Maharashtra Board Class 11 Political Science Chapter 10 The World Since 1945 II Solutions

1A. Choose the Correct Alternative and Complete the Following Statements.

Question 1. The __________ Missile Crisis took place in 1962.
(a) American
(b) Cuban
(c) Russian
(d) Chinese
Answer: (b) Cuban
In simple words: This crisis happened when the Soviet Union put nuclear missiles in Cuba, which is very close to the United States, causing a big scare in 1962.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always associate the year 1962 with the Cuban Missile Crisis, as this is a very common objective question in exams.

Question 2. In 1978, the United States held a conference at __________ to resolve the Arab-Israel dispute.
(a) Camp David
(b) Helsinki
(c) Paris
(d) Geneva
Answer: (a) Camp David
In simple words: The United States hosted a special peace meeting at Camp David to help resolve the long-standing conflict between Arab nations and Israel.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remembering key treaty locations like Camp David is highly useful for scoring quick marks in objective history questions.

1B. Identify the Incorrect Pair in Every Set, Correct It and Rewrite.

Question 1. Identify the incorrect pair, correct it and rewrite:
(a) Iran – Ayatollah Khomeini
(b) Afghanistan – Babrak Karmal
(c) Soviet Union – Richard Nixon
Answer: Incorrect pair: (c) Soviet Union – Richard Nixon. Corrected pair: USA – Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon served as the 37th President of the United States during a crucial period of the Cold War.
In simple words: Richard Nixon was the leader of the United States, not the Soviet Union, so pairing him with the Soviet Union is incorrect.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always write down both the incorrect pair and the corrected version clearly to ensure you get full marks for this question type.

1C. State the Appropriate Concept for the Given Statement.

Question 1. Prohibiting ships from entering the port of a country.
Answer: Naval Blockade. This strategic military action is typically used during wartime to cut off an enemy's trade, communication, and supplies.
In simple words: A naval blockade is when warships block an enemy's ports so that no other ships can enter or leave.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use the exact historical term 'Naval Blockade' rather than general descriptions to secure full marks.

Question 2. Reconstruction of the political and economic system was established in the Soviet Union.
Answer: Perestroika. This policy was introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the mid-1980s to reform and modernize the Soviet system.
In simple words: Perestroika was a political movement for reformation within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, aimed at rebuilding its economy.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to the spelling of historical terms like 'Perestroika' to avoid losing minor marks.

2A. Complete the Concept Map.

Question 1. Complete the concept map of the founder members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Answer: The founder members of the Commonwealth of Independent States are:
1. Russia
2. Ukraine
3. Belarus
These three nations officially signed the Belavezha Accords in 1991 to establish this new regional alliance.
In simple words: The Commonwealth of Independent States was started by Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus right after the Soviet Union broke up.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize these three core countries as they are frequently asked in objective questions about the post-Soviet era.

2B. Observe the Given Map and Answer the Following Questions.

Question 1. Map of East Europe today.
(i) Name any 4 countries formed after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Answer:
(i) Four countries formed after the disintegration of the Soviet Union are:
1. Russia
2. Ukraine
3. Belarus
4. Estonia
These nations emerged as independent sovereign states following the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
In simple words: When the huge Soviet Union broke apart, it split into several smaller independent countries like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Estonia.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use the map carefully to identify Baltic states like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which are easy to remember and spell correctly.

Question ii. Name two neighbouring countries of Hungary.
Answer: Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia. These countries share land borders with Hungary in Central Europe.
In simple words: Hungary is surrounded by several countries, including Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and Slovakia.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize at least two neighboring countries of Hungary, such as Austria and Slovakia, to easily score full marks on this map-based question.

3. State Whether the Following Statements Are True or False with Reasons.

Question 1. Non-aligned countries put forth the demand for NAFTA.
Answer: This statement is False. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was set up as a 'trade bloc' in January 1994. It was signed between the USA, Canada, and Mexico to encourage free trade between the three North American Nations (trilateral trade bloc). This agreement was purely regional and not related to the Non-Aligned Movement.
In simple words: This statement is false because NAFTA was created by the USA, Canada, and Mexico to help them trade easily with each other, not by non-aligned countries.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining why a statement is false, clearly state the correct facts, such as the actual member countries (USA, Canada, Mexico) and the year of establishment (1994).

Question 2. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the founder of ASEAN.
Answer: This statement is False. The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967 by the Bangkok declaration. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was actually one of the key founders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961 at Belgrade.
In simple words: This statement is false because Pandit Nehru helped start the Non-Aligned Movement, while ASEAN was formed by Southeast Asian countries in 1967.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that Pandit Nehru is associated with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), not ASEAN. Mentioning the correct organization and its founding year (1961) will secure full marks.

4. Explain the Co-relation Between the Following.

Question 1. Cold War and Non-aligned movement.
Answer: The Cold War was a period of intense geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, which divided the world into two military blocs. In response, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was formed by newly independent countries who chose not to join either superpower bloc to maintain their sovereignty and promote world peace. This movement allowed developing nations to focus on their own growth rather than superpower rivalries.
In simple words: During the Cold War, the US and Soviet Union were rivals. The Non-Aligned Movement was started by countries that wanted to stay neutral and not take sides in this rivalry.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly define both terms first, then explain how the Non-Aligned Movement was a direct response to avoid the bloc politics of the Cold War.

The Cold War began after the end of the Second World War in 1945. It refers to a period of intense ideological hostility, build-up of armaments, the establishment of military alliances e.g., NATO, WARSAW Pact, etc., and even proxy wars such as in Korea and Vietnam. There were many efforts from 1945 – 1991 on the part of both superpowers to bring about detente i.e., reduction of hostilities and tensions e.g., Moscow Summit (1972). However, for most of this period, the world was divided into the Capitalist bloc (led by the USA and including England, France, etc.) and Communist bloc (led by USSR and including East European nations).

There were a number of newly independent countries as well as some other Third World countries who did not want to join the military alliances of any power bloc. Through the initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru (India) and Marshall Tito (Yugoslavia), the NAM was formally established in 1961 at Belgrade. Other member countries included Ghana, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, etc. Non-alignment is based on two main principles:

• independent understanding of world affairs
• peace approach.

It does not mean political neutrality or passivity but active participation in world affairs without joining any power bloc or military alliance.

Answer the Following

Question 1. Explain the term – New Cold War.
Answer: Two events that occurred in 1979 change the course of detente. This period marked a resurgence of intense rivalry and tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.
• Islamic Revolution in Iran under leader Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the rule of M.R. Shah Pahlavi. The new government withdrew from the CENTO alliance.
• The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and installed Babrak Karmal as the President. The insurgent groups in Afghanistan (mujahideen) fought against this government (1979 – 1989). The new Cold War refers to the end of the period of detente.
In simple words: The New Cold War started in 1979 when major events like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ended the peaceful phase between superpowers, bringing back high tensions.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly mention the year 1979 and the two key events—the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan—to secure full marks.

Question 2. What is a trade bloc?
Answer: A trade bloc is created when a group of nations makes special agreements regarding their economic relationships with each other. The agreements generally focus on the relaxation or even elimination of trade barriers. The most common types of trade barriers are tariffs (taxes on imports) and quotas (limits on the quantities of various imports). This collaborative approach helps member countries boost their mutual trade and economic growth.
In simple words: A trade bloc is a group of countries that agree to reduce taxes and limits on trade with each other to make buying and selling easier.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly define a trade bloc and mention key examples of trade barriers like tariffs and quotas to secure full marks.

Express Your Opinion on the Following

Question 1. India played an important role in the Cold War.
Answer: India was a non-aligned member during the cold war. It means India was neither on the side of the USA nor the Soviet Union. This was for official purposes, which enabled us to avoid giving away our land or resources to the Soviets or Americans (which they could use as a military base and eventually also make India their vassal). Having said that, unofficially India fully supported the Soviet Union. Soviet Union protected India from the onslaught of the USA, during the India Pakistan war of 1971. The indo-soviet pact during 1971 was spearheaded by PM Indira Gandhi. Further, India cooperated and collaborated greatly with the Soviet Union in the fields of defense, manufacturing industries, medicine, nuclear energy, science among others, however, India was never a direct party to the cold war standoff between the USA and the Soviet Union. This balanced yet strategic position allowed India to maintain its sovereignty while fostering key international partnerships.
In simple words: India chose not to officially join either the USA or the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but maintained a strong, friendly relationship with the Soviet Union for support and development.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the concept of Non-Alignment (NAM) and highlight the 1971 Indo-Soviet treaty as key evidence of India's strategic role.

Answer the Following in Detail with Reference to the Given Points

Question 1. Elaborate on the period of Detente.
(a) Meaning
(b) Initiatives are taken by superpowers to reduce tensions
Answer:
(a) Meaning of detente: Detente refers to efforts to bring about a reduction in tension and improve relations between hostile superpowers, specifically the USA and the USSR. This period marked a shift from active confrontation to peaceful coexistence.
In simple words: Detente means a relaxation of strained relations and tensions between countries that were previously on the verge of conflict.

🎯 Exam Tip: Define detente clearly as the easing of hostility, and structure your answer using the sub-points (a) and (b) provided in the question.

Initiatives Taken by the Superpowers to Reduce Tensions

After the Cuban Missile Crisis, both the USA and USSR made several efforts at reducing bilateral tensions (detente).

This included:

• A hotline was set up between the main leaders of the two nations.
• The signing of agreements such as NNPT, LTBT to reduce nuclear weapons.
• 1972, Moscow Summit between President Nixon (USA) and Brezhnev (USSR).

Other initiatives were:

• Conference at Paris (1973) to bring the Vietnam crisis to an end.
• Helsinki conference on security in Europe (1975) was attended by 35 nations including the USA and USSR. It aimed to reduce the tensions between eastern and western European countries.
• The first joint US-Soviet space flight was the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (1975).
• The USA held a conference at Camp David in 1978 to resolve the long-pending Arab-Israel dispute. The ‘Framework for Peace in the Middle East’ was signed between President Carter (USA), President Sadat (Egypt), and Prime Minister Begin (Israel).

Find Out! (Text Book Page No. 86)

Question. Can you find out some of the summit meetings that have taken place between leaders of India and Pakistan in recent years? Who were the leaders who participated and when and where did the meetings take place?
Answer: The Delhi Pact (Liaquat-Nehru Pact) was signed on 8th April 1950 as a bilateral treaty between India and Pakistan. It was signed in New Delhi by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan of Pakistan. This historic agreement was specifically designed to guarantee the rights and security of minority communities in both nations following the partition.
In simple words: This question asks about key meetings between the leaders of India and Pakistan. One of the earliest major meetings was the Delhi Pact in 1950, where the prime ministers of both countries met in New Delhi to agree on protecting minority groups.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing about bilateral summits, always clearly state the name of the agreement, the participating leaders, the year, and the location to secure full marks.

...the then Indian, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.

• Tashkent Declaration (10th January 1966) was a peace agreement after the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war signed between Mohammed Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan) and Lal Bahadur Shastri (Prime Minister of India) in Tashkent.
• Shimla Agreement was signed on 2nd September 1972 after the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. Signatories were Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
• The non-Nuclear Aggression Agreement was signed on 21st December 1988 in Islamabad by Rajiv Gandhi (Prime Minister of India) and Benazir Bhutto (Prime Minister of Pakistan).
• Lahore Agreement – Signed on 21st February 1999. Signatories were Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee (India) and Nawaz Sharif (Pakistan).
• Agra Agreement (2001). The Negotiators were Shri. Vajpayee and Pervez Musharraf (Pakistan) but negotiators broke down.

Activity (Text Book Page No. 92)

Question. Make a list of all summit meetings of SAARC.
Answer: Here is the complete list of the first eight SAARC summit meetings along with their respective years and venues.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing down the list of summits, always mention both the city and the country name clearly to score full marks.