· What steps were taken by world leaders to set up the UNO?
During the course of the Second WORLD WAR, the allied powers held many conferences and issued declarations that led to the formation of the UN.
a) The Atlantic Charter issued by US and Britain in 1941, stated that the two countries would not seek any territory and supported the right of every people to form a government of their choice. The United Nations Declaration of 1942 supported the Charter.
b) In the Teheran Conference of 1943 the Big Three (US. UK. and USSR) resolved to remove the terror of war and create a world where people would live freely and according to their own desires and own consciences.
c) In the Yalta Conference in 1945 the Big Three took decision regarding Germany and to set up a new organization to replace the League of Nations.
d) At the San Francisco conference in 1945,The United Nations Charter was adopted under which the UNO was set up. It was based on the principle of sovereign equality of all peace loving states.
· What were the purposes or aims of the UNO?
a) To maintain international peace and security.
b) To develop friendly relations among nations.
c) To achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
d) To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these ends and ensure sovereign equality of all nations.
· What decisions were taken in the Potsdam Conference regarding Germany?
The Potsdam declaration mentioned the main aims of the Allies with regard to Germany, which had surrendered.
a) Germany was partitioned into four zones, each under the control of Britain, France, the US and the Soviet Union.
b) The Allied occupation aimed at bringing about complete disarmament of Germany, to destroy the Nazi party and to prepare conditions for the creation of a democratic Germany.
c) An international tribunal was to be set up to try Nazi war criminals.
d) The border between Poland and Germany was decided. Northern part of East Prussia was transferred to Soviet Union and the southern part to Poland.
· What was the impact of the Second World War on the European powers?
a) Besides the unprecedented loss in men and material, the economies of most of the European countries suffered a terrible setback.
b) Germany-
1) its future was decided in the Potsdam conference. The Nazi party was abolished. Germany was divided into four zones, each under an allied power. Border between Poland and Germany was demarcated.
2) In 1948 Germany got divided into two sovereign states when the three western zones were united to form Federal Republic of Germany and the Eastern zone came to form the German Democratic Republic.
c) Soviet Union- 1) Though it suffered heavy losses in the Second World War, yet it earned a lot of prestige and power for its role in defeating the Germans in the war.
2) It made tremendous progress in industries and in military strategy. It acquired the atom bomb in 1949.
3) The growing strength of Soviet Union divided Europe into two power blocs leading to the cold war.
d) Many Eastern European states came under Communist rule. Most of them like Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia, had been liberated from German occupation by the Soviet Union. They became part of the communist bloc. In others (Albania and Yugoslavia) the Communist parties had led the struggle against Nazi occupation.
e) Western Europe- 1) Imperialist countries such as Britain and France lost their dominant position in the world. They could no longer hold on to their colonies and there was a rapid decline of their empires.
2) In Britain the Labour Party came to power. In France the Communist party became popular, though the Christian Democratic Party came to power.
f) In Italy the monarchy was abolished in 1946 and a republic was established.
· Trace the circumstances that led to the division of Germany after the Second World War. Discuss the different policies that were followed in the two states./ Discuss the main changes that took place in Germany after the Second World War.
a) The declaration issued in the Potsdam conference led to the division of Germany into four zones (each under US, Britain, France and Soviet Union), disarmament of Germany and destruction of the Nazi party. All these were aimed at creating conditions for a democratic Germany.
b) The allied powers followed different policies in dealing with the social political and economic issues in their respective zones.
c) In the British, American and the French zones economic development continued on capitalist lines. Democratic parties dominated the political life.
d) In East Germany, which was under Soviet occupation, socialist policies were followed. Lands were distributed among peasants and all major industries were taken away from private hands and put under state ownership.
e) In 1948 the western powers decided to merge the three zones under their control and form a separate state. In 1949 these zones united to form the Federal Republic of Germany with Bonn as its capital.
f) In 1949, the Soviet zone became a separate state called the German Democratic Republic. The Socialist Unity Party ruled it.
g) The division of Germany was a major result of the Second World War. Each state followed its own pattern of social, economic and political development.
h) The Berlin wall was erected in 1961 by GDR to prevent East Germans from going away to West Berlin.
i) In October 1990, the division of Germany was ended and a unified Germany again emerged.
· Discuss the changes of historical importance that have taken place in recent years that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union?/ Events/ reasons leading to the collapse of Soviet Union. What were the immediate effects?
Many changes of great historical importance took place in Soviet Union that contributed to its collapse and the fall of communism there.
a) Since 1985 important reforms began to be introduced in the political system to promote political democracy. The Communist Party denounced the excesses and crimes committed by Stalin.
b) Glasnost or openness introduced by President Gorbachev led to free and open discussion on every issue. A curb on the freedom of thought and expression was lifted. The hold of the Communist Party over the political life of the country loosened and other political parties were allowed to function.
c) Gorbachev also introduced Perestroika or restructuring which were measures to end the stagnation in economy and to improve the living conditions of the people.
d) Perestroika and Glasnost gained international significance. These reforms exposed the anomaly and weakness of the Soviet political and economic system. It also exposed the excesses of the Stalin era.
e) There was a demand for greater autonomy by the constituent republics of Soviet Union. Some even wanted independence. Gorbachev attempted to frame a treaty granting greater autonomy but preserving the Union.
f) 1) In August 1991, some leaders of the Communist Party staged a coup against Gorbachev. Though the attempt failed the Soviet Union began to break up.
2) Gorbachev resigned in December 1991. The Soviet Union formally ceased to exist and Communism in Soviet Union collapsed. Communist regimes in other European countries ended.
a) The Soviet Union broke up into 15 independent republics. 12 of them formed an organization called The Commonwealth of Independent States. The names of the republics were changed.
b) Fall of Soviet Union and the collapse of Communism removed the fear of communism from the Western bloc.
c) Fall of Communism and of the Soviet bloc marked the end of the Cold war.
d) An unipolar world with new power equations emerged as the US was now the only super power in the world.