143 WW2 Essay Topics & Examples

World War II, the most widespread war in history, lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries. In a state of “total war”, the participants threw all of their industrial, economic, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the strategic bombing of population centers, it resulted in 50 to 70 million deaths. WW2 had a profound impact on the course of history, shaping the world in ways that are still felt today.

If you’re looking for interesting WW2 topics for your argumentative essay, research paper, discussion, or debate, you’re in the right place. We’ve prepared an extensive collection of World War II research topics that can be used for any project. There also are World War II essay examples written by straight-A students.

📝 WW2 Essay Examples

1. Wars in the USA after the World War II
   The end of the World War II saw the beginning of other wars in the USA such as the war against racial inequality, male dominance, and the Cold War.
2. The First and the Second World War Comparison
   The similarities in the First World War and the Second World War justify why the events are considered two parts of the same war.
3. World War II People in "Hitler's Army
   Bartov’s "Hitler's Army: Soldiers, Nazis, and War in the Third Reich" contains some valid ideas, but overall it sounds significantly affected by author’s political biasness.
4. The Treaty of Versailles in World War II History
   The treaty of Versailles contributed largely to the outbreak of the Second World War. The convention had imposed much restriction on Germany in extraordinary ways.
5. The United States in the Second World War
   The involvement of the United States into the Second World War was evident, despite the strategy of isolationism; however, the American government was waiting for the reason to start the war.
6. Minority Civil Rights in the US After WWII
   After World War II, the minority groups could access employment opportunities and vote. These developments were realized through advocacy for their civil rights.
7. Japanese American Life During and After the World War II
   The Second World War affected every country and nation in the world. Millions of victims of the war suffered from injustice and the aggressive actions of different parties.
8. The Second World War Impact on the USSR
   This paper proves that after the Second World War, the Soviet Union gained economic and political control at the new territories to spread communist ideology there.
9. Discrimination in America Essay
   This essay on discrimination in America compares Irish vs. Vietnamese immigrants in pre-World War II era and African vs. Native Americans in post-World War II era.
10. Women in Combat in the United States' History
    The history of women in combat roles in the United States military takes us back to the periods of the revolutionary war, civil war, WWI, and WWII.
11. American Women in History of World War II
    There is a gap in data concerning the inclusion of American women in military operations during World War II. Approximately 350,000 women joined the Armed Services in 1941-45.
12. American Women in War and Society
    The history of American women in the military is shorter than that of men. Prejudice and physical differences contributed to women’s limited presence in the armed forces.
13. Women in History of World War II: Retrospective
    The role of women in modern history, particularly since the era of industrialization is extensive but remains understudied in academia and underestimated by the broader society.
14. World War II: Picking the Pieces of a Global War
    World War II exposed how the atrocities of war can alter the course of civilization and redefined the political, technological, and social development of the world after.
15. Germany in the World War II
    The World War II was neither political nor economic war. It was the war against people who did not meet the standards imposed by Hitler.
16. Impact of the World Wars on Canadian-American Relations
    Discussing the Canadian – American relations within the time frames of the First and Second World Wars, the issue of the impact of those wars on both countries should be analyzed.
17. Happening and Impact of World War I and II to Britain
    the First World War made Britain more powerful with so many colonies and empires. At this time it was considered to be great imperial power.
18. World War II and Situation in Countries-Participants After the War
    The end of World War II had heralded along and protracted competition for military and economic supremacy between the United States and the Soviets Union.
19. Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Purpose and Effect
    The first purpose of bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the US President Harry S. Truman's desire to win the war as soon as possible.
20. Roles Played by U.S Foreign Policy in the Outbreak of the World War II
    This paper shall discuss how the Foreign policy of the United States contributed to the outbreak of World War II.
21. Austria and France: Impacts and Causes of World War I and World War II
    This discussion has clearly indicated that the first and second World Wars had an adverse impact on the social, political, and economic well-being of Austria-Hungary and France.
22. Domestic Processes in the US During World War II
    During World War II in the United States there are various significant events that were a test for the nation and people of color, Japanese Americans.
23. The Impact of U.S. Foreign Policy Between WWI and 1950s
    The shifts from isolationism to interventionism had both positive and negative consequences for American society that will be described further in detail.

🏆 Best WW2 Research Paper Topics

1. United States’ and the USSR’s Political and Economic Concerns at the End of World War II
2. World War II: Pacific Theater Overview and Pearl Harbor
3. Industrialization and Social Change During World War II
4. Japan and China Relations During the End of World War II
5. Concentration and Deaths Camps in World War II
6. The Historical and Religious Significance of the Bombing of Civilians in World War II
7. Civil Rights Movements During the World War II
8. Rise of Fascism and the Nazi Party: World War II
9. Soviet Union Totalitarianism and Its Impact on the World War II
10. The Air Defense Technologies and Aircraft Manufacturing Industry During World War II
11. National Identity and Immigration During World War II
12. Adolf Hitler and His Anti-semitism Campaign During World War II
13. Sir Winston Churchill and His Pivotal Role in World War II
14. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party Caused the World War II
15. Nuclear Weapons and Its Effects on the World War II
16. Nazi Germany and Mussolini ‘S Italy During World War II
17. Justifications for the Use of Atomic Bombs on Japan in World War II
18. Building Hitler’s Europe: Forced Labor in the Danish Construction Business During World War II
19. The Civil Rights Movement and World War II
20. Australia and Japan’s Relationship Since World War II

⚔️ WW2 Topics for Presentation

1. The Factors Caused Poverty After World War II and the Policies to Address Poverty
2. Auschwitz Concentration Camp During World War II
3. American-Soviet Relationship After World War II
4. Changing World Politics During World War II
5. America and Post World War II Era: New Left Versus Right
6. African American Ideologies During World War II
7. Major Innovations and Occurred During World War II
8. American Women and the World War II Factory Experience
9. Human Nature and Behavior: Jews and World War II
10. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin – The Big Three Who Were the Most Powerful Leaders After World War II
11. Discrimination and Its Effects on the Military During World War II
12. Cultural and Political Revitalization of Post-world War II Europe
13. Adolf Hitler and His Influence on the World War II
14. Childhood Circumstances and Adult Outcomes: Evidence From World War II
15. Nazi Experimentation During World War II
16. Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings as the Events That Ended World War II
17. Technological Innovations During the World War II
18. Atomic Bomb and Its Effects on Post-world War II
19. Economic Policies During the World War II and Economic Reconstruction After
20. Arab Military Performance During the World War II

❓ World War II Research Topics & Questions

1. How Was Adolf Hitler Responsible for World War II?
2. Did New Deal and World War II Public Capital Investments Facilitate a Big Push in the American South?
3. How Did Australia’s Relationship With the USA Develop in World War II?
4. Why Were the Major Cities of Britain Bombed by the Germans in World War II?
5. How and Why the United States Emerged as the Dominant Global Superpower After World War II?
6. How Has World War II Affected the Growth of Information?
7. How Did the Involvement of the United States Affect the Outcome of World War II?
8. How Did the Corfu Incident Affect the Outbreak of World War II?
9. Did the Atomic Bomb End World War II?
10. How and Why Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland, and Czechoslovakia Became Involved in World War II?
11. Why Was the Versailles Treaty Ineffective at Preventing World War II?
12. Why Did the British Government Evacuate Children From Major Cities at the Start of World War II
13. Did the Soviets Cause the Defeat of Germany in World War II?
14. How Occupied France Financed Its Own Exploitation in World War II?
15. How Was America Able to Recover and Rise to Economic Prosperity After the World War II?
16. How Lean Manufacturing Evolved After World War II?
17. Did Technology and Strategy Affect the Outcome of World War II?

💣 World War 2 Topics for Debate

1. How Have Family Structures Changed Since World War II?
2. How Have the Rights and Freedoms of Women Changed in the Post World War II Era?
3. How Did World War II Transform American Society and Government?
4. Did the Bretton Woods Conference Help the World Economy After World War II?
5. Did Nordic Countries Recognize the Gathering Storm of World War II?
6. How the Nuclear Arms’ Race Has Changed the Nature of Warfare Between World War II and Present?
7. How Did World War II Change the Attitudes of Women and Minorities Toward Their Status in American Society?
8. How the Political and Economic Concerns of the U.S. And the U.S.s.r. Impacted New Governments and Reconstruction in Germany and Japan Post-world War II?
9. How Britain Influenced and Shaped Nazi Germany Defeat During World War II?
10. Why Did Germany Lose World War II Despite Its Victories Early in the War Term?
11. How Did Hitler’s Foreign Policy Lead to the Outbreak of World War II?
12. How Europe’s Economy Was in Shambles After the End of World War II and How It Recovered?
13. What Role Did the Concentration Camps Play in the Holocaust During World War II?

🪖 WW2 Essay Topics

1. The rise of authoritarian regimes in Europe as a cause of World War II.
2. The major events and battles of World War II.
3. The role of political leaders in World War II: Adolf Hitler, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin.
4. The Holocaust and extermination of minority groups by the Nazi regime.
5. The use of propaganda by the Axis.
6. The role of women in World War II.
7. The impact of the war on civilians.
8. The role of technology in World War II: new weapons and strategies.
9. The liberation of concentration camps and the liberation of occupied territories by Allied forces.
10. The aftermath of World War II.

🎖️ Interesting WW2 Topics to Write about

1. US involvement in World War II
2. Soviet Union’s role in World War II
3. Japan’s role in World War II
4. Decolonization after World War II
5. Resistance movements in World War II
6. Civilians in resistance movements
7. Prisoners of war in World War II
8. Economic factors in World War II
9. Intelligence gathering and espionage in World War II
10. Impact of World War II on cultural movements

📢 World War 2 Discussion Questions

1. What Were the Main Causes of World War 2?
2. How Did World War 2 Start, and Where Did It Begin?
3. Who Were the Major Axis Powers During World War 2?
4. Did More Germans or Jews Die in World War II?
5. How Did World War 2 Impact the Global Economy?
6. Why Was Japan So Cruel During WW2?
7. Who Were the Major Allied Powers During World War 2?
8. Could World War 2 Have Been Won Without the United States?
9. What Was the Significance of the Treaty of Versailles in Relation to World War 2?
10. How Did Adolf Hitler Rise to Power, and What Role Did He Play in World War II?
11. What Was the Battle of Stalingrad, and Why Was It a Turning Point in World War 2?
12. Is Germany Still Being Punished in the Present Day Due to World War 2?
13. Was It Ever Possible for Germany to Win World War 2?
14. How Did WW2 Impact the Home Front in the United States?
15. What Was the Role of Winston Churchill in World War 2?
16. How Was Japan’s Economy Affected After World War 2?
17. Who Were the Worst Generals in World War 2?
18. Could Britain Have Survived World War 2 Without the USA?
19. What Was the Significance of the Battle of Midway in WW2?
20. Which Was the Cruelest Army in World War II?
21. Did the USA Cheat in World War 2?
22. Why Is World War 2 Called “World” War 2 if It Didn’t Affect the Whole World?
23. Who Were the Big Three Leaders of the Allied Powers During World War 2?
24. How Did World War 2 Affect Japan, Both During and After the War?
25. Why Did the German Army Fight to the Bitter End in World War 2?
26. What Were the Major Consequences of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings in World War 2?
27. Why Did the US Enter World War II?
28. How Did World War 2 Impact the Art and Culture of the Era?
29. What Was the Role of Espionage and Spies During World War II?
30. How Did Stalin’s Purge Affect the Red Army’s Efficiency in WW2?