1 What Was the Soviet System?
The Berlin Wall was the biggest symbol of the divide between the capitalist and communist worlds: built in 1961, more than 150 kilometres long, standing for 28 years, and pulled down by the people on 9 November 1989.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed after the socialist revolution of 1917. It was an attempt to build a society based on equality, as opposed to capitalism, in which the institution of private property was abolished and the state owned the means of production.
| Aspect | Feature of the Soviet System |
|---|---|
| Politics | One-party rule: the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; no opposition |
| Economy | Planned and controlled by the state; state ownership |
| Bloc | The “Second World” or socialist camp, bound by the Warsaw Pact; led by the USSR |
| Strength | The second most developed economy after the US; oil, iron, steel; a minimum standard of living for all; subsidised health, education and childcare |
2 Weaknesses of the Soviet System
The very same system grew weak from within. It became bureaucratic and authoritarian; there was no democracy or freedom of speech; the party was not accountable to the people; and the desire of the fifteen republics to run their own cultural and political affairs was constantly overlooked: on paper Russia was one republic among fifteen, but in practice it dominated the rest.
The Arms Race
Matched the US, but at a very heavy economic cost.
Technological Lag
Fell behind the West in technology, transport and energy infrastructure.
Afghanistan, 1979
The invasion weakened the system further.
Shortage of Consumer Goods
Wages kept rising but productivity did not; the economy stagnated by the late 1970s.
3 Gorbachev’s Reforms
Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1985 and wanted to reform the system, so that the Soviet Union could keep pace with the information and technology revolution taking place in the West.
Perestroika means restructuring: reforming the economy. Glasnost means openness: political openness and freedom of expression.
But these reforms had an unintended effect. People in Eastern Europe rose up against their own governments and against Soviet control, and this time the Soviet Union did not intervene: communist governments fell one after another.
4 How the Disintegration Happened
In August 1991, hardliners within the party attempted a coup, but the people had already tasted freedom. Boris Yeltsin opposed the coup and emerged as a national hero. In December 1991, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus scrapped the 1922 Treaty of Union and declared the Soviet Union dissolved.
“Three reasons for the disintegration of the Soviet Union” is asked almost every year. Write three distinct points: (1) internal economic stagnation and technological backwardness, (2) the cost of the arms race and the war in Afghanistan, (3) Gorbachev’s reforms and nationalist discontent among the republics: strongest in Russia and the Baltic region.
5 Shock Therapy and Its Consequences
Shock therapy: the model for a sudden and complete transition from communism to capitalism, suggested by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What it involved
- Private property made supreme; privatisation of industry
- Collective farms replaced by private farming
- Free trade; direct links with the Western economies
What it cost
- Sharp devaluation of the ruble, runaway inflation
- People’s lifetime savings wiped out
- Rise of the mafia; the economy collapsed in 1998
- Collapse of the middle class, and migration
The disintegration was also followed by conflicts in several regions: Chechnya and Dagestan in Russia, civil war in Tajikistan, Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, and the break-up of Yugoslavia. The Central Asian republics hold vast reserves of oil and gas, which keeps outside powers competing over oil pipelines through the region.
6 India and Russia’s Relationship
India and Russia have signed more than 80 bilateral agreements, and the 2001 India–Russia Strategic Partnership is the basis of this relationship.
| Area | Benefit to India |
|---|---|
| Defence | India is the second-largest buyer of Russian weapons; defence deals and joint production |
| Energy | Supply of oil and gas; nuclear power plants such as Kudankulam |
| Science & Technology | Cryogenic rocket technology and space cooperation |
| Diplomacy | Support for India on the Kashmir issue and at the United Nations |
- The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and fell on 9 November 1989: the symbol of the end of bipolarity
- Soviet system = socialism + one-party rule + a planned economy; the bloc was bound by the Warsaw Pact
- Three causes of disintegration: economic stagnation, the arms race and Afghanistan, Gorbachev’s reforms and nationalism
- Perestroika = restructuring, Glasnost = openness
- December 1991: the CIS was formed, Russia got the USSR’s UN seat; Gorbachev resigned on 25 December
- Shock therapy was the World Bank–IMF model; it wrecked the economy
- India–Russia Strategic Partnership, 2001: defence, energy, space and diplomatic support
- 1 MarkWhen was the Berlin Wall built and when was it pulled down?
- 1 MarkAfter which revolution was the Soviet Union formed?
- 1 MarkWhat was the Warsaw Pact?
- 1 MarkWrite the meaning of Perestroika and Glasnost.
- 1 MarkHow many republics did the Soviet Union have?
- 1 MarkWhat does CIS stand for?
- 1 MarkOn what date did Gorbachev resign?
- 1 MarkShock therapy was based on the model of which two institutions?
- 2 MarksState any two strengths of the Soviet system.
- 2 MarksHow did the invasion of Afghanistan weaken the Soviet Union?
- 2 MarksHow did Boris Yeltsin become a national hero?
- 4 MarksExplain the three main reasons for the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
- 4 MarksWhat was shock therapy, and what were its consequences?
- 4 MarksWrite four weaknesses of the Soviet system.
- 4 MarksMention any four conflicts that emerged after the disintegration.
- 6 MarksWrite, in sequence, the timeline of the disintegration of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991.
- 6 MarksExplain the India–Russia relationship with examples from four areas.
- 6 MarksExplain the statement: “Gorbachev’s reforms did not produce the result he wanted.”
- 1 MarkIn which year was the Berlin Wall brought down?
(a) 1961(b) 1985(c) 1989(d) 1991 - 1 MarkPerestroika means:
(a) Openness(b) Restructuring(c) Privatisation(d) Non-alignment - 1 MarkThe 1979 Soviet invasion is associated with which country?
(a) Iran(b) Afghanistan(c) China(d) Poland - 1 MarkThe first Soviet republic to declare independence was:
(a) Estonia(b) Latvia(c) Lithuania(d) Ukraine - 1 MarkWho received the Soviet Union’s seat at the United Nations?
(a) Ukraine(b) Belarus(c) Russia(d) Kazakhstan - 1 MarkIn which year was the India–Russia Strategic Partnership signed?
(a) 1991(b) 1998(c) 2001(d) 2005
Options: (a) Both true, R correctly explains A · (b) Both true, R does not explain A · (c) A true, R false · (d) A false, R true.
- 1 Mark
Assertion (A): The disintegration of the Soviet Union was not the result of military defeat.
Reason (R): Popular movements and an internal economic crisis brought the system down. - 1 Mark
Assertion (A): Shock therapy immediately strengthened the Russian economy.
Reason (R): It caused the devaluation of the ruble and the economy collapsed in 1998.