CBSE Class 12 Political Science Notes Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity

CBSE Class 12 Political Science Notes Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity: The chapter “The End of Bipolarity” is an important topic in the Class 12 Political Science syllabus. It explains the changes in global politics after the Cold War when the world moved from a bipolar system to a more complex and multipolar international order. This shift marked the decline of the two superpowers—the United States and the Soviet Union—and the rise of new contemporary centres of power.

Students looking for the end of bipolarity Class 12 notes and the end of bipolarity Class 12 PDF will find this chapter useful to understand how the world’s power balance changed dramatically after 1990. The chapter covers key events and consequences that shaped the modern world, helping students prepare well for exams.

For those searching for the end of bipolarity Class 12 question answers or the end of bipolarity Class 12 important question answers, this chapter provides clear explanations and examples to help answer questions effectively. Understanding these notes will give a good foundation on how international relations evolved beyond the Cold War era.

In this chapter, you will learn about the causes behind the collapse of the Soviet Union, the emergence of new powers, and the challenges faced by the unipolar world. It also discusses how global politics became more unpredictable with multiple centres of power influencing international decisions.

These Class 12 Political Science notes on contemporary centres of power will help you grasp the key concepts of the chapter and perform better in your exams. Keep reading to explore the important points and prepare for your tests confidently.

Political Science Class 12 Notes Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity

The Soviet System

• The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed after the Socialist Revolution in Russia in 1917. This revolution was inspired by socialist ideas aiming for equality, as opposed to capitalism.
• After World War II, the Soviet army took control of several Eastern European countries by freeing them from fascist forces, bringing these countries under Soviet influence.
• The USSR’s political and economic systems changed, and its economy grew stronger, second only to the United States.
• However, the Soviet system became very strict and bureaucratic, which made life hard for its people.
• In the arms race, the Soviet Union sometimes matched the US, but this came at a very high cost.

Gorbachev and the Fall of the USSR

• Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Communist Party in 1985 and tried to reform the system with policies called perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness).
• His reforms faced criticism and led to instability. In 1991, a coup by hardliners in the Communist Party failed because people wanted more freedom.
• By December 1991, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declared the Soviet Union dissolved.
• After that, the new republics adopted capitalism and democracy.

Reasons for the Collapse of the Soviet Union

Several factors caused the USSR to collapse:

• The political and economic systems were weak and failed to meet people’s hopes.
• The economy became stagnant, with many resources spent on the military and nuclear weapons.
• Corruption was widespread, and the government remained closed and overly centralized.
• Some people opposed Gorbachev’s reforms, thinking they were too slow.
• Nationalism grew within different republics, with many wanting independence.

Effects of the Soviet Union’s Collapse

• The Cold War ended, reducing conflict between socialist and capitalist ideas.
• Power in world politics changed, affecting the influence of ideas and institutions.
• The US became the only superpower and promoted capitalism worldwide.
• Many new countries appeared, each with its own identity and challenges.
• The international system became more complex with new countries pursuing different goals.

Shock Therapy in Post-Communist Countries

• After the collapse of communism, countries like Russia and those in Central and Eastern Europe shifted quickly from socialism to capitalism. This rapid change was called shock therapy, supported by the World Bank and IMF.
• Shock therapy aimed to remove old Soviet economic structures completely.
• It also led to breaking trade ties within the former Soviet bloc.

Impact of Shock Therapy

• Shock therapy caused economic hardships and suffering for many people.
• The Russian currency, the Ruble, lost much of its value, and inflation wiped out people’s savings.
• Government subsidies were cut, pushing many into poverty and weakening the middle class.
• Building democratic institutions was less prioritized compared to economic reforms.
• By around 2000, some economies, especially Russia’s, began to recover due to natural resource exports like oil and gas.

Conflicts in Former Soviet States

• Many former Soviet republics faced tensions, civil wars, and violence.
• In Russia, the regions of Chechnya and Dagestan experienced violent separatist movements.
• Tajikistan had a civil war lasting almost ten years.
• Central Asia became an area of competition among foreign powers and oil companies.
• Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
• Yugoslavia broke apart, with provinces like Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina declaring independence.

India and Post-Communist Countries

• India has maintained friendly relations with post-communist countries, especially Russia.
• The India-Russia relationship is an important part of India’s foreign policy, sharing a vision for a multipolar world.
• India benefits from Russia’s support on issues like Kashmir, energy, and access to Central Asia, while Russia gains from India being a major arms buyer and partner in scientific projects.

Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity Important Facts to Know

1. The Socialist Revolution in Russia in 1917 led to the creation of the USSR. It was based on socialism, aiming to provide a basic standard of living for all citizens. The government supplied essential goods at low cost, and most productive resources were owned and controlled by the state.
2. Among the fifteen republics of the USSR, Russia was the dominant one, controlling most things and influencing the people in the region.
3. The Soviet Union fell behind Western countries in technology and infrastructure. It also failed to meet the political needs of its people. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 further weakened the system.
4. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Communist Party leader of the Soviet Union, introduced reforms to change the economy and politics to make the system more democratic. However, these reforms faced opposition from within the party and confusion among the people.
5. People in the republics were tired of the old Soviet system. In December 1991, led by elected leader Boris Yeltsin, Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltic states declared their independence.
6. The creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) surprised many. The issue of excluding some states was solved by making them founding members of the CIS.
7. Russia was accepted as the successor of the Soviet Union and took over its seat at the United Nations Security Council. Russia also agreed to follow Soviet treaties and started nuclear disarmament with the United States.
8. The Soviet Union broke up due to reasons like the need to control nuclear weapons, people realizing they were behind Western capitalist countries, and ordinary citizens feeling left out of privileges.
9. Nationalism and the desire for independence in republics like Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Georgia were the main reasons for the breakup of the USSR.
10. The collapse of the USSR ended the Cold War. It made capitalism the dominant system, created many new countries, and allowed Central Asian countries to benefit from their location by building relations with Russia, the West, the US, China, and others.
11. The change from a socialist, authoritarian system to a democratic, capitalist one in Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe was influenced by the World Bank and IMF, and called “Shock Therapy.”
12. Shock Therapy included privatizing state-owned businesses, encouraging private companies, switching to free trade and foreign investments, opening financial markets, making currency convertible, and breaking old Soviet trade links to trade directly with Western countries.
13. Shock Therapy led to a huge sale of state property, a drop in the value of the Russian currency (the Ruble) due to inflation, food imports, destruction of the old social welfare system, migration of educated people, and greater inequality between rich and poor areas in Russia.
14. New democratic institutions were quickly created, but in some countries like Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, strong leaders appointed themselves as presidents because the Parliament was weak and the judiciary was not independent.
15. Russia’s economy recovered around 2000 because of its large natural resources like oil, natural gas, and minerals found in countries like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Countries paid fees to use pipelines running through their land.
16. Many former Soviet republics experienced civil wars and conflicts. For example, Russia faced violent separatist movements in Chechnya and Dagestan, Azerbaijan and Georgia had civil wars, and Czechoslovakia split into two countries. Even now, some countries like Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia fight over water resources, causing instability and hardship for people.
17. Central Asian countries are rich in oil and gas, leading to competition among oil companies and world powers to control these resources. The US also used bases in these countries during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
18. Russia and India share similar views on a multipolar world, collective security, regional cooperation, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and independent foreign policies through the United Nations.
19. India benefits from its relationship with Russia on issues like Kashmir, energy supplies, intelligence sharing on terrorism, access to Central Asia, and balancing relations with China. Russia benefits because India is its second-largest market for arms sales.

Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity Important Words to Know

• Soviet System: This system started after the Russian Revolution in 1917. It was based on the idea of an equal society and a planned economy controlled by the government.
• Socialist Bloc: The countries in Eastern Europe were called the Socialist Bloc because they were freed from fascist rule and followed political and economic systems based on socialism.
• Capitalist Economy: In this system, land and resources are owned and controlled by private individuals or businesses called capitalists.
• Unipolar System: In this system, only one superpower controls or influences global affairs.
• Multipolar System: In this system, no single country controls world affairs. Instead, several countries share power and influence.
• Egalitarian Society: A society that believes everyone is equally important and should have the same rights and chances in life.
• Largest Garage Sale: This term refers to the selling off of valuable Soviet industries at very low prices due to economic shock therapy.
• Shock Therapy: This was the rapid change from a socialist system to a democratic capitalist system in Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, encouraged by the World Bank and IMF.

Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity Important Events Timeline

• March 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. He appoints Boris Yeltsin to lead the party in Moscow and starts reforming the Soviet Union.
• 1988: The independence movement starts in Lithuania and later spreads to Estonia and Latvia.
• October 1989: The Soviet Union announces that Warsaw Pact countries can decide their own future. The Berlin Wall falls in November.
• February 1990: Gorbachev ends the Communist Party’s 72-year monopoly by allowing multiparty politics in the Soviet Parliament (Duma).
• March 1990: Lithuania is the first Soviet republic to declare independence.
• June 1990: The Russian parliament declares independence from the Soviet Union.
• June 1991: Boris Yeltsin, no longer a Communist Party member, becomes the President of Russia.
• August 1991: Hardliners in the Communist Party try to overthrow Gorbachev but fail.
• September 1991: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania join the United Nations and later join NATO in 2004.
• December 1991: Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine cancel the 1992 treaty to create the USSR and form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Other former Soviet republics join CIS later. Russia takes the USSR’s seat at the United Nations.
• 25 December 1991: Gorbachev resigns as the President of the Soviet Union, marking the end of the Soviet Union.

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Class 12 Political Science Notes Chapter 2 The End of Bipolarity FAQs

What is the main idea of The End of Bipolarity in Class 12 Political Science?

The End of Bipolarity Class 12 notes explain the decline of the Cold War’s bipolar world, where two superpowers—the USA and the USSR—dominated global politics. This chapter highlights how new contemporary centres of power emerged, changing international relations after 1990. Understanding this helps students answer questions about global power shifts clearly.

Where can I find The End of Bipolarity Class 12 PDF and notes?

You can find the end of bipolarity Class 12 notes and PDF resources on official CBSE websites, educational portals, and trusted online study platforms. These notes cover important points and Class 12 Political Science important question answers that are useful for exam preparation.

Why is The End of Bipolarity important for Class 12 Political Science exams?

This chapter is crucial because it explains the shift from a bipolar to a multipolar world, helping students understand the modern global power structure. Studying the end of bipolarity Class 12 question answers ensures you are ready to tackle exam questions on international politics and contemporary centres of power.

What are the contemporary centres of power mentioned in this chapter?

After the Cold War, several countries and groups emerged as new contemporary centres of power. These include the United States as a dominant power, the European Union, China, and regional alliances. This chapter’s Class 12 notes explain how these centres influence global politics today.

How can I prepare for important questions on The End of Bipolarity?

To prepare well, focus on the end of bipolarity Class 12 important question answers and revision notes that summarize key events like the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of unipolarity. Using the Class 12 Political Science PDF and practicing question answers will help you score better in exams.