Social Science 3 Marks Each

• After the defeat of Germany in the World ad War II, the German territory was divided among themselves by the Allied Powers.
• East Germany and East Berlin were under the control of the USSR. West Germany and West Berlin were under control of the USA, the UK and France.
• The cold war between the USA and the USSR had direct impact on Berlin.
• The USSR declared ‘Berlin Blockade’ in April,1948 to stop the free movement of the people in the city of Berlin.
• The ‘Berlin Blockade’ caused inconvenience to a large number of Germans.
• The ‘Berlin Blockade’ spurred up hostility between the USSR and the USA.

• Mikhail Gorbachev became the Secretary- General of the Communist Party of Soviet Union (CPSU) and the Prime Minister of the USSR in : 1985. [wrongly given in the textbook as 1989]
• This liberal-minded politician introduced the process of democratisation and economic reforms by implementing ‘Glasnost’ and ‘Perestroika’. "
• This process of reforms encouraged the Soviet Republics to contemplate the status of an independent sovereign state by secession from the USSR.
• The three Baltic Republics -Latavia, Lithuania and Estonia were the first to secede from the USSR in 1990.
• This was followed by the secession of the eleven more republics in 1990-91.
• At the end of the process of disintegration, the USSR was reduced to the Russian Federation, the largest republic in the erstwhile (former) USSR.

• Cuba, situated on the south-west of the USA, is a communist country.
• The cold war between the USA and the USSR was at its peak in the 1960's.
• Under the pretext of the defence of Cuba, the USSR had dispatched a ship carrying nuclear missiles to Cuba in 1961.
• The USA responded with a blockade of Cuba and threatened the USSR with retaliatory action.
• The world was on the brink of a nuclear war between the two superpowers.
• After a lot of heated verbal exchanges, the USSR agreed to call back its ship.
• It was realised by the two superpowers that any misunderstanding could lead to disasterous consequences and decided to install a ‘hot line’ between the heads of the two countries.

• Armament: The USA was the only nuclear power at the end of the World War II.
• The USSR successfully carried out the test of the Hydrogen Bomb in 1949.
• Soon thereafter the UK (England), France and China acquired nuclear capability.
• In the wake of the cold war, the race for the nuclear weapons and missiles intensified. The world was on the brink of a nuclear war during the ‘Cuban Crisis’ in 1961.
• The other nations, too, were in the process of acquiring nuclear capability.
• Apart from the nuclear weapons, the superpowers had developed chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.
• (B ) Disarmament: It was realised that the proliferation of nuclear armaments was a threat to World Peace.
• After the ‘Cuban Crisis’, the USA and the USSR felt the need to put restriction on the race for nuclear armaments. They agreed on putting restriction on the production and testing of nuclear armaments. The USA, the USSR and Britain signed Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963. France and China refused to sign this treaty.
• At the initiative taken by the UN, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was prepared in 1967. Although India welcomed this step, it had refused to sign the treaty as it was discriminatory in nature.
• Till such time total nuclear disarmament takes place, the threat of the use of the nuclear weapons will continue.

The relation between India and Nepal started by signing a treaty in 1950. According to this treaty, both countries treated each other as sovereign and agreed to preserve regional integrity.
Both the countries also opened their borders , for easy travelling between the two nations.
India has helped Nepal both socially and economically. A large number of Nepali students regularly visit India for higher studies.
The rivers flowing from Himalaya comes from the various regions of Nepal. These rivers cause heavy loss and destruction in India. Both the countries have met several times to discuss and resolve this problem.
On 25th April 2016, Nepal faced a destructive earthquake with 7.8 Richter scale effect. This caused the death of about 8000 people.
India provided relief and rehabilitation work in the areas affected in earthquake.

India shares very old relationship with Sri Lanka.
Many Tamilians of India have migrated to Sri Lanka and settled there.
The citizenship of these Tamilians had been the main issue between India and Sri Lanka for a very long period. However, it had been resolved now.
The problems of Tamilians and peaceful talks between Tamil Organisation and Sri Lankan Government has always been a priority for Indian Government with respect to relationship with Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited the Jaffna region of Sri Lanka on 13th March, 2015 to develop cordial relation.
India gave financial assistance for reconstructing 27,000 houses for rehabilitation of tamilians in Sri Lanka.
Today, India and Sri Lanka have very cordial relation.

Bangladesh became an independent and sovereign country in 1971. Before that it was a part of Pakistan.
When Bangladesh became independent India gave it financial and technical help. It also provided several equipments for growth and development of Bangladesh.
Inspite of all this help, certain issues have risen between India and Bangladesh.
One of the issues was utilizing the water of River Ganga and its proper channelizing. The two countries have discussed this issue and tried to solve it.
India immensely helped Bangladesh during flood, cyclone and other natural calamities.
In 2015, concrete talks took place on matters of dispute geographical land regions and citizenship issues of some people of Bangladesh.

Sino-Indian relations:

1. The modem time relationship between India and China started in the year 1954. The relationship has remained sour mainly due to border disputes.
2. China rejected the McMohan line of demarcation between these two countries. In her maps, China showed some part of north-eastern region of India as its own territory. India opposed this greatly.
3. China attacked India on 1962 and captured the regions of India which were displayed in China’s map.
4. India sent its military troops to save its border regions from getting away in the hands of China. Finally, China ended the war.
5. Many meetings took place to resolve these problem but, in vain.
6. However, in the last decade China and India have tried to establish co-operative and friendly relations.
7. India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi invited Mr. Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, to strengthen the relations.
8. Later, Mr. Jinping also visited India. He also visited at Sabarmati River Front in Ahmedabad.

Immediately after India’s independence the relation between India and Pakistan became very stressful.
India and Pakistan fought three horrifying wars in the years 1948, 1965, 1971. India won all these three wars.
Both the countries have signed Taskhent and Shimla Treaty for maintaining peace. However, Pakistan does not follow this treaty properly.
India and Pakistan again entered into a war called Kargil War in 1999.
Heads of the both the countries have expressed their concern to resolve all issues peacefully through negotiations. However, overall the relations are still stressful.

After the First World War, the countries of the world established an organisation called ‘The League of Nations’ with an aim to maintain world peace and prevent wars.
However, the League could not stop the power hungry nations and it failed when the Second World War broke out in 1939.
After the Second World War, large scale unemployment, epidemics, crores of death and ruined economy shook the world.
The countries of the world finally realised a serious need to establish a world organisation which would maintain peace and harmony in the world.
Owing to this need, United Nations Organisation (UNO) was established on 24th October 1945. It was later renamed as United Nations.

• In the post independence period, India had adopted the policy of non-alignment to reduce international tension caused by the cold war.
• India had played a leading role on the international forum in opposing colonialism and racial discrimination as well as in championing the cause of freedom to Indonesia and the African countries.
• India had played a leading role at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1955.
• India had sent peace-keeping forces to Korea, Cyprus, Gaza, Congo and Sri Lanka for the humanitarian work.
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India was instrumental in the formation of the Non-aligned (Nations) Movement (NAM) at Belgrade in 1961.
• India has supported peace initiatives of the United Nations, advocated nuclear disarmament and economic development of the newly independent countries.

• The Chater of United nations had stated the following aim Of the Unied nations.
• To maintain world peace and security.
• To take collective action to prevent any threat world peace and against the acts of aggression.
• To make efforts to resolve international disputes by peaceful means.
• To develop friendly relations among the nations of the world on the basis of self-determination and equal rights of the nations.
• To promote international cooperation to resolve economic. social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
• To protect the human rights and respect for these rights irrespective of differences in race. religion, language and gender.
• To develop the sentiment of world unity and brotherhood.
• To be at centre, coordinating the activities of the nations in achieving the aims of the UN.

• Germany had suffered humiliating defeat in the Second World War. Its territory was occupied by the Allied Powers in 1945.
• Integration of the territories under occupation of the USA, the UK (Great Britain) and France was brought about in 1949.
• West Germany was now ‘Federal Republic of Germany’
• The Federal Republic adopted democracy.
• It was a leading economy in the world.
• It took the initiative in establishing European Economic Community.
• This transformation is described by somehistorians as the ‘German Miracle’.

• The destructive potential of the nuclear weapons was revealed by the enormous destruction caused by the atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• The USSR, the UK (England), France and China too acquired nuclear capabilities by 1965.
• Missiles were developed to carry nuclear warheads. They have developed short range, medium range, long range and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
• India, Pakistan, Israel, South Africa too have acquired nuclear capabilities.
• The terrorist organisations are trying to acquire nuclear weapons. If they succeed, world peace and security will be destroyed.