Introduction and Context

Topic 21 spans one of the most consequential half-centuries in world history (1914–1991): from the "war to end all wars" through a second, even deadlier conflict, to four decades of bipolar superpower rivalry. These events reshaped the political map of the world, gave birth to the United Nations, unleashed nuclear weapons, triggered decolonisation, and created the binary ideological contest — capitalism vs. communism — that structured international relations until 1991.

Why This Topic Matters for RPSC

• World Wars and the Cold War appear under Part C (World History) of Paper I's History unit
• The 2023 paper directly asked about women's role in World Wars (5 marks); the 2026 paper is likely to test Cold War blocs, proxy wars, or the UN's creation
• Understanding WWI → Versailles → rise of fascism → WWII → Cold War as a single continuous causal chain is essential for 10-mark analytical questions

Syllabus Scope

This topic covers:

• Causes and consequences of WWI and WWII
• Cold War origins, blocs, and key crises
• Proxy wars and arms race
• Détente and Cold War end

It overlaps with Topic 20 (Nazism/Fascism as WWII cause) and Topic 19 (Russian Revolution as Cold War precondition).

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