The 2011 History Day theme is Debate and Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, and Consequences.

Your History Day project must focus on an issue in history that was a subject of debate and diplomacy.  How did your issue spark debate and require diplomacy?

Your History Day project must demonstrate clearly the consequences of the decisions made.  How well did the debate and diplomacy work? Was the resolution of the debate and diplomacy an unqualified success? A complete failure? A mix of good and bad consequences?

Scrutinize an issue that created a PROBLEM. Explore the historic context to discover why the issue created a problem requiring debate and diplomacy. What impacts did the problem create? What other solutions had been tried in the past? Why were they inadequate? What made people want to find a new solution?

Examine the PROCESS. Analyze the debates. Who was involved? What did they propose? How did individuals have to compromise? Why did they agree to give up some positions yet insist on holding to others? When and where did at least some of the people involved come to an agreement? What was their final decision?

Evaluate the SOLUTION. Consider both short-term and long-term impacts. What were the advantages of the solution? What were the disadvantages? Delve into multiple aspects of the solution's effects on history. What were the consequences in terms of culture, society, economics, politics?