World Politics - Cartoons Series

Chapter – 1 & 2 | The Cold War Era & The End of Bipolarity
Q. 1. Refer to the following picture and give answers to the questions that follow:

(a) What has been depicted in these pictures?

(b) What were the Consequences of the Second World War?
(c) Which era started after the Second World War?

Q. (a) What has been depicted in these pictures?

Ans. The first picture depicts Soviet soldiers raising the USSR flag on the Reichstag
building in Berlin, Germany, in May 1945. The second picture symbolises
American soldiers raising the US flag during the Battle Iwo Jima, Japan on 23 Feb
1945.

Q. (b) What were the Consequences of the Second World War?

Ans. Two superpowers - America and USSR emerged as the consequence of Second
World War and the world was divided into two camps after war. These
superpowers gave rise to western and eastern allies. As a consequence of the Second
World War, two superpowers emerged – America and USSR.
Q. (c) Which era started after the Second World War?
Ans. The era of Cold War started after Second World War. The world was divided
into two camps. The superpowers were no less than each other. Both had the
capacity to influence the world by their actions. Both of them had nuclear weapons
that were enough to destroy each other completely. None of the camp wanted to
take the risk.
So, Cold War began and situation of deterrence did lead to any war. Cuban Missile
crises, 'Berlin crises' and 'Congo crises' were examples of Cold War.

Q. 2. Study the cartoons and answer the following questions.

(a). What is shown by these cartoons?

(b). What is being depicted in the first cartoon?
(c). What is the subject matter of the second cartoon?

Q. (a). What is shown by these cartoons?

Ans. These cartoons show Indian view on the Cold war.

Q. (b). What is being depicted in the first cartoon?

Ans. The first cartoon was drawn when the China keeping the USSR in dark. The
cartoon also expresses changing the international political scenario as after a long
time. China made overtures to the USA.

Q. (c). What is the subject matter of the second cartoon?

Ans. The second cartoon shows the American misadventure in Vietnam. It also
depicts that the US President Johnson, was in more troubles over Vietnam.
Q. 3. Look at the following picture and answer the following questions.

(a) What does wall of Berlin Symbolise?

(b) When was this wall built and why was it toppled?
(c) What were the consequences of falling of wall?

Q. (a) What does wall of Berlin Symbolise?

Ans. The Berlin wall symbolised the division between capitalist and communist
world. It was the greatest symbol of the Cold War.

Q. (b) When was this wall built and why was it toppled?
• This wall was built in 1961 to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. It was
built to stop the migration of people from East Germany to West Germany.
But in the decade of 1980, political liberalisation began in Eastern Germany
due to the disintegration of Soviet Union.
• Boundary rules were loosened. This caused historic chain of events and
movements in Germany that led to the destruction of government.
• On 9th November, 1989, restrictions on travel to either side of the Berlin Wall
were lifted up and it was announced that free entry and exits are allowed.
Huge mass of people from Eastern and Western Berlin crossed the wall and
met each other. Afterwards, the wall was toppled.

Q. (c) What were the consequences of falling of wall?

• Toppling of wall by common people brought a historic chain of events into
picture on 9 November, 1989 that led to the collapse of Second World and end
of the Cold War. Germany divided after the Second World War was unified.
• One after another, the eight East European countries that were part of Soviet
bloc replaced Communist government in response to the mass demonstration.
• The Soviet Union silently observed due to the pressure of mass actions by
ordinary men and women. Eventually, the Soviet Union itself disintegrated.
Bipolarity also collapsed because of the disintegration of Soviet Union.
 World Politics - Cartoons Series
Chapter – 6 | UN & its Organizations

(a) Write name of the related agency.

(b) Why did this agency come into existence? Where is its headquarter?
(c) What is its main aim?

(i) What does the cartoon represent?

(ii) What type of crisis does the cartoon show?
(iii) What message does the cartoon convey?
Answer.
(i) A humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
(i) Starvation, genocide, horror, etc.
(iii) 'A Big Helping of Words' only because during these crises, the international
organisations performed debates, speeches on these but no actual aid or support
was reached to peoples
(i) What does the cartoon represent?
Ans. It represents role of the UN on attack on Lebanon by Israeli forces.
(ii) Who is the person being commented in the cartoon?
Ans. The UN Secretary General.
(iii) What message does the cartoon convey?
Ans. It conveys message on relevance of the UN as immediate follow-up was not there by
Israeli forces despite passing a resolution from the UN.

(a) What does it depict?

(b) Can the UN stop the US?
(c) 'If the Right one Don't get you....
then the left one will.' clarify this statement.

Ans. (a) America is represented by the man in the picture.

The US can force the country by accepting the decisions of the UN by any means (by war).

(b) No, the UN cannot stop the US from doing whatever it wants. The influence of the US is
considerable. As the single largest contributor to the UN, the US has unmatched financial
power. With its veto power, the US can stop any moves that it finds annoying or damaging to
its interests or the interests of its friends and allies. The power of the US and its veto within
the organisation also ensure that it has a considerable degree of say in the choice of the
Secretary General of the UN. The US can and does use this power to 'split' the rest of the
world and to reduce opposition to its policies.

(c) The statements represent the hegemony of the US. American attack on Iraq in 1991 is its
example. When Iraq captured Kuwait, many measures were taken to make Iraq understand.
After the failure of all measures, the UN permitted use of force in order to free Kuwait from
Iraq invaders. Army of America and 34 countries attacked Iraq and got succeeded. This is
known as 'First Gulf War'.