1 Marks Questions | 2 Marks Questions | 4 Marks Questions | 6 Marks Questions
1 Mark Questions
Question 1 : Highlight any one feature of the multi-polar world as visualized by both Russia and India.
Answer : A multi-polar world is characterised by the co-existence of multiple power centres in the international system, e.g. – USA, Russia, China, Japan, etc.
Question 2 : Which one of the following statements about the Berlin Wall is false?
(i) It symbolised the division between the capitalist and the communist world.
(ii) It was built immediately after the Second World War.
(iii) It was broken by the people on 9 November, 1989.
(iv) It marked the unification of the two parts of Germany.
Answer : (iv) It marked the unification of the two parts of Germany.
Question 3 : Which one of the following was NOT given primary by the makers of the Soviet system?
(i) Abolition of private property.
(ii) Society based on the principle of equality.
(iii) No opposition party to be allowed.
(iv) No state control over economy.
Answer : (iv) No state control over economy.
Question 4 : Define ‘Bipolarity’.
Answer : Bipolarity can be defined as a system of world order in which the majority of global economic, military and cultural influence is held between two states.
Question 5 : Highlight any one major distinction between the Soviet economy and the capitalist economy.
Answer : The Soviet system was based on the principles of equality and planned economy controlled by the state.
Whereas in capitalist economy, private ownership is dominant. Land and productive assets are owned and controlled by the capitalist.
Question 6 : Highlight any one consequence of ‘Shock Therapy’.
Answer : The Shock Therapy ruined the economy and people of the entire region. The large state-controlled industrial complex almost collapsed as about 90 per cent of its industries were put for sale.
Question 7 : How was the US benefitted by the Soviet disintegration?
Answer : The US benefitted by the Soviet disintegration due to economic crisis of the USSR. The Soviet Union used much of its resources in maintaining a nuclear and military arsenal and the development of its satellite states in Eastern Europe and within the Soviet system.
Question 8 : What is the new name of former USSR?
Answer : The new name of former USSR is ‘Russia’.
Question 9 : For how many years did the Civil War continue in Tajikistan? When did it come to an end?
Answer : The Civil War in Tajikistan continued for 10 years. It came to an end in 2001.
Question 10 : The transition from an authoritarian socialist system to democratic capitalism was influence by IMF and the World Bank. What was the transition known as?
Answer : The transition was called as ‘Shock Therapy’.
Question 11 : Which two republics of the USSR have had violent secessionist movement at the time of its disintegration?
Answer : Chechnya and Dagestan were the two republics of the USSR which have violent secessionist movements at the time of its disintegration.
Question 12 : As a result of ‘Shock Therapy’, to which economic system, each state of the Soviet bloc was gradually to be absorbed?
Answer : As a result of ‘Shock Therapy’ each state of the Soviet bloc was gradually to be absorbed in the capitalist system.
Question 13 : On which ideology was the Soviet political system based?
Answer : Soviet political system was based on ideology of socialism and communism.
Question 14 : Mention the name of the Eastern alliance led by the Soviet Union.
Answer : Warsaw Pact was the name of the Eastern alliance led by the Soviet Union.
2 Mark Questions
Question 1 : State any two features of the Soviet system.
Answer : The two features of the Soviet system were:
(i) The Soviet system was based on state welfarism where the state was engaged in mass production to meet the needs of the people.
(ii) The Communist Party of Soviet Union (CPSU) controlled the government and dominated the political decision-making.
Question 2 : What is meant by ‘Shock Therapy’?
Answer : The dissolution of the USSR was correlated with the downfall of communism in the countries which were members of the socialist bloc. These post-Soviet countries underwent a process of transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system. The model of transition came to be called as ‘Shock Therapy’. It was facilitated by the World Bank and IMF, the Bretton Woods institution.
Question 3 : Mention any two characteristics of the Soviet economy during the Cold War days.
Answer : Two characteristics of the Soviet economy during the cold war days were as follows:
(i) It had a complex communication network, vast energy resources including oil, iron and steel.
(ii) It had a domestic consumer industry that produced everything from pins to cars.
Question 4 : Why is it said that the collapse of Berlin Wall signified the collapse of the bipolar world?
Answer : The Berlin Wall was the hallmark of the Cold War. It symbolised the division between the capitalist and the communist world; a bipolar world. But, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, people on 9th November, 1989 broke the wall marking it as a symbol of unification of the East and the West Germany into a single country with Berlin as its capital. The fall of Berlin Wall was then followed by a line of events which marked the end of Cold War and more importantly collapse of the bipolar world.
Question 5 : List any two consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’.
Answer : Two consequences or the two negative effects of ‘Shock Therapy’ were
(i) It led to gradual dismantling of the state owned industrial sector.
(ii) It destroyed the old social welfare system of the state, pushing people to the margins of the economy.
Question 6 : Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate? Highlight any two arguments in support of your answer.
Answer : The USSR disintegrated because:
(i) The Soviet political and economic institutions had developed internal weakness which defied people’s aspirations and needs.
(ii) Complimenting the administrative stagnation, there was an economic stagnation which cut short the consumer demand and paved way for the market failure.
Question 7 : List any two differences between the socialist and communist parties.
Answer : Differences between socialist and communist parties are as follows.
| Socialist Party | Communist Party |
| Socialist party believes in gradual change while | Communist Party believes in radical and fundamental change. |
| Socialist party aims at improvement and reform in society while | Communist party aims at restructured of entire society |
4 Mark Questions
Question 1 : Describe any four consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’.
Answer : The term ‘Shock Therapy’ meant the transitional model from being a socialist country to a capitalist country influenced by the World Bank and the IMF.
Four consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’ were:
(i) ‘Shock Therapy’ proved to a real shock for the Soviet economy. It brought ruin to the communist economies and the people of the region.
(ii) It led to the collapse of the state controlled industrial units and high scale privatisation of the government enterprises and subsequent auctioning of the state owned industries which was called the ‘largest garage sale’ in world history.
(iii) The value of Russian currency. Ruble declined dramatically with soaring rate of inflation pushing people into poverty.
(iv) The old system of social welfare was pushed to ashes with government withdrawing subsides.
(v) It widened the gap between rich and poor. It further reinforced the economic divide.
Question 2 : Explain any two reasons for the disintegration of the USSR.
Answer : Factors responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Union were:
(i) The most important factor for the fall of the Soviet Union was lack of proper leadership. There was no clear cut line between the party and government as there was one political party which was wielding power.
(ii) Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of ‘Perestroika and ‘Glasnost’ proved to be disastrous for the economic health of the USSR.
(iii) Anti-communists forces of Soviet Union had the support of USA and Western European countries. Gorbachev due to his liberal policies did not try to uproot these forces.
(iv) No effort was ever made to create a socialist human being and a socialist culture.
Question 3 : Describe any four consequences of the disintegration of Soviet Union.
Answer : The consequences of the disintegration of Soviet Union were:
(i) The disintegration of the Soviet Union meant the end of the Cold War because the Cold War was the culmination of the rivalries between the USA and the USSR . Thus, Cold War confrontations were put to an end.
(ii) The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a dramatic change and upheaval in the power relations which had implications for world politics. The disintegration left open he world space to be dominated by the sole superpower called the USA or to have the dominance of several powers.
(iii) The Bretton Woods institutions like the World Bank and the international Monetary Fund became active players in the wake of developmental needs of the second world counties as they were borrowing money from World Bank and IMF.
(iv) The world saw the emergence of many new countries with their own independent aspirations.
(v) The Baltic states namely Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined the European Union and subsequently became members of the NATO.
(vi) Undoubtedly the significant consequence of the withering away of the USSR was the inauguration of the period of the US hegemony in which capitalists was pronounced as the winner because socialism had been dead.
6 Mark Questions
Question 1 : In what three ways did the collapse of the Soviet Union affect the world politics? Explain.
Answer : The consequences of the disintegration of Soviet Union were:
(i) The disintegration of the Soviet Union meant the end of the Cold War because the Cold War was the culmination of the rivalries between the USA and the USSR . Thus, Cold War confrontations were put to an end.
(ii) The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a dramatic change and upheaval in the power relations which had implications for world politics. The disintegration left open he world space to be dominated by the sole superpower called the USA or to have the dominance of several powers.
(iii) The Bretton Woods institutions like the World Bank and the international Monetary Fund became active players in the wake of developmental needs of the second world counties as they were borrowing money from World Bank and IMF.
(iv) The world saw the emergence of many new countries with their own independent aspirations.
(v) The Baltic states namely Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined the European Union and subsequently became members of the NATO.
(vi) Undoubtedly the significant consequence of the withering away of the USSR was the inauguration of the period of the US hegemony in which capitalists was pronounced as the winner because socialism had been dead.
Question 2 : Highlight any three positive and three negative features each of the Soviet system in the Soviet Union.
Answer : The three positive features of the Soviet system were:
(i) The Soviet economy was more developed than the rest of the world except the US. It had a complex communication network, vast energy resources, machinery production and a transport system that connected its remotest areas.
(ii) A minimum standard of living for all citizens was ensured by the Soviet state and the government subsidised basic necessities including health, education, child care and other welfare schemes.
(iii) State ownership was given more importance. Land and productive assets were owned and controlled by the Soviet state.
The three negative features of the Soviet system were:
(i) The Soviet system was very bureaucratized and authoritarian in nature. It turned the life of the people into disorder. Authoritarianism meant the absence of democracy and freedom of speech which angered the people.
(ii) Soviet economy witnessed economic stagnation for a long time which led to the market failure, when demand failed to meet supply in the market for consumer goods.
(iii) State treasury had spent a huge fortune on building and maintaining nuclear arsenals and in developing its satellite states in East Europe and within the Soviet system. It turned into a large economic burden for the Soviet system.
Question 3 : How did the Soviet Union suddenly disintegrate? Explain any six reasons.
Answer : Following are the reasons for the disintegration of the USSR:
(i) Leadership crisis : It was the most important cause for the disintegration of the Soviet Union. There was no clear cut line between the party and government as there was one political party which was wielding power. The leader of the Communist Party of Soviet Union (CPSU) was placed at the helm of affairs of the government/state. The CPSU managed to impress people for a substantial period.
However, later on, the leadership of the CPSU lost its sheen owning to corruption and simultaneously lost people’s confidence.
(ii) Gorbachev’s policies : Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of Perestroika and Glasnost proved to be disastrous for the economic health of the USSR. He did not create conducive conditions for the implementation of the twin policies. Gorbachev ignored the presence of anti communist forces and did not try to uproot them from the Soviet Union.
(iii) Anti-communist elements had reached at its peak : Gorbachev’s ignorance and his liberal outlook in turn strengthened the anti-communal forces in Eastern Europe. Consequently, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary , Poland, Bulgaria and East Germany witnessed the downfall of the communist regimes. These sudden developments paved way for the disintegration of the USSR.
(iv) Economic stagnation : The Soviet economy remained stagnant for many years which led to severe consumer shortages. Much of the resources were used in maintaining a nuclear and military arsenal and the development of its satellite states.
(v) Stagnant administration : The administration and political system of Soviet Union became stagnant. The Communist Party that ruled the Soviet Union for over 70 years was not accountable to the people.
Rampant corruption, unwillingness to allow more openness its government led to the collapse of the system.
(vi) Rise of nationalism and desires : 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.
Question 4 : Describe the role of Gorbachev to reform the Soviet System and the effects of these reforms on the USSR.
Answer : Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1985. He initiated reforms in the Soviet system and tried to normalise relations with the West. He also tried democratise and reform the Soviet Union.
Some of the reforms initiated by Gorbachev are :
(i) He introduced economic and political reform policies of ‘Perestroika’ (restructuring) and ‘glasnost’ (openess).
(ii) He stopped the arms race with the US by signing a part to control over nuclear weapons.
(iii) He withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan and Eastern Europe.
(iv) He helped in the unification of Germany.
The reforms initiated by Gorbachev had following effects on the USSR:
(i) Common people became impatient to bring openness and restructuring of system more faster than these were scheduled in the policy of Perestroika and Glasnost.
(ii) Bureaucrats and communist hardliners did not want to adopt these policies, they felt their powers and luxuries would reduce.
(iii) As a result, Gorbachev had to suffer and subsequently he resigned and a coup took place in 1991 in which Communist Party hardliners were on one side and the staunch supporter of restructuring on the other.
(iv) Gorbachev’s reform policy geared up nationalistic feelings and the desire for sovereignty with these republics including Russia and Baltic Republics.
(v) People preferred capitalist economy over the centralised economy under which they were suffering.
Question 5 : Describe the factors that make most of the former Soviet Republics prone to conflicts and threats.
Answer : The present day conflicts which the post-Soviet republic are confronted with can be traced to the old days when the USSR had existed. With the downfall of the USSR, Russia had experienced high levels of ethnic conflicts pertaining to exit claims by former satellite states that rose against the idea of federation. Exit claims antagonised the state leading to a clash between the interest of the centre and the constituent states resulting in massive human right violations in Chechnya and in other regions.
The three factors that make most of the former soviet republics prone to conflicts and threats are:
(i) Chechenya conflict : Chechenya conflict which began in 1994 has led to the demand for independence. It has been the bone of contention between separatists and the Government of Russia for decades. Russia has been criticised for its actions which led to mass killing of the people in Chechenya.
(ii) Tajikistan conflict : Tajikistan also experienced a decade long Civil War fuelled primarily by a clash between ethnic groups. It ended in 2001. The cause of the Civil War lies in the period after the end of the Cold War where legitimacy crisis erupted after presidential elections in Tajikistan. It took the form of a Civil War.
(iii) Georgia conflict : Like the other post Soviet states, Georgia also fell prey to the internal conflicts and instability which had accumulated since the days of the Soviet Union. Declaring independence, Georgia witnessed two gruesome conflicts in the country. These conflicts proved to be painful for the country as it created divided societies following divergent interests.
Question 6 : If the Soviet Union had not disintegrated and the world had remained bipolar, how would that situation have affected the world politics?
Answer : If the Soviet Union had not disintegrated, it would have affected the world politics in the following manner:
(i) The USA would not have become so powerful and its hegemony would not have been established. It would not be interfering in the world affairs more unilaterally.
(ii) The world would have headed towards a Third World War if there was no disintegration of USSR. The war would have been more devastating and destructive.
(iii) The disintegration of USSR led to the independence of many countries which were part of erstwhile USSR. This would have not been possible without the disintegration.
(iv) After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, USA’s position in the UNO also became very strong. Almost all the decisions in UNO were taken under the influence of USA. This situation could have been different if there was no collapse of USSR.
(v) Most of the former Soviet Republics which are passing through conflicts and Civil Wars, would not have gone through this agony.
(vi) Accumulation of nuclear weapons would have continued endlessly.
Question 7 : What was the Soviet system? Assess any four features of the Soviet system.
Answer : The Soviet system was based on the critique of capitalism which declared that capitalism unavoidingly leads never ending impoverishment and exploitation of the masses. It stresses that capitalism can never equate itself with mass production for the satisfaction of human needs.
The Soviet system was largely pro-poor in orientation with social policies aimed at welfare of the masses. The Soviet system was constituted after the Russian Revolution of 1917, based on equality and planned economy.
Four features of the Soviet system are:
(i) In Soviet system, state was accorded an important role. State was the saviour of the masses.
(ii) The Soviet system was an outcome of the socialist doctrine which seeks to create an egalitarian society.
(iii) The Soviet system’s economy was planned and controlled by the state. There were no private enterprise or industries.
(iv) The Soviet political system gave primacy to the Communist Party with no scope for opposition in politics. It was a sign of authoritarianism.
Question 8 : Explain any six factors that forced Gorbachev to initiate reforms in the Soviet Union.
Answer : The six factors the factors Gorbachev to initiate reforms in the Soviet Union were:
(i) The most important factor was to keep the USSR well aware of the revolutions taking place in the field of information and technology in the West. Gorbachev was well aware about the standard of technology in USSR.
(ii) Gorbachev wanted to make USSR an advanced country which could catch up with or outpace the Western countries particularly the US. It was step for democratisation.
(iii) Gorbachev was a liberal in his outlook. He favored normalisation of ties of the USSR with the rest of the world. Among his top priorities was for forge better relations with the Western countries.
(iv) Gorbachev faced administrative stagnation in the Soviet system because of lack of democracy coupled with mounting corruption.
(v) Gorbachev derived his motivation for reforms in the need to address the legacy of the economic, social and political stagnation which took shape in the regime of Brezhnev. They marked economic decline of the decade 1976-1985 challenged the military and political supremacy of the USSR.
(vi) Foreign policy complications aided by Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 compelled Gorbachev to reinvigorate the Soviet command economy to usher in the ear of economic prosperity.
Question 9 : ‘Although India has maintained good relations with all the post-communist countries, yet the strongest relations are still between India and Russia?” Explain the statement with any three suitable arguments.
Answer : India has maintained good relations with all the Post-Communist countries but it has the strongest relation with Russia which continues till date. Following are some arguments to support the statement.
(i) Indo-Russia relation is an important segment of India’s foreign policy. The relation between these two countries are embedded in a history of trust and common interests and are matched by popular perceptions. Bollywood personalities are common names in Russia.
(ii) Both the countries share a vision of multipolar world order. A multipopular world order. A multipopluar world is the co-existence of several powers in the international system, collective security, greater regionalism, negotiated settlements of international conflicts, an independent foreign policy for all countries and decision-making through bodies like the UN.
(iii) From this relationship India gets benefits on issues like Kashmir, energy supplies, sharing information on international terrorism, access to Central Asia and balancing its relations with China. On the other hand, Russia stands to benefit from this relationship because India is the second largest arms market for Russia. The India military gets most of tis hardware from Russia.
(iv) Russia is vital for India as it has repeatedly come to the assistance of India during tis oil crisis. India is trying to increase its energy imports from Russia and the republics of Kazakistan and Turkmenistan.
(v) Apart form this, Russia is important for India’s nuclear energy plants and assisted India’s space industry. For example, Russia has provided the cryogenic rocket when India needed it.
Due to the above reasons, Russia is considered an important aspect of India’s foreign policy?
Question 10 : What is meant by ‘Shock therapy’? Assess its consequences on the Post-Communist regimes?
Answer : This question has been answered previosly.
Question 11 : Examine India’s relationship with the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Answer : India and the former Soviet Union enjoyed a very cordial relationship during the Cold War. The relation between the two was a multi-dimension relationship.
(i) Economic relation : During the Cold War Era, India’s public sector companies were assisted by the Soviet Union. It gave aid and technical assistance for steel plants like Bhilai, Bokaro, Visakhapatnam as well as machinery plants like Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited etc.
Apart form this, the Soviet Union accepted the Indian currency for trade when India was short of foreign exchange.
(ii) Political relation : On political front, the Soviet Union has supported India in UN over the Kashmir issue. India got support from the Soviet Union during major conflicts especially during the war with Pakistan in 1971.
The Soviet Union on the other hand also got indirect support from India for its foreign policy.
(iii) Defence relation : India received its military hardware from the Soviet Union when other countries were not willing to part with military technologies.
(iv) Culture : In Soviet Union, Hindi films and India culture were very popular. This has been proved as many prominent India writers and artists paid a visit to the USSR.
Question 12 : ‘India and the USSR enjoyed a special relationship during the Cold War, which led critics to say that India was a part for the Soviet camp.’ Do you agree? Support your answer with any two arguments.
Answer : Yes, the special relationship between India and USSR reflected this.
First, India’s Non-Alignment was said to be ‘unprincipled’. In the name of pursuing its national interest. India, it was said, often refused to take stand on crucial international issues.
Second, it is suggested that India was inconsistent and took contradictory postures. Having criticised others for joining alliances, India signed the Treaty of Friendship in August 1971 with the USSR for 20 years.
This was regarded, particular by outside observers, as virtually joining the Soviet alliance system. However the India Government’s view was that India needed diplomatic and possibly military support during the Bangladesh crisis and that in any case the treaty did not stop India from having good relations with other countries including the US.
Question 13 : Examine any six characteristics of the Soviet System during the 1971-1991.
Answer : The USSR contained 15 constituent republics, it was formed on 30th December, 1924 with the adoption of a federal Constitution. It was the largest country in terms of area.
Following are its six characteristics in the time period of 20 years.
(i) The USSR was federation only on a paper. In reality it did not embrace the features of a federal system. The fifteen republics were denied authority and there was centralisation of power around Russia.
(ii) The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) controlled the government and dominated the political decision-making. It strengthened the principle of democratic centralism which meant lack of dissent on the decisions of the upper party bodies. Thus, single party system was the norm.
(iii) The most coloured feature of the Soviet system was the propagation of socialism to oppose of the effects of capitalism, though later on it was abandoned (Shock Therapy).
(iv) The Soviet economy was state owned and state planned where state was the owner of the means of production thus, there was absence of private property.
(v) The Soviet system was characterised by a complex communication network with vast energy resources like oil, iron and steel. The state has a vast network of transportation to manufacture or transport goods to remotest areas.
(vi) The Soviet system was based on state welfarism where the state was engaged in mass production to meet the needs of the people.