Links to argumentative essays

Dear all,

I've posted up some links to tips on writing argumentative essays. Do take a look and also keep in mind what I've told you in class about arguing for your stances.

Do your research, cite your sources, back up your arguments with your evidence.

Your arguments must be your own.

Group posting: Why the Great Depression led to WWII

The Great Depression was the worldwide economic downturn from 1929 to 1939, starting in USA and spreading to Europe. The economic disaster led to people turning to extreme leaders, eventually resulting in Hitler taking power in Germany. Thus, we can argue that the Great Depression was the key factor behind WWII.

It started in USA, where the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, resulted in a domino effect throughout the world. Because of Black Tuesday, several investors were ruined due to their investments losing value drastically. Banks could not collect their debts and by 1933, 11 thousand of the 25 thousand banks in USA had collapsed. As the economy in USA worsened, consumers were spending less, to save up for the bad times. Production in industries were cut because of the reduced buying of goods. Consequently, people lost their jobs as companies reduced their production. By 1932, US manufacturing output fell to only 54% of the 1929 level, and unemployment rose to 25-30% of the workforce.

In Europe, Germany was hit the most badly. Because USA was facing great economic difficulties, they cut their loans to Germany. Germany, under the Weimar Republic, thus could not rebuild after WWI. With increasing unemployment and economic problems, the people turned to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis for extreme leadership as a solution.

In France, the situation was much better, with only some rioting, because the Treaty of Versailles had provided France with the means to support themselves.

In Britain, unemployment doubled, and trade fell by 50%. However, the Conservative Party managed to replace the Labour-led government, instead of an extremist party.
The Great Depression, thus, led to the Second World War, because the economy in Europe, and especially Germany, was crippled. The result was people turning to extreme parties for leadership, and the rise of Hitler, and with him, the beginning of WWII.

Resources:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/660629/causes_and_effects_of_the_great_depression_pg3.html?cat=3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression_in_the_United_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_great_depression

Useful links

Hi all, I've posted a list of useful links on the right side of the blog. Remember to cite them if you are using information from the sites. Thanks!

Group project assignment

Hi all, as stated in class, each group has to come up with research findings to defend their assigned stance on the causes of World War II.

Here're some guidelines to help you along in your work:

-Each group must try to argue for the group's assigned cause of WWII as the most important of all.

-Arguments must be backed up by facts and evidence.

-Sources of evidence and facts must be cited. i.e. You must show where you got your evidence from, be it a website or a book.

-Everyone in the group must contribute. Each group member must post one substantial finding on the group blog.

-Group leaders must make sure that the group blogs have at least one final argument posting at the end of the assignment. The group leaders, who will be allowed to post here, will post the group posting on this class blog after I vet it.

-Remember to use tags in your posting to indicate if it is an individual post or group post.

-Additional marks will be given if you can argue against other groups and prove that their causes of WWII is less significant than yours.

Good luck for your assignment, and do contact me if you have any questions.