The End of Bipolarity – CBSE Class 12 Political Science One Liner Notes | NCERT Chapter 2
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NCERT Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity Class 12 for CBSE
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Class 12 Political Science – Chapter 2 End of Bipolarity One Liner Notes
1. The Berlin Wall
• The Berlin Wall symbolized the division between the Eastern and Western camps.
• Built in 1961, it separated East and West Berlin.
• On 9 November 1989, the people tore it down.
• It stood for 28 years and was 150 km long.
2. The Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)
• Formed after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
• Known as the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (U.S.S.R.).
• Composed of 15 republics:
Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.
• Built on socialist and communist ideology for the welfare of the poor.
3. The Soviet System
• A system of centralized planning, state control, and Communist Party dominance.
• Aimed to create an egalitarian society.
Features of the Soviet System:
I. Opposition to capitalism, inspired by socialism.
II. Planned economy.
III. Communist Party dominance.
IV. Minimum standard of living guaranteed; no unemployment.
V. Advanced communication system.
VI. State ownership of property.
VII. State control over means of production.
4. Difference Between Soviet & American Economy
Soviet Economy - American Economy
Completely controlled by the state - Minimal state interference
Planned economy - Free-market economy
No private capital - Private property encouraged
Inspired by socialism - Based on profit-maximisation (capitalism)
State controlled means of production - Market controlled means of production
5. Mikhail Gorbachev
• In the 1980s, introduced reforms:
I. Perestroika (restructuring)
II. Glasnost (openness)
• Aimed at political reforms and democratization.
6. Dissolution of the Soviet Union
• In 1991, under Boris Yeltsin, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declared the end of the USSR.
• Formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
• Emergence of 15 new countries.
7. Shortcomings of Communist Rule
• Communist Party ruled for 70 years without accountability.
• Centralized system led to inefficiency.
• Widespread corruption.
• Power slipping from the Communist Party.
• Leaders became authoritarian.
• Party officials enjoyed privileges over common citizens.
8. Causes of Disintegration
1. Failure to meet political and economic aspirations.
2. Heavy bureaucracy.
3. Bad governance by Communist Party.
4. Excessive spending in Eastern Europe.
5. Misleading claims of development.
6. Huge investment in nuclear weapons.
7. Backward in technology and infrastructure compared to the West.
8. Russian dominance within the USSR.
9. Opposition to Gorbachev’s reforms.
10. Economic stagnation and shortage of consumer goods.
11. Rise of nationalism and demand for sovereignty.
12. Authoritarian system – no accountability.
9. Consequences of Disintegration
• End of Cold War.
• Emergence of a unipolar world dominated by the USA.
• End of arms race.
• Rise of 15 new countries.
• Institutions like World Bank and IMF became more powerful.
• Russia became successor of USSR.
• Shift in power relations worldwide.
• Question mark on socialism; dominance of capitalist democracy.
• Shock Therapy introduced.
• Importance of liberal democracy increased.
Timeline of the Disintegration of the Soviet Union
• March 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).
1. Appoints Boris Yeltsin as head of the Communist Party in Moscow.
2. Initiates reforms in the USSR.
• June 1988 – Independence movement starts in Lithuania, later spreads to Estonia and Latvia.
• October 1989 – USSR declares that Warsaw Pact members are free to choose their own futures.
• November 1989 – Berlin Wall falls, symbolizing the collapse of Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
• February 1990 – Gorbachev ends the 72-year monopoly of the Communist Party by introducing multi-party politics in the Soviet parliament (Duma).
• March 1990 – Lithuania becomes the first Soviet republic to declare independence.
• June 1990 – Russian parliament declares independence from the Soviet Union.
• June 1991 – Boris Yeltsin (no longer in the Communist Party) elected as President of Russia.
• August 1991 – Hardliners within the Communist Party attempt a coup against Gorbachev (failed coup).
• September 1991 – The three Baltic republics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) become members of the United Nations. (They later join NATO in March 2004).
• December 1991 –
1. Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine annul the 1922 Treaty of the USSR and form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
2. Later joined by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (Georgia joins in 1993).
3. Russia takes over the USSR seat in the United Nations.
• December 25, 1991 – Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union. Official end of the USSR.
10. Impact on Developing Countries (like India)
• Greater US influence in domestic politics.
• Decline of communist ideology.
• US dominance over IMF and World Bank.
• Entry of MNCs into India and other developing countries.
11. A Unipolar World
• After 1991, USA emerged as the sole superpower.
• No country strong enough to challenge it.
• Capitalism became dominant as socialism declined.
• US military and technology superior.
• Dominated world organizations like IMF and World Bank.
• US culture (jeans, Coke, Pepsi, etc.) spread worldwide.
12. The Price of the Arms Race
• USSR gave strong competition to the US in arms.
• But lagged behind in technology, infrastructure, productivity, and quality.
13. Shock Therapy
• Transition from communism to capitalism under IMF & World Bank guidance.
• Introduced in Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Features:
• Privatisation of state wealth.
• Collective farms turned into private farms.
• Adoption of capitalist farming.
• Free trade system.
• Currency convertibility.
• Closer ties with Western economies.
• No alternative system allowed except capitalism.
Consequences:
• Industrial collapse in Russia.
• Ruble currency declined.
• End of welfare system.
• Widespread poverty.
• 90% of industries sold cheaply (“largest garage sale in history”).
• Inequality increased.
• Food crisis.
• Rise of mafia.
• Gap between rich and poor widened.
• Weak parliament, authoritarian president’s rule.
14. Areas of Conflict After Disintegration
• Many former Soviet republics became conflict-prone.
• External interference increased.
• Separatist movements in Chechnya and Dagestan.
• Czechoslovakia split into Czech Republic and Slovakia.
15. Arab Spring
• In the 21st century, protests for democracy began in West Asia.
• Started in Tunisia (2010) with the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi.
Methods of Protest: Strikes, sit-ins, marches, rallies.
Reasons: Public discontent, poverty, dictatorship, human rights violations, unemployment, corruption.
16. Balkan Region
• Yugoslavia split into provinces due to civil war.
• Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia declared independence.
17. Baltic Region
• Lithuania declared independence in 1990.
• Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined the UN in 1991 and NATO in 2004.
18. Central Asia
• Tajikistan faced a civil war for 10 years till 2001.
• Conflicts in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia.
• Region rich in oil and gas → foreign powers and companies intervened.
19. Former Communist Countries and India
• India maintains strong relations, especially with Russia.
• Both support a multipolar world.
• Share values: coexistence, collective security, sovereignty, democracy, strong UN.
• 2001: India and Russia signed 80 agreements, including defence.
• India imports oil, defence equipment, and space/nuclear technology from Russia.
• Expanding energy ties with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
• 2016 BRICS Summit (Goa): PM Modi and President Putin strengthened ties in defence, energy, and space cooperation.
NCERT Class 12 Political Science Chapter: The End of Bipolarity – Questions and Answers
1. Which among the following statements that describe the nature of Soviet economy is wrong?
(a) Socialism was the dominant ideology.
(b) State ownership/control existed over the factors of production.
(c) People enjoyed economic freedom.
(d) Every aspect of the economy was planned and contained by the state.
Answer: (c) People enjoyed economic freedom.
2. Arrange the following in chronological order:
(a) Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
(b) Fall of the Berlin Wall
(c) Disintegration of Soviet Union
(d) Russian Revolution
Answer: I. (d) Russian Revolution (1917)
II. (a) Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979)
III. (b) Fall of the Berlin Wall (Nov 1989)
IV. (c) Disintegration of Soviet Union
3. Which among the following is NOT an outcome of the disintegration of the USSR?
(a) End of the ideological war between the US and USSR
(b) Birth of CIS
(c) Change in the balance of power in the world order
(d) Crises in the Middle East
Answer: (d) Crises in the Middle EastEducational EbooksScience textbooks
4. Match the following:
i. Mikhail Gorbachev a. Successor of USSR
ii. Shock Therapy b. Military pact
iii. Russia c. Introduced reforms
iv. Boris Yeltsin d. Economic model
v. Warsaw e. President of Russia
Answer: (i)-(c); (ii)-(d); (iti)-(a); (iv)-(e); (v)-(b)
5. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The Soviet Political System was based on ___________ideology.
(b) __________was the military alliance started by the USSR.
(c) ____________ party dominated the Soviet Union’s political system.
(d) initiated the reforms_________________in the USSR in 1985.
(e) The fall of the _______________symbolised the end of the Cold War.
Answer: (a) socialist (b) Warsaw Pact (c) Communist (d) Gorbachev (e) Berlin wall
6. Mention any three features that distinguish the Soviet economy from that of a capitalist country like the US.
Answer:
The Soviet economy had several unique features that separated it from a capitalist economy like that of the United States:
a) The Soviet Union followed a state-controlled system where all land and productive assets were owned and managed by the government, unlike the US where private ownership dominated.
b) It guaranteed employment and social security—there was practically no unemployment, and the state provided free or heavily subsidised education, healthcare, and welfare benefits.
c) The economy was focused on self-sufficiency, producing everything domestically from basic goods to heavy machinery, though often at the cost of lower quality compared to Western products.
7. What were the factors that forced Gorbachev to initiate the reforms in the USSR?
Answer:
Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms in the USSR due to the following reasons:
a) The Soviet economy was stagnating and needed modernisation to keep pace with Western countries, especially in the fields of technology and information.
b) The Cold War had created tensions; hence, improving relations with the West became necessary.
c) The rigid and centralised administrative system was unpopular, and Gorbachev wanted to introduce elements of democracy and transparency.
d) Citizens were frustrated with privilege-based governance, so reforms were aimed at giving people a greater voice in political and social life.
8. What were the major consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union for countries like India?
Answer:
The collapse of the USSR had far-reaching effects on India, such as:
a) It marked the end of the Cold War and reduced the ideological rivalry between capitalism and socialism.
b) Military alliances dissolved, and there was a greater global push for peace and security.
c) The world moved towards a unipolar system with the US as the sole superpower, while multilateral platforms like NAM lost some influence.
d) International financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF gained prominence, encouraging economic liberalisation.
e) Democracy and free-market policies became widely accepted as global norms.
f) Several new independent countries emerged from the former USSR, each pursuing its own foreign and economic policies.
g) Eastern European and Baltic nations gravitated towards the European Union and NATO, while Central Asian states developed ties with Russia, China, and the West.
9. What was Shock Therapy? Was this the best way to make a transition from communism to capitalism?
Answer:
Shock Therapy was the rapid shift from a socialist, state-controlled economy to a capitalist, free-market system, implemented in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia under the influence of the IMF and World Bank.
This approach, however, created serious problems:
a) Large state industries were sold off at extremely low prices, leading to the near collapse of the industrial sector.
b) It dismantled the social welfare system, leaving people without healthcare, subsidies, or job security.
c) Hyperinflation led to the steep fall of the ruble, and Russia’s GDP dropped sharply in the 1990s.
d) Poverty increased as subsidies were removed, and economic mafias gained control over many activities.
e) Inequality widened—while a few became very rich, most citizens struggled with unemployment and declining living standards.
Hence, Shock Therapy was not the best method of transition, as it caused economic hardship and instability instead of gradual progress.
10. Write an essay for or against the proposition: “With the disintegration of the second world, India should change its foreign policy and focus more on friendship with the US rather than with traditional friends like Russia.”
Answer:
India should not abandon its long-standing partnership with Russia in favour of only focusing on the US. Instead, it should maintain balanced relations with both. Reasons include:
a) India and Russia share a common vision of a multipolar world, supporting collective security and a stronger role for international institutions like the UN.
b) Over the years, more than 80 agreements have been signed, strengthening the Indo-Russia Strategic Partnership (2001).
c) Russia has consistently supported India on crucial issues like Kashmir, terrorism, and regional balance against China.
d) India depends on Russia for defence equipment, energy cooperation, and space technology (e.g., cryogenic engines).
e) Russian republics such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have partnered with India in oil and energy sectors.
f) India is Russia’s second-largest arms market, and military cooperation remains a cornerstone of the relationship.
g) Both nations also collaborate in scientific and technological fields, further deepening trust.
Thus, India should pursue a multi-alignment strategy—strengthening ties with the US while preserving its historical and strategic friendship with Russia.
