GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PAPER
American history since 1877
Wayland Baptist University
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5 pages minimum. No more than 7 pages (excluding title and resource pages).
Must include title page and resource page. An abstract is not required.
1” margin at top and bottom of each page.
1.25” left and right margins.
Write in APA format.
Double spaced pages.
Adhere to WBU rules concerning plagiarism• Plagiarism may lead to a failing grade on your paper
Be sure not to stray from main thesis topic.
Font must be “Times New Roman” or “Century”, size 12.
5 sources minimum• Use acceptable academic sources such asPrimary sources- Professional journals, white papers, documents, etc.
Secondary sources- Scholarly books, electronic sources, etc.
• Caution on use of WikipediaDo not cite Wikipedia directly. Instead, verify material through listed
citations (if viable) and research them for validity.
• Examples of unacceptable sourcesE-sources without citations or author.
Snopes.com
Blogs
Media publications (Time, Life, ADN, Huffington Post, etc.)
• Use at least one electronic source (Verify legitimacy of source)
Be specific in choosing a thesis topic. A topic that is too broad can be overwhelming.
Include your “thesis” somewhere within the first two paragraphs of your first page.
Write in a narrative style. No sub-headings.
Choose a topic that interests you. This will enhance enthusiasm.
Your paper (thesis) can be on any post 1876 American History related topic such as:
1. Construction of the Panama Canal
2. The Apache Wars
3. Andrew Carnegie
4. A specific battle during WW1
5. Terrorism in the 20th Century
6. The Cold War
7. The Vietnam War
8. The President McKinley assassination
9. Historical advancements in medicine
10. The Industrial Age in America
11. Women of the West
12. History of American crime
13. Henry Ford
14.The FDR Administration
15. Historical figures of WW2
16. The history of aviation
17. The Roaring Twenties
18. History of space exploration
19. Any historical figure of significance
20. History of the space program
Running head: THE OTTOMAN RISE FROM ISLAMIC EMPIRE
1
NOTE: The running head is a shortened version of the paper’s full title, The running
head cannot exceed 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation. The running head’s
title should be in capital letters. The running head should be flush left, and page numbers
should be flush right.
The term "running head" will not be used on subsequent pages.
The Ottoman Rise from Islamic Empire to Nation-State
Ron DeWitt
University of Alaska Fairbanks
NOTE: The title should be centered on the page, typed in 12-point Times New
Roman Font. It should not be bolded, underlined, or italicized.
THE OTTOMAN RISE FROM ISLAMIC EMPIRE
2
NOTE: Subsequent pages do not include the term "running head".
The abstract is optional for this
course.
Abstract
The contemporary chaotic condition of most Middle Eastern countries does little to enhance
hope for the betterment of those nations. The bloody violence of the Arab spring in 2011
demonstrated the social instability and the overall malevolent mindset of the Semitic populace. It is
difficult to imagine that such nations as Egypt, Libya, Iraq, and Tunisia were once part of the great
Ottoman empire, an ancient culture that remained intact for more than seven-hundred years. At the
conclusion of the First World War all that remained of the last great empire was the secular state of
Turkey.
Beginning at the height of its' power, the Ottomans witnessed a slow but steady
transformation from an empire to a secular nation state that rejected the autocratic rule of Islam
being incorporated into its' modern government and social infrastructure. Why was Turkey the only
Arabic nation that resorted to establishing a secular state? What were the reasons behind the
governmental transformation of the Ottoman empire from the fifteenth century to the post-World
War I era? This paper will explain the answers to these provocative questions by examining the
motivations behind the growth of the Ottoman military complex (a major contributor to Ottoman
growth) and the political transformation of the empire's infrastructure. A key concept in this study is
the Tanzimat (or modernization) , the driving forces behind it, and its' effect upon the empire and
its' people. Furthermore, the reasons for the rejection of Islam being incorporated into the modern
Ottoman government and social lifestyle will be discussed.
NOTE: The abstract is a brief summary of the paper, allowing readers to
quickly review the main points and purpose of the paper.
THE OTTOMAN RISE FROM ISLAMIC EMPIRE
2
[Title]
The Ottoman Rise from Islamic Empire to Nation-State
Anatolia--the geographical land mass jutting out into the Black sea bridging Europe and
Asia together is legendary for its' ancient historical empires that left their mark on the growth of
world civilization. Renowned empires from the malevolent Hittites through the Christian
Byzantines have all called this embattled territory home. However, no other conquering society has
been more impressionable in terms of its' paradoxical governance than Turkey--the governing
epicenter of the once mighty Ottoman empire. These ancient Seljuk people usurped this segment of
land from legendary Byzantine empire, the last vestige of the great Roman empire, and would
experience extreme political transformations from a religious dominated governance of loosely
controlled city-states to a secular nationalist state government well into the twenty-first
century.(Karsh, 2007) To this very day Turkey is the only Muslim dominated country that functions
as a secular nation. In light of what has transpired in neighboring Muslim nations throughout the
Middle-East, how is this possible? How did an empire of city-states change into a permanent
secular nation-state that still embraces the Islamic faith? This paper will explain how this was made
possible from the Ottomans' zenith of power during the besieging of Constantinople through the
1922 treaty of Lausanne.
[Thesis]
The history of Turkey can be traced back to the discovery of the Islamic religion in Mecca
in 610 A.D. by a seemingly inconsequential, illiterate merchant named Muhammad. His historical
revelation of the angel Gabriel bestowing authority upon him to establish the newly founded
Islamic faith would forever alter the eastern world hemisphere for centuries to come . . . . .
THE OTTOMAN RISE FROM ISLAMIC EMPIRE
32
. . . . the Ottomans were doomed to failure since the late eighteenth century with rising debt and
attempting to find ways to maintain its' holdings. (Cleveland, 2004) Attempts to modernize its'
military was a step in the right direction but it came much too late to turn the tide of ruination. This
problem was also coupled with incompetent leadership throughout the nineteenth century and
corruption within the Ottoman government. When government leaders cast aside national loyalty in
exchange for selfish gain a nation becomes doomed. Moreover, the enmity between supporters on
Tanzimat and Islamic traditionalists tore the empire apart from within. These combined problems
opened the door for opportunistic European powers to infiltrate and forever change the face of the
Middle-East. In spite of these setbacks, Turkey survived and established itself as the only
productive and progressive Muslim dominated nation in the eastern hemisphere. Ironically, what
contributed to this was its' substantial loss of territory thus reducing its' financial burden, coupled
with the pragmatism of dispensing with the iron rule of Sharia law.
How much longer secular Turkey will prevail is subject to much speculation. Current events
demonstrate that a shift in ideology is in progress towards reverting back to pre-Kemal governance.
Many of the once dominate pictorials and photos of Ataturk have vanished from public view. Only
a few statutes of him remain and for how long is anyone's guess. His title as "father of Turkey" is
being drowned out by aggressive proponents of Sharia law as practiced in the early days of the
Ottoman empire. (Gifford, 2014) A shift in Turkey's political philosophy would undoubtedly have a
domino effect upon relations with Russia, Germany, the Middle East, and U.S. foreign policy.
NOTE: Examples of citations are highlighted in yellow. The final page is the conclusion where
you will sum up your findings.
Bibliography
Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined Communities. London: Verso.
Cleveland, W. (2004). A History of the Modern Middle East. Boulder, Colorado: Perseus.
Craig, A. M., Graham, W. A., Kagan, D., Ozment, S., & Turner, F. M. (2011). The Heritage of
World Civilizations. Upper Saddle River, new Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Findley, C. (2010). Turkey, Islam, Nationalism, and Modernity. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale
University Press.
Gardner, N. (Director). (2008). Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire [Documentary Film].
Gifford, M. (2014, June 20). (R. DeWitt, Interviewer)
Horton, G. (1919, October 13). Political Report from Smyrna. Retrieved from Fold 3 History and
Geneology Archives: http://www.footnotelibrary.com/image/63430335/
Horton, G. (1919, July 8). Telegram (to Secretary of State). Retrieved from Fold3 History and
Geneology Archives: http://www.footnotelibrary.com/image/56522418/
Karsh, E. (2007). Islamic Imperialism. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press.
Kinzer, S. (2008). Crescent and Star. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux.
Millar, S. (2008). Vienna 1683: Christian Europe Repels the Ottomans. Oxford, United
Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Ltd.
News Sentinel Staff. (1922, September 15). The News Sentinel. Retrieved from Fold3 History
and Geneology: http://www.footnotelibrary.com/image/252299523/
Turnbull, S. (2003). The Ottoman Empire: 1326-1699. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey.
NOTE: First highlighted example shows how to list multiple authors.
NOTE: Electronic sources indicate the URL.
FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FROM OWL-PURDUE REFER TO THE
FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/18/
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