War is a controversial topic and has been throughout history. The reasons for war are constantly debated. However, there are common causes in every war. As they say, variety is the spice of life, which applies to essay writing. The definition of war is human conflict characterized by armed force between the military forces of at least two opposing countries. It is also a state of armed conflict between political or religious groups. The topic you are about to select may focus on any aspect of war, from causes and justification to specific historical events.

Tips for Writing a War Essay

There are several tips for writing a war essay to help you develop a good topic.

• Choosing your points of view. You may decide to take either pro-war or anti-war positions.
• Make sure to bring in a wide variety of topics and support them with examples from history.
• Choose subjects that have universal appeal.
• Be prepared to argue your position with facts, examples, and great examples of language.
• Explore the ethical and moral argument around the subject.
• Use a wide variety of quotes from historical figures to boost your essay.

50 War Essay Topics

There are so many general war topics to choose from. You could explore the war history, focusing on when it started and the earliest battles in recorded human history. This will also allow you to talk about the causes of war and which civilizations were involved in each case. You could also focus on who won and who lost.

A list of general war topics to choose from include;

1. Causes of war
2. History of wars
3. Reasons for going to war
4. Different types of wars and their impact on human history
5. History of wars by civilization
6. War’s impact on human civilization throughout history
7. The ethics of war
8. Moral issues of war
9. The future of war. The likelihood that wars will end or reduce in the future.
10. The nature of war throughout history.
11. The impact of modern technology, propaganda and media coverage on the outbreak of wars.
12. Discuss the causes and results of the American Civil War.
13. What were the causes of World War I?
14. What were the causes of world war II?
15. The Spanish-American War was fought in 1898 between Spain and America over Cuba and Puerto Rico. What were the leading causes of this war?
16. The Vietnam War was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam from 1955 until 1975, when South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam after American troops were withdrawn from Vietnam in 1973. Why did America withdraw its troops from Vietnam?
17. Who won the Cold War? How did it end?
18. Discuss how World War I affected Europe’s history and culture forever after it ended?
19. Discuss how World War II affected Europe’s history and culture forever after it ended?
20. What were the main battles in World War II in Europe? Why did they happen there and not elsewhere?
21. Describe the development of war research in your country and discuss its modern aspects, including recent wars.
22. Compare and contrast the role of war between men and women in your country.
23. Analyze the reasons that contributed to your countries participation in the Second World War.
24. Identify the most significant problem that affected civilians during wartime in your country and explain how it was solved.
25. Discuss how your cultural heritage has influenced your countries’ attitude towards war
26. Assess the impact of WWI on your countries economic, political, social, and military situations and developments since that period
27. Summarize how the world has changed since WWII
28. Examine how people are involved in wars today as opposed to during previous times and why
29. Explain why you think it is essential for future generations to be taught about past historical events
30. Describe the effect of current wars on civilians
31. Analyze how the Internet has impacted the ar
32. Assess whether you agree or disagree with the American policy of pre-emptive strikes
33. Describe how terrorism has changed since 1975
34. Explain why a person’s background can influence their attitude towards war
35. Assess whether you agree or disagree with defining terrorism
36. Thesis about war importance
37. Political, economic, and cultural aspects of war
38. War and revolution development
39. War as a social phenomenon with its positive sides
40. Causes of military conflict between China and Japan in 1894-1895 years
41. Discussion of how technology has changed the nature of warfare – compare how the use of the longbow affected an English army fighting against an opposing force to that same army using modern firearms.
42. Comparing propaganda in World War I with propaganda in today’s world – do they share any similarities? What are they trying to accomplish?
43. An analysis of war as a metaphor – what comparisons between wars in historical fiction and real life?
44. An essay on how war has changed over time – has it gotten better? Worse? Why do you think so?
45. A discussion of the most important battles in history – pick three, and compare and contrast the reasons for their importance.
46. What was the relationship between World War I and World War II?
47. How was it possible for Hitler to kill so many Jews without anyone knowing about it?
48. Which countries have never fought in any wars?
49. Explain why soldiers can’t always tell if a person is a combatant or not, even with all the new technology available today to help them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
50. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a global economy? Is free trade an effective weapon against terrorism? Why or why not?

War Essay Topics about Specific Historical Events

You could explore a specific war or battle from history. There are different options available. You could choose the World Wars, the Civil War in America, etc. You could also look at wars that have been largely forgotten or never known by most people. An example would be the War of 1812 between America and Great Britain.

• Civil war research topics

You could also write about the American Civil War, the most brutal war in America’s history. Several civil war research topics are exploring this topic. However, you could focus on specific subjects. Examples are the causes of the Civil War,  military strategies, reasons for going to war from both sides, issues concerning slavery and emancipation, Abraham Lincoln’s role in the whole process, etc.

• Political machinations

Political machinations refer to politicians’ political strategies, maneuvers, and tactics on both sides of the conflict to gain an advantage over the other side.

• Imperialism

Imperialism is the practice of forming and maintaining an empire—for example, the British Empire in India and Africa in the 19th century.

• Religious differences

Wars started by religious extremists wanting to rid their countries of evil.

• Social impact

The social impact of friends and families split down the middle, for example, during the American Civil War.

• Economic sanctions

The economic sanctions imposed by one country on another in the hope of forcing their opponent to agree to treaties or other political stances. For example, during the Cold War, the US imposed economic sanctions on Cuba.

12 Cold War Essay Topics

List of Cold War essay thesis examples include;

Several subjects might come to mind when you think of the Cold War. The most obvious are Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and even Iran. These international events are just a few of the stories found in reference books such as “The Cold War,” by John Lewis Gaddis and “The Cold War: A New History,” by John Lewis Gaddis. List of Cold War essay thesis examples include;

1. The United States and the Soviet Union became enemies due to their conflicting ideologies and rivalries. Discuss how these two ideologies affected this relationship.
2. What was the Berlin Blockade? What was its effect on the world?
3. Why did the U.S. government support South Vietnam over North Vietnam? How did this decision affect the war?
4. How did the economy of America affect its involvement in Vietnam?
5. What was Operation Mongoose? Why was it created? Who was involved in its planning and execution?
6. Why do you think President Kennedy decided to send military advisers to South Vietnam? Did he know that this decision would lead to full-scale warfare?
7. What was the relationship between the cold war and the Vietnam War?
8. Who were America’s most important allies in the Cold War?
9. How did Western Europe, Japan, and other countries become more independent of the United States during the Cold War?
10. How did both sides’ citizens try to end or limit the Cold War?
11. What were some of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War?
12. Why did the Soviet Union and its allies lose the Cold War?

War Essay Topics on Revolutionary Conflicts

Write about any wars that have shaped the world today, focusing on how they occurred and why they became critical. People have forgotten mainly the battles listed below but still managed to change the world.

1. The British Civil War between the Royalists and the Roundheads lasted seven years.
2. Angolan Civil War, which took place in the 1970s and saw the Portuguese withdraw from Angola after being defeated by local guerillas
3. Spanish Civil War started in 1936 when General Francisco Franco launched a coup d’etat against the Republican government. The war ended in 1939 with the victory of General Francisco Franco.
4. The Russo-Japanese War, which took place between 1904 and 1905
5. Xhosa Wars, a series of wars fought by the Xhosa against the British colonists in modern-day South Africa.
6. The First and Second Boer Wars (Boer refers to the Dutch and Afrikaans settlers in South Africa) were fought between the British and the Boers.

12 Vietnam War Topic Essay ideas

There are several Vietnam war essay ideas that is endless. There

are countless causes of the war, along with many lessons learned. Some examples are topics concerning Vietnam’s effect on American politics, Vietnamese culture, or lessons learned by the US.

1. Vietnam War essay topics about the cause of the war
2. Vietnam’s effect on American politics
3. Vietnamese culture
4. Examples of lessons learned by the US during the Vietnam War
5. The US involvement in the war
6. Vietnam War essay topics on how it changed American attitudes toward war
7. The conduct of the war and why it was such a failure
8. Lessons learned from Vietnam War, such as military strategies and the impact on civilians
9. Vietnam War essay topics about its effects on US foreign policy
10. The war’s impact on the US economy
11. The war’s impact on American society
12. Lessons learned from Vietnam War for future conflicts

World War I Essay Topics

World War I is also known as the First World War. Some world war one essay topics are listed below:

1. The causes of the war
2. Whether the war could have been prevented
3. The human impact of the war – the war’s cost in terms of human life
4. The war’s impact on art and literature
5. How the Treaty of Versailles contributed to the causes of World War II

What’s the Best Way to Start a War Essay?

There are many ways to start a war essay. Some people might start with what is known as the impact on the American way of life, while others may begin by speaking about the human cost of war. Some may start by looking at the lessons learned from the conflict, while others might focus on one particular aspect of the war.

• Impact on the American way of life

One of the most common ways to start a war essay is by focusing on how it affected the American way of life—many aspects of the American way of life range from political culture to social mores. For example, you could write about the effects of the Vietnam War on American foreign policy, the US economy, and American society. The same approach could be used to write about any war or conflict.

• Lessons learned from the conflict

Another common way to start a war essay is by writing about the lessons learned from the conflict. This approach could be used for wars in the past, wars currently taking place, or any other kinds of disputes.

• The human cost of war

The human cost of war can be explained through statistics and anecdotes. For example, you could write about the death toll in an essay on the Vietnam War or about some effects of war on civilians that have come to light.

Conclusion

If this article has proved anything, there are numerous topics on a war that you could choose to write about. From the smallest perspectives to the grandest, your writing will be informed by the evidence of your research and the personal view you’ve considered the topic. And with so many diverse and engaging topics presented here, you have everything you need to develop a satisfying essay–so get started writing!