As I tried to show with my “Introductions” piece, conclusions can be a desert when it comes to marks: ‘So to conclude …’ and then you simply summarise what you have already written. Well, you ain’t gonna get marks for writing the same thing twice.
However, conclusions should not be a surprise either – you’re not writing a “who done it”! They should support, and be supported by, the body of your essay.
That said, you may usefully introduce a new point that links with one of the points in the body of your essay but is left to the conclusion to underline your overall judgment.
Example: Evaluate the social, economic and religious policies of one leader of an authoritarian state.
Here’s my essay plan using Hitler’s Nazi Germany
Introduction: identifying Hitler’s aims
Paragraph 1: Recovery (economic)
Paragraph 2: preparations for war (economic)
Paragraph 3: The family (social)
Paragraph 4: The Jewish Question (social)
Paragraph 5: the concordat with the Pope (religious)
Conclusion: Linkage to consolidating power, volksgemeinschaft and a more powerful Germany
See how I have introduced a key concept – volksgemeinschaft – in order to tie the essay together.
Similarly, go back to what you think was the key point in your essay and link it to the other points – synthesis.
Example: In what ways did the developments in weapons and tactics change the nature of warfare during the twentieth century?
Having analysed the ways in which weapons and tactics had changed, I can bring it all together by emphasising the increasing reliance of air power and the cost this has on civilian lives and the danger of reliance on nuclear weapons.
Another way you can conclude and really show you are aware of the implications of the question, having answered the question,why not challenge its assumption by offering an alternative perspective. This demonstrates that you can think independently about history.
Example: Analyse the conditions that led to authoritarian states during the twentieth century.
Having analysed the conditions in the body of your essay, you could challenge the assumption that the key factor was the conditions by raising the importance of leaders who inspired and seized the opportunity presented by those conditions.
Similarly, offer a challenging, radically different viewpoint (though beware, you must be able to support it).
Example: Assess the part played by differing ideologies in the origin of the Cold War.
Having assessed the role of ideology and contrasted its significance with other factors, you could conclude with the contention that what was also a significant factor, was the fear and so, determination to avoid, a third world war. It was, after all, a cold war.
Assess/Evaluate/How far/To what extent essays really should have a final judgment in your conclusion. So all the following questions must have a judgment.
Examples: Assess the strength and weaknesses of Weimar Germany between 1919 and 1932.
Or
Evaluate the domestic policies of Mussolini between 1922 and 1939.
Or
To what extent was the involvement of foreign powers decisive in securing a Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)?
Each of these questions has to have a conclusion that literally answers the question:
Weimar had weak foundations but was weakened further by the Great Depression.
Or.
Mussolini’s domestic policies were a mixture of abject failure and some success.
Note that conlusions don’t have to be conclusive. Note also that this kind of question could be evaluated in a number of ways: successful or not; beneficial to the people or not; ideologically based or not. You would, of course identify your focus in your intro.
Or
Foreign intervention, and the nature of Italian and German intervention, was by far the most significant factor in explaining the Nationalist’s victory in 1939.
Hopefully you will now have really strong conclusions! But remember you must go on to explain why you have reached them.