How should I structure a history essay?

The way a history essay is structured sets apart great answers from good answers. The structure of your essay demonstrates the abilities you possess to critically analyse a question, capably engage with any related primary or secondary sources, and produce a sophisticated answer.

Structuring an essay relies upon the student being consistent in the way they are able to relate their answer and the arguments they have forwarded back to the original question, before finishing with a strong conclusion that has been evident throughout the answer.

A typical history essay should be structured in the following manner:

Introduction: Here you should clearly outline the argument you intend to follow throughout you answer whilst providing some context to the question. A common mistake within an introduction is to delegate too much time to explaining context such as facts, dates, and minor details surrounding the question. For example, questions surrounding the controversy as to whether Germany was solely responsible for the outbreak of World War 1 should engage with the debate surrounding which country should hold the majority of the blame (whilst incorporating the argument you intend to follow) instead of simply reeling off facts about the impact of German unification or the Schlieffen plan. A great introduction should read similarly to the conclusion you intent to make.

Middle: Each individual paragraph should concern the differing viewpoints surrounding the argument you are following. Each should contain any relevant information which supports your overall argument and preferably should incorporate any related historians and their viewpoints on the debate. For example a great answer about German war guilt must include the arguments of historian Fritz Fischer surrounding German blame for the war. Typically, two paragraphs should be set aside to argue in favour of you viewpoint, whilst a third should be used to introduce any counterarguments and criticisms of your argument. For example, an answer on German war guilt could be counter argued by detailing the actions of Austria-Hungary, Russia, Serbia, and France in allowing the First World War to spiral out of control. It is crucial that every paragraph should link back to the original question and demonstrate how this fits in to the wider context of your argument.

Conclusion: Undoubtedly this is the most important section of your answer. This provides you with a final chance to briefly summaries the arguments you have presented throughout your answer. No new information should be introduced in the conclusion of your answer.