History student here, I am having some trouble choosing a topic for my bachelor's thesis. Any recommendations or advice?

by Fierljeppo

Hi everybody, after the summer I hope to do my last semester of uni and get my bachelor's degree in history. But as I am a vat of doubt in all aspects of life, choosing a topic for my thesis is really quite difficult. I have to find a historical debate to which I can contribute, so does anybody know any hot historical academic topics that are suitable for a thesis? Or better yet, that deserve a thesis.

A number of general ideas that have sprung to mind were:

  • Populism and demagogues, like paralells between Trump and Caesar for instance, what makes the eternal demagogue? (probably better for a book, too broad)
  • The cultural representation of iconic historical figures as identity-forming heroes, while often times they have commited atrocities or have a major dark side which is deliberately not remembered. (kind of selective collective memory and the construction of cultural identities)
  • The new rise of nationalism (in Europe I think) and the way people cling to their 'national identities', while often times they have no idea what that identity actually entails. In my opinion it is largely a romantic idea from the 19th century, that tried to homogenize heterogenous groups of people within geographic boundaries, in order to force the nation-state into being. (any thoughts on this logic?).
  • Similarities in the doctrine of the KKK and black separatists like Nation of Islam, both groups advocated racial segregation, which I found quite interesting. I am not very keenly aware of American history though.
  • Dan Carlin really opened my eyes on the significance of the First World War and how we are still dealing with it's aftermath now. So someting about the state of contemporary international affairs in the lights of WW1, and how WW2 overshadowed WW1 in significance. It even lost the name the 'Great War' after WW2.
  • Something about Vikings, Knights or Romans and Germanic tribes, to please my inner child.

If you have any thoughts, recommendations or advice, it would be very welcome! A completely differen subject than the ones above are also appreciated!

BogdanM_87

Is there any (sub)topic you could handle where you have (1) access to dusty old archives and/or (2) newly revealed information (e.g. archaeological discovery ala Point Rosee, since you mentioned Vikings), and which hasn't been covered before?

That way, you make an important contribution, instead of just opining about superficial similarities between Gaius Julius Caesar and Donald John Trump.

cubbiesfan17

I am also a history student and will be in the same boat as you next semester. My suggestion sort of goes with your first bulleted idea. Hope it helps! Last semester for a historiography course i wrote a 5 page and a 10 page paper over the The Late Roman Republic, specifically did the Gracchi brothers set the precedent for populist leaders and cause the fall of the republic (which i argued that they did not). It is also a time period that has extensive primary sources and there are just so many aspects within that time period that could be tranformed into a thesis topic. Any period of Ancient Rome is fascinating.

I did an analysis of competitive relationships and political tactics starting with Fabius Maximus and Cato the Elder vs. Scipio Africanus and then traced how it was carried on through generations with Cato the Elder vs. Scipio the Younger. Then at the Gracchi brothers and their land reforms and finished with the Marius and Sulla.

Ancient Greece, Egypy and the Near East are all interesting too.

For sources i mostly used primary with a few other ones. Primary: Polybius, Plutarch, Cassius dio, Cicero, Cato the elder, Appian.

Other: H.H. Scullard Andrew Lintott