World History: Revolutions, World Wars and the Cold War
World History: Revolutions, World Wars and the Cold War
NTPC's history syllabus includes a few world events: the French, Industrial and Russian revolutions, the two world wars and the Cold War. Questions ask the year, the cause or trigger, the leaders and the treaty or organisation that followed.
1. Revolutions
| Revolution | Key facts |
|---|---|
| American Revolution | Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776 |
| French Revolution (1789) | Storming of the Bastille, 14 July 1789; slogan "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"; Louis XVI executed 1793; thinkers Rousseau (The Social Contract), Voltaire, Montesquieu |
| Industrial Revolution | Began in Britain in the 18th century; James Watt's improved steam engine; spinning jenny (Hargreaves) |
| Russian Revolution (1917) | February and October revolutions; Bolsheviks under Lenin; ended the Tsar's rule (Nicholas II); USSR formed 1922 |
2. World Wars
| War | Key facts |
|---|---|
| First World War (1914-1918) | Trigger: assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo (28 June 1914); ended with the Treaty of Versailles (1919); League of Nations formed (1920) |
| Second World War (1939-1945) | Began with Germany's invasion of Poland (1 September 1939); Pearl Harbor (December 1941); atomic bombs on Hiroshima (6 August 1945) and Nagasaki (9 August 1945) |
| United Nations | Founded 24 October 1945; headquarters New York |
3. Cold War
| Item | Facts |
|---|---|
| Blocs | USA-led NATO (1949) and USSR-led Warsaw Pact (1955) |
| Symbols | Berlin Wall built 1961, fell 9 November 1989 |
| End | USSR dissolved in December 1991 |
| India's stand | Non-Aligned Movement; first summit at Belgrade (1961) |
✗ The French Revolution began in 1776 | ✓ 1776 was the American Declaration of Independence; the French Revolution began in 1789
✗ The League of Nations was founded after the Second World War | ✓ It came after the First World War; the UN came after the Second
हिंदी नोट: फ्रांसीसी क्रांति 1789 में बास्तील के पतन (14 जुलाई) से शुरू हुई; रूसी क्रांति 1917 में लेनिन के नेतृत्व में हुई। प्रथम विश्व युद्ध 1914-18 और द्वितीय 1939-45 तक चला। संयुक्त राष्ट्र की स्थापना 24 अक्टूबर 1945 को हुई।
Exam Pointer: These patterns had no verified NTPC shift in our check (the Russian Revolution pages found were from DSSSB and WBCS papers) and are tagged syllabus-based.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: Revolutions: years and slogans
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. In which year did the French Revolution begin?
1789, with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July.
Answer: 1789
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Who led the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution, which ruler was overthrown, and when was the USSR formed?
Lenin led the Bolsheviks; Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown in 1917; the USSR was formed in 1922.
Answer: Lenin; Nicholas II; 1922
Pattern 2: Thinkers and inventions
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Who wrote The Social Contract?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Answer: Rousseau
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin, and who improved the steam engine?
Britain; James Watt.
Answer: Britain; James Watt
Pattern 3: World Wars
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Whose assassination triggered the First World War?
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
Answer: Franz Ferdinand
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which treaty ended the First World War, and on which dates were atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
The Treaty of Versailles (1919). Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki on 9 August 1945.
Answer: Versailles; 6 and 9 August 1945
Pattern 4: Cold War and global bodies
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. When was the United Nations founded?
24 October 1945.
Answer: 24 October 1945
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. When did the Berlin Wall fall, and where was the first Non-Aligned Movement summit held?
9 November 1989; Belgrade, 1961.
Answer: 9 November 1989; Belgrade
60-Second Revision
- American independence 4 July 1776; French Revolution 1789; Russian Revolution 1917.
- WWI 1914-18 (Sarajevo trigger, Versailles); WWII 1939-45.
- UN 24 October 1945; NATO 1949; Berlin Wall fell 1989; USSR ended 1991.
- NAM first summit Belgrade 1961.
Next Step: History done. Practise the history set in the ExamAtlas RRB NTPC 2026 mock tests; make a one-page timeline of these ten topics and revise it weekly.