Example history dissertation topic 10:

The Battle of Vienna: A turning point in the Ottoman-Habsburg wars?

Won by the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, academic opinion is nevertheless divided as to whether the battle was a turning point in the 300 year war between the two empires of whether it was just further proof of the on-going decay of the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, the battle marked a highpoint for the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth for its forces were pivotal within the struggle. This dissertation seeks not only to further assess the on-going academic divide on the importance of the battle but also to place the contribution of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth into its own broader historical context.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Palmer, A. (1992) The decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire. New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing.
• Wheatcroft, W. (2010) ‘The enemy at the gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans, and the battle for Europe’, The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 82(4), pp. 909-911.