Show Me a Thesis

A thesis statement is not merely tacked on at the end of an introductory paragraph that makes some general comments on your topic. A good thesis presents a logical and fit conclusion to the ideas presented in your introductory statements.

Here, for example, is a paragraph that introduces a discussion of conflict intervention under the UN charter. The thesis statement, in italic, radiates out of a logical and substantive introduction to the topic under discussion:

Since the end of the Cold War, peacekeepers have been dispatched to a number of “hot spots” that remain dangerous and unstable even in the presence of the peacekeeping force. Especially in the case of intra-state conflicts, peacekeeping operations have been undertaken in areas with unclear boundaries between opposing forces, irregular forces outside central control, and unsupported cease-fires. Peacekeepers have consequently and occasionally functioned at various times without regards to consent or impartiality, or used force beyond the limits of self-defense. These three principles, which traditional peacekeeping relied upon for success, could not always be upheld in locales that remained hostile and dangerous. Not surprisingly, success has been difficult to achieve in these types of environments. Still, the humanitarian nature of many of these interventions justified more forceful and less impartial responses than those offered by traditional peacekeeping.

The thesis statement here takes a position on the need for peacemakers to use force in order to promote humanitarian measures: for example, to provide food and medical aid, and to protect innocent civilians. The thesis follows logically on the ideas presented in the paragraph.

The thesis argument need not be condensed to a single sentence. Sometimes the thesis involves a complex of ideas. For example, below is a thesis for an essay that discusses the expanding definition of peacekeeping, from traditional observer and humanitarian missions to a complex of activities involving preventative and enforcement actions. The thesis statement appears in two parts:

Examining peacekeeping in isolation of other dispute settlement and conflict resolution methods is no longer appropriate. Rather, peacekeeping must be seen in the context of a broad range of mechanisms ranging from dialogue to intervention.

The essay discussion that follows on this thesis describes a spectrum of peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities, clearly in keeping with the “broad range of mechanisms” announced in the thesis statement.

Nor is it a necessity that the thesis statement appear in the last sentence of the first paragraph. Depending on the discipline in which you are writing, and the nature and scope of your topic, you may see fit to begin an essay with a paragraph—no more than two—that provides a context for your discussion or that defines key terms and concepts used in the essay. Here is an example from an article that addresses peacekeeping efforts in the Cyprus conflict. An explanatory first paragraph precedes the thesis statement (in italic):

In 1960, the Republic of Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom. With Greek Cypriots comprising 80% of the population and Turkish Cypriots 18%, a constitution was adopted with the intent of balancing the interests of both groups, each of whom had members residing at various spots throughout the island. Difficulties emerged from the start, however, as antagonism between the groups. The issue came to a boil in November 1963 when the fledgling country’s president, a Greek Cypriot, proposed constitutional amendments to eliminate the special status of Turkish Cypriots. Angry and fearful of the consequences of this action, Turkish Cypriots responded with violence. Civil war erupted on 21 December 1963.

In the context of international politics, the conflict in Cyprus warranted action on the part of a number of states that had an interest in securing an end to the violence and instability. First, . .

Whether positioned at the end of the first paragraph, the beginning of the second paragraph, or sometimes at the end of the second paragraph, the thesis statement should be readily discernible to the reader. For most undergraduate writing, however, the thesis statement conventionally appears at the end of the first paragraph.