Class 12 Political Science Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity Notes
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Selected Questions-Answers
1. Very Short Questions and Answers: (Marks for each – 1)(a) What was the length of the Berlin Wall?
Ans: 150 km.
(b) When did the Berlin Wall fall?
Ans: In 1989.
(c) Which republic within the Soviet Union first declaredindependence?
Ans: Lithuania.
(d) What is meant by ‘Shock Therapy’? H.S. ’15
Ans: After the fall of the socialist bloc, the process initiated by the WorldBank and the International Monetary Fund to transform the former socialist countries into capitalist democratic states is called ‘Shock Therapy’ in worldpolitics.
(e) What is the full form of CIS?
Ans: The full form of CIS is Commonwealth of Independent States.
(f) In which year did Russia assume the seat of the former SovietUnion in the United Nations?
Ans: In 1991.
(g) The end of the Cold War was marked by the fall of whichcountry?
Ans: The Soviet Union.
(h) How many republics were there in the former Soviet Union?
Ans: 15.
(i) Who was the founder of the Bolshevik Communist Party?
Ans: Vladimir Lenin
(j) When was Soviet Russia established?
Ans: In 1917.
(k) When was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signed? H.S.’15
Ans: On 1 July 1968.
(l) After the fall of the Soviet Union, which country became the solesuperpower in the world?
Ans: The United States of America.
(m) Write the names of the two superpowers.
Ans: The two superpowers were the United States of America and thesocialist state Soviet Russia.
(n) In which year did the United States drop atomic bombs onHiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan?
Ans: In 1945.
(o) In which year was the Warsaw Pact dissolved?
Ans: In 1991.
(p) Was Lenin the founder of the Bolshevik Communist Party?
Ans: Yes
(q) When did the rise of Soviet Russia take place?
Ans: In 1917.
(r) When did bipolarity come to an end?
Ans: In 1991.
(s) Who initiated reforms in Soviet Russia?
Ans: Mikhail Gorbachev.
(t) What was the immediate cause of the fall of Soviet Russia?
Ans: The Soviet Union came to an end when President Mikhail Gorbachevresigned on 25 December 1991.
(u) The fall of which country is referred to as the ‘Second WorldCollapse’? H.S. ’19
Ans: The Soviet Union.
(v) What is meant by a unipolar state? H.S. ’17
Ans: A unipolar state refers to a country that exerts military, political, economic, and cultural influence over most other countries of the world.
(w) Who initiated the political and economic crisis in Soviet Russia? H.S. ’16
Ans: Mikhail Gorbachev.
2. Short Questions and Answers: (Marks for each – 2)
(a) What was the immediate cause of the disintegration of the SovietUnion?
Ans: The immediate cause of the disintegration of the Soviet Union wasGorbachev’s reform programmes known as ‘Glasnost’ and ‘Perestroika’.
(b) What is meant by the ‘Second World’? H.S. ’14
Ans: The countries of Eastern Europe, especially those that signed the Warsaw Pact, are collectively referred to as the ‘Second World’ or the ‘Socialist Bloc’.
(c) Mention two reforms initiated by Gorbachev. H.S. ’15, ’19
Ans: The two reforms initiated by Gorbachev were ‘Openness’ (Glasnost)and ‘Restructuring’ (Perestroika).
(d) What is meant by the ‘Great Garbage Sale’ in history?
Ans: As a result of the collapse of large state-controlled industrial sectorsin Russia, about 90 percent of the industrial enterprises were sold to privatecompanies. This event is referred to in history as the ‘Great Garbage Sale’.
(e) Name two countries that emerged after the disintegration of theSoviet Union.
Ans: Russia and Belarus.
(f) Write two negative effects of Shock Therapy.
Ans: The two negative effects of Shock Therapy were:
First, the value of the Soviet currency declined and the prices of essential daily commodities increased.
Second, welfare schemes based on socialist ideals in Soviet Russiadisappeared.
(g) What were the political consequences of Shock Therapy?
Ans: The political consequences of Shock Therapy were:
First, the expansion of the capitalist system of governance.
Second, the collapse of the Soviet trade bloc.
Third, the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States by thenewly independent republics.
(h) After the end of communist rule, what is meant by the ‘terrorrelief measures’?
Ans: After the disintegration of Soviet Russia, when its states adoptedthe capitalist system, a crisis situation arose. To provide relief from this crisis, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund adopted special measures, which were termed ‘relief measures’.
3. Medium Length Questions &Answers: (Marks for each – 4)(a) Do you think India and Russia share good relations? Give fourreasons.
Ans: It can be said that India and Soviet Russia share good relationsbecause:
First, Russia has extended cooperation to India in the fields of space andnuclear energy for defence.
Second, both countries have signed agreements to promote trade, aircraft manufacturing, and to control illegal trafficking of narcotic substances.
Third, as part of the ‘India-Russia Strategic Agreement, 2001’, India andRussia have signed more than 80 bilateral agreements.
Fourth, during the visit of the Russian President to India in 2004, bothcountries emphasized strengthening defence, technical, and economiccooperation.
(b) Why were the people of the Soviet Union not satisfied with theSoviet system? Give four reasons.
Or
Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Discuss the reasons.
Ans: After Soviet Russia transitioned from monarchy to democracy in1917, Marxist socialism was established. However, the people were not satisfied with this system because:
First, the political, economic, and social systems of the Soviet Union werenot accountable to the people. The system became bureaucratic andauthoritarian, leading to loss of public support.
Second, party leaders enjoyed more privileges than ordinary citizens, which created dissatisfaction.
Third, organizational weaknesses and corruption within the system led topublic dissatisfaction.
Fourth, the leaders became autocratic, and the people also neglected theirresponsibilities.
(c) Briefly write the effects or consequences of the disintegration ofthe Soviet Union. H.S. ’20
Or
Discuss the consequences of the fragmentation of the Soviet Union. H.S. ’14
Ans: In 1991, following the resignation of President Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union collapsed. Its consequences were:
First, the fall of Soviet Russia made the United States the only superpowerin the world.
Second, with the fall of Soviet Russia, the capitalist system becamestronger and public faith in socialism declined.
Third, many new independent states emerged after the breakup.
Fourth, after the collapse, other international groupings such as theEuropean Union and nation-states emerged more prominently.
(d) Examine the features of Gorbachev’s reform policies.
Ans: President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Russian Federation adoptedreform policies named ‘Openness’ and ‘Restructuring’ for the development of Russia. These reforms opened the path toward Western political thought and a free-market economy.
Encouraged by these reforms, various ethnic groups raised demands forindependence and nationalist movements gained momentum.
As Gorbachev failed to convincingly justify these reforms before thepublic, he lost popular support and was compelled to resign. This led to thedisintegration of the Soviet Union.
(e) Write a short note on the political systems of the newly emergedstates from the Soviet Union. H.S. ’14
Ans: With the fall of the socialist state Soviet Union in 1991, many newstates were formed. These newly independent states, separated from the Soviet Union, expressed their desire to align with the Baltic region and EasternEurope to fulfill their aspirations. Therefore, many of them became membersof NATO.
The Central Asian countries, taking advantage of their geographical position, maintained close relations with Russia while also seeking goodrelations with Western countries, China, and the United States.
4. Essay Type Questions and Answers: (Marks for each – 6)(a) For what reasons was Gorbachev compelled to adopt reformpolicies in Soviet Russia?
Ans: Gorbachev was compelled to adopt reform policies for the followingreasons:
First, during that time, Western countries had undergone a revolutionarytransformation in information technology, whereas Russia lagged behind inthis field. Therefore, reforms were necessary.
Second, Russia spent a major portion of its annual budget on increasingnuclear power and manufacturing military weapons, which adversely affectedthe country’s economy.
Third, in 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. As a result, theSoviet system became weaker, production declined, and it lagged behindtechnologically. Consequently, there was a shortage of consumer goods, andfood imports increased every year.
Therefore, to achieve economic development, Mikhail Gorbachev wascompelled to adopt reform policies.
(b) Discuss the causes of the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Or
Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Discuss. H.S. ’15, 17, 19
Ans: The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The main causes were:
First, one of the major reasons was faulty leadership. Although it believedin socialist ideals, it failed to fulfill the aspirations of the people.
Second, corruption in the administrative system was another cause. Thosein power began to enjoy excessive privileges, resulting in loss of public support.
Third, nationalism arose among the people of different republics, and theywanted independence from the Soviet Union.
Fourth, Soviet Russia was busy maintaining the political andadministrative status quo. The administrators did not take adequate measuresfor decentralization of power or to remain accountable to the people. As aresult, the socialist system lost public confidence.
Fifth, another reason was Gorbachev’s reform policy. He adopted‘Openness’ and ‘Restructuring’ to develop Russia. As he failed to justify thesereforms effectively before the public, he lost support and was forced to resign, which contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
(c) What is Shock Therapy? What were its consequences aftercommunist rule? Was it the best path for transition from socialism tocapitalism?
Ans: After the fall of the socialist bloc, the process initiated by the WorldBank and the International Monetary Fund to transform former socialist statesinto capitalist democratic states is known in world politics as ‘Shock Therapy’.
The consequences of Shock Therapy were:
(1) Through foreign direct investment and the expansion of free trade underthe Shock Therapy process, there was some resolution of unemployment problems.
(2) In Russia and other newly independent states, political and economicchanges led to a shift from conservative trade systems to free trade. At thesame time, large industrial sectors collapsed.
(3) Financial agreements among the Russian republics came to an end, and the independent republics gained the opportunity to enter into variousagreements with Western countries.
(4) Shock Therapy contributed in several ways to economic development.
Although Shock Therapy somewhat facilitated the transition fromsocialism to a capitalist economy, it also had adverse effects, such as:
It led to the collapse of Russia’s economic system.
The transfer of industries to the private sector created unemployment.
Shortages of food items led to inflation.
