How to write an essay on history. Sample plan for an essay on history, topics. How to write an essay (essay) on history in the Unified State Exam Options for an essay on history

Good day, dear friends!

In a new video I analyzed several historical portraits sent to our Mailbox puchkovaa@site by two authors - users of our site. I remind you that you can also send your examples of essays on history. We will definitely try to sort them out. I’ll say right away that the analysis is quite tough and I urge the authors not to be upset, but to take my comments into account in a timely manner.

After watching the video, I recommend downloading the file with the considered history essay examples:

And also check out my versions of two similar essays.

Dmitry Donskoy

Dmitry Donskoy, Moscow prince of the second half of the 14th century. The years of his reign were 1359 - 1389. The two main areas of activity of this prince were: the struggle of the Moscow principality against the Mongol-Tatar yoke and the unification of Russian lands around Moscow.

The fight against the Mongol-Tatar yoke was expressed in the military confrontation between the Moscow principality and the Golden Horde due to the accumulation of forces by Moscow and the desire to end the yoke - the dependence of the Russian lands on the Golden Horde. It was the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich who became the leader of this struggle. The key battle in this confrontation is the Battle of Kulikovo, which took place in September 1380.

In the Golden Horde at that time, the Temnik Mamai came to power, who was not a Genghisid (a descendant of Genghis Khan) and therefore wanted to strengthen his power through the military subjugation of the Russian lands, which were already waging an armed struggle with the Golden Horde (the Battle of the Pyan River, the Battle of Vozhe River). As a result of the Battle of Kulikovo, Russian troops under the command of Dmitry Donskoy and with the spiritual support of Sergius of Radonezh decisively put the Mongol-Tatar army to flight.

The second direction is due to the fact that during the reign of Dmitry Donskoy, the Principality of Moscow included, for example, the Principality of Nizhny Novgorod and a number of other principalities. And the victory on the Kulikovo Field made Moscow the leader of the unification of Russian lands.

The victory on the Kulikovo Field did not bring freedom from the yoke. This was manifested, for example, in the fact that in 1382 the Horde Khan Tokhtamysh went on a campaign against Moscow and burned it. Moscow only became the leader of resistance to the Golden Horde recognized by all Russian lands. The unification of Russian lands did not end under Dmitry Donskoy; the separatism of local princes would soon (in the first half of the 15th century) result in a feudal war, in which the Moscow government would win in the fight against the separatism of other princes.

Catherine II the Great

The life of Catherine the Great was from the 1730s to 1796 (second half of the 18th century). The main activities of Catherine the Great in the field

internal policy:

Secularization of church lands - the transfer of church lands into the hands of the state.

Strengthening the position of the nobility and townspeople with the help of the documents “Charter to the nobility” and “Charter to the cities.” The rights and privileges of the nobility and townspeople were guaranteed; only through the courts could they be deprived of their position.

Reforming the state apparatus and public administration: Senate reform, administrative reform.

The fight against the peasantry under the leadership of Emelyan Pugachev and, as a result, the strengthening of serfdom policies.

The main areas of activity of Catherine the Second in the field of foreign policy:

An active foreign policy towards Turkey, as a result of which Russia defeated Turkey in two Russian-Turkish wars (during the reign of Catherine).

annexed the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea coast, which contributed to the growth of trade and Russian military influence in this region.

Partitions of Poland, during which Russia reunited with the old Russian lands, and also annexed Right Bank Ukraine and the territory of present-day Belarus.

In 1783, the territory of Eastern Georgia annexed Russia. The results of Catherine’s activities were that, firstly, serfdom persisted, despite the fact that Catherine was guided in her policy by the ideas of the Enlightenment. This contradiction is explained by the fact that the nobility did not want to part with their privileges. The position of the nobility and townspeople was also strengthened. In the region external Russia reached its natural boundaries - from Ukraine to Pacific Ocean and from the Baltic to the Black Sea, becoming an empire in its entirety.

Successors: From Ivan III to Dmitry Medvedev

The book is available in different formats: audiobook (digital version) and paper version for lovers of traditional books. Everything is presented thoroughly and very colorfully. Each portrait is drawn through his actions, life and, most importantly, through government activities.

Chronology of presentation from Ivan the Great to Dmitry Medvedev. I find the book extremely useful for working through historical portraits. In addition, the presence of different formats is very convenient: I personally “uploaded” the files to my phone and enjoyed the story for two days in a variety of places: a store, a bus, a bus stop, at work, at home before bed.

What is an essay?

Essay - This is a prose composition of small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and considerations on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming to be a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject. It involves the author expressing his point of view, a subjective personal assessment of the subject of discussion, and provides the opportunity for non-standard (creative), original coverage of the material.

Purpose of the essay consists of developing skills such as independent creative thinking and writing down one’s own thoughts.

Writing an essay allows the author to learn to clearly and competently formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight cause-and-effect relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and argue for their conclusions.

How to write an essay on history?

1. Decide on essay topic: it should be, first of all, interesting to you. In addition, when choosing a topic, make sure that you can select historical facts and arguments for your position. Compose essay plan according to cause-and-effect relationships and narrative logic.
2. Think through the pros and cons. Logically correct conclusions and historical facts are used as arguments. As a rule, an essay contains 2-3 arguments.
3. Select essay style: It is most often recommended to write in a journalistic or scientific style.

Essay structure

Title page(see Appendix No. 1).
Introduction. Start your essay with an introduction in which you explain why you chose this particular topic. Then reveal the relevance of the topic and determine the positions of different authors on the proposed problem .
Main part. This part involves argumentation and analysis, as well as substantiation of theses, based on available data and positions on this issue. Provide your point of view and its confirmation with selected arguments, based on historical facts, journalistic and literary sources or social experience. In the process of constructing an essay, it is necessary to remember that one paragraph should contain only one statement and corresponding evidence.
Conclusion summarizes the essay or reiterates the explanation set out in the main part. You can end the essay with a rhetorical question or appeal to the reader. However, it would be best to write a clear conclusion from the above arguments, confirming your attitude to the problem.

Criteria for evaluation

1. Knowledge and understanding of theoretical material.
2. Analysis and evaluation of information. The historical sources on which the competition work is based can be very different. It is necessary that all documents be carefully commented and subjected to critical analysis. This is, in fact, what it is main criterion evaluation of the work, although the jury, no doubt, will note the new valuable historical material found and the ability of the competition participant to express his thoughts.
3. Erudition: knowledge and logical presentation of factual material, familiarity with the names of famous historians
4. Constructing judgments:

• clarity and precision of presentation,
• logic of evidence,
• the theses put forward are accompanied by competent argumentation

Registration of work.

The work must be provided with a title page. The volume of work is from 3 to 5 sheets of printed text in Times New Roman 14 font, spacing – 1.5. A bibliography is required: all the sources you used and referenced (see Appendix No. 2).

Essay Topics

1. “...Where did the Russian Land come from...”(Nestor).
2. Mongolian trace in history.
3. Ivan the Terrible: reformer or tyrant, evil or good for Russia?
4. Time of Troubles: origins and causes.
5. Did Peter I open a window to Europe or drive Russia into a European corner?
6. “Catherine II did not give the people freedom and enlightenment. But she made minds feel the price of these benefits” (V. Klyuchevsky).
7. The Patriotic War of 1812 in the fate of Russia.
8. Decembrists: heroes or rebels?
9. October 17 - coup or revolution?
10. The price of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
11. Autocratic monarchy: its features in the 21st century.
12. “I am convinced that it is no coincidence that it is Russia that has become famous for its outstanding philanthropists, wonderful examples of voluntary, selfless service to society and the people” (V.V. Putin)

1. Bushuev S.V., Mironov G.E. History of the Russian state: historical and biographical essays, Book. 1, M., 1991.
2. Vilkov V., Stepanov Y. Great rulers of Russia: modern version. – Rostov-on-Don, 2012.
3. Geller M.Ya. Story Russian Empire. T. 1. – M.. 2001.
4. Gumilev L.N. From Rus' to Russia. – M., 1997.
5. Decembrists: selected works. – M., 2010
6. History of Russia from ancient times to the end of the 19th century - M., 1996.
7. Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State: in 3 books. – M., 1988.
8. Klyuchevsky V.O. Works: in 9 volumes - M., 1987.
9. Platonov S.F. Collected works on Russian history in 2 volumes - St. Petersburg, 1993.
10. Russia: autobiography / Comp. M.A. Fedotova, K.M. Queen. - St. Petersburg, 2009.
11. Sakharov A.N., Nazarov B.D., Bokhanov A.N. Devotees of Russia: historical essays. - M., 2002.
12. Soloviev S.M. Works in 18 volumes - M., 1988-1994.
13. Shefov N.A. Millennium of Russian history. Chronicle of Russian history brief description significant events. - M., 2001.

You may consult other sources at your discretion. Good luck!

Appendix No. 1

History essay on the topic:

“Peter I opened a window to Europe or drove Russia into a European corner?”

2nd year student of the history department of Leningrad State Pedagogical University.

Home address :

Lipetsk, st. Gagarina, 10-10

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view it.

Appendix No. 2

List of used literature:

1. Anisimov E.V. History of Russia from Rurik to Putin. People. Events. Dates. – St. Petersburg, 2006.
2. Buganov V.I. Peter the Great and his time / V.I. Buganov. – M., 1989.
3. Molchanov N.N. Diplomacy of Peter the Great. - M., 1984.
4. Peter the Great. Favorites. – M., 2010.
5. Peter the Great: pro et contra. – St. Petersburg, 2011.

This genre is now experiencing an obvious increase in its popularity. Now it is in demand not only among writers, but also in graduate school programs. high school. French word“essay” in our language means “experience, attempt, sketch.” Indeed, this genre presupposes an unconditional deep knowledge by the author of such a work of the subject of his research. But, in addition to knowledge, an original thought and an attractive style of presentation are important.

Genre features of the essay

As can be understood from the above, the retelling of history in this genre is different from what we can see in textbooks. There is no desire here to present the subject of presentation comprehensively and systematically. An essay on history has a clear focus on revealing a specific plot, episode of history. The author must present his original view, style of thinking, and present compelling arguments.

How long should essays be?

It should not be large, commensurate with, for example, a novel. Rather, it has a compact, limited character, if only due to the coverage of a fairly limited topic. After all, this genre is faced with the task of highlighting a specific historical plot, showing a certain vision of the role of an individual. Usually, depending on the author's intention, it is commensurate with a story or short story. Volume - from several to 20-30 pages. There are no uniform guidelines on how to write a history essay. There is, as we have already mentioned, only a recommendation to adhere not to a conversational, but to an academic style. The presentation of the plot can be very diverse and even paradoxical. The main thing is different: to make the story “speak”, to make it “alive”, to awaken the reader’s emotional attention to the events of “bygone days”. It should be emphasized that the author’s subjectivity is within certain boundaries: it cannot contradict real facts and events.

History essay: how to write?

Many of us enjoy certain parts of history. They evoke associations and emotions and make you proud of your country. How do you write a history essay?

Having received a topic, make a selection of material for it. Make sure that you can present it vividly and unconventionally. If the collected material does not allow you to do this, it is better to change the topic. Based on your sample, draw up your plan of reasoning. This is very important - strict adherence to the chosen logic.

Structurally, essays on history begin with an introduction, where the main question is formulated, which determines the direction of the presentation. Then - the main part, which is a detailed response from the author, reflecting his personal point of view on the proposed topic. The author should foresee the argumentation in advance, all possible pros and cons. They must appear in the work. In the main part, at its intermediate stage, a short, concentrated answer to the question presented in the introduction is additionally positioned, as well as several hypothetical sub-conclusions. This is one of the genre features. The conclusion is the final decoding of the sub-conclusions.

Argumentation essay on history

The answer to the question of how to write a history essay will, of course, be incomplete without indicating how to use argumentation in it. The essence of this genre is proof of the truth of the author’s views. It uses more than just logical reasoning. It also includes associations associated with the moral norms existing in society and the feelings and emotions of people generated by them. Well-known logical terms are used: induction (a method of proof that involves logic: from the particular to the general conclusion); deduction (a particular conclusion is formulated from a general conclusion); analogies (comparing the logic of the passage of two historical events: the reference and the one being studied, followed by the formulation of conclusions). These are just some of the logical techniques that are used in history essays. “How to write a proof of his main thesis?” - this question requires multiple options, including proof by contradiction, logical refutation, and indirect proof.

Planning your history essay

First, you should thoroughly study the material about the historical situation in which the formation of the historical figures took place, the details, circumstances and chronology of the main events of your history essay. “How to write about the course of historical events?” - you ask. The most common presentation is in chronological order. It is generally recommended for beginning authors. Speaking about, one should imagine their personal characteristics: whose interests they stand for, what views on society they have, whether they personally contributed to progress or vice versa. The topics of history essays themselves often contain a brief hint at the thesis substantiated by the author.

The personality of the main character is an important element of the essay

What else can be said about a historical hero in such an essay? His preferences, intellectual level, organizational skills. Is his personality inconsistent? What is its significance: to improve the quality of life of the people, for the further development of the country. Particularly valuable in the essay is the author’s emotional moral characterization of its main characters. It should logically come from the general thread of the story and be its most advantageous element in terms of influence on the reader. Essays on the history of Russia are therefore very often dedicated to charismatic historical figures, real heroes and prominent statesmen - Alexander Nevsky, Peter I, Alexander Suvorov.

The brilliant battles of the twenty-twenty-two-year-old Prince Alexander: and served the great and holy cause - the preservation of Russian statehood, no less than his diplomatic successes in relations with the Golden Horde. Great reformism, a deep, heightened understanding of the importance of progress, and the ability to organize and inspire people distinguished Peter the Great. The brilliant and heroic Alpine campaign, the amazing and simply fantastic capture of the Izmail fortress glorified Russia and the great commander Alexander Suvorov. Our history contains many subjects worthy of an essay.

Conclusion

The essay discussed in this article is currently experiencing a revival. By cultivating patriotism, it helps to look at the bright pages of history with a fresh look, to interest a wide range of people and especially young people in the history of their country. And as you know, without the past there is no future. It is important to remember: who we are and where we come from, to honor and remember our great fellow countrymen. This is a guarantee of continuity and the fact that great and important things started by our predecessors will be continued.

As we can see, the outline of an essay on history is, of course, a necessary element for writing it, but far from sufficient. In addition, for writing such a work, a coherent logic of presentation, powerful indisputable documents in evidence, and fundamental civil moral principles subtly conveyed to the reader are important.

BY HISTORY

Some features of an essay:

Purpose of the essay

Essay structure and plan

- introduction;

- thesis, arguments;

- thesis, arguments;

- thesis, arguments;

- conclusion.

HISTORY ESSAY TOPICS:

How to write an argument text?

According to the purpose of the statement, texts are different: texts-messages, texts-descriptions and texts-reasonings. In the latter type of texts, people do not simply express their thoughts and defend their point of view.

Reasoning necessarily has cause and effect, evidence and explanation. If there is a need to create just such a text, then you should first learn about its structural features, which distinguish it from other types of texts.

When writing an argumentative text, it is very important:

Determine the logic of the text.

You need to be able to think logically and correctly build cause-and-effect relationships.

2. Work on the topic of the text.

The problem described should be interesting: you should not dwell on issues that have already been discussed extensively by others. There is no need to go too deep into philosophy and take on topics such as, for example, “what came first - the egg or the chicken,” since with such “problems” you risk writing a text about nothing. It’s worth sitting down to reason if, on a problem that interests many, you can offer a new vision that has not been previously described by anyone.

3. Competently compose an introduction.

In this part of the text, just a few sentences will be enough to indicate problems, questions and judgments on these topics. Here you can cite, for example, quotes and sayings famous people, but you shouldn’t abuse it. This part should be as informative as possible, but at the same time as capacious as possible.

4. Think over the thesis of the judgments.

The thesis means exactly the idea that you are considering in the text.

History Essay: Writing Basics, Outline and Examples

But you should not dwell on the problem in detail in the thesis, since all the main arguments and explanations will be in the text itself. There may be several theses, it all depends on how complex and deep the topic you have chosen.

5. Select arguments.

All judgments must be supported by serious and convincing arguments. It is worth remembering that a meager evidence base, as well as a pile of arguments, will not decorate the text. But any conclusion given must be based on evidence. Here you can rely both on your own experience and on the experience of famous personalities.

6. Draw the correct conclusion from judgments.

By such reasoning we mean those thoughts that follow from the analysis, evidence and argumentation of the problem being described. But at the same time, you should not retell all the above information - in this part you need to highlight only the most basic, while you need to formulate thoughts in a more detailed form than required by the introduction.

7. Organize the thoughts expressed logically.

Anyone reading the reasoning in the text should be able to easily follow the thoughts and conclusions in order to grasp the pattern that led to certain conclusions.

BY HISTORY

An essay is a creative written work that reveals both the author’s level of knowledge of history from the factual side, and the author’s inclination towards creative, scientific analysis. historical facts, phenomena and processes.

Some features of an essay:

presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems, by definition, cannot be written in the essay genre.

the essay expresses individual impressions and considerations on a specific occasion or issue and obviously does not pretend to be a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

As a rule, an essay involves a new, subjectively colored word about something; such a work can be of a philosophical, historical-biographical, journalistic, literary-critical, popular science or purely fictional nature.

This genre has become popular in last years.

How to write an essay on history?

M. Montaigne ("Experiences", 1580) is considered the creator of the essay genre. Today, an essay is offered as an assignment quite often. It is one of the main components of the package of documents (upon admission to educational institution or employment). An essay competition helps you choose the best from a variety of best!

Purpose of the essay consists of developing skills such as independent creative thinking and writing down one’s own thoughts.

Writing an essay is extremely useful because it allows the author to learn how to clearly and competently formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight cause-and-effect relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and justify their conclusions.

Essay structure and plan

The structure is determined by the requirements:

the idea must be supported by evidence, so the thesis is followed by arguments.

Arguments are facts, phenomena public life, events, life situations and life experiences, scientific evidence, references to the opinions of scientists, etc. It is better to give two arguments in favor of each thesis: one argument seems unconvincing, three arguments can “overload” a presentation made in a genre focused on brevity and imagery .

Thus, the essay acquires a circular structure (the number of theses and arguments depends on the topic, the chosen plan, and the logic of the development of thought):

- introduction;

- thesis, arguments;

- thesis, arguments;

- thesis, arguments;

- conclusion.

When writing a history essay, it is highly recommended to:

Completely and accurately present historical facts related to the chosen topic, and strive to fully disclose it.

Accurately name the dates and places of historical events, the names and social status of historical figures.

Competently use scientific historical concepts and terms.

Identify cause-and-effect relationships between historical events, phenomena and processes, present them strictly in accordance with these cause-and-effect relationships;

Begin the presentation of the chosen topic with a brief introductory part (statement, characteristics of the historical problem being analyzed), present the main content logically and consistently, and end the essay with a brief conclusion (reasonable conclusions).

The volume of the essay is up to 3 pages of printed text (14 font, single spacing).

HISTORY ESSAY TOPICS:

The adoption of Orthodox Christianity in Rus': the right choice or a miscalculation (through the prism of time)?

Moscow – the center of gathering Russian lands: an accident or a pattern?

"Troubles" in Russia: Civil War or the struggle for the Moscow throne between separate factions?

Petrine reforms: modernization of Russia or retreat from the peculiar “Russian” path?

Catherine the Great: an “enlightened” empress or an avid serf owner?

Liberal reforms of the 1860-70s: regularity or revolution “from above”?

Stolypin's reforms: an attempt to modernize the country or preserve the existing system?

October 1917: socialist revolution or coup d'état?

I.V. Stalin: “leader” of the nation or tyrant?

“Perestroika” in the USSR: an objective necessity or the implementation of the plans of a separate group of politicians?

Task No. 25 in the Unified State Examination in history.

Algorithm for writing a historical essay:

characterize the period in Russian history;

indicate at least two events (phenomena, processes) relating to a given period of history;

name two historical figures whose activities are connected with these events (phenomena, processes);

using knowledge of historical facts, characterize the role of these individuals in the events (phenomena, processes) of a given period in Russian history;

indicate at least two cause-and-effect relationships that existed between events (phenomena, processes) within a given period of history.

using knowledge of historical facts and (or) opinions of historians, give one historical assessment of the significance of this period for the history of Russia;

During the presentation, it is necessary to use historical terms and concepts related to this period of Russian history.

In preparation for completing task No. 25, it is necessary to work through the proposed periods:

When checking an essay, the criteria from the demo version are used:

In the case when historical events (phenomena, processes) are not indicated or all specified historical events (phenomena, processes) do not belong to the selected period, the answer is scored 0 points (for each of the criteria K1–K7 0 points are assigned).

Evaluation criteria.

Essay on history: examples, topics, plan

K1 Indication of events (phenomena, processes) 2
Two events (phenomena, processes) are correctly indicated 2
One event (phenomenon, process) is correctly indicated 1
Events (phenomena, processes) are not specified or are specified incorrectly 0

K2 Historical figures and their role in this period of Russian history 2
Two historical figures are correctly indicated, the role of these personalities in the events (phenomena, processes) of a given period of Russian history is correctly indicated 2
One or two historical figures are correctly indicated, the role of only one person in the events (phenomena, processes) of a given period of Russian history is correctly indicated 1
One or two historical figures are correctly indicated, their role in the events (phenomena, processes) of this period of Russian history is indicated incorrectly. OR One or two historical figures are correctly indicated, their role in the events (phenomena, processes) of this period of Russian history is not indicated. OR Historical figures are incorrect. OR Historical figures not specified 0

K3 Cause-and-effect relationships 2
Two cause-and-effect relationships that existed between events (phenomena, processes) are correctly indicated 2
Correctly indicated one cause-and-effect relationship that existed between events (phenomena, processes) 1
The cause-and-effect relationships are incorrect. OR Cause-and-effect relationships are not specified 0

K4 Historical assessment of events 1
A historical assessment of the significance of the period is given based on historical facts and (or) opinions of historians 1
The historical assessment is formulated in a general form or at the level of everyday ideas, without involving historical facts and (or) the opinions of historians. OR Historical estimate not given 0

K5 Use of historical terms and concepts 1
When presenting, historical terms and concepts are used correctly 1
During the presentation, the incorrect use of historical terms and concepts was made. OR
Historical terms, concepts not used 0

K6 Presence of factual errors 2
1 or 2 points according to criterion K6 can be assigned only if at least 4 points are assigned according to criteria K1–K4.
When assessing according to criterion K6, errors taken into account when assigning points according to criteria K1–K5 are not counted.
Absent from the historical work factual errors 2
One factual error was made 1
Two or more factual errors were made 0

K7 Presentation form 1
1 point according to criterion K7 can be given only if according to criteria K1–K4 a total of at least 4 points is given
The answer is presented in the form of a historical essay (consistent, coherent presentation of the material) 1
The answer is presented in the form of separate fragmentary provisions 0

Maximum score - 11

BY HISTORY

An essay is a creative written work that reveals both the author’s level of knowledge of history from the factual side, and the author’s inclination towards a creative, scientific analysis of historical facts, phenomena and processes.

Some features of an essay:

presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems, by definition, cannot be written in the essay genre.

the essay expresses individual impressions and considerations on a specific occasion or issue and obviously does not pretend to be a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

As a rule, an essay involves a new, subjectively colored word about something; such a work can be of a philosophical, historical-biographical, journalistic, literary-critical, popular science or purely fictional nature.

This genre has become popular in recent years. M. Montaigne ("Experiences", 1580) is considered the creator of the essay genre.

5 Tricks for Writing History Essays

Today, an essay is offered as an assignment quite often. It is one of the main components of the package of documents (upon admission to an educational institution or employment). An essay competition helps you choose the best from a variety of best!

Purpose of the essay consists of developing skills such as independent creative thinking and writing down one’s own thoughts.

Writing an essay is extremely useful because it allows the author to learn how to clearly and competently formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight cause-and-effect relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and justify their conclusions.

Essay structure and plan

The structure is determined by the requirements:

the idea must be supported by evidence, so the thesis is followed by arguments.

Arguments are facts, phenomena of social life, events, life situations and life experiences, scientific evidence, references to the opinions of scientists, etc. It is better to give two arguments in favor of each thesis: one argument seems unconvincing, three arguments can “overload” the presentation made in a genre focused on brevity and imagery.

Thus, the essay acquires a circular structure (the number of theses and arguments depends on the topic, the chosen plan, and the logic of the development of thought):

- introduction;

- thesis, arguments;

- thesis, arguments;

- thesis, arguments;

- conclusion.

When writing a history essay, it is highly recommended to:

Completely and accurately present historical facts related to the chosen topic, and strive to fully disclose it.

Accurately name the dates and places of historical events, the names and social status of historical figures.

Competently use scientific historical concepts and terms.

Identify cause-and-effect relationships between historical events, phenomena and processes, present them strictly in accordance with these cause-and-effect relationships;

Begin the presentation of the chosen topic with a brief introductory part (statement, characteristics of the historical problem being analyzed), present the main content logically and consistently, and end the essay with a brief conclusion (reasonable conclusions).

The volume of the essay is up to 3 pages of printed text (14 font, single spacing).

HISTORY ESSAY TOPICS:

The adoption of Orthodox Christianity in Rus': the right choice or a miscalculation (through the prism of time)?

Moscow – the center of gathering Russian lands: an accident or a pattern?

“Troubles” in Russia: civil war or struggle for the Moscow throne between separate factions?

Petrine reforms: modernization of Russia or retreat from the peculiar “Russian” path?

Catherine the Great: an “enlightened” empress or an avid serf owner?

Liberal reforms of the 1860-70s: regularity or revolution “from above”?

Stolypin's reforms: an attempt to modernize the country or preserve the existing system?

October 1917: socialist revolution or coup d'état?

I.V. Stalin: “leader” of the nation or tyrant?

“Perestroika” in the USSR: an objective necessity or the implementation of the plans of a separate group of politicians?

Search Lectures

Clichés recommended for use when writing an essay on history

An essay is a type of sketch in which main role What plays is not the reproduction of a fact, but the depiction of impressions and thoughts of associations. The author's position and attitude should be clearly visible (especially in the main part).

Algorithm for writing an essay on history

I. Introductory part

Describe the general situation in the state at the beginning of the period, indicate what tasks it faced, list the main events and phenomena that occurred during this time (“1. General characteristics of the period”)

II. Main part

1. Indicate the historical process (event, phenomenon) of the period that you intend to consider in more detail (“3. Phenomenon, process”)

2. Reveal the reasons and factors that influenced its development (“5. Reasons for the phenomenon, process”)

3. Describe the participation of a historical figure in this process and, based on historical facts, reveal his role in this process (phenomenon, event) indicating specific actions, steps, and his influence on the changes that took place.

4. Draw a conclusion about the nature and consequences of this historical process for the development of the state, indicate various aspects of the life of society in which changes occurred under the influence of this process, indicate its historical significance (“6. Result, significance”)

5. Based on the completed diagram, repeat actions 1-4 to describe the second historical process (event, phenomenon).

III. Conclusion

Based on the facts, draw a conclusion about the place of the period in the history of the state. Indicate which tasks you mentioned in the introductory part of the essay, you managed or failed to solve, what consequences the events that took place had.

Give the opinions and assessments of historians known to you regarding this period and give your own assessment, confirming your conclusions with historical facts.

IV. Examination

After writing the essay, check the dates and names indicated in it for factual errors. Please note the need for correct use of terms. Check the prepared text using the assessment criteria.

• This period Russian history characterized by…..
• Key events of this period.....
• The activity of (name of historical figure) played a big role
• A bright historical figure of this period.....
• Historians have different assessments...
• This period played a key role in the further development of Russian history...
• ___ (required period) is the period of ___'s reign. This king (prince, ruler) carried out many transformations ___. I will name the most important of them.
• Event (phenomenon, process) No. 1 + result.
• Event (phenomenon, process) No. 2 + result.
• A historical figure associated with this event (phenomenon, process), and her role.
• Let's consider what cause-and-effect relationships exist between these events (phenomena, processes) during the reign of ___. Both events - ___ and ___ - were dictated by common reasons: ___.
• The results of these events (that is, their consequences) were ___, ___, ___.
• ___ rules for a long time - ___ years. His reign cannot be assessed unambiguously.
• On the one side, ___.
• But in other way, ___.
• The figure of ___ itself is also ambiguously assessed by domestic and foreign historians, both past and present. The image of ___ in historiography is quite contradictory.
• The reign of ___ as a whole became a period of ___.

The essay must:

ü indicate at least two significant events (phenomena, processes) relating to a given period of history;

ü name two historical figures whose activities are connected with the specified events (phenomena, processes), and, using knowledge of historical facts, characterize the role of the personalities you named in these events (phenomena, processes);

ü – indicate at least two cause-and-effect relationships that existed between events (phenomena, processes) within a given period of history.

ü Using knowledge of historical facts and (or) opinions of historians, give one assessment of the significance of this period for the history of Russia. During the presentation, it is necessary to correctly use historical terms and concepts related to this period.

ü In the case when historical events (phenomena, processes) are not indicated or all specified historical events (phenomena, processes) do not relate to the selected period, the answer is scored 0 points

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In accordance with the requirements for the essay, let's start with the characteristics of the period (criterion K1).

"1645–1676 - this is the period of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. This tsar carried out many practical reforms in all spheres of the country's public life, which prepared the basis for the future reforms of Peter I. Let's name some of them. The country's legislative system was improved, a new set of laws was adopted - the Council Code (1649). This document established the legal formalization of serfdom. According to it, the search for fugitive peasants became indefinite, the peasants became the property of the owner forever, and fixed-term summers were eliminated. In addition, the Code reflected the process of formation of absolutism. It included a chapter regulating the attitude towards the sovereign and proclaiming the most severe punishments for the slightest offenses against the sovereign and the state. Thus, the adoption of the Council Code significantly strengthened the power of the tsar, strengthened the role of the nobles, and preserved and confirmed the significant role of the church in the state.”

In accordance with the evaluation criteria, this part of the essay provides a description of the first of the required two events (phenomena, processes) and sums up the development of this event (phenomenon, process) (criterion 1).

In accordance with criterion 2, it is necessary to talk about a historical figure associated with the event (phenomenon, process) described earlier, and show the role of this person in this event.

“Alexey Mikhailovich himself took an active part in the preparation of the Council Code. The Tsar observed the work of the cathedral and made his own adjustments to the legislation. A major role in the work of the cathedral and in the drafting of legislation was played by the educator, the tsar’s “uncle”, the head of government, and boyar B.I., who was close to the tsar. Morozov. Despite the fact that after the Salt Riot of 1648 he was removed from official participation in government, he secretly continued to play a huge role at the court of Alexei Mikhailovich, including leading the preparation of the Council Code.”

In the essay it is necessary to mention at least two events (phenomena, processes), so let’s consider one more event.

“This historical period also went down in history under the name “split of the Russian Orthodox Church" The beginning of the schism dates back to 1654, when Patriarch Nikon began reforming the church. Nikon sought to unify church rituals, books, holidays, etc. But not all believers were ready to accept the new rules, and the so-called Old Believers, or schismatics, arose. Its essence was expressed in disagreement with the new church orders and the desire to adhere to the old, pre-reform rituals.

Despite the schism, church reforms led to the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church, strengthening the power and role of the church in the country. However, we must not forget that another consequence of the reforms was the separation of believers, which persisted for many centuries.”

In accordance with criterion 2, it is necessary to write about a historical figure associated with the second event (phenomenon, process) described earlier, and show the role of this person in this event, therefore it is necessary to talk about church figures who participated in the preparation and implementation of reforms.

“The central figures during the period of church schism were Patriarch Nikon and Archpriest Avvakum. Both were prominent spiritual figures in Russia, both were members of Alexei Mikhailovich’s inner circle, both enjoyed enormous authority among believers. However, Avvakum did not accept Nikon’s desire to take Byzantine books and rituals as a model for the unification of books and rituals, but advocated that Rus' also had its own, Slavic Christian roots, which should have been taken as a model in the reform. Habakkuk demonstrated by personal example loyalty to his principles, defended adherence to antiquity, and laid the foundation for a schismatic movement.

Nikon first established himself as an active reformer, a supporter of the new, union of church and state. But in the future his desire to put church authority above the secular led to the fact that Alexei Mikhailovich stopped supporting him and even actively spoke out for Nikon’s resignation from the patriarchal throne, which happened in 1667. After which Nikon was sent into northern exile, where he spent the rest of his days.”

In accordance with the requirements of criterion 3, cause-and-effect relationships between events should be established.

“There are undoubtedly cause-and-effect relationships between these events. Both events - the adoption of the Council Code and church reform - were dictated by common reasons: the aggravation of social contradictions in the country, the interest of the population in creating clear and precise laws, the need to strengthen the authority of secular and ecclesiastical authorities.

The consequence of these events was the strengthening of the central government, the strengthening of the influence of the church in the state, and the strengthening of the authority of Russia as a whole.”

In accordance with criterion 4, a historical assessment of the period should be made based on facts and the opinions of historians.

“Alexey Mikhailovich ruled for a long period - 31 years. During his reign, many reforms were carried out in almost all spheres of public life. But his reign cannot be assessed unambiguously.

On the one hand, a significant step forward has been made in economic development. Elements of capitalist relations began to develop faster in the country, foreign specialists began to be attracted more often, the tax system changed, and a policy of protectionism was pursued. The Council Code became the main legislation of the country for many decades. Significant progress has been made in foreign policy: signed peace treaties with many countries (for example, the Treaty of Kardis in 1661 with Sweden, the Truce of Andrusovo with Poland in 1667), in 1654 the reunification of Russia and Ukraine took place, the territories of Russia in the East were significantly expanded (research Eastern Siberia Russian pioneers and merchants).

But, on the other hand, it was under Alexei Mikhailovich that serfdom was finally formalized (1649), and the tax burden on the country’s population increased significantly. Many social protests took place (for example, the Salt Riot of 1648, the Copper Riot of 1662, the first peasant war led by Stepan Razin of 1670–1671, etc.).

The figure of Alexei Mikhailovich itself is also ambiguously assessed by domestic and foreign historians, both past and present.

The image of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in historiography is quite contradictory. In addition, assessing the personality of Alexei Mikhailovich often becomes an attempt to justify the nickname “the quietest” attributed to him. This characteristic quickly became almost the only indisputable assessment of the ruler’s personal qualities.

In the study by S.M. Solovyov’s “History from Ancient Times”, almost three volumes are devoted to the reign of the Tsar, but the author did not consider the personality of the ruler himself to be fateful for Russian history. If we talk about how Solovyov himself evaluates Alexei Mikhailovich, then the tsar, from his point of view, was distinguished by “kindness” and “gentleness,” like his father, Mikhail Fedorovich.

More detailed description gives the king V.O. Klyuchevsky: “I’m ready to see him as a better person Ancient Rus'“At least, I don’t know of another ancient Russian person who would make a more pleasant impression - but not on the throne.” This “best” person, according to Klyuchevsky, was passive and unstable, little able to “defend or carry out anything,” “easily lost his composure and gave excessive scope to his tongue and hands.”

From the point of view of S.F. Platonova, Alexey Mikhailovich “was a wonderful and noble, but too soft and indecisive person.”

Modern historian Igor Andreev uses this epithet in his research on almost every page and several times. “Undoubtedly, heroic tragedy is not his genre. The Quiet One, he is the Quiet One,” he states on the first pages of the monograph dedicated to the Tsar. This epithet turned out to be capable of displacing even the name of the king and taking his place. There is a well-known historical novel about Tsar V. Bakhrevsky called “The Quietest”, a novel by V.Ya. Svetlova “At the Court of the Quiet Emperor”.

In general, the era of Alexei Mikhailovich is a period of strengthening absolutism, creating the preconditions for the reforms of Peter the Great.”

Sequencing

To conclude our brief overview Features of working on a new task 25 We would like to recommend a short template, using which it is easier to build a certain sequence of actions for yourself.