Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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:

Question 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.

Question 2.
Non-Aligned Movement
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).

Question 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.

Question 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.
Question 5.
Globalization
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. Give your opinion on the following topics:

Question 1.
What measures should the League of Nations have taken to
avoid the Second World War?
Answer:
(i) League of Nations should have organised a military wing
with the help of member nations to keep a check over the
aggressors like Germany and Japan.
(ii) League should have reconsidered implementation of harsh
term of treaties imposed on the losers to avoid the revengeful
policies of dictators like Adolf Hitler.

Question 2.
Non-Alignment was necessary during the Cold War.
Answer:
(i) Yes. This was important to keep newly independent
countries of Asia and Africa away from the super power rivalry.

(ii) Since these countries did not officially show allegiance to

any super power, they freed themselves from the dominance of
USA and USSR and could independently frame their foreign
policies.
(iii) This further promoted peace and co-operation.
Question 3.
Human welfare was neglected due to the Cold War.
Answer:
(i) Yes, due to military alliances the world was gripped in the
fear of a possible Third World War, which would have
annihilated the entire human race.
(ii) Moreover the Arms Race diverted the resources and
harnessed science for destruction rather than human welfare.

Question 4.
Which countries can emerge as super powers, in competition
with America in present times?
Answer:
India and China could be future super powers.

Question 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.

Question 3.
What major changes occurred 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.