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Class 12 Political Science| Chapter 2 Part 1 |The End Of Bipolarity
VERY SHORT ANSWER
Q.1. When did USSR come into being?
Ans: USSR come into being in 1917.
Q.2. When did the bipolar structure of world politics come into an end?
Ans: The bipolar structure of world politics come to an end in 1991.
Q.3. Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
Ans: Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of Communist Party of USSR. He initiated two economic reforms in USSR namely Perestroika and Glasnost as economic liberalisation policies.
Q.4. Which state is the successor of the Soviet Union?
Ans: Russia was the successor of the Soviet Union.
Q.5. Correct the statement: Stalin introduced reforms in the Soviet Union.
Ans: Gorbachev introduced reforms in the Soviet Union.
Q.6. Which party ruled the USSR?
Ans: Communist party ruled the USSR.
Q.7. What was the final and the most immediate cause for the disintegration of the USSR?
Ans: The final and the most immediate cause for the disintegration of the USSR was the rise of nationalism and the desire for sovereignty within various republics including Russia and the Baltic Republics, Ukraine, Georgia and others.
Q.8. Who became the sole superpower after the disintegration of the Soviet Union?
Ans: US became the sole superpower after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Q.9. Write the full form of CIS?
Ans: The full form of CIS is Commonwealth of Independent State.
Q.10. On what ideology Soviet Union was based?
Ans: Soviet Union was based on the ideology of socialism.
Q.11. In which year Warsaw Pact was disbanded?
Ans: In 1991.
Q.12. The collapse of which country is known as the collapse of “second world”?
Ans: United States of Soviet Russia.
Q.13. With the collapse of which country cold war came to an end?
Ans: With the collapse of USSR, cold war came to an end.
Q.14. In which year Russia took over the USSR seat in UN?
Ans: In 1991 Russia took over USSR seat in UN.
Q.15. How many union republics were there in USSR?
Ans: There are 15 union republics in USSR.
Q.16. Who was the founder of Bolshevik Communist Party?
Ans: Vladimir Lenin was the founder of Bolshevik Communist Party.
Q.17. Who was the first elected President of Russia?
Ans: Boris Yeltsin was the first elected President of Russia.
Q.18. What is the shock therapy?
Ans: Shock therapy was a model of aid to Soviet Union for the economic development helped by World Bank and IMF.
Q.19. When Soviet Union became a great power?
Ans: After the 2nd world war Soviet Union become a great power.
Q.20. Who started political and economic reforms in USSR?
Ans: Mikhail Gorbachev started political and economic reforms in USSR.
Q.21. On what ideology the Soviet Union was based?
Ans: Socialist.
Short Answer
Q.1. What is meant by ‘second world’?
Ans: The Socialist countries of Eastern Europe and the nations which were part of the Warsaw Pact were known as the second world.
Q.2. Mention two reforms which Gorbachev initiated in the USSR.
Ans: The two reforms which Gorbachev initiated in the USSR are:
(i) He reformed the economy, tried to catch up with the West, and loosened the administrative system.
(ii) Gorbachev initiated the policies of economic and political reform and democratisation within the country.
Q.3. Who made the declaration on the disintegration of the USSR and when?
Ans: In December 1991, Boris Yeltsin made the declaration on the disintegration of the USSR.
Q.4. Mention any two features that distinguish the Soviet economy from the capitalist country.
Ans: Soviet economy was basically different from the American economy in the following ways:
- The Soviet economy was opposed to capitalism because the essence of capitalism is the concentration of economic power in the hands of a few and the consequent exploitation of the rest.
- But the American economy is based on capitalism. U.S.A. is the biggest capitalist country in the world.
- Soviet economy was fully controlled by the state. In the U.S.S.R., all means of production were owned and controlled by the state.
- Soviet system of economy was based on planned economy. The economy was managed on the basis of state plans for economic and social development.
- There was integrated planning for the whole of the country. Industries, Banks, financial institutions, trade and commerce and even farming were controlled by the state.
- In U.S.S.R., there were no private industries. But in U.S.A., means of production are mostly in private hands.
- There is free economy and economy of U.S.A. is controlled and guided by market forces.
- In Soviet economy there was no existence of private property and no multi-millionaires. However, in U.S.S.R. the citizens were allowed to own small houses for living and small shops for earnings.
- But in U.S.A., private ownership and private property is the basic element of American economy.
Q.5. Write the names of two countries which emerged after Soviet disintegration.
Ans: Russia and Kazakhstan had emerged after Soviet disintegration.
Q.6. What is meant by shock therapy in post-communist regime?
Ans: The collapse of Communism in most of the second world countries was followed by a painful process of transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system.
The model transition in Russia, Central Asia, and East Europe that was influenced by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund came to be known as Shock Therapy.
Q.7. How did the power relations in world politics change after the Soviet disintegration?
Ans: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, power relations in world politics changed, and therefore the relative influence of ideas and institutions also changed.
The end of the Cold War left open only two possibilities:
- Either the remaining superpower would dominate and create a unipolar system, or
- Different countries or groups of countries could become important players in the international system, bringing in a multipolar system where no one power could dominate.
The USA became the sole superpower. Backed by the power and prestige of the USA, the capitalist economy was now the dominant economic system internationally. Institutions like the World Bank and IMF became powerful advisors to all these countries since they gave them loans for their transition to capitalism. Politically, the nation of liberal democracy emerged as the best way to organise political life.
Q.8. How did the Soviet disintegration lead to the end of cold war confrontation?
Ans: The ideological dispute over whether the socialist system would beat the capitalist system was not an issue anymore, leading to the end of Cold War confrontation since the US emerged as the sole superpower after the Soviet disintegration.
Q.9. What is the largest garbage sale in history?
Ans: Due to shock therapy, many industries were undervalued and sold to private players. It led to the sale of industries at throwaway prices, for which some analysts describe it as the “largest garbage sale” in history.
Q.10. How did communist regimes collapse one after another?
Ans: During the period of reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the USSR, the people of East European countries started to protest against their own governments. They also protested against Soviet control. Thus, the communist regimes collapsed one after another.
Q.11. Mention the reasons for the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union.
Ans:
(i) The political and economic reforms introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev were the foremost reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union.
(ii) The bureaucratic and authoritarian character of the Soviet system was another reason for its collapse.
Q.12. Write two characteristics of Soviet political system.
Ans:
(i) Soviet political system was very bureaucratic as well as authoritarian in character.
(ii) Soviet system was represented by a single party. Communist Party had tight control over administrative affairs of the country.
Q.13. Write any two negative effects of Shock Therapy.
Ans:
(i) Industrial sectors went down, leading to the virtual disappearance of large industries.
(ii) It declined the value of the Russian currency.
Q.14. Explain the meaning of ‘Glasnost’.
Ans: Glasnost means openness.
Q.15. What do you mean by ‘Near Abroad’?
Ans: It means Russia’s right to have major influence—political or economic—in regions which were under Soviet control. ‘Near Abroad’ was a policy of Russia and it perceived the countries of East Europe as its backyard.
Q.16. What is the ‘Great Game’?
Ans: The political, economic, and military competition amongst Russia, China, and the United States of America to control Central Asia’s energy resources is in effect a new Great Game.
Q.17. When was the Berlin Wall toppled?
Ans: The Berlin Wall was toppled in 1990.
Q.18. Examine the political consequences of Shock Therapy.
Ans: Democratic foundation of Russia became weak and the legislative institutions like Parliament became very weak.
Long Answer
Q.1. Briefly discuss about the conditions of Soviet Union after the Second World War.
Ans: After the Second World War the east European countries that control the Soviet Army had liberated from the fascist forces came under the control of USSR. The political and the economic systems of all these countries were modelled after the USSR. This group of countries was called the Second World Bloc or the Socialist Bloc under the leadership of USSR.
The Soviet Union became a great power after the Second World War. The Soviet economy was then more developed than the rest of the world except for the US. It had a complex communications network, vast energy resources including oil, iron and steel, machinery production, and a transport sector that connected its remotest areas efficiently. The Soviet state ensured a minimum standard of living for all the citizens, and the government subsidized basic necessities including health, education, childcare, and other welfare schemes. There was no unemployment. State ownership was the dominant form of ownership — land and productive assets were owned and controlled by the Soviet state.
Q.2. Why were the people of Soviet Union not satisfied with the Soviet system? Give four reasons.
Ans: The people of Soviet Union were not satisfied with the Soviet system. The reasons behind this dissatisfaction are given below:
(i) The Soviet system became very bureaucratic and authoritarian, making life very difficult for its citizens.
(ii) Lack of democracy and the absence of freedom of speech stifled people who often expressed their dissent in jokes and cartoons.
(iii) In the arms race, the Soviet Union managed to match the U.S. from time to time, but at great cost.
(iv) The Soviet Union lagged behind the West in technology, infrastructure like transport and power, and most importantly, in fulfilling the political or economic aspirations of citizens.
Q.3. Briefly discuss about the consequences of disintegration of the USSR.
Ans: The following are the two main consequences:
(a) Liquidation of military blocs: The Cold War had triggered a massive arms race and accumulation of nuclear weapons and existence of military blocs. The whole world almost got divided into two power blocs. But with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the military blocs were liquidated.
(b) End of bipolarity: The breakdown of the Soviet Union led to the end of bipolarity and began the era of unipolarity, where the USA remained as the sole superpower.
Q.4. Write a short note on political systems of the newly emerged states from the Soviet Union.
Ans: The newly emerged states of the Soviet Union were weak both economically and politically. These states like Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were once part of the USSR. These states had expressed their desire to go for political transition for speeding their economic growth. When Shock Therapy was executed, the newly emerged countries did not step back and embraced this process of transition. It is to be noted that the newly independent countries were economically backward and their political and economic systems were designed along socialistic lines where the central government had full command over each and every sector.
Q.5. Do you think that India and Russia have maintained good relations? Give four reasons.
Ans: India’s relations with Russia are an important aspect of its foreign policy. She had very cordial relations with the former USSR, and even after the disintegration of USSR in 1991, relations between India and Russia remain of considerable importance to both the countries.
The reasons behind it are:
(i) The Soviet Union assisted India’s public sector companies at a time when such assistance was difficult to get. It gave aid and technical assistance for steel plants like Bhilai, Bokaro, and machinery plants like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
(ii) The Soviet Union supported India’s positions on the Kashmir issue in the UN and during the war with Pakistan in 1971.
(iii) India received most of its military hardware from the Soviet Union at a time when few other countries were willing to part with military technologies.
(iv) Hindi films and Indian culture were popular in the Soviet Union. People like Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan were household names. Frequent sports and cultural exchange visits were held between the two nations.
Q.6. What is the significance of the Russian Revolution in 1917?
Ans: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics came into being after the Socialist Revolution in 1917. The Russian Revolution was inspired by the ideology of socialism. It was the largest attempt in human history to abolish the institution of private property and to establish a society based on the principle of equality.
Q.7. Examine the features of Gorbachev’s reform policies.
Ans: Mikhail Gorbachev, the president of the USSR, initiated reforms. The policy of reforms initiated by Gorbachev was known as Glasnost and Perestroika.
- Glasnost means openness — that is, to catch up with the West and loosen the administrative system.
- Perestroika means restructuring the polity — that is, the democratisation of the country.
Q.8. List out in detail the areas of consequences of Shock Therapy.
Ans: The following are the consequences of Shock Therapy:
(a) Free Trade: Due to the sudden transformation in the polity and economy of the Russian republics, there was also a sudden switch over to free trade which was earlier absent in these republics. Initially, they kept their economies isolated from western capitalist intervention.
(b) FDI: Foreign Direct Investment was another significant consequence of Shock Therapy. As free trade was envisaged, foreign investors were encouraged to invest in the Russian republics. This step drove economic prosperity in the newly transformed countries. Unemployment was reduced, and there was economic boom.
(c) Break-up of trade alliances: The transition involved a break-up of the existing trade alliances among the countries of the Soviet bloc. Each state from this bloc was now directly linked to the West and not to each other in the region as earlier.
(d) Economic development: The Shock Therapy experienced by the communist countries for transition also ushered economic development. Due to financial opening of the market and economic deregulation, there was economic improvement to a considerable extent.
Q.9. What were the factors that forced Gorbachev to initiate the reforms in the USSR?
Ans: Same as Ans of Q. No. 2 (Very Long Answer).
Q.10. Make a list of the similarities between India and the USSR in the political and economic ideologies.
Ans: India and the USSR followed democratic ideology as well as socialist patterns of economy. However, India followed a mixed economy where both public and private sectors were given importance.
Q.11. Write a note on the Soviet System.
Ans: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) had been formed after the famous Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The Revolution was based on the ideals of socialism and sought to establish an egalitarian society. The Bolshevik Revolution opposed capitalism and worked for the creation of a society based on the principle of equality and abolition of private property. The Bolshevik Party had an important role in the creation of such a system based on centralised planning and state control. No other political party or opposition was allowed to operate. The Bolshevik control was known as the Soviet System. It was even implemented in several East European states.
Q.12. Why did Gorbachev’s reform policy fail?
Ans: Gorbachev’s reform policy failed due to the following reasons:
(i) The Soviet system became very bureaucratic and authoritarian, which made the life of citizens very difficult.
(ii) The Soviet Union lagged behind the West in technology, infrastructure like transport, power, and most importantly, in fulfilling the political and economic aspirations of citizens.
Q.13. Discuss India’s relations with the communist countries.
Ans: Both Soviet Union and India shared a cordial relationship during the Cold War era. The multi-dimensional proximity can be proved from the following points:
(a) Political: Soviet Union always supported India in all major conflicts including the 1971 war with Pakistan when the USA had threatened to send its seventh fleet to the Indian Ocean. India also supported Soviet foreign policy in indirect ways.
(b) Economic: Soviet Union aided India’s public sector companies like the steel plants at Bokaro, Visakhapatnam, and Bhilai, and machinery plants like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. It even accepted Indian currency when India was short of foreign exchange.
(c) Military: Soviet Union was the principal supplier of military equipment and arms to India when very few states wanted to part with their military technology. It even launched several joint military ventures with India.
(d) Cultural: Indian culture and Hindi films were popular in USSR. A number of Indian artists went to Soviet Union.
Q.14. How did the end of Soviet bloc lead to emergence of many new countries?
Ans: The end of the Soviet bloc led to the emergence of many new countries. In December 1991, under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus declared that the Soviet Union was disbanded. USSR was disintegrated and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was formed. Russia became the successor of the Soviet Union.
Very Long Answer
Q.1. Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate ?
Ans : The following points are analysed by experts as the prime causes responsible for the breakdown of Soviet Union –
(i) Defective Leadership : The most important cause for the disintegration of the Soviet Union lies in the defective leadership. The leader of the party was considered to be the leader of the government and the state or country. The leaders were busy with their luxurious lifestyle and corruption. The poor leadership and lack of effort to improve their rule became a cause for the disintegration of Soviet Union.
(ii) Reformative policies of Gorbachev : The reformative policies of Mikhail Gorbachev were also responsible for the disintegration of Soviet Union. He, without preparing an environment of freedom, equality, nationality, economic self-dependence and unity, implemented the policies of Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring).
(iii) Economic stagnation : The Soviet Union maintained a huge nuclear and military arsenal which was used to develop and maintain its satellite states in Eastern Europe and its Soviet Republics particularly the five Central Republics. It led to a huge burden on its economy and resources. People of the Soviet Union could not advance as rapidly as their western adversaries.
(iv) Political and administrative stagnation : Soviet Union also suffered from political and administrative stagnation. The ruling Communist Party was unaccountable to the people. There was rampant corruption and the political elites did not try to rectify their mistakes by allowing openness in government and decentralisation of authority over such a vast land.
(v) Rise of nationalism : A major reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union was the rise of nationalism and desire for sovereignty within various Soviet Republics like Russia, the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia etc. This proved to be the culminating point in the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
(vi) Desire to get rid of backward Central Asian Republics : It is ironical that during the Cold War years it was always suggested that the nationalist urge would be strong in Central Asian Republics due to their economic backwardness and ethnic and religious differences. However, as events gained momentum, nationalist urge emerged the strongest. People of this region felt isolated and felt that they were paying too heavy an economic price to keep depleted Central Asian Republics in Soviet Union. This led to the ultimate disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Q.2. What were the factors that forced Gorbachev to initiate the reforms in the USSR ?
Ans : The factors that forced Gorbachev to initiate the reforms in the USSR are as follows –
(a) The Soviet economy used much of its resources in maintaining a nuclear and military arsenal and in the development of its satellite states in Eastern Europe and within the Soviet system. This led to a huge economic burden that the system could not cope with.
(b) Realisation that the socialist economy was not better than the capitalist economy.
(c) The Soviet Union had become stagnant administratively and politically.
Q.3. What is Shock Therapy ? What were the consequences of Shock Therapy in post-communist region ? Was it the best way for a transition from Communism to Capitalism ?
Ans : The collapse of Communism in the countries which were members of the Soviet bloc was followed by a process of transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system. The model of transition in these states that was influenced by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund came to be known as Shock Therapy. Shock Therapy varied in intensity and speed among the former second-world countries, but its direction and features were quite similar. Each of these countries was required to make a total shift to a capitalist economy which meant rooting out completely any structure evolved during the communist regime. It meant that private ownership was to be the dominant pattern of ownership of property. State assets were to be privatised and collective farms were to be replaced by private farming and capitalism in agriculture.
Shock Therapy also involved a drastic change in the external orientation of these economies. A sudden and complete switch to free trade was considered essential and free trade regime and Foreign Direct Investment were to be the main engines of change. This involved openness to foreign investment, financial opening and currency convertibility.
Lastly, the transition also involved a break-up of the existing trade pacts among the countries of the Soviet bloc. Each state from this bloc was now directly linked to the West and not to each other in the bloc. Thus, the capitalist states of the West now became the leaders and guided and controlled the development of the region through various agencies and organisations.
In the end, it can be said that this was not the best way to make a transition from Communism to Capitalism. Generally it brought ruin to the economies and disaster for the people living in this part of the world.
Q.5. Describe the relation between India and Russia.
Ans : Same as Ans of Q.No. 5 (Long Answer).
Q.6. Mention the features that distinguish the Soviet economy from that of a capitalist country such as U.S. ?
Ans : Same as Ans of Q.No. 1 (Very Long Answer).
Q.7. Mention the drawbacks of the Soviet System.
Ans : Same as Ans of Q.No. 2 (Long Answer).
Q.8. What were the major consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union for countries like India ?
Ans : India’s relations with Russia are an important aspect of its foreign policy. She had very cordial relations with the former U.S.S.R., and even after the disintegration of U.S.S.R in 1991, relations between India and Russia remain of considerable importance to both countries. The decay of the second world of Eastern Soviet Union and the socialist methods in Eastern Europe had profound consequences for world political systems. The important consequences or aftermaths of the disintegration of the Soviet Union for countries like India –
(a) The end of the Cold War left open only two factors – either the remaining super-powers would dominate and create a unipolar system, or different countries or groups of countries could become significant players in the international level.
(b) The important end of the Soviet Bloc meant the growth of many new countries. Hence, all these countries had their own independent choices.
(c) The international system saw different players grow, each with its own interest, importance, identity and political and economic problems.
(d) It meant the end of Cold War conflicts. The ideological problem over whether the socialist methods would beat the capitalist system was not an issue anymore.
(e) Power combinations in world political scenario changed; hence, the relative influence or effects of ideas and institutions also changed.
Q.9. What is Shock Therapy ? What were the consequences of Shock Therapy in post-communist region ? Was it the best way for a transition from Communism to Capitalism ?
Ans : The collapse of Communism in the countries which were members of the Soviet bloc was followed by a process of transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system. The model of transition in these states that was influenced by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund came to be known as Shock Therapy. Shock Therapy varied in intensity and speed among the former second-world countries, but its direction and features were quite similar. Each of these countries was required to make a total shift to a capitalist economy which meant rooting out completely any structure evolved during the communist regime. It meant that private ownership was to be the dominant pattern of ownership of private property. State assets were to be privatised and collective forms were to be replaced by private farming and capitalism in agriculture.
Shock Therapy also involved a drastic change in the external orientation of these economies. A sudden and complete switch to free trade was considered essential and free trade regime and Foreign Direct Investment were to be the main engines of change. This involved openness to foreign investment, financial opening and currency convertibility. Lastly, the transition also involved a break-up of the existing trade pacts among the countries of the Soviet bloc. Each state from this bloc was now directly linked to the West and not to each other in the bloc.
Thus, the capitalist states of the West now became the leaders and guided and controlled the development of the region through various agencies and organisations. In the end, it can be said that this was not the best way to make a transition from Communism to Capitalism. Generally, it brought ruin to the economies and disaster for the people living in this part of the world.
