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Class 12 Political Science Chapter 2
The End of Bipolarity
Notes

Here we are providing notes of the first chapter of class 12 political science “The End of Bipolarity”. This chapter covers the main features of Soviet Union.

These notes will be useful for students who are preparing for board exams this year. This material prepared in simple and systematic language will help in revising the chapter quickly and remembering the main points.

Soviet System

After the socialist revolution of 1917 in Russia, the Socialist Soviet Republic (U.S.S.R.) was formed. Its objective was to establish an egalitarian society, in which capitalism and private property were to be abolished and a society based on equality was to be created. This system was called the Soviet system.

Features of the Soviet system

(i) State ownership of property:- The institution of private property was abolished and it was placed under the complete jurisdiction of the state. The state got control over land and production.

(ii) Distribution system – The distribution system was also in the hands of the government where citizens got basic necessities like health facilities, education and public welfare things on the basis of the principle of equality. (iii)

(iii) Priority to the institutions of the state and the party:- The makers of the Soviet system gave priority and importance to the institutions of the state and the party. The Soviet economy was under the control of the planned state.

(iv) Economy and resources:- The economy of the Soviet Union was much more advanced than the world. There were huge energy resources like mineral oil, iron-steel etc.

(v) The communication system of the Soviet Union was very advanced.

The main reasons for the disintegration of the Soviet Union

  1. Citizens’ aspirations not being fulfilled.
  2. Bureaucracy’s grip on the Soviet system.
  3. Communist party’s control on politics.
  4. Maximum use of resources in increasing the number of nuclear weapons.
  5. Lagging behind western countries in technology and infrastructure.
  6. Russia’s dominance.
  7. Opposition to reforms done by Gorbachev.
  8. Stagnation of economy and shortage of consumer goods.
  9. Rise of nationalist sentiments and desire for sovereignty.
  10. Soviet system being authoritarian.
  11. Communist party not being accountable to the public.

Consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union

  1. The Cold War conflict ended.
  2. Rise of a unipolar world i.e. American supremacy.
  3. End of the arms race.
  4. End of the Soviet bloc and the emergence of 15 new countries.
  5. Russia became the successor of the Soviet Union.
  6. Change in power relations in world politics.
  7. Socialist ideology was questioned.
  8. Dominance of the capitalist liberal system.

Shock Therapy

Shock therapy literally means treatment by giving shock. After the collapse of communism, the republics of the former Soviet Union went through a painful transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system. In Russia, the republics of Central Asia and the countries of Eastern Europe, a specific model of transition to capitalism was adopted which was called shock therapy. This model was guided by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Features of shock therapy

  1. The main form of ownership is private ownership.
  2. Privatisation of state property.

  3. Private farms in place of collective farms.

  4. Adoption of free trade system.

  5. Mutual convertibility of currencies.

  6. Connection with the economic system of western countries.

  7. No alternative system other than capitalism was accepted.

Consequences of shock therapy

  1. Russia’s industrial structure collapsed.
  2. The economic results were not favorable.
  3. The Russian currency ruble fell drastically.
  4. The end of the old system of social welfare.
  5. The world’s largest garage sale. (90% of the industries were sold to private hands at throw-away prices.)
  6. Increase in economic inequality.
  7. Food crisis.
  8. Rise of the mafia class.
  9. Weak parliament and more power to the president due to lack of democratic institutions, which led to the rise of authoritarian nationalist presidential rule.

Areas of conflict and tension

Most of the republics of the former Soviet Union remained conflict-prone areas and the interference of outside powers also increased in these countries. Violent separatist movements took place in two republics of Russia, Chechnya and Dagestan. In Eastern Europe, Czechoslovakia was divided into two parts, Czech and Slovakia.

Balkan Region

The Balkan republic of Yugoslavia was split into several provinces due to civil war, of which Volgograd, Slovenia and Croatia declared themselves independent.

Baltic Region

Lithuania in the Baltic region declared itself independent in March 1990. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became members of the United Nations in 1991 and joined NATO in 2004.

Central Asia

  1. The civil war in the Central Asian country Tajikistan continued for 10 years i.e. till 2001. There is also a situation of civil war in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.
  2. The Central Asian republics have huge reserves of petrol. For this reason, this region has also become an arena for competition between external forces and oil companies.

India's relations with Russia and other former communist countries

  1. India has good relations with former communist countries, and especially strong relations with Russia.
  2. Both Russia and India dream of a multipolar world.
  3. Both countries believe in coexistence, collective security, regional sovereignty, independent foreign policy, resolution of international disputes through dialogue, strengthening of the United Nations and democracy.
  4. In 2001, 80 bilateral agreements were signed between India and Russia.
  5. India is a big buyer of Russian weapons.
  6. Oil is imported from Russia.
  7. Russia helps in nuclear and space projects.
  8. Efforts have been made to increase energy imports with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
  9. Indian artists are especially liked in Uzbekistan.

Why is the fall of the Berlin Wall considered a symbol of the collapse of the bipolar world?

During the period of bipolarity, Germany was divided into two parts. East Germany was a part of the Warsaw Bloc of the Soviet Union and West Germany was a part of the NATO Bloc of the United States. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was the first incident when a country divided into two blocs was tied in the thread of reunification. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States remained the single super power in the world.

Mikhail Gorbachev and his reform policies and their effects

  1. Mikhail Gorbachev was a Russian and Soviet politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union. Ideologically, Gorbachev initially followed Marxism-Leninism, but moved towards social democracy in the early 1990s.
  2. Gorbachev was made General Secretary in 1980. Gorbachev tried to reform the law of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the public was opposing socialism. Communist governments were being criticized in the world. People stopped working, which led to a decrease in production, which led to a shortage of goods. At this time, inflation was at its peak. People were demanding their rights. That is why Gorbachev wanted to reform the Soviet system.

Gorbachev’s reform policy was to strengthen the Soviet Union.

That policy is as follows:-

(1) Perestroika (restructuring)

  1. Wanted to make political reforms.
  2. Right to separate from Warsaw Pact.
  3. Right of all countries to make foreign policy according to their needs.
  4. Right to separate from the Union.

(2) Glasnost (openness)

(i) The press was taken out of the control of the state.

(ⅱ) Freedom was given to form political parties.

(iii) People were given the right to freedom.

(iv) State control over the economy was reduced a little.

Some effects of the above written policies can also be seen, which are as follows:-

  1. Communism gradually weakened in Europe.
  2. The Soviet Union completely disintegrated in 1991.
  3. Democracy gradually strengthened in communist countries.
  4. In socialist ideology, apart from the right to equality, other fundamental rights also started being given importance.
  5. The influence of capitalist ideas started appearing in the economy of communist countries.
This Chapter in Hindi Medium

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