- What Makes a Good History EE Idea?
- Which EE guide applies to you: 2026 or 2027
- Ideas: Britain and local history
- Ideas: Europe and Russia
- Ideas: the Cold War and international relations
- Ideas: Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania
- Ideas: social, economic and cultural history
- Sources: what a History EE needs
- How to write a History EE
- How the 2027 criteria apply to a History EE
- Common History EE Topic Mistakes
Quick Answer
A strong History extended essay asks a focused question about one event, decision or factor in a defined period and place, with enough primary and secondary sources to argue a judgement. For example: 'To what extent was the Suez Crisis of 1956 responsible for Anthony Eden's resignation in January 1957?'. Below are 30 example research questions by region, with sources to use and pitfalls to avoid.
What You'll Learn
- From May 2027 the new EE guide applies: 30 marks, with Discussion and evaluation (8 marks) the biggest criterion
- Limit the question by event, place and dates, and make it ask for a judgement, not a narrative
- Test the source base before you commit: you need primary sources and a real historical debate
- The 2018 guide ruled out events from the last 10 years; staying well clear of very recent events is still the safe choice
- Organise the essay by argument, not chronology, and evaluate your sources as you use them
What Makes a Good History EE Idea?
A strong History extended essay starts with a historical question you can investigate with real evidence. The best topics are narrow enough for depth but open enough for interpretation. The IB's new guide gives a model of narrowing: rather than 'the collapse of the Soviet Union', its example asks to what extent the collapse in 1991 was caused by Gorbachev's political reforms. Check every idea against these points.
- A defined scope: one event, policy, person's decision or movement, with a place and dates in the question.
- A concept to argue about: causation, consequence, significance, change and continuity, or the perspectives of different groups.
- Primary sources you can actually read: documents, speeches, newspapers, diaries, oral histories or official papers, many of them digitised.
- A historiographical debate: historians who disagree give you the balanced discussion criterion D rewards.
- Different from your IA: the guide says the EE must not duplicate other work you submit for the diploma, such as your historical investigation.
Pro Tip
If your topic could be a textbook chapter, such as 'the causes of the Second World War', it is far too broad. Cut it to one decision, one year or one factor.
Which EE guide applies to you: 2026 or 2027
The new Extended essay guide was published in February 2025, taught from August 2025, and is first assessed in May 2027. November 2026 is the last session marked under the 2018 guide. Both versions centre the essay on a focused research question.
- May 2027 onwards: 30 marks across five criteria (A Framework for the essay 6, B Knowledge and understanding 6, C Analysis and line of argument 6, D Discussion and evaluation 8, E Reflection 4). Reflection is assessed from one reflective statement of up to 500 words on the Reflection and progress form (RPF), written after your final viva voce.
- November 2026 and earlier: 34 marks (A Focus and method 6, B Knowledge and understanding 6, C Critical thinking 12, D Presentation 4, E Engagement 6), with three reflections on the RPPF.
- The 10-year rule: History EEs under the 2018 guide could not cover events from the last 10 years, which counted as current affairs. The new guide does not repeat a fixed cut-off, but very recent events lack historical perspective and scholarship, so keep a clear distance and confirm with your supervisor.
- Both: a 4,000-word limit that examiners will not read beyond, three mandatory reflection sessions, and a grade that combines with TOK for up to three diploma points. Quotations count towards the word limit; references and the bibliography do not.
Ideas: Britain and local history
These are illustrative starting points, not past IB essays. British topics are well served by free online archives such as Hansard and The National Archives.
- To what extent was the failure of the 1926 General Strike caused by the government's preparations rather than the weaknesses of the TUC? Works because the rival newspapers, the government's British Gazette and the TUC's British Worker, give contrasting primary sources. Avoid a day-by-day narrative of the nine days.
- How far did the Blitz affect civilian morale in Coventry in 1940 and 1941, according to Mass Observation reports? Works because the Mass Observation Archive offers rich first-hand material and a myth-versus-reality debate. Avoid generalising from Coventry to the whole of Britain.
- To what extent was the creation of the NHS in 1948 the product of wartime consensus rather than Aneurin Bevan's leadership? Works because historians disagree about post-war consensus. Avoid modern NHS politics.
- To what extent was the Suez Crisis of 1956 responsible for Anthony Eden's resignation in January 1957? Works because his stated reason, ill health, can be tested against political evidence in Cabinet papers and Hansard. Avoid retelling the military campaign.
- How significant were the 1958 Notting Hill riots in shaping the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962? Works because Hansard debates let you trace the link. Avoid drifting into present-day immigration debates.
- How successful was the Jarrow March of 1936 in achieving its aims? Works because you can compare its immediate results with its later reputation. Avoid a narrative of the route.
- How did one town respond to the 1918 to 1919 influenza pandemic, according to local newspapers and council records? Works because local history is original and archive-based. Avoid it until you have checked that the local archive holds enough material.
Ideas: Europe and Russia
European topics have large English-language historiographies, but some primary sources will be in translation. Note which edition you use.
- IB guide example: To what extent was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 caused by the political reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev? The guide's approach focuses on the 1988 constitutional changes and their impact, then weighs other factors such as economic failure, the war in Afghanistan, the Baltic states and nationalism.
- How far was the German hyperinflation of 1923 caused by reparations rather than government policy? Works because economic historians disagree and data are available. Avoid writing about the whole Weimar Republic.
- How successful was the Strength Through Joy (KdF) programme in winning the loyalty of German workers between 1933 and 1939? Works because Sopade reports on workers' morale give critical primary evidence. Avoid treating Nazi propaganda claims as fact.
- How significant was the Kronstadt rebellion of March 1921 in Lenin's introduction of the New Economic Policy? Works because the timing allows a precise significance argument. Avoid ignoring the economic crisis that came before it.
- How significant was the German Condor Legion in the Nationalist campaign in northern Spain in 1937? Works because foreign intervention is a live debate and the scope is one campaign. Avoid the whole Spanish Civil War.
- To what extent did Soviet fears about Warsaw Pact unity, rather than reform communism itself, cause the invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968? Works because translated documents in the Wilson Center Digital Archive show Soviet thinking. Avoid narrating the Prague Spring reforms in detail.
- Why did the Solidarity movement in Poland survive martial law between 1981 and 1983? Works because it asks about causes of survival, a less common angle. Avoid a biography of Lech Wałęsa.
Ideas: the Cold War and international relations
International history has excellent free document collections, such as the US State Department's Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series and Yale's Avalon Project.
- To what extent was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved by the secret agreement on US Jupiter missiles in Turkey rather than the naval quarantine? Works because recordings and released documents changed the debate. Avoid a thirteen-day narrative.
- How far was the Berlin Blockade of 1948 to 1949 a response to currency reform in the western zones? Works because the timing of the new Deutsche Mark gives a precise causal test. Avoid the whole origins of the Cold War.
- To what extent was the Marshall Plan designed to contain communism rather than rebuild European economies? Works because the debate on US motives is long-running and documented. Avoid treating speeches as proof of motive without evaluating them.
- How significant was the Sino-Soviet split in making Nixon's visit to China in 1972 possible? Works because it weighs one factor against others with good sources. Avoid a general history of détente.
- To what extent was the US decision to use atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 influenced by concern about the Soviet Union? Works because it is a classic historiographical debate. Avoid repeating the debate without your own judgement on the evidence.
- How far was the League of Nations' failure in the Abyssinian Crisis of 1935 to 1936 caused by British and French national interests? Works because the Hoare-Laval Pact gives a clear focus. Avoid a survey of every League failure.
Ideas: Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania
These regions are often less written about in IB EEs, which can make your essay stand out, but test the English-language sources first.
- IB guide example: What was the significance of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in gaining the vote for women in New Zealand? The guide's approach considers the WCTU's role in mobilising women and in campaigning for suffrage, then weighs other factors such as Liberal Party support and the growing number of educated professional women.
- To what extent was the violence in the Punjab during the 1947 Partition caused by the speed of the British withdrawal? Works because oral histories such as the 1947 Partition Archive add first-hand perspectives. Avoid handling the topic carelessly; discuss sensitive material with your supervisor.
- To what extent did the Mau Mau uprising cause British decolonisation in Kenya? Works because the colonial 'migrated archives' released by The National Archives from 2012 opened new evidence. Avoid one-sided use of colonial sources.
- How far did Kwame Nkrumah's Positive Action campaign of 1950 speed up independence for the Gold Coast? Works because the timeline to independence in 1957 is clear and well documented. Avoid a biography of Nkrumah.
- To what extent was the Montgomery Bus Boycott won in the courts rather than on the streets? Works because the Browder v. Gayle ruling and the boycott itself give two clear factors to weigh. Avoid a general history of the civil rights movement.
- How successful was the Great Leap Forward (1958 to 1962) in meeting its industrial targets? Works because official targets can be measured against later evidence. Avoid relying on propaganda statistics without evaluation.
- How significant were the Meiji military reforms in Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 1905? Works because it weighs one long-term cause against short-term factors. Avoid a general history of Meiji Japan.
Sources: what a History EE needs
The guide distinguishes primary sources, which convey first-hand experience of the event or period, from secondary sources, which interpret and analyse them. Every EE must include secondary research, and a strong History EE uses both kinds critically.
- Free primary sources: Hansard for UK parliamentary debates, The National Archives' online documents, FRUS for US foreign policy, the Avalon Project, the Wilson Center Digital Archive for the Cold War, and the Library of Congress for US history.
- First-hand voices: Mass Observation, the Imperial War Museum's oral histories and digitised newspaper archives.
- Secondary sources: academic books and journal articles that represent different schools of interpretation, not only textbooks or websites.
- Evaluation: comment on a source's origin, purpose and limitations at the point where you use it, so evaluation runs through the essay, as the guide expects.
- Translations: you may use sources in other languages; give the translation in the text and the original quotation in a footnote, which does not count towards the word limit.
How to write a History EE
There is no compulsory structure, but this shape works for most History essays and matches the guide's advice on a clear line of argument.
- 1Introduction: the research question, why it matters, the period and place, the main historical debate, and the sources you will use.
- 2Body: three to five sections organised by argument or factor, not by date. Each section should answer part of the question and end with a mini-judgement.
- 3Throughout: use primary evidence to support claims, compare historians' interpretations, and evaluate the sources as you use them.
- 4Conclusion: a clear answer to the question that follows from the sections, including how far your sources limit that answer.
- 5References and bibliography in one consistent style.
How the 2027 criteria apply to a History EE
The guide's individuals and societies notes, applied to History, show what examiners look for.
- A: Framework for the essay (6). A focused question and methods that clearly fit History; the guide suggests checking the subject guide so you understand the discipline's methods. Headings help if they organise the argument.
- B: Knowledge and understanding (6). Accurate historical knowledge and terminology, and concepts used meaningfully. The guide's own example is that a History EE is likely to work with causation and consequence.
- C: Analysis and line of argument (6). Analysis, not narrative: each section should advance a reasoned thread that links your question, findings and conclusion.
- D: Discussion and evaluation (8). A balanced discussion of different perspectives and interpretations, supported by evidence, with evaluation of your sources woven through the essay.
- E: Reflection (4). Marked only from your reflective statement on the RPF.
Common History EE Topic Mistakes
Most weak History EEs fail because the question is too broad or the source base was never tested. An IB History tutor can build your source-evaluation skills on practice material, while your question and research stay your own.
- Narrative instead of argument: a well-researched story of events scores low on analysis.
- Questions that are too broad in time or place, or that combine two questions in one.
- Too few primary sources, or only websites and textbooks.
- Treating historians as authorities to quote rather than interpretations to weigh.
- Topics so recent that there is little perspective or scholarship.
- Putting key evidence in appendices: examiners are not required to read them, and they do not read beyond 4,000 words.
Watch Out
A big theme produces a descriptive essay. A strong History EE needs a sharp analytical core and a source base that can support it.
Frequently Asked Questions
A good History EE topic focuses on one event, decision or factor in a defined place and period, with accessible primary sources and a debate among historians. For example, 'To what extent was the Montgomery Bus Boycott won in the courts rather than on the streets?'. It should invite a judgement, not a narrative, and must not duplicate your History IA.
Under the 2018 guide, used up to November 2026, events from the last 10 years were treated as current affairs and not allowed. The new guide, first assessed in May 2027, does not state a fixed cut-off, but your essay must still be history, with perspective and scholarship to work with. Leave a clear gap of at least a decade and confirm your topic with your supervisor.
Start with a narrow question that asks 'to what extent' or 'how significant'. Read the main historians on the debate, then gather primary sources. Organise the essay by argument or factor rather than chronology, evaluate sources as you use them, and end with a conclusion that answers the question directly. Keep to 4,000 words; examiners do not read beyond that.
The guide sets no number. What matters is a range of relevant primary sources and secondary works that represent different interpretations, enough to support each part of your argument. If early research shows a shortfall, the guide advises amending or changing the topic. Test the source base before you finalise the question.
It is marked out of 30 against five criteria: Framework for the essay (6), Knowledge and understanding (6), Analysis and line of argument (6), Discussion and evaluation (8) and Reflection (4). Reflection is assessed only from your 500-word statement on the RPF. Essays in the November 2026 session, the last under the 2018 guide, are marked out of 34 on its criteria.
The new IB Extended essay guide gives two History examples: the collapse of the Soviet Union and Gorbachev's reforms, and the Women's Christian Temperance Union and women's suffrage in New Zealand. Both are on this page. Your EE coordinator can access more support material and subject reports on the IB's Programme Resource Centre.
Yes. An IB Doctor tutor, verified and with a score of 40 or more IB points, can deepen your knowledge of a period you are considering and practise source evaluation with you on other material, in online sessions, while the research question, sources and essay stay your own. The essay stays your own work, and only your supervisor comments in writing on your full draft. Matching usually happens within 24 hours.
Ideas: social, economic and cultural history
Social history works well when you focus on one group and use their own voices as evidence.