How should I structure my essay?

As much as you may not want to hear this, there is no absolute, correct way to structure an essay. The essay structure that you use really depends on the question that you are being asked. However, there are a few tips surrounding how best to structure an essay that you can apply to all questions to help you reach your full potential.

Firstly, an introduction must be concise and must show that you have good knowledge of the question being asked and of the context around the time frame you're being asked about. This is where you show off your knowledge about the factors involved in the question and your understanding of the question itself.

Remember that you must address both sides of the debate in an essay, and so you must have a reasonably balanced essay in terms of words allocated to each side of the debate. However, rather than writing one side for the question and one side against, try to write one side showing your opinion, and then on the other side critique the argument that you disagree with and show how it's flawed. 

Finally, remember to repeat your argument in a conclusion and make it obvious what you have argued and why you believe it to be true. Do not be scared to show off your knowledge by concluding your essays showing how the topic of the essay affected the country it applies to.