NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION CLASS – 12 | POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-A CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION | CHAPTER- 1 | THE COLD WAR ERA | EDUGROWN |

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 1 THE COLD WAR ERA NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 POLITICAL SCIENCE PART- A CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS  can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter.

NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON THE COLD WAR ERA

Question 1.
How far is it correct to say the international alliances during the Cold War era were determined by the requirements of the superpowers and the calculations of the smaller states? Explain.
Answer:
To a large extent, it is correct to say that the International alliance during the Cold War era were determined by the requirements of the superpower. It is justified from the following points :

1. The smaller states decided to an alliance with the two superpowers because they were promised protection, weapons and economic aid against their local rivals. Hence, this led to a division of the world into two camps.

2. The countries which sided with the US came to know as a Western alliance and those who backed USSR were known as Eastern alliance. The Western alliance countries organized themselves into an organization known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It came into existence in April 1949. It was an association of twelve states which declared that armed attack on any one of them in Europe or North America would be regarded as an attack on all of them.

The Eastern Alliance, on the other hand, known as the Warsaw Pact, was led by the Soviet Union. It was created in 1955 and its principal function was to counter NATO’s forces in Europe.

3. Europe became the bone of contention between the superpowers. They also used their military power to bring countries into their respective alliances. For example, the Soviet Union used its influence in Eastern Europe just to ensure that the Eastern half of Europe remained within its sphere of influence.

4. The United State built an alliance system called the South East Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) in East and South East Asia and in West Asia (Middle East). To counter this, the Soviet Union and communist China responded by having close relations with regional countries such as North Vietnam, North Korea, and Iraq.

Question 2.
Why was the end of the Second World War considered to be the beginning of the Cold War? Explain.
Answer:
The end of the Second World War was considered to be the beginning of the Cold War because it led to the rise of two major centers of power. It paved the way for the Cold War Era. The Second World War came to an end with the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (the two Japanese cities). It led to the withdrawal of Japan from the war. The dropping of the bomb by the US was criticized as well as support.

According to the critics of this decision, the USA was aware of the surrender of Japan hence dropping the bomb was not necessary. They argue that the US action was intended to stop the Soviet Union from making military and political gains in Asia and elsewhere and to show Moscow that the United States was supreme. The supporters of the decision claim that the dropping of the bomb was a necessary step to end the war quickly and to stop further loss of American and allied lives.

The consequence of this was the rise of two new powers on the global stage. With the defeat of Germany and Japan, the devastation of Europe and in many other parts of the world, the United States and the Soviet Union became the greatest powers in the world.

Question 3.
Describe any three reasons for the superpowers to have military alliances with smaller countries during the Cold War period. old War?
Answer:
The Cold War was the tense relationship between the US and the USSR and their allies which emerged after the Second World War. The outbreak of the Cold War was due to the different ways of thinking i.e. Socialism and Capitalism. This war was unlike other wars in which the two sides never clashed directly in battle. The fear that a relationship would end in the nuclear war did not materialize.

The USA and the USSR were the superpowers of the world. They exercised tremendous political, economic and military powers at their disposal.
The reasons due to which superpowers should have military alliances with small countries were :

1. They entered into military alliances with smaller countries to spread their ideas and to propagate their ideologies to checkmate the other.
2. The small countries were economically retarded, they easily got accommodated into their military plan.
3. Also having a large number of smaller countries in one’s camp boosted the balance of power towards a particular bloc.
4. To gain access to their vital resources such as oil and minerals.

Question 4.
Suppose there had been no Cold War, how would that situation have affected India’s foreign policy?
Answer:
The situation must have created the differences :
1. The spirit of Panchsheel (Peaceful coexistence) would have been endangered due to India’s unsafe condition after the Second World War, her existence could have been divided into many units. In addition, there were issues of shortage of food grain supply, industrial supply for the development of industries. In this case, India must have gone either into isolation or would have joined any superpower camp. India would have been a member of NATO or Warsaw Pact.

2. India must have added some better strategies to its foreign policy. If the situation had not been as it was, UNO and other institutions would not have been created. New strategies would have been framed for the existence of India.

3.  Self-sufficiency has been achieved by India. If Non-Alignment was followed strictly, India has been self-sufficient.

Question 5.
How did the ‘New International Economic Order’ come into being? Which reforms were proposed by UNCTAD in its report in 1972?
Answer:
The idea of a New International Economic Order (NIEO) was in direct response to the poor economic development in third world countries.

They were stereotyped as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by the advanced countries because of their state of being under-developed. Achieving economic independence was the goal of these countries and this was precisely the reason for the establishment of the NIEO.

Recognizing the right of the LDCs to develop their economies, the United Nations Conference to Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its report titled ‘Towards a New Trade Policy for Development in 1972/ proposed a reform of the global trading system.
The reforms were :

1. To give autonomy to LDCs so that they can have control over their natural resources.
2. To provide LDCs access to Western markets so that the LDCs could sell their products and hence trade could become profitable for them.
3. Western countries should reduce the cost of technology imported to LDCs.
4. LDCs should be given a greater role in international economic institutions.

Gradually, the nature of Non-Alignment changed to give greater importance to economic issues. In 1961 at the first summit, economic issues were not very important. By the mid-1970s, they had become the most important issues. Thus, NAM became an economic pressure group.

Although, these reforms sent alarm-bells in the ears of the developed countries, however, they could not sustain the pressure of economic development from the LDCs. This led to the fading of NIEO in the 1980s. It should be noted that the Nop-Aligned countries maintained unity in the initial phase of the Nans

Question 6.
Describe the role played by India in keeping the Non-Aligned Movement alive and relevant.
Answer:
The Non-aligned Movement aimed at establishing a new and equitable international economic, social and political order. Non-aligned countries played a role in reducing Cold War conflicts and averting some serious crisis. For example, Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the key leaders of the NAM played a crucial role in mediating between the two Koreas thereby resolving the arousal of conflicts.

Furthermore, India adopted the policy of NAM/Instead of joining one of the superpower blocs, it acted as a mediator between two rival alliances. India did so for the cause of peace and stability. India raised the voice against the newly decolonized countries of becoming part of these alliances.

Some examples where India exercise the policy of NAM by taking an independent decision are as follows:

• India led the world protest against Britain when Britain attacked Egypt over the Suez Canal issue in 1956 and
• The bold decision of India refusing to sign the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) in 1968.

India also helps in taking measures for the economic development of the third world, non-aligned, newly decolonized countries to enable them to pursue independent policies.
Thus, India played an active role in keeping the Non-aligned Movement alive and relevant.

Question 7.
‘Non-Aligned Movement has become irrelevant today’. Do you agree with the statement? Support your answer with any three suitable agreements.
Answer:
NAM which emerged as the alternative to the partisan politics of the first and second world was based on the idea of mutual understanding and mutual cooperation among member countries.

The main objective with which NAM was created was to safeguard the identity of the third world countries who were used as pawns by the superpowers in the power game which was the product of the Cold War and its cumulative effects.

The superpowers looked at NAM with disgust, but for the third world countries, it was an important platform protecting the integrity of the third world countries. NAM during the Cold War era softened the Cold War rivalries and contained the further worsening of the Cold War situation.

The role of NAM became more pronounced after the disintegration of the USSR in 1991-USA came out as the single superpower and thus, the world became unipolar. With the downfall of the socialist camp, the Cold War rivalry lessened.

No, I do not agree that the Non-Aligned movement has become irrelevant today. It has not become outdated. It is due to the following reasons:

1. Its members are still bound by the common history and common objectives like economic development of the least developed countries.
2. NAM members seek economic aid from the developed countries so that the undeveloped countries can use it into economic prosperity.
3. The members of NAM are anti-colonialist and anti-communist. Their main motives were to emphasis on the rights of nations and materialization of peace and security through participation in resolving international issues.

Question 8.
Explain the Eastern and Western alliances during the Cold War period. Name any two European countries from amongst the following which was not members of these alliances France, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Austria, Romania
Answer:
The two superpowers i.e. the USA and the USSR were keen to expand their spheres of influence in different parts of the world. Hence, the world was sharply divided between the two alliance systems.

These were the Eastern Alliance and the Western alliance. The countries which were part of these two alliances were smaller states who got the promise of protection, weapons, and economic aid against their local rivals. Therefore, these alliance systems threatened to divide the entire world into two camps. Most countries of Western Europe sided with the US and those of Eastern Europe joined the Soviet camp.

Description of these two alliance is given below :

1. The Eastern alliance or the Warsaw Pact was led by the Soviet Union. It was created in 1955 and its principal function was to counter NATO’s forces in Europe.
2. The Western alliance was formed into an organization, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The alliance sided with the US. It came into existence in April 1949 and was an association of twelve states. It declared that armed attack on any one of them in Europe or North America would be regarded as an attack on all of them.

The two countries which were not members of these alliances were Sweden and Austria.

Question 9.
Explain any six factors which helped the Soviet Union in becoming a superpower after the Second World War.
Answer:
The six factors which helped the Soviet Union in becoming a superpower after the Second World War era are :

• East European countries came under the control of USSR.
• Their political and economic systems were modeled after USSR.
• USSR emerged as a leader of socialist bloc countries.
• The Soviet Union has complex communication networking, vast energy resources-oil, iron, and steel machinery.
• Production and improvement of the transport sector.
• USSR’s domestic consumer industry produced everything from Pins to Cars.
• Ensured a minimum standard of living for all citizens.
• Government subsidized basic necessities including health, education, children and other welfare schemes.
• No unemployment.
• State ownership over land and productive assets.

Question 10.
Study the political outline map of the world given below in which six different countries have been marked as (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6). Identify these countries and name them. Also classify them as First World, Second World, and Third World countries. Write your answer in the Answer-Book as per the following format (Delhi 2011)

Answer:

No. of the Country	Name of the Country	First World/Second World/Third World
1.	Egypt	Third World
2.	Australia	First World
3.	Turkey	First World
4.	Brazil	Third World
5.	Poland	Second World
6.	Myanmar	Third World