In Cormac McCarthy’s novel *The Road*, the exact cause of the apocalypse is never explicitly stated. However, there are several clues throughout the book that suggest a catastrophic event, possibly a nuclear war or a massive environmental disaster, led to the collapse of civilization. The world is described as being covered in ash, with little to no sunlight, and most plant and animal life has been wiped out. This bleak setting implies that the event was sudden and devastating, leaving the planet in a state of perpetual winter. The lack of specific details about the cause adds to the novel’s atmosphere of mystery and despair, focusing instead on the human struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world.