State any two features of the Soviet system.

(Delhi 2014)
OR
Which were the two important features of the Soviet system? (All India 2013)
OR
List any two characteristics of the Soviet Union. (AH India (C) 2008)
OR
Mention any two characteristics of the Soviet political system. (Delhi 2012, 2008; All
India 2008)
Answer:
The two features of the Soviet system were :

1. The Soviet system was based on state welfare where the state was engaged in
mass production to meet the needs of the people.
2. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) controlled the government
and dominated the political decision-making.

Question 2.
What is meant of ‘Shock Therapy’? (All India 2014,2009; Delhi 2013)
Answer:
The dissolution of the USSR was correlated with the downfall of communism in the
countries which were members of the socialist bloc. These post-Soviet countries
underwent a process of transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a
democratic capitalist system. The model of transition came to be called ‘Shock
Therapy’. It was facilitated by the World Bank and IMF, the Bretton Woods
institutions.

Question 3.
Mention any two characteristics of the Soviet economy during the Cold War days.
(All Indio 2012)
Answer:
Two characteristics of the Soviet economy during the cold war days were as follows:

1. It had a complex communication network, vast energy resources including oil,

iron and steel.
2. It had a domestic consumer industry that produced everything from pins to
cars.

Question 4.
Why is it said that the collapse of the Berlin Wall signified the collapse of the bipolar
world? (HOTS: Delhi; 2011.2009)
Answer:
The Berlin Wall was the hallmark of the Cold War. It symbolised the division between
the capitalist and the communist world; a bipolar world. But, after the disintegration
of the Soviet Union, people on 9th November 1989 broke the wall marking it as a
symbol of unification of the East and West Germany into a single country with Berlin
as its capital. The fall of the Berlin Wall was then followed by a line of events which
marked the end of the Cold War and more importantly collapse of the bipolar world.
Question 5.
List any two consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’. (Delhi 2010)
OR
Mention any two negative effects of ‘Shock therapy’. (All India 2008)
Answer:
Two consequences or the two negative effects ‘Shock Therapy’ were

1. It led to the gradual dismantling of the state-owned industrial sector.

2. It destroyed the old social welfare system of the state, pushing people to the
margins of the economy.

Question 6.
Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate? Highlight any two arguments in support of
your answer. Delhi 2010
OR
Mention any two main reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union. (All Indio 2009)
Answer:
The USSR disintegrated because :

1. The Soviet political and economic institutions had developed internal

weaknesses which defied people’s aspirations and needs.
2. Complimenting the administrative stagnation, there was an economic
stagnation which cut short the consumer demand and paved the way for the
market failure.

Question 7.
List any two differences between the socialist and communist parties. HOTS; All
India 2008
Answer:
Differences between socialist and communist parties follow

Socialist Party Communist Party

The Communist party

Socialist party believes
believes in radical and
in gradual change while
fundamental change.
 Socialist party aims at The Communist party

improvement and aims at a restructuring

reform in society while of an entire society.

4 Marks Questions

Question 1.
Describe any four consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’. (Delhi 2014)
Answer:
The term ‘Shock Therapy’ meant the transitional model from being a socialist
country to a capitalist country influenced by the World Bank and the IMF.
Four consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’ were :

• ‘Shock Therapy’ proved to be a real shock for the Soviet economy. It brought
ruin to the communist economies and the people of the region.
• It led to the collapse of the state-controlled industrial units and high scale
privatisation of the government enterprises and subsequent auctioning of the
state-owned industries which were called the ‘largest garage sale’ in world
history.
• The value of Russian currency, Ruble declined dramatically with a soaring rate
of inflation pushing people into poverty.
• The old system of social welfare was pushed to ashes with the government
withdrawing subsidies.
• It widened the gap between rich and poor. It further reinforced the economic
divide.

Question 2.
Explain any two reasons for the disintegration of the USSR. (Delhi 2013)
OR
Explain any four factors responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (All
India 2010)
Answer:
Factors responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Union were :

• The most important factor for the fall of the Soviet Union was a lack of proper
leadership. There was no clear cut line between the party and government as
there was one political party which was wielding power.
• Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of ‘Perestroika and ‘Glasnost’ proved to be
disastrous for the economic health of the USSR.
• Anti-communists forces of the Soviet Union had the support of the USA and
Western European countries. Gorbachev due to his liberal policies did not try to
uproot these forces.
• No effort was ever made to create a socialist human being and a socialist
culture.
Question 3.
Describe any four consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (All India
2011)
Answer:
The consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union were : (any four)

1. The disintegration of the Soviet Union meant the end of the Cold War because
the Cold War was the culmination of the rivalries between the USA and the
USSR. Thus, Cold War confrontations were put to an end.
2. The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a dramatic change and upheaval in
the power relations which had implications for world politics. The
disintegration left open the world space to be dominated by the sole
superpower called the USA or to have the dominance of several powers.
3. The Bretton Woods institutions like the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund became active players in the wake of developmental needs of
the second world countries as they were borrowing money from the World
Bank and IMF. ‘
4. The world saw the emergence of many new countries with their own
independent aspirations.
5. The Baltic states namely Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined the European
Union and subsequently became members of the NATO.
6. Undoubtedly the significant consequence of the withering away of the USSR
was the inauguration of the period of US hegemony in which capitalism was
pronounced as the winner because socialism had been dead.

6 Marks Questions
Question 1.
In what three ways did the collapse of the Soviet Union affect world politics? Explain.
All India 2017
OR
Examine any six consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (All Indio
2014,2010; Delhi 2013, 2012,2008 [C])
Answer:
For the consequences of the disintegration of the USSR,
The consequences of the disintegration of the Soviet Union were : (any four)

1. The disintegration of the Soviet Union meant the end of the Cold War because
the Cold War was the culmination of the rivalries between the USA and the
USSR. Thus, Cold War confrontations were put to an end.
2. The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a dramatic change and upheaval in
the power relations which had implications for world politics. The
disintegration left open the world space to be dominated by the sole
superpower called the USA or to have the dominance of several powers.
3. The Bretton Woods institutions like the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund became active players in the wake of developmental needs of
the second world countries as they were borrowing money from the World
Bank and IMF. ‘
4. The world saw the emergence of many new countries with their own
independent aspirations.
 5. The Baltic states namely Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined the European
Union and subsequently became members of the NATO.
6. Undoubtedly the significant consequence of the withering away of the USSR
was the inauguration of the period of US hegemony in which capitalism was
pronounced as the winner because socialism had been dead.

Question 2.
Highlight any three positive and three negative features each of the Soviet system in
the Soviet Union. (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
The three positive features of the Soviet system were :

1. The Soviet economy was more developed than the rest of the world except the
US. It had a complex communication network, vast energy resources,
machinery production and a transport system that connected its remotest
areas.
2. A minimum standard of living for all Answer: citizens was ensured by the
Soviet
state and the government subsidised basic necessities including health,
education, child care and other welfare schemes.
3. State ownership was given more importance. Land and productive assets were
owned and controlled by the Soviet state.

The three negative features of the Soviet system were:

1. The Soviet system was very bureaucratised and authoritarian in nature. It

turned the life of the people into disorder.
Authoritarianism meant the absence of democracy and freedom of speech
which angered the people.
2. The Soviet economy witnessed economic stagnation for a long time which led
to market failure when demand failed to meet supply in the market for
consumer goods.
3. State Treasury had spent a huge fortune on building and maintaining nuclear
arsenals and in developing its satellite states in East Europe and within the
Soviet system. It turned into a large economic burden for the Soviet system