Extended Essay Question?

[echan527]

I'm planning on doing my EE in History, specifically focusing in on the Korean War. After reading a few articles on the war and events prior to it, I've decided that I want to focus my search on how Stalin was dragged into the war. As such, I've prepared a question and I just want your guys's feedback on it.

To what extent did Mao's victory over the nationalists in the Chinese Civil War prove to be a catalyst in Stalin's decision to enter the Korean War?

It probably needs more polishing and it may be to broad still...but how does it look so far?

[iblyf]

Hi!

I personally think that it's a pretty good topic. I have studied both the Cold War and Mao's China, so I think that this will definitely supplement your in-class learning and give you a much greater understanding of this time period than most other students. It's definitely smart to do your EE on something that could come up on the exam.

I don't think that it's too broad at all, however, at this stage I would not be worrying at all about your research question. Right now, when you're just starting out, the most important thing to do is to choose your focus area- which you have done, so you're already taken one of the biggest steps to getting your EE written. I have just answered a very similar question on someone else's EE- check out my response, as I would give you very similar feedback: http://www.ibsurvival.com/topic/26044-history-ee-research-question-help-reforms-in-1890s-china/ (other than the fact that her essay was on China).

To reiterate the comments I left in the other response, research is the most important thing that you can be doing right now! Your research question must be fluid, and will eventually come to reflect what you have written. It's really important to not try to fit your research to the question, but rather, to fit the question to your research.

Good luck with it and let me know if you would like me to clarify/expand on anything that I have said