World Events
Indian History · विश्व घटनाएं
📋Quick Overview
World History questions in Indian competitive exams focus on major revolutions and wars that shaped the modern world. The most frequently asked topics are: French Revolution (1789), American Revolution (1776), Russian Revolution (1917), World War I (1914–18), World War II (1939–45), Cold War (1947–91), and formation of the United Nations (1945). Questions typically test dates, key figures, slogans, treaties, and causes/effects. This chapter covers only the facts most relevant to Indian government exams.
📖Major World Events — Master Table
| Event | Year | Key Facts for Exams |
|---|---|---|
| American Revolution | 1776 | 13 colonies declared independence from Britain on 4 July 1776; George Washington = first US President; 'No taxation without representation'; Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson |
| French Revolution | 1789 | Began 14 July 1789 (Storming of Bastille); slogan 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity'; King Louis XVI & Queen Marie Antoinette executed; Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power; inspired by Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu |
| Russian Revolution | 1917 | Two revolutions: February (Tsar Nicholas II overthrown) & October (Bolsheviks under Lenin seized power); led to formation of USSR (1922); Karl Marx's ideas inspired it; abolished monarchy |
| World War I | 1914–1918 | Trigger: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (28 June 1914); Allies (Britain, France, Russia, USA) vs Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire); Treaty of Versailles (1919) ended war; League of Nations formed |
| World War II | 1939–1945 | Germany (Hitler) invaded Poland (1 Sep 1939); Allies (UK, USA, USSR, France) vs Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan); Holocaust; Atomic bombs on Hiroshima (6 Aug) & Nagasaki (9 Aug 1945); Japan surrendered 15 Aug 1945; UN formed 24 Oct 1945 |
| Cold War | 1947–1991 | USA (Capitalism) vs USSR (Communism); no direct war; arms race, space race; Berlin Wall (1961–1989); NATO (1949) vs Warsaw Pact (1955); ended with USSR dissolution (1991) |
📖United Nations (UN)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 24 October 1945 (UN Day) |
| Headquarters | New York, USA |
| Original Members | 51 countries (India was founding member) |
| Current Members | 193 countries |
| Security Council | 5 permanent members (P5): USA, UK, France, Russia, China — each has VETO power; 10 non-permanent members |
| Replaced | League of Nations (which was formed after WWI in 1920) |
| Secretary General | Current: Antonio Guterres (since 2017) |
| Key Agencies | WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR, ILO, ICJ |
📝Key Figures to Remember
- •Napoleon Bonaparte — Rose after French Revolution; Emperor of France; defeated at Waterloo (1815)
- •Karl Marx — Wrote 'Das Capital' & 'Communist Manifesto' (with Engels); father of Communism
- •Lenin — Led Russian October Revolution 1917; first leader of USSR
- •Hitler — Nazi Germany dictator; started WWII; Holocaust (6 million Jews killed)
- •Mussolini — Fascist dictator of Italy; allied with Hitler in WWII
- •Abraham Lincoln — 16th US President; abolished slavery; assassinated in 1865
- •George Washington — First US President; led American Revolution