1. (A) Choose the correct option from the given options and complete the statements.
(1) A system of independent and sovereign States –
(a) Political system
(b) International system
(c) Social system
(d) None of these
Answer.
(b) International system
(2) The main responsibility of the United Nations –
(a) to avoid war
(b) independence of colonies
(c) improving the economics of different nations
(d) disarmament
Answer.
(a) to avoid war
(3) The Cold War ended with this event
(a) Establishment of the United Nations
(b) Disintergration of the Soviet Russia
(c) Creation of Military Organisations
(d) Cuban Missile Crisis
Answer.
(b) Disintegration of the Soviet Union
2. State whether the following statements are true or false. Give reasons for your answer.
(1) The League of Nations was established after the First World War.
Answer.
True.
- At the end of the First World War, all the nations felt that such a war should not happen again and some measures need to be taken to achieve that end.
- An international organisation called the League of Nations was established out of this thinking.
- It became an important platform to solve international disputes and carry out negotiations.
- The main responsibility of the League of Nations was understood to be to avoid war.
(2) The world became unipolar due to the Cold War.
Answer.
False.
- During the Cold War, most countries of the world joined either of the two super power blocs (USA or USSR).
- Such a division of the nations of the world in two groups is bipolarisation.
(3) The policies of Mikhail Gorbachev gave an impetus to democratisation.
Answer.
True.
- The Soviet Union adopted the policy of opening up the economy. The state loosened up its control of the economy.
- The then President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev implemented the policies of Perestroika (Restructuring) and Glasnost (Openness).
- Due to these policies, the control over the media reduced.
- Important changes took place in political and economic spheres, i.e. these spheres, were restructured. This gave impetus to democracy.
3. Explain the following concepts.
(1) Cold War
Answer.
(i) America and the Soviet Union, who were allies in the Second World War became competitors, as soon as the war was over.
(ii) The cooperation between them gave way to rivalry. This rivalry occupied a period of 40-45 years of international politics
(iii) There was no open war between these two countries; but there was such tension in their relations, that it seemed that a war would erupt any time.
(iv) The concept of Cold War is used to describe the condition where there is no actual war, but there are such tensions in the circumstances, that they may be responsible to cause war.
(v) In this period, America was already a super power, but the Soviet Union also tried to become a super power by making nuclear weapons and by increasing its military might.
(vi) The struggle for power, arms race, differences in ideologies, attitude of checkmating each other by strategies and counter-strategies gave rise to the Cold War.
(2) Non-alignment
Answer.
(i) In the period of the Cold War, while the world was becoming bipolar, there were some countries which did not want to join the super power rivalry. Such nations decided to stay out of the cold war rivalry. Their policy is known as non-alignment.
(ii) The Asian and African countries, which became independent after the Second World War supported the idea of non-alignment.
(iii) This movement started from 1961 under the leadership of India’s Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, President of Yugoslavia Marshall Tito, President of Egypt Gamal Abdal Nasser, President of Indonesia Dr. Sukarno and Prime Minister of Ghana Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
(iv) The non-aligned Movement has opposed colonialism, imperialism and racism. It has encouraged the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means.
(v) India led this movement under the guidance of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. India continued to actively support the movement afterwards as well.
(vi) Even after the end of the Cold War, the importance of the movement has not reduced. The non-aligned movement is based on eternal principles of humanism, global peace and equality.
(vii) It has inspired the less developed countries to come together. It has encouraged the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means.
(viii) While taking a firm stand on disarmament, fostering human rights, the non-aligned movement put forth the problems of poor, undeveloped countries firmly. This movement made a demand of a New International Economic Order (NIEO).
(3) Interdependence
Answer.
(i) All the countries of the world are dependent on each other for one reason or the other. However big, prosperous or developed a nation may be, it can never be self-sufficient to fulfill all its needs.
(ii) Even big nations have to depend upon other big and small nations. Thus, interdependence is an important feature of the international system, i.e. today’s global system.
(4) Bipolarisation
Answer.
During the Cold War, most countries of the world joined either of the two super power blocks. Such a division of the nations of the world in two groups is bipolarisation.
(5) Globalisation
Answer.
(i) After the end of the Cold War, trade and economic relations between countries became more open. As it has been mentioned before, capital, labour, markets and information began circulating globally.
(ii) The give and take of ideas among people all over the world grew.
(iii) Due to the revolution in information technology, different events and developments began to be known everywhere.
(iv) The boundaries between nations did not remain as sacrosanct as they were before. All these processes are together called globalisation.
(v) Just as globalisation has brought us benefits, it has also caused losses. For example, as the economies of different countries got linked with each other, trade increased, economic unification grew, plenty of products became available in the markets; but (at the same time) the gap between the poor and rich nations did not reduce.
4. Write brief answers.
(1) Compare the First World War and the Second World War with the help of the following points :
Answer.
| Points | First World War | Second World War |
| (1) Period | 1914-1918 | 1939 -1945 |
| (2) Involved nations | Allied Powers – Britain, France, Russia, Italy, America Central Powers – Germany, Austria, Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria | Allied Powers – Britain, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, Soviet Union, China, America Axis powers – Germany, Japan, Italy |
| (3) Impacts (Political and Economic) | (i) Earlier empires in Europe collapsed and new nations came into being. | (i) Beginning of Cold War |
| (ii) Independence movements in European colonies changed hegemony of European Nations. | (ii) Destruction of public property on larger scale due to use of nuclear weapons | |
| (iii) League of nations was established. | ||
| (iv) Autocratic regime came up in Germany, Spain, Italy and other countries. | ||
| (v) Destruction of public property. | ||
| (4) International Organisations established after the War | League of Nations | United Nations Organisation |
(2) What were the factors responsible for the end of Cold War ?
Answer.
The factors responsible for the end of Cold War are:
(i) The Soviet Union adopted the policy of opening up the economy. The State loosened up its control of the economy.
(ii) The then President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev implemented the policies of Perestroika (Restructuring) and Glasnost (Openness). Due to these policies, the control over the media reduced.
(iii) As the East European countries under the influence of the Soviet Union adopted the capitalist and democratic paths, the Soviet Union disintegrated and several new nations were created out of it.
(3) What major changes occured in global politics after the end of the Cold War ?
Answer.
(i) Major changes took place in world politics after the end of the Cold War. For example, America remained the only super power in world politics.
(ii) A conducive atmosphere prevailed for the growth in trade and economic relations between and among nations.
(iii) As all nations of the world decided to give priority to trade relations, the idea of giving ‘aid’ to other nations fell behind.
(iv) The United Nations now had to take more concrete steps to maintain global peace and security.
(v) Environmental protection, fostering of human rights, gender equality and management of natural calamities now acquired a global dimension.
