World History Questions for NDA

American War of Independence (1775-1783)

The thirteen British colonies in North America revolted against British rule over the principle of no taxation without representation. The Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776, drafted by Thomas Jefferson. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally ended the war and recognised the United States as an independent nation. This was the first successful anti-colonial revolution in modern history and inspired future revolutions worldwide.

• Trigger: Stamp Act and Tea Act — taxes imposed without colonial representation in British Parliament
• Boston Tea Party (1773) — colonists dumped British tea into the harbour as protest
• Declaration of Independence: 4 July 1776 — Thomas Jefferson was the principal author
• George Washington led the Continental Army to victory
• Treaty of Paris 1783 — Britain recognised American independence
• Inspired the French Revolution and other liberation movements

French Revolution (1789-1799)

The French Revolution overthrew the monarchy and established principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity that reshaped European politics. It began with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. King Louis XVI was executed in 1793. The Revolution gave rise to Napoleon Bonaparte, who eventually became Emperor and spread revolutionary ideals across Europe through conquest. The Revolution is a favourite NDA topic for causes, events, and key figures.

• Slogan: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity — the foundational motto
• Bastille Day: 14 July 1789 — symbolic start of the Revolution
• Louis XVI executed in January 1793 — Reign of Terror followed under Robespierre
• Napoleon Bonaparte rose from the Revolution — became Emperor in 1804
• The Revolution ended feudalism in France and spread democratic ideas in Europe
• Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) — foundational human rights document

Russian Revolution (1917)

Two revolutions happened in Russia in 1917. The February Revolution removed Tsar Nicholas II from power. The October Revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks, established the world's first communist state. Russia became the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1922. The Bolsheviks were inspired by Karl Marx's ideology. This is a very high-frequency NDA topic — questions come on causes, leaders, ideology, and outcomes.

• February Revolution 1917 — Tsar Nicholas II abdicated; Romanov dynasty ended
• October Revolution 1917 — Bolsheviks (Lenin) overthrew the Provisional Government
• Ideology: Marxism-Leninism — communist state, end of private property
• USSR formed in 1922 — world's first socialist republic
• Trotsky organised the Red Army; Stalin later took power after Lenin's death (1924)
• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) — Russia exited World War I

World War I (1914-1918)

WWI was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 by Gavrilo Princip. Two alliances clashed: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) versus the Triple Entente (France, Russia, Britain). The war ended with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which imposed heavy penalties on Germany — a major cause of WWII. NDA frequently asks about the causes, alliances, treaties, and consequences.

• Immediate cause: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 28 June 1914
• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (later Italy switched sides)
• Triple Entente: France, Russia, Britain — also called Allied Powers
• USA entered the war in 1917 after German submarine attacks on US ships
• Treaty of Versailles 1919 — Germany lost territory, paid reparations, limited its army
• League of Nations formed after WWI — precursor to the United Nations

Rise of Fascism and World War II (1939-1945)

The economic hardships after WWI and the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles fuelled the rise of fascism in Europe. Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933 under the Nazi Party. Benito Mussolini had already established fascist rule in Italy. WWII began when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. The Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) fought the Allied Powers (Britain, France, USA, USSR). The war ended in 1945 — Germany surrendered in May, Japan in September after atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

• Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 — Nazi ideology: extreme nationalism + anti-Semitism
• Mussolini in Italy, Hirohito/Tojo in Japan — Axis Powers formed
• WWII began: 1 September 1939 — Germany invaded Poland
• Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (USA) on 7 December 1941 — USA joined the war
• D-Day: 6 June 1944 — Allied invasion of Normandy, France — turning point in Europe
• Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima (6 Aug) and Nagasaki (9 Aug) 1945 — Japan surrendered

Cold War and United Nations

After WWII, the world split into two ideological blocs: the USA-led capitalist West and the USSR-led communist East. This rivalry without direct war is called the Cold War (1947-1991). Key events include the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), Vietnam War, and Berlin Wall (built 1961, fell 1989). The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 to maintain world peace, replacing the failed League of Nations. The Cold War ended with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

• Cold War start: 1947 — Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan by USA
• NATO (1949) — Western military alliance; Warsaw Pact (1955) — Soviet bloc alliance
• Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 — closest the world came to nuclear war; USSR backed down
• UN founded: 24 October 1945 — 5 permanent members of Security Council: USA, UK, France, Russia, China
• Berlin Wall built 1961 — symbol of Cold War division; fell November 1989
• USSR dissolved December 1991 — Cold War ended

• Confusing the Triple Alliance with Triple Entente — remember: Entente = England (Britain) is in it; Alliance = Germany leads it
• Mixing up February and October Revolutions in Russia — February removed the Tsar, October brought Lenin and communists to power
• Thinking WWI ended with the UN — the League of Nations came after WWI; the UN came after WWII
• Confusing Hiroshima and Nagasaki dates — Hiroshima first on 6 August, Nagasaki on 9 August 1945
• Attributing the Declaration of Independence to George Washington — Washington was the military commander; Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration

• LEAF for WWI causes: Likes (League/Nationalism), Empire (Imperialism), Arms (Militarism), Friends (Alliance system) — or use MAIN: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism
• For French Revolution motto remember LEF — Liberty, Equality, Fraternity — same order as the French tricolor Left-to-Right
• Cold War blocs: NATO = North Atlantic = USA side; Warsaw = Warsaw = USSR side — alphabetical W comes after N just as USSR countered NATO
• UN founded 24 October 1945 — remember: 2+4=6 permanent members... wait, there are 5 — P5: USA, UK, France, Russia, China — think UFFRC (Ugly Foxes Run China)

• NDA GAT frequently asks one direct question per major event — focus on the year, trigger cause, key personality, and outcome of each revolution or war
• Treaty of Versailles is a high-repeat topic — know that it ended WWI, was signed in 1919, and imposed the War Guilt Clause on Germany which led to WWII
• Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 is a favourite Cold War question — remember it involved USA (Kennedy), USSR (Khrushchev), and Cuba (Castro)
• UN-related questions appear regularly — memorise that UN was founded 24 October 1945, HQ is in New York, and the 5 permanent Security Council members have veto power
• Questions are typically straightforward matching of event-year-personality — avoid overthinking; go with the most historically standard answer, not exceptions