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Start this IA in the History frame →CAUSES & CONFLICT — 20TH-CENTURY WARS & REVOLUTIONS
Causation and significance questions on well-documented conflicts give you rich primary sources and a lively secondary debate to weigh.
1 · To what extent was the failure of the 1905 Russian Revolution due to divisions within the opposition?
A sharp causation debate with a clear counter-factor (state repression vs opposition disunity), so the argument can genuinely weigh perspectives — and partisan 1905 pamphlets are OPVL gold precisely because of their purpose.
2 · How significant was propaganda in maintaining British support for the First World War, 1914–1916?
A tightly dated, single-nation focus with abundant digitised primary material, and a real historiographical split over how far opinion was "manufactured" versus genuinely held.
3 · To what extent did long-term economic grievances cause the February 1917 Revolution in Russia?
Pits long-term causes against the short-term shock of war — a defensible "to what extent" with strong evidence on both sides and a rich secondary debate.
4 · How significant was the Treaty of Versailles in causing the Second World War?
A classic, source-rich debate where the historiography is openly divided — ideal for an argument that weighs Versailles against other causes rather than asserting one.
THE COLD WAR & SUPERPOWER RELATIONS
Cold War flashpoints are documented from both sides, so you can set rival national perspectives against each other in a focused, datable question.
5 · To what extent did the Cuban Missile Crisis result from Soviet rather than American actions?
A near-perfect IA question: a 13-day window, declassified records from both superpowers, and a genuine two-sided argument about responsibility.
6 · How significant was the Berlin Airlift in shaping the early Cold War, 1948–1949?
Tightly dated and well-evidenced, with room to weigh symbolic significance against military and diplomatic outcomes — clear scope for analysis, not narrative.
7 · To what extent was the Korean War a civil conflict rather than a Cold War proxy war?
Forces a real interpretive choice with strong evidence on each side, and the historiography (Cumings vs orthodox) gives you perspectives to weigh.
8 · How significant was Reagan's policy in ending the Cold War, 1981–1989?
A "great man vs structural forces" debate with abundant sources, letting you argue Reagan's role against economic and Soviet-internal explanations.
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The History IA frame walks you through every criterion — and the paid unlock guides your OPVL source evaluation, the analytical investigation and the reflection into one export-ready document.
Open the History IA frame →RIGHTS, PROTEST & SOCIAL CHANGE
Movements for rights generate testimony, press coverage and organisational records — perfect for evaluating partial sources for value and limitation.
9 · To what extent did the Montgomery Bus Boycott depend on grassroots organisation rather than national leadership?
A focused 1955–56 case with rich local records, and a sharp "bottom-up vs top-down" argument that the historiography (Branch, Morris) actively debates.
10 · How significant was the suffragette militancy in winning votes for women in Britain by 1918?
Lets you weigh militancy against war work and broader reform — a real debate, with vivid, purpose-driven primary sources for OPVL.
11 · To what extent was Gandhi's leadership responsible for the success of the 1930 Salt March?
A datable, single-campaign focus that sets individual leadership against mass mobilisation and colonial response — analytical, not narrative.
12 · How significant was television coverage in shaping support for the US civil rights movement, 1963–1965?
A tightly bounded media-history angle with strikingly evaluable visual sources, and a genuine question about media versus organising.
LEADERS, REGIMES & POWER
How regimes seized and held power is documented in their own propaganda and their opponents' accounts — ideal contrasting origins for source evaluation.
13 · How significant was economic policy in consolidating Nazi power in Germany, 1933–1936?
Sets economic recovery against terror and propaganda as routes to consolidation — a weighable argument, with regime sources whose purpose drives the OPVL.
14 · To what extent did terror rather than ideology sustain Stalin's regime in the 1930s?
A live revisionist debate (terror vs genuine belief and support), with starkly partial sources that reward careful evaluation of value and limitation.
15 · To what extent was Mao's Great Leap Forward responsible for the famine of 1959–1961?
A causation question weighing policy against weather and local factors, with a sharp historiographical debate and increasingly accessible archival evidence.
16 · How significant was propaganda in maintaining Mussolini's Fascist regime, 1925–1936?
Lets you weigh propaganda against coercion and economic policy in sustaining the regime — with purpose-rich state sources tailor-made for OPVL.
A LOCAL / NATIONAL / REGIONAL HISTORY ANGLE
A narrow local or national question often beats a world-history giant: archives are close at hand, sources are evaluable, and the analysis stays deep.
17 · How significant was the closure of a named local factory or mill on its town during deindustrialisation?
A genuinely original local study with archives on your doorstep, a defined community and date-range, and a clear significance argument — exactly the focus examiners reward.
18 · To what extent did a named local strike change conditions for workers in its industry?
A focused, evaluable case with partisan union and employer sources whose opposing purposes make for excellent OPVL, plus a measurable "to what extent".
19 · How significant was a named local figure in a national reform or campaign?
Connects a manageable local subject to a larger story, letting you weigh one person's role against wider forces — original, deep and well-sourced.
20 · To what extent did a named town's experience of the Second World War match the national "Blitz spirit" narrative?
Tests a national myth against local evidence — an arguable, perspective-weighing question with vivid, evaluable home-front sources.
21 · How significant was immigration to a named city or region in shaping it, within a defined decade?
A focused social-history question with accessible local archives and a real argument about impact — original and rich without becoming a survey.
22 · To what extent did a named national leader's reforms improve living standards within a defined period?
A bounded national-history question that weighs intention against outcome, with official sources whose purpose sharpens the source evaluation.
23 · How significant was a named local event in shaping public opinion in its region?
A self-contained case study with closely datable, evaluable sources and a clear significance argument — depth over breadth, just as examiners want.
24 · To what extent was a named regional uprising or protest a response to national rather than local grievances?
Sets local and national causes against each other in a focused, defensible question, with partial primary sources that demand careful OPVL treatment.
From a question to a top-band IA
A question is the easy part — the marks are in how you build it. The Historical Investigation is scored out of 25 across three criteria: A — Identification and evaluation of sources (/6), B — Investigation (/15) and C — Reflection (/4). Whichever question you pick, the same moves win: a sharply focused, historically-significant question; two sources evaluated for origin, purpose, value and limitations (OPVL) rather than dismissed as "biased"; an analytical, evidence-based investigation that weighs different perspectives instead of narrating; and a reflection that connects a real challenge from your work to the nature of the discipline.
Build your chosen question into a full IA
The examiner-written Historical Investigation frame takes you through every section with the rubric, worked examples and the traps that cost marks. The planning sections are free — unlock the OPVL source evaluation, the investigation and the reflection to finish the whole investigation and export it to Word or PDF.
Open the History IA frame →History IA ideas — FAQ
What makes a good IB History IA question?
A sharply focused question on a defined time and place, that is historically significant and genuinely arguable so you can build an evidence-based argument weighing different perspectives. Phrase it analytically — "To what extent…" or "How significant…" — not as a description of events, and make sure there are enough accessible primary and secondary sources for source evaluation (OPVL).
How do I find sources for the OPVL section?
Pick two sources of different origin and purpose — usually one primary (a speech, leaflet, memoir, newspaper or photograph) and one secondary (an academic monograph or journal article). Search school and university library databases, JSTOR, national archives and digitised newspaper collections. If you can't easily find two evaluable sources, the topic is too obscure — narrow or reframe it.
Should my question be focused or broad?
Focused, always. A narrow question on a specific event, decision, place and short time-span lets you argue in depth, evaluate sources precisely and reach a justified conclusion within 2,200 words. A broad question forces narration over analysis. A local, national or regional angle on a familiar theme often outscores an over-broad world-history topic.
How do I turn the question into a top-band IA?
Build it section by section in the free History IA writing frame — a focused question, two sources evaluated for origin, purpose, value and limitations, an analytical investigation that weighs perspectives, and a reflection that connects a real challenge to the discipline of history.
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