What was the turning point of the war?
- How important was it for Australia to join the war effort?
- Why did the Nazi Party ban western-influenced literature?
No matter which of these WW2 essay topics you choose, you should plan on spending several days conducting research. Get started early so that you aren’t fixing errors the night before the assignment is due.
Controversial WW2 Research Paper Topics
Controversial topics are a great way of generating debate between opposing sides of any question. These WW2 topics for research paper will certainly get noticed by others and which could lead to a higher grade:
- Why was it important to sacrifice the Pacific to defeat Germany?
- How did Japan’s military strategies lead to its eventual defeat?
- What were some of the anti-Jewish laws in Germany before the war?
- How did Italians discriminate against Jewish people in the country?
- Why was Italy quick to transfer Jewish people to Germany?
- How did Germany’s military strategies eventually lead to its defeat?
- How did Americans treat people of Japanese descent after the war?
- Was Germany treated fairly after the war?
- What were some of the cruelties of the Japanese Internment camps?
- How did other Asian-Americans suffer during the Second World War?
- What mistakes did Americans make that prolonged the war?
- What role did Canada play in supplying weapons to England?
- Was the Holocaust as widespread as what historians have claimed?
- What was the largest battle in the Pacific?
- Was the U.S. neglectful of the Holocaust and treatment of Jewish people?
- What is the origin of the phrase “Kilroy was here”?
- What made concentration camps so effective?
- How were German soldiers using rape and murder against Russians?
- What mistakes did Britain make that prolonged the war?
- Which battles were lost because of a lack of available food?
- What was the Potsdam Declaration and why was it important?
- Was the United States’ reaction to the Holocaust appropriate?
- Was food rationing different for different communities?
- What was the U.S.’s reaction to the events occurring in Asia in the 1930s?
- Did the U.S. only enter the war because of the attack on Pearl Harbor?
- What impact the second world war have on society?
- How did life for African Americans change after the war?
- What were the factors of the war crimes tribunals for Germany?
- Did the U.S. mistreat its prisoners of war?
- Why did the refusal of Japanese to the terms outlined by the United States?
- How did music change during the war to generate support?
- How did Germany attempt to eliminate Jewish culture by stealing artifacts?
- How could have the US prevented the attack on Pearl Harbor with better intelligence?
- How did the relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt impact their alliance?
- What were the diplomatic effects across Europe after the war?
- What led to the Axis collapse and the Allied victory?
- Why was the Penicillin black-market a way of profiting?
- Was the use of submarines on civilian ships a war crime?
- How did businesses profit from the outbreak of war?
- How do the Japanese remember their side of the war?
This last set of World War 2 essay topics bring interest because they are naturally controversial. They ask your audience to consider ideas that cause great debate and often challenge their opinions.
If you need more World War 2 topics for research papers, we can put you in contact with one of our academic experts trained in the subject. They can provide you with professional US history homework help. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Send us an email or call us by phone, we are always glad to help.
