page 1 of 33 mgp 2020 | test 17a/b solutions (31017

MGP 2020 | Test 17A/B– Solutions (31017) | ForumIAS (20 Questions | 250 Marks | Duration 3 Hours)

ForumIAS Offline Guidance Centre

2ndFloor, IAPL House, 19, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005 | [email protected]|9821711605

Q.1) The seeds of the unification of Italy and Germany was sown during the

Napoleonic rule. Elaborate. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH

• Introduce with European history and unification of two countries.

• Role of Napoleon in unification of Italy.

• Role of Napoleon in unification of Germany.

• Conclusion.

ANSWER:

Italy and Germany played an important role in world’s history and European history. Both the kingdom of

Italy and the empire of Germany were divided earlier and were united by 1871. Even though both countries

used popular trends to that time, both liberalism and nationalism, the process unifying these two

countries was very different. Many events led to unification in two nations but seeds for their unification

was directly or indirectly sown during Napoleon rule.

How seeds of unification of Italy was sown during Napoleon rule?

1. Napoleon’s contribution to the unification of Italy was decisive but inadvertent. He was somewhat

indirectly responsible as his decisions played an important role in the unification of Italy.

2. After Napoleon’s rise to power, the Italian peninsula was conquered by the French. French invasion

under Napoleon and occupation was important in many ways as:

○ It introduced revolutionary ideas about government and society, resulting in an

overthrow of the old established ruling orders and the destruction of feudalism.

○ Also, of consequence, the concept of nationalism was introduced, thus sowing the seeds

of Italian nationalism throughout most parts of the northern and central Italian

peninsula.

3. Napoleon directly controlled all of northern and central Italy. During his rule, far-reaching reforms

were instituted. Roads were improved everywhere, and both primary and higher education were

strengthened. Italians thus gained a network of new and improved services that were to hasten

Italian social and economic progress and cohesion.

4. Although the Italian peninsula remained fragmented through the mid-1800s, the concept of a

united Italy began to take root. The conspiracies of 1830-1 mark the beginning of Napoleon’s role

in Italian Nationalism. He wished to help the Italians and in the end it was with his assistance that

Italian freedom was achieved.

5. Secret societies formed to oppose the conservative regimes. Several of these societies also

promoted Italian nationalism and the idea of a unified Italian political state.

6. Napoleon had also helped the Sardinian Kingdom in its aims of freeing North Italy that helped in

creating a larger Italian kingdom.

Seed sown for Unification of Germany during Napoleon rule:

1. Napoleon Bonaparte first sowed the seeds of nationalism in Germany. He destroyed three

hundred small states of the Roman Empire and established the ‘Confederation of the Rhine’. In due

course of time, the cultural unity among these states, the role of universities,

commercial enlargement, rapid growth of industries etc. brought unity among the

‘German Confederation of the States’.

of 33




2. Napoleon in the battle of Iaana, defeated Prussia. Prussia later introduced Zollverein (Custom

Union of German states) to strengthen the ground for German Unification. This gave German

people the confidence that political integration will lead to economic empowerment of

German states.

3. Napoleon in order to safeguard the France from Austria and Prussia reorganised the German states.

Napoleon introduced a democratic setup of administration in the confederation. He also

introduced the Code Napoleon in all the states of the confederation. In this way, Napoleon did much

for the national unification of Germany.

4. The great ideals of freedom, nationalism, patriotism and fraternity were freely propagated

throughout the German states.

5. Ultimately, the rise of Bismarck and his shrewd diplomacy gave a chance for the unification of

Germany.

6. Thus, it is clear that the idea of national unity was not a new thing for the people of Germany. They

had learnt much about it from Napoleon Bonaparte. His contribution in the field of national

unification of Germany was decisive and great.

Although many factors play a role in the creation of a country, including just the right political climate and

social context but the leadership of an influential public figure is often a crucial component. Napoleon III

played an important role in creation of two unified nations i.e. Italy and Germany. These two powers later

on, played an enormous role in the world history

Q.2) The formation of coalition governments in 1990s is a reflection of

regionalisation of politics and rising aspirations of weaker sections of society.

Comment. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH

• Mention about the rise of coalition politics

• Mention reasons for emergence

• How it was rooted in rise of regionalisation of politics and rising aspirations of

weaker sections of society

ANSWER:

The 1990s saw structural changes in Indian political systems where regional political parties increased their

capacity to influence Union government. Similarly, major states experienced transition towards multi-party

coalition system from one-party rule of Congress and thus emerged a phenomenon of ‘regionalisation of

politics’.

Reasons for regionalisation of politics and emergence of coalition government:

• The death of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, corruption cases (Bofors scandal), economic crisis especially in

early 1990s provided regional parties an opportunity to come up as an alternative to National

parties e.g. role of Telugu Desam Party as an alliance in National Front (1989-1996)

• The inter-state water disputes, emerging demands of new states, son of soil movements created

conducive atmosphere for substantial increase of strength of parties like Shivsena in

Maharashtra

• Caste becoming efficient tool of political mobilisation especially after adoption of Mandal

recommendations e.g. emergence of Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal etc

of 33https://telegram.me/UPSC_PDF

https://telegram.me/UPSC_MainsTests

https://telegram.me/UPSC_PDF





Coalition government as a reflection of regionalisation of politics:

• The Indian party system became highly competitive and more democratized as state parties

were accorded equitable authority in Union as well as state governments

• Rise of regional parties, which had more say in not only domestic policy of the government but also

foreign policy. e.g the cabinet under IK Gujaral government, PV Narshimha Rao government had

direct representation from regional parties

• The regional parties depended a lot on their social bases, internal organizations and ideologies and

thus ensured actions of Union government are in unison with the interest of respective states.

Coalition government as a reflection of rising aspirations of weaker sections of society:

• Regional parties fill a vacuum for protecting minorities and promotes the interests of weaker

sections e.g Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) as

well as National Commission for Backward Classes 1992-93

• During times of coalitions, regional parties served as a moderating force upon exclusionary national

parties.e.g parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, DMK, AIADMK have stressed on affirmative actions

of the Union government

• The flaws in first-past-the post are to the extent moderated by the representation accorded to

the weakest sections through coalition governments

The coalition governments are criticised for:

• Loss of public money: The period of 1996 – 1999 had 3 general elections,

• Instability: Growth of Regional Parties also lead to ‘rainbow’ coalitions, so called because like

the rainbow, they last only a short time,

• Decision making: Policy paralysis due to non-adherence of basic minimum agenda and

intermixing of national interest with state interests.

Nevertheless, the coalition politics has led to empowerment for regional voices from the states and has

added to India’s search for true federalism. Thus, it paves the way for a kind of ‘electoral federalism’

in post-independent India.

Q.3) Amongst many factors, the great depression of 1929 played a major role in rise

of fascism in Germany. Examine. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH

• Introduce with brief introduction of Great Depression

• Explain the role it played for rise of fascism in Germany due to this

• Briefly Enumerate the other factors that led to rise of Nazi Party

ANSWER:

The term “Great Depression” is used for an economic recession which began in the United States in 1929.

It had far-reaching effects around the globe, especially in Europe where the depression played role of a

catalyst for the rise of Fascism in Germany.








Fascism meaning:

• The fascists believed that there could be no harmony between two or more nations. They

glorified war which, according to them, ennobled people. They openly advocated a policy of

expansion and said that nations which do not expand cannot survive for long.

• Nazism which was the German version of fascism was much more sinister than the original

Italian version. The Nazis, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, added the racism as one of the basis

for the nation building, leading to the emergence aggressive version of fascism in modern times.

Role of the great depression of 1929 in rise of fascism in Germany:

1. Economic factors

○ Post-World War 1, German investments and industrial recovery were totally dependent on

short-term loans, largely from the USA. This support was withdrawn when the Wall Street

Exchange crashed in 1929.

○ Banks collapsed and businesses shut down, workers lost their jobs and the middle classes

were threatened with destitution. In such a situation Nazi propaganda stirred hopes of a

better future.

2. Social factors

○ The middle classes, especially salaried employees and pensioners, saw their savings

diminish when the currency lost its value. It created the fear of proletarianization, an

anxiety of being reduced to the ranks of the working class, or worse.

○ The large mass of peasantry was affected by a sharp fall in agricultural prices and rural

section of society also demanded radical reforms.

3. Political factors

○ People lost confidence in the democratic parliamentary system, which seemed to offer no

solutions to the miseries of Germans

○ The Weimar constitution had inherent defects, which made it unstable and vulnerable

instead of providing structural organization against the challenges of the Great Depression.

In this background, Nazi party promised:

• To promote anti-communist sentiments and hence supported by wealthy capitalist and

industrialists.

• A totalitarian state and controlled industry, agriculture and better standard of living through

radical reforms

• The supremacy of the state, Glorified war, nationalism and cult of the leader.

Other Factors which contributed to the rise of Fascism in Germany:

Both external and internal factors led to replacing democratic forces by Fascist forces of Nazism

altering the politics of Germany

1. Internal Factors:

o Promotion to dictatorship - When Germany became a republic after World War 1, the

forces behind the monarchy -the industrialists, the big landowners and the officers of the

army remained quite powerful. These forces began to turn to the anti-democratic forces

represented by Nazism to extend their power and to check the power of the socialist

movement

o Indoctrination - Education was highly supervised, that led to Indoctrination of young

mind and blind obedience to state was promoted.








o Racism - Under the slogan of “One people, one empire and one leader”, Ethnic cleansing

of not only Jews but also gypsies and blacks living in Nazi Germany was carried out under

pseudo-scientific basis of biological purity.

2. External Factors:

o Nazis capitalized on the sense of humiliation which many Germans felt at their defeat in

the war and the unjust provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler promised to weed

out all foreign influences and resist all foreign conspiracies against Germany.

o Nazis were influenced by the success of Fascism in Italy. Like Mussolini’s ‘Rome March’,

Hitler also planned to capture power through a march on Berlin.

o Nazi ideology against communism got ‘invisible’ support from Britain-dominated

League of Nations and hence rise of Nazi Germany did not experience external resistance

in the wake of policy of appeasement by the League of nations..

To conclude, it can be said that fascist version of Germany was aggravated by the great depression of 1929.

However, Nazism was shaped numerous other factors which marked climax by abolishing the democracy

in Germany by 1933 and emergence of dictatorship.

Q.4) “The systemic weaknesses of the European Union have contributed to the

present Brexit crisis”. Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduce with EU creation.

• Discuss various systemic weaknesses of EU that has contributed to the reasons

for Britain to seek Brexit.

• Conclusion.

ANSWER:

The European Union is an economic and political partnership between 28 member countries that covers

much of Europe. The EU was created in the wake of the 2nd World War in order to foster economic

cooperation and to prevent further conflict between European countries. The UK, joined the EU in 1973,

which was initially made up of the six founding countries. EU was posed to be a successful economic union,

which unfortunately has not been fulfilled completely. Today the arguments in favour of Brexit have

increased. The representatives of Britain are of the opinion that the EU over the decades has taken away

the powers of Britain to decide on various matters. Various systemic weaknesses of the European Union is

one of the cause of Brexit.

Systemic weaknesses of EU causing Britain to seek Brexit:

1. Sovereignty: Although the British Government has an influence in some form in selecting the

members to the European Commission, the members are neither under the influence nor

accountable to the British Parliament. Some of the policy decisions such as competition policy,

agriculture, copyright and patent law go against the interests of Britain (these laws override the

domestic laws). This weakness of being unable to take decisions in Britain interests has led to

support for Brexit.

2. Overriding regulations: Some of the regulations such as limits on the power of vacuum cleaners,

non-recycling of tea bags etc. have often been seen as a burden by some of the conservatives in








Britain. These limits and regulations acted against the British interests and has adversely impacted

British economy, leading to rise of voice for Brexit.

3. Failure of Euro: Although Euro is the common currency for EU, Britain still uses pound as its

currency. The problem with euro as a common currency has also been exposed wherein on one side

countries such as Greece and Spain are suffering from high debt, high unemployment, whereas

other countries such as Germany are enjoying higher growth. Thus, it has not helped Britain

interests much.

4. Immigration: Britain is not a signatory of Schengen Border free zone. Over the last ten years there

has been a quite an opposition towards migration into the country from within the EU and its effects

on wages and public services especially post 2008 recession wherein the workers from Lithuania,

Poland, Italy, Romania etc have moved to Britain.

5. Financial burden: Although EU doesn’t have the powers to collect the taxes from the people

directly, it mandates member countries to make payments. In case of Britain it comes around $19

billion per year or $300/person. Although the funds are again used on Britain, the Brexit

supporters say, the money could be used more efficiently, if Britain is out of EU.

6. Security concerns: The rising threat of terrorism in Europe which is exaggerated by EU’s

inability to keep the area secure has led to Britain to get out of EU. Refugee crisis in Europe has

added to the security concerns.

Thus, EU’s systemic failure has contributed to one of the reasons for Brexit. The effect of Brexit on the global

economy coupled with weakening/depreciating currencies of various countries will make it more harder for

recovery.

Q.5) American Civil War truly realised and fulfilled the ideals of the American

Revolution. Analyse. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH:

• Mention background of American civil war

• Tell about the ideals of the American Revolution

• Relate how American Civil War truly realised and fulfilled the ideals

ANSWER:

American Revolution (1776-1783) is a significant episode in the history of the world as it not only gave

a very serious jolt to mercantilism and colonialism but also became a symbol for liberation, individual

freedom establishing fundamental ideals for modern democracy.

Ideals of American Revolution:

• The first democratic government with a written constitution in the world became a reality.

• Democracy with separation of powers on the model suggested by French thinker Montesquieu

was founded.

• The Bill of Rights ensured fundamental rights to the citizens of the U.S.A.

• It was not only a war against England but against aristocracy and reactionary elements. It led a

fight against colonial domination and introduced new political, social and economic set up in the

United States of America. Capitalism also took strong roots.








The American Revolution, however, did not bring democracy to everyone. This is evident

from-

• Ethnic cultures destroyed: American Indians were slaughtered, pushed to remote, semi-barren

lands and the preservation of their separate cultures and languages was discouraged.

• Rapidly rising Inequality: Northern states were industrialized while southern states where

primarily agricultural. Northern states wanted a tax on imports from Britain while southern states

wanted tax-free trade with Britain.

• Slavery: The negroes were denied fundamental rights in presence of slavery as a legal institution

in few states of America.

Thus, the revolution was exactly opposite to interest of natives, negroes creating cleavages within the ideals

of American revolution as democracy became tyranny, prosperity became poverty, and liberty

became confinement.

In this background, differences between states in the north the south –resulted in the American Civil

War (1861-65). The difference in the attitude towards slavery can be seen as the root cause of the

American Civil War. This had repercussions in the economic and political sphere too.

The American Civil War fulfilled the ideals of American Revolution as-

• Slavery abolition: Slavery was abolished everywhere in America through the 13th Amendment

to the Constitution of USA. The Federal Government took certain measures that prohibited the

enactment of discretionary laws against African Americans.

• Inclusive Constitution: The 14th Amendment defined a citizen as any person born in or

naturalized in the United States, concluding the inclusivity of American state as promised under

American Revolution

• Economic prosperity: The Southern States lay in ruins and there began the age of industrial

growth. Plantations had been badly affected and new businesses emerged. As a result, the next ten

years in American history may be called the period of ‘reconstruction’.

• Federal state established: The doctrine of state sovereignty, which was the basis of American

revolution, was laid to rest. The supremacy of the nation was vindicated. The Union was declared

to be perpetual. E.g Civil War strengthened the foundations of the United States by resolving

the North-South tension permanently.

However, the American Civil war had a limited impact as:

• For a period, African Americans voted and held political office, but they were increasingly deprived

of civil rights, often under Jim Crow laws, and subjected to discrimination and sustained

violence by whites in the South.

• Women were not accorded voting rights in the Constitutional amendments

• Full citizenship rights were not accorded to the native Americans till 1924 under Indian

Citizenship Act

Thus, the structural aspect of American Revolution was realized through the culmination of American Civil

war and an organic democracy was established. However, the devolution of democratic rights took a

century more after American Civil War and was achieved through subsequent democratic movements

in USA.








Q.6) How do the problems of tribal societies in India differ from region to region?

How far did the policy of tribal panchsheel help in integration of tribal areas?

(10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduction by some fact or definition

• Body will include region wise tribes and their different problems the tribal

panchsheel its impact on integration of the tribal areas and remaining challenges

• Conclude appropriately

ANSWER:

There are 461 tribal groups in India out of which 424 are considered as the Schedule Tribes In 1960, Chanda

Committee determined five standards to include any caste or community in the tribal group. These

standards include Geographical isolation, special culture, characteristics of tribes, backwardness and

shyness.

Regional Distribution of Tribes in India

India can be divided into seven zones on the basis of distribution and diversity of the tribal population.The

distribution of tribal population and their problems vary from region to region some of them are as follows:

1. North Zone

The tribes of the region of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Sub Himalayan

Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar come under this zone. They are Lahul,, Lepcha, Bhotia, Tharu, Buxa, Jaunsari,

Khampa, Bhoksa, Gujjars and Kanauta.

The major problems of the tribes of this zone are:

• Problems of land ownership: A good portion of the land in the tribal areas has been legally

transferred to non-tribals. Tribals demand that this land should be returned to them.

• Non-Availability of Banking Facilities: Banking facilities in the tribal areas are so inadequate that

the tribals have mainly to depend on the money-lenders

• Economic Problem: The tribal people are economically the poorest people of India. Majority of

them live beta the poverty line.

• Smuggling, Infiltration and Drug Addiction is also another major problem.

2. North-Eastern Zone

They are of the tribes of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram

eg Lusai, Kuki, Garo, Khasi, Bhutia, Lepcha. These tribes have a very high rate of literacy and conversions

to Christianity, mainly because of the missionary activities during the colonial rule.


• The Problem of Geographic Separation: Living in the unapproachable physical areas such as deep

valleys, dense forests, hills, mountains, etc.

• Cultural Problems: The cultural gap between the civilized and the tribal people is hindering the

integration of the tribal people into the mainstream of the national life of India.

• Social Problems: The tribals have their own social problems also. They are traditional and custom-

bound. They have become the victims of superstitious beliefs, outmoded and meaningless practices

and harmful habits. Child marriage, infanticide, homicide, animal sacrifice, exchange of wives,

black magic and other harmful practices are still found among them.








• Unprofitable Agriculture: they practice shift cultivation and possess uneconomic holdings because

of which their crop yield is very less.

3. Central Zone

The tribes of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Western Rajasthan and northern Andhra Pradesh come under

this zone. The major tribes of Chhattisgarh are Gond, Baiga, maria and Abujhamaria.

The problems faced by the tribes living in this area are:

• Exploitation: The innocence, illiteracy and helplessness of the tribals are exploited by the outsiders.

• Naxalite issues where tribes are forced to follow their dictates and prevent any development in the

area.

• Isolation: They live in isolation and inhabit the secluded enclaves of Narayanpur tehsil Bastar

District.

• Backwardness They are one of the few tribes that have many to keep their culture alive and

unaffected by the vestiges of time

4. Southern Zone

• The tribes of Western Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Western Tamil Nadu and Kerala come under

this zone. The most important tribes of the Nilgiri region are Toda, Kota and Bagada. The other

major tribes of this zone are Kurumba, Kadar, Paniyan, Chenchu, Allar, Nayak and Chetti.


• Problem of Geographic Separation: Living in the unapproachable physical areas such as deep

valleys, dense forests, hills, mountains, etc. It is difficult for them to establish relations with others.

This kind of physical as well as social isolation or seclusion has contributed to various other

problems.

• Cultural Problems: The tribal culture is entirely different from the way of life of the civilized people.

They are suspicious towards the civilized people. They are clinging tenaciously to their customs and

traditions.

• Unemployment and Underemployment: A large number of tribal young men and women are either

unemployed or underemployed. They are unhappy for they are not able to get jobs that can keep

them occupied throughout the year

5. Eastern Zone

The tribes of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar come under this zone. The tribes of Odisha are

Juang, Kharia, Khond and Bhumij. The tribes of Jharkhand are Munda, Oraon, Santhal, Ho and Birhor.

They are of the Austric language family and speak Kol and Munda languages.

• Unprofitable Agriculture: they practice shift cultivation and possess uneconomic holdings

because of which their crop yield is very less

• Problems of land ownership: A good portion of the land in the tribal areas has been legally

transferred to non-tribals. Tribals demand that this land should be returned to them.

• Educational Problems. They have no faith in formal educational organization. The illiterate

parents do not consider it as their primary responsibility to give education to their children. The

Problem of Language and the curriculum of education is anothermain problem.

• Problem of Separatism: The “divide and rule” policy adopted by the British did a lot of damage to

the tribal community of India. The tribal groups such as Kolis, Mundas, Khasis, Santals, Naga,

etc, who fought against the British were branded as “dacoits” and “robbers”. The British

government which wanted to humble these tribals and “correct” them gave direct encouragement








to the foreign Christian missionary activities especially in, the Central and the North-Eastern

Zone. These activities which led to numerous Tribal Revolts and Uprisings:

6. Island Region

The tribes of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep groups come under this zone. The major tribes of

Andaman & Nicobar are Shompen, Onge, Jarwa and Sentinali, who are gradually getting extinct. They are

related to the Negrito racial group.

All the racial groups are identified separately on the basis of their own racial characteristics. These

characteristics are the nature and colour of hair, head structure, Nasal index and shape of eyes.Their

problems include:

• Cultural Problems:The tribal culture is entirely different from the way of life of the civilized

people.They are suspicious towards the civilized people. They are clinging tenaciously totheir

customs and traditions.The cultural gap between the civilized and the tribal people is hindering

the integration of the tribal people into the mainstream of the national life of India.

• Problem of Health and Sanitation: Due to illiteracy and ignorance the tribals are not able to

appreciate modern concept of health and sanitation. They do not take much care pertaining to

their own health. They have their own traditional means of diagnosis and cure

• Exploitation: The innocence, illiteracy and helplessness of the tribals are exploited by the

outsiders.

• Poor living conditions: Highly illiterate backward live in meager conditions primitive mode of

agriculture is undertaken for livelihood poor living.

The Tribal Panchsheel policy of Nehru is as follows:

1. People should develop along the lines of their own genius, and the imposition of alien values

should be avoided

2. Tribal rights in land and forest should be respected.

3. Teams of tribals should be trained in the work of administration and development

4. Tribal area should not be overadministered or overhwhelmed with a multiplicity of schemes

5. Results should not be judged not by statistics or the amount of money spent, but by the human

character that is evolved

Has it helped?

1. The policy has helped in the tribal way of development and provided necessary support for their

growth

2. It has helped to merge the tribes in mainstream that wished and asked for development at the

same time it helped other tribes that wished to live their own way

3. Necessary arrangements for protection of tribes have helped in preservation of their culture

rituals etc and promoting unity and diversity of India

4. spread of literacy and education and evolution of Panchayati Raj through PESA

5. Promotion of Tribal art & craft mela for example Adiship

6. Efforts by TRIFED for example marketing of MFP (minor forest produce)

7. Various Health policies exclusive for tribals

8. Various government policies and schemes are formed in the line with the tribal panchsheel and

thus helped provide necessary support to the tribal groups eg.

o Forests act, Wildlife preservation act, etc. have recognised tribal right to their lands and

forests. Supreme Court judgements have upheld tribal rights to sharing wealth arising out

if their land.








o Tribal sub-plan to increase level of development in tribal areas.

o Tribal advisory councils in 5th schedule areas also give certain autonomy to tribal. Also

Governors have been empowered to amend laws for better applicability in their regard.

o Appointment of National Commission of SCs and STs which see the safeguards and

implementation of schemes for tribes and backward.

Overall the administration of Tribals in the country has remained with Tribal panchsheel as the basis. While

some have been integrated on the mainstream, for others there remains a policy of “eyes on, hands off”.

However, some challenges still remain:

1. contemporary development and growth alienated the tribals and marginalized section to reap the

economic benefits. forest resources arer being exploited but they are not getting any adequate

return for that.

2. On one side it hinders the political, social and economic justice obligations of the Preamble, on

other side it also creates a vulnerability for nation to tackle its internal security. Rise of Left-Wing

Extremism is empirical evidence in this regard

3. More on studies also shows that the role of these tribals in the other sphere is also negligible.

There is very minor percentage of the tribals engage in the public service delivery or in the apex

level administration which promotes the notion of insecurity and antagonism in the nation.

4. Quite often the funds allocated for tribal welfare are not spent or are spent without corresponding

results and sometimes funds are even misappropriated.

5. Administrative personnel are either ill trained or prejudiced against tribals.

6. Denial of justice, often because of their unfamiliarity with the laws & the legal system.

7. Violation of strict land transfer laws to tribals, leading to alienation of land & eviction of tribals.

8. Rapid extension of mines & industries has worsened their conditions in many areas.

9. The progress of education among the tribal people has been disappointingly slow.

10. Exploitations from the outsiders and unsympathetic attitude of officials.

Governments in post-Independent India have made the mistake of painting every tribe with the same brush.

Each tribe has a different typology and character and has to be treated differently. The condition of

indigenous people in Central India is very different from that in the Northeast and the Andamans. different

policies should be tailored to suit the requirements of different tribes to achieve the dream of inclusiveness

government is working on it, but still an intensified effort is needed to get the full-fledged results.

Q.7) Throw light on the circumstances that led to the Tashkent Agreement in 1966.

Discuss the highlights of the Agreement. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduction- Importance of Tashkent Agreement and background.

• Body- a) Mention circumstances related to Tashkent Agreement.

b) Highlight the important features of Tashkent Agreement

c) Pros and Cons of the Agreement.

• Conclusion-Conclude explaining the need of such peace agreement for the

stability, economic development and prosperity of the region.








ANSWER:

India and Pakistan signed the Tashkent Declaration on January 10, 1966 to "restore normal and peaceful

relations between their countries and to promote understanding and friendly relations between their

peoples."

Background:

The first Indo-Pakistan war also known as the First Kashmir War was fought just after independence in

1947-48. This resulted in the establishment of the Line of Control (LOC) as the de facto border between

India and Pakistan in Kashmir.

The second Indo-Pak war began in April 1965, when fighting broke out in the Rann of Kachchh, a sparsely

inhabited region along the West Pakistan–India border.

In August, 'Operation Grandslam' was launched in an attempt to capture the Kashmir by force.This led to

an all-out war in August 1965.

The war continued until September that year until the two major superpowers of the day, USA and the

USSR intervened through diplomatic channels.

Under the auspices of the USSR, a meeting was held at Tashkent, USSR (now in Uzbekistan) from 4th to

10th January 1966 in order to create a more lasting peace accord between India and Pakistan.

Circumstances that led to the Tashkent Agreement:

1. India was suffering from drought and it was a period of shortage of food

2. The war with China 1962, had left indians, including the armed forces, feeling demoralised.

3. After,1962 war with China, indian financial condition was unstable and the 1965 war enhanced it

so India had to put an end to this war.

4. China supported Pakistan in 1965 war to suppress the India.

5. USA threatened India to suspend PL 480 food.

6. The Soviet Union had offered its good offices for a peaceful settlement between the two warring

states.

Highlights of the Agreement-:

The Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan agree that both sides will exert all efforts to create

good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

1. They considered that the interests of peace in their region and particularly in the Indo-Pakistan

Sub-Continent and, indeed, the interests of the peoples of India and Pakistan were not served by

the continuance of tension between the two countries.

2. The Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan have agreed that all armed personnel

of the two countries shall be withdrawn not later than 25 February, 1966 to the positions they held

prior to 5 August, 1965, and both sides shall observe the cease-fire terms on the cease-fire line.

3. The Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan have agreed that both sides will

discourage any propaganda directed against the other country, and will encourage propaganda

which promotes the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

4. They also agreed not to interfere in the internal matters of each other. They agreed to discourage

propaganda against each other and encourage friendly discourse.

5. Both Governments agreed to observe the Vienna Convention of 1961 on diplomatic discourse and

agreed to return their respective High Commissioners to their posts.








6. The Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan have agreed that they give instructions

to their respective authorities to deport the prisoners of war.

7. Both Governments have agreed to consider measures towards the restoration of economic and

trade relations, communications, as well as cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan, and

to take measures to implement the existing agreements between India and Pakistan.

8. The Governments of both nations have agreed that the sides will continue the discussion of

questions relating to the problems of refugees and evictions/illegal immigrations. They also

agreed that both sides will create conditions which will prevent the exodus of people.

9. They further agreed to discuss the return of the property and assets taken over by either side in

connection with the conflict.

10. Both Governments have agreed that the sides will continue meetings both at the highest and at

other levels on matters of direct concern to both countries. Both sides have recognized the need

to set up joint Indian-Pakistani bodies which will report to their Governments in order to decide

what further steps should be taken.

Success:

The governments of both nations (India and Pakistan) firmly resolve to restore normal and peaceful

relations between their countries and to promote understanding and friendly relations between their

peoples. They consider the attainment of these objectives of vital importance for the welfare of the 600

million people of India and Pakistan.

Failure:

The Tashkent Declaration was criticised in India because of the omission of a no-war pact and no

renunciation of Guerilla warfare in Kashmir.

Although viewed as a success at that time, the Indo-Pakistan problem still persists. The Kashmir issue is yet

to be resolved and fighting continues along the border.

Conclusion:

Improvement in India Pakistan relations brings peace, sign of relief for huge population in both countries

and also for the effective buildup of organizations like SAARC. So, there is a need for active discussion

between both the countries to resolve border disputes and other issues as well.

Q.8) What do you understand by the apartheid? Write a short note on development

of anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduce meaning of apartheid.

• Aim of apartheid.

• Note on anti-apartheid movement.

• Conclusion.

ANSWER:

Apartheid was a political and social system in South Africa during the era of White minority rule. It enforced

racial discrimination against non-Whites, mainly focused on skin colour and facial features. Under the








system, the people of South Africa were divided by their race and the different races were forced to live

separately from each other. There were laws in place to ensure that segregation was abided by.

Aim of apartheid:

1. The aim of apartheid was to separate the people of South Africa into small independent nations.

2. They also wanted to keep the majority of South Africa's land for white people, especially the richest

places, like the gold mines of Johannesburg. They wanted black men to work in these mines for

little money but their families had to live far away or face imprisonment.

Anti-apartheid movement in South Africa:

1. The anti-apartheid movement was the first successful transnational social movement in the era of

globalization. The movement began after a massive turnout by rural Africans who supported

Nationalist Party a majority of five seats in the whites-only Parliament of the Union of South Africa

in 1948.

2. What is unique about the anti-apartheid movement is the extent of support it received from

individuals, governments and organisations on all continents. Few social movements in history

have garnered anywhere near the international support that was mobilised against the racist

apartheid regime in South Africa.

3. There were two main aspects of the anti-apartheid movement: the internal campaign to destabilise

the racist apartheid regime in South Africa, and the external campaign for political, economic, and

cultural sanctions.

4. At the heart of the movement was the struggle of black Africans to end white supremacy in South

Africa. This internal movement was both a catalyst for actions at the international level and the

critical link that gave coherence to the movement as a whole. The internal struggle within South

Africa was the core of the movement, and it served as a catalyst for regional and international

support movements.

5. These internal struggles against apartheid, and the violent response they engendered, galvanised

the international movement. The Defiance Campaign, for instance, inspired supporters in India,

Africa, and the United States.

6. Racial discrimination was linked to imperialism; the Gandhian way of fight (civil disobedience,

strikes, protest marches, boycotts, all kinds of demonstrations) was considered essential. It was

realised that cohesion of people from all walks and ideological backgrounds was mandatory for

over-throwing the discriminatory social system.

7. In the 1980s, the movement entered a stage of massive resistance. The movement reached its

climax in this stage, which was characterised by the determination of anti-apartheid activists within

South Africa to make the country ungovernable through strikes, boycotts, demonstrations, and acts

of sabotage.

8. It was the combined pressures of international sanctions and internal strife that led to the demise

of the apartheid state. The retreat began with the repealing of the pillars of apartheid legislation,

beginning with the repeal of the pass laws in 1986.

9. Nelson Mandela was released in 1991, having spent 27 years in prison. 4 years later, Mandela was

sworn in as president of South Africa.

Anti-apartheid struggle was pragmatic in nature leading to attainment of democracy by ethical means along

with the support of people from different background. Leaders like Mandela help fight for equality and

democracy to in South Africa by fighting Apartheid.








Q.9) Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the

factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.


APPROACH:

• Introduction- Background of land reforms in India (why they were necessary) in

2-3 lines.

• Body- Role of land reforms in agricultural development in 4-5 points both positive

and negative.

• Mention the social, political and other factors for the success of land reforms in

India in points.

• Conclusion- Impact of agricultural reforms in India in the long run in 2-3 lines.

ANSWER:

Before independence, most of the of agricultural land was possessed by the intermediaries under the

zamindari, mahalwari and ryotwari systems. As a result, the tenants were burdened with high

rents, unproductive cultivation and other forms of exploitation.

Therefore, land reforms in India, which were a set of provisions for a proper institutional structure, became

one of the vital aspects of the agricultural development policy especially after the concept of the

Five-Year Plan came into existence.

Role of land reforms in agriculture:

Positive:

• Removal of middlemen or intermediaries- Zamindari Abolition Act led to the transfer of

land to real owners, which further encouraged them to make use of scientific methods for

agriculture. Abolition of absentee landlordism in several parts of India was a major achievement

of this Act.

• Development of Cooperative Farming-Redistribution of land also led to the birth of

cooperative agriculture thereby bringing more yield and efficiency in agriculture. This was

an important step leading to establishment of socialism and also increasing the Government

revenue.

• Bhoodan and Gramdan movements also encouraged voluntary giving up of excess land and their

redistribution.

• Consolidation of Land Holdings- This was necessary to prevent further fragmentation of

land.

• Land Ceiling- This concept provided land to landless farmers and thus the income passed on

from few to many hands leading to social upliftment of poor farmers.

• Tenancy reforms- These reforms aimed to provide security of tenure, regulate fair rent

and protect the tenants getting evicted from the land.

Negative:

• Sub-tenants and share croppers could not benefit from these reforms because they still

lacked the right of occupancy on the land that they cultivated.

• Skewness in land distribution could not be reduced in a significant way.

• Rent receiving class continued to exist even after the intermediaries were abolished.








• Benami holdings came into existence, as many landholders were able to retain considerable land

areas due to loopholes in the laws.

• Transfer of ownership rights to the actual cultivators, the tenants, the sub-tenants, and share

croppers could not be resolved.

• Only a small percentage of the agriculturists formed cooperative societies farming.

Factors responsible for the success of land reforms in India were as follows:

• Social Justice: As land was a State subject, the reforms were highly successful in those states

where it was effectively implemented such as West Bengal and Kerala. Role of communist

government present in the states at the time is quite significant.

• Political Will: With the constitutional amendment the Indian Government abolished right

to property. This made it comparatively easier to redistribute the excess land held by a person

beyond the ceiling limit.

• Access to Credit: Farmers started taking loans from the banks that were nationalised for

implementing new and advanced techniques and machinery in agriculture. Through banks, they

got integrated into the economy. This enabled people to voice their concerns to get their due.

• Awareness in people due to the promised made by the congress before independence and also

in its manifesto to undo the wrongdoings of the incorrect policies implemented by the British.

• Green Revolution: It acted as a push for the people for demanding their rights and holding

government accountable. Introduction new variety of seeds (HYV-High Yielding Variety),

chemical fertilizers that led to an increase in production of crops. Scholars like MS Swaminathan

and international collaboration helped it to be a success

Besides limited success, there is more required to be done to do completed justice to the policy of land

reforms. It is essential to break the landlord- officials nexus, Effective implementation of ceiling

legislation, Distribution of surplus land, Simplifying legal procedures and administrative

machinery etc.

The potential beneficiaries should be made aware of the welfare programmes such as financial inclusion

(Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile), insurance (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana),

computerization of land records and amendments to old legislations can make agricultural reforms

more effective.

Q.10) The Long March of Mao Zedong was the true beginning of communist

revolution in China. Elaborate. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduce meaning of long march.

• Role of long march in communist revolution.

• Conclusion.

ANSWER:

The Long March was a military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, to

evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang (KMT or Chinese Nationalist Party) army. There was not one Long

March, but a series of marches, as various Communist armies in the south escaped to the north and west.








The Chinese Communist Revolution, led by the Communist Party of China and Chairman Mao Zedong,

resulted in the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, on 1 October 1949.

How long March was true beginning of communist revolution?

1. The Long March began the ascent to power of Mao Zedong, whose leadership during the retreat

gained him the support of the members of the party. The bitter struggles of the Long March, sealed

the personal prestige of Mao Zedong and his supporters as the new leaders of the party in the

following decades.

2. Mao was instrumental in establishing an early form of Chinese communism in the years 1928-34.

He helped to develop it and create the military and political strategy that won the civil war in 1949.

He then went on to mould communist China and ruled it.

3. The communists obtained solid support from the peasants, for whom land reform was the most

important issue. The key to such success as the communists achieved at this time was the moderate

nature of their reforms. Mao emerged as the leading spokesman for these policies. This was the

model which mainstream Chinese communism was to follow from then on.

4. The Long March provided a heroic myth for Chinese communists in the future. It deepened the

communists' sense of destiny. Finally, it provided the leaders of future communist China.

5. Modern Chinese Communist mythology celebrates the Long March as a great victory, and it did

preserve the Red Armies from complete annihilation. The Long March thus solidified Mao's

position as the leader of the Communist forces.

6. It plays such an important role in the Communist Party's history of itself that for decades, the

Chinese government forbade historians from researching the event, or talking with survivors. The

government rewrote history, painting the armies as liberators of the peasants, and exaggerating

incidents.

Much of the communist propaganda surrounding the Long March is hype rather than history. Interestingly,

this is also true in Taiwan. The Long March effectively led to origin of communist revolution in China that

wrote major history of China in coming times.

Q.11) Write short notes on

a) Domino theory

b) Korea war

c) Truman Doctrine (15 Marks, 250 Words)

a) Domino theory:

Approach:

• Introduction: Provide the definition of Domino theory and also mention about its

origin.

• Body: Mention about United states role in origin of domino theory. Also provide

its significance.

• Conclusion: Conclude by mentioning the failure of domino theory








ANSWER:

The domino theory was a theory prominent from the 1950s to the 1980s that posited that if one country in

a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino

effect. It was a Cold War policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead

to communist takeovers in neighboring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominos.

In Southeast Asia, the U.S. government used the now-discredited domino theory to justify its involvement

in the Vietnam War and its support for a non-communist dictator in South Vietnam. The domino theory

was used by successive United States administrations during the Cold War to justify the need for American

intervention around the world.

By 1950, makers of U.S. foreign policy had firmly embraced the idea that the fall of Indochina to

communism would lead rapidly to the collapse of other nations in Southeast Asia. The National Security

Council included the theory in a 1952 report on Indochina, and in April 1954, during the decisive battle

between Viet Minh and French forces at Dien Bien Phu, President Dwight D. Eisenhower articulated it as

the “falling domino” principle.

The domino theory is significant because it underlines the importance of alliances, which may vary from

rogue alliances to bilateral alliances. This implies that the domino theory is useful in evaluating a country’s

intent and purpose of forging an alliance with others, including a cluster of other countries within a

particular region. This is supported by how the United States created asymmetrical bilateral alliances with

the Republic of Korea, Republic of China and Japan “not just to contain but also constrain potential ‘rogue

alliances’ from engaging in adventurist behavior that might it into larger military contingencies in the region

or that could trigger a domino effect, with Asian countries falling to communism. Some foreign policy

analysts in the United States have referred to the potential spread of both Islamic theocracy and liberal

democracy in the Middle East as two different possibilities for a domino theory. During the Iran–Iraq War

the United States and other western nations supported Ba'athist Iraq, fearing the spread of Iran's radical

theocracy throughout the region.

The domino theory is now largely discredited, having failed to take into account the character of the North

Vietnamese and Viet Cong struggle in the Vietnam War. By assuming Ho Chi Minh was a pawn of the

communist giants Russia and China, American policymakers failed to see that the goal of Ho and his

supporters was Vietnamese independence, not the spread of communism. In the end, even though the

American effort to block a communist takeover failed, and North Vietnamese forces marched into Saigon

in 1975, communism did not spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia. With the exception of Laos and

Cambodia, the nations of the region remained out of communist control.

b) Korea war:

APPROACH:

• Introduction: Describe in brief about the Korea war timelines.

• Body: Mention about the important events during Korea war.

• Conclusion: Conclude by providing the details of armistice treaty and also

mention India’s role in it.








ANSWER:

World War II divided Korea into a Communist, northern half and an American-occupied southern half,

divided at the 38th parallel. The Korean War (1950-1953) began when the North Korean Communist army

crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded non-Communist South Korea. As Kim Il-sung's North Korean army,

armed with Soviet tanks, quickly overran South Korea, the United States came to South Korea's aid. General

Douglas MacArthur, who had been overseeing the post-WWII occupation of Japan, commanded the US

forces which now began to hold off the North Koreans at Pusan, at the southernmost tip of Korea. The US

intervened as part of a "police action" run by a UN (United Nations) international peacekeeping force.

Even so, the North Korean invasion came as an alarming surprise to American officials. As far as they were

concerned, this was not simply a border dispute between two unstable dictatorships on the other side of the

globe. Instead, many feared it was the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world. For this

reason, nonintervention was not considered an option by many top decision makers. (In fact, in April 1950,

a National Security Council report known as NSC-68 had recommended that the United States use military

force to “contain” communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring, “regardless of the intrinsic

strategic or economic value of the lands in question.”)

US forces orchestrated an amphibious assault on Inchon, a port on the western coast of Korea. Having made

this landing, US forces crushed the North Korean army in a pincer movement and recaptured Seoul, the

capital of South Korea. Instead of being satisfied with the rapid re conquest of South Korea, US forces

crossed the 38TH Parallel and pursued the North Korean army all the way to the northernmost provinces

of North Korea.

Afraid that the US was interested in taking North Korea as a base for operations against Manchuria, the

People's Republic of China secretly sent an army across the Yalu River. This Chinese army attacked the US

forces pushed it just north of 38th parallel. US forces held off the Communists with strong fortifications and

entrenchments just north of the 38TH Parallel, sending occasional offensives. The US unsuccessfully tried

using strategic bombing to intimidate the Communists into negotiating a peace treaty.

Finally, after more than two years of negotiations, the adversaries signed an armistice on July 27, 1953. The

agreement allowed the POWs to stay where they liked; drew a new boundary near the 38th parallel that

gave South Korea an extra 1,500 square miles of territory; and created a 2-mile-wide “demilitarized zone”.

One of the follow-up actions to the Armistice Agreement was the establishment of a Neutral Nations

Repatriation Commission (NNRC) which was to decide on the fate of over 20,000 prisoners of war from

both sides. India was chosen as the Chair of the NNRC, with Poland and Czechoslovakia representing the

Communist bloc and Sweden and Switzerland representing the Western world.

c) Truman Doctrine:

APPROACH:

• Introduction: Describe in brief about Truman doctrine

• Body: Mention about the condition which required Truman to pronounce the

Truman doctrine. Also mention its objective.

• Conclusion: Conclude by providing Harry Truman’s vision for Truman Doctrine








ANSWER:

The Truman Doctrine was issued by United State’s President Harry S. Truman in 1947. The Truman

Doctrine was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion

during the Cold War. This policy suggests that United States would help any nation resist communism in

order to prevent its spread.

When the United Kingdom notified the United States that it could no longer afford to fight communist

insurgencies in Greece and Turkey, US President Harry S. Truman issued what would become known as the

Truman Doctrine: a promise that the United States would do whatever was necessary both economically

and militarily to contain the spread of communism around the world.

With this step, the United States signaled that its role on the world stage would not conclude after World

War II, ending a century and a half of isolationist foreign policy in America. The Truman Doctrine was a de

facto declaration of the Cold War. Truman’s address outlined the broad parameters of U.S. Cold War foreign

policy: The Soviet Union was the center of all communist activity and movements throughout the world;

communism could attack through outside invasion or internal subversion; and the United States needed to

provide military and economic assistance to protect nations from communist aggression.

Objectives of Truman Doctrine

• American intervention into the free countries if they were threatened by ‘totalitarian regimes’.

• The assistance promised by the USA to the weaker powers was in fact an attempt to bring them

closer to the USA.

• The Truman Doctrine also was a reply to the formation of the Soviet Bloc forming a security ring

round the Soviet Union

• USA would help every independent country to maintain its independence from all the external

influences

The Truman Doctrine also demonstrated that the United States would not return to isolationism after

World War II, but rather take an active role in world affairs.

Truman wanted to extend his policy to any country fighting or dealing with the Big Bad Communist Threat

and believed that we were living in an era in which countries would have to choose between two ways of

life: totalitarian control and communism or freedom and democracy.

Q.12) Compare and contrast socialism and communism? Write a short note on

ideologies of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism? (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduce by briefly describing socialism and communism.

• Main body should address both the part with comparing socialism with

communism and explaining how Leninism was different from Marxism.

• Short Note on Marxism, Leninism and Maoism.

• Conclusion should highlight the impact of Marxism along with Lenin’s strategy to

apply Marxist thoughts.








ANSWER:

Communism is a social system in which the community owns the property and each individual contributes

and receives wealth as per their needs and ability. Karl Marx envisaged this system as a remedy for the

exploitative character of capitalist system. On the other hand, Socialism is an economic theory wherein the

means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned and controlled by the society as a whole.

Comparison of Communism and Socialism:

Communism Socialism

• Social organization system, that focuses

on communal ownership and eliminating

class distinction.

• Theory of social organization where there is

public or cooperative ownership of the means

of production

• The main idea is to achieve equality

among members of society and

promoting classless society.

• The main idea is to achieve equality and

fairness among the society members.

• Means of production in communist

system is equally owned by the members

of the state.

• Means of production in socialist system is

owned by the citizens.

• Communist system does not allow private

property but public ownership is allowed.

• Private ownership and property can coexist

with public ownership and state control.

• Communism is based on abolishment of

state (Government) and realising

Stateless and Classless society.

• In socialism, state plays a major role in

facilitating and establishing equality in the

society through its policy.

• Communism wants to destroy Capitalism

as it is based on the notion of exploitation

of workers by the bourgeoisie class.

• Socialism relaxes the condition of destruction

of capitalism. But at the same time, restricts

capitalism through intervention by its policy.

Communist system proposed by Marx never came into existence. Former USSR was also never a true

communist nation as it was led by State (Communist Party) and never realised stateless status. Socialism is

rather a popular system embraced by many countries like India, Latin American countries and to some

extent Republic of China. But after the fall of USSR and with the advent of globalisation, Capitalism is on

the rise. However, the utility of Communist and socialist system will always remain due to inherent

contradiction in capitalism of increasing socio-economic inequality and growing discontent among the

people.

Marxism:

Marxism refers to the ideology given by Karl Marx based on the exploitation of working class by the

capitalist class. Vladimir Lenin was the follower of Marxism and led Russia into a revolutionary phase of

creating a socialist and a communist country as envisaged by Marx. However, Lenin differed in the

approach towards communism with the approach dictated by Karl Marx.








Leninism:

Leninism is the political theory for the organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party and the achievement

of a dictatorship of the proletariat as political prelude to the establishment of socialism. Developed by and

named for the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, Leninism comprises socialist political and economic

theories, developed from Marxism and Lenin's interpretations of Marxist theories, for practical application

to the socio-political conditions of the Russian Empire of the early 20th century. Aim was to provide the

working class with the political consciousness (education and organisation) and revolutionary leadership

necessary to depose capitalism in Imperial Russia.

Maoism:

Maoism, is the Chinese communist variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed for realising

a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the People's Republic of China. Maoism

was the political and military ideology of the Communist Party of China and of Maoist revolutionary

movements throughout the world. The philosophic difference between Maoism and Marxism–Leninism is

that the peasantry are the revolutionary vanguard in pre-industrial societies, rather than the proletariat.

Even though Lenin deviated from the initial Marxism, but the basic philosophy of the both were same i.e.

to reduce inequality in the society and eradicate exploitative system of capitalism. The impact of Marxism

and Leninism is felt even today among the socialist voices across the globe, raising their voices against

growing socio-economic inequalities.

Q.13) Operation flood is considered as a landmark in the story of cooperative

movements in India. How did Operation Flood originate? Also, enumerate its socio-

economic impact. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduction: explain the operation flood provide some facts

• Body: write about the origin of the operation flood its various phases and impact

on the Indian society

• Conclude appropriately

ANSWER:

India is the largest producer of milk followed by United States of America and China. Operation Flood,

known as the ‘billion-liter idea,’ as conceived by Dr Verghese Kurien made the dairy farming India’s largest

self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment provider

During the past three years, India has outpaced the global milk production with an annual growth rate of

5.53% compared with the 2.09% achieved globally. India has been the largest producer of milk in the world

for the past 15 years.

Operation Flood was started by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in the 1970s. The objective

of this programme was to create a nation-wide milk grid with village milk producers’ cooperatives, which

procure milk and provide inputs and services, making modern management and technology available to

members








Drawing heavily from Khera Union for personnel, expertise and much more, NDDB launched “Operation

Flood”, a programme to replicate the “Anand Pattern” in other milkshed of country. Operation Flood

organised cooperatives of milk producers into a nation-wide milk grid for –

• Increasing milk production

• Bringing producers & consumers closer by eliminating middlemen

• Assuring the producers, a regular income throughout the year.

It was not just a dairy programme, but a path to development, generating employment & income of rural

households and alleviating poverty.

ORIGIN:

The Anand pattern experiment at Amul, a single, cooperative dairy, was the engine behind the success of

the program.It was launched to help farmers direct their own development, placing control of the resources

they create in their own hands. All this was achieved not merely by mass production, but by production by

the masses; the process has been called the white revolution.

It created a national milk grid linking producers throughout India with consumers in over 700 towns and

cities, reducing seasonal and regional price variations while ensuring that the producer gets a major share

of the price consumers pay, by cutting out middlemen. Operation Flood was implemented in three phases.

Phase I:

Phase I (1970–1980) was financed by the sale of skimmed milk powder and butter oil donated by the

European Economic Community through the World Food Program.

Phase II:

Operation Flood Phase II (1981–1985) increased the milk-sheds from 18 to 136; urban markets expanded

the outlets for milk to 290. By the end of 1985, a self-sustaining system of 43,000 village cooperatives with

4,250,000 milk producers were covered.

Phase III:

Phase III (1985–1996) enabled dairy cooperatives to expand and strengthen the infrastructure required to

procure and market increasing volumes of milk. Veterinary first-aid health care services, feed and artificial

insemination services for cooperative members were extended, along with intensified member education.

Operation Flood's Phase III consolidated India's dairy cooperative movement, adding 30,000 new dairy

cooperatives to the 43,000 existing societies organized during Phase I

IMPACT ON SOCIETY:

a. Increase in milk production: The obvious impact of operation Flood was the considerable

increase in milk supply and consequent increase in income of the milk producers, particularly the

poor.

b. Poverty Alleviation: It was estimated that 60% of the beneficiaries were marginal or

small farmers and landless labourers. Milk cooperatives proved to be a significant anti-

poverty measure.

c. Impact on farmers: Maximum profits of production to farmers. Improvement in living

standards of farmers. Giving better and alternate opportunity for better living.

d. Growth of society: Co-operative model to promote inclusive society's growth. Enhanced

interaction among different groups. Brought prosperity in the regions.








e. Women empowerment: Operation flood was instrumental in empowerment of women.

Operation flood with the help of NGOs like SEWA helped in establishing about 6,000 Women

dairy cooperative societies.

f. Development of other cooperatives: Had a spillover effect on other cooperatives too

for ex. Cooperatives for fruits & vegetable producers, oilseeds cultivators, small scale salt makers

and tree grower were doing excellently well which were initiated by NDDB.

g. Income insurance: With the average landholding size reducing consistently over the years and

water scarcity problems growing, the small and marginal farmers increasingly prefer dairy

farming. This is because milk production is not land and water dependent when done on a small

scale, since farmers can buy both green and dry fodder from within the village or from outside

h. Nutritional security: Increasing demand for milk with increased per capita incomes helped

fulfilment of essential and micronutrients via milk consumption especially in children.

Conclusion: Though India is the highest producer of milk in the world, it lags behind in productivity levels.

Milk and Dairy sector have a crucial role to play in achieving the Government's goal of Doubling Farmers

income by 2022.

Q.14) Explain how the foundations of the modern world were laid by the American

and French Revolutions. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• In the introduction, start with the introduction mentioning the foundation of

modern world laid by the two revolution.

• In the body, discuss the contribution of American and French Revolution.

• Conclude appropriately.

ANSWER:

The American Revolution (1765-1783) and French Revolution (1789-1799) both proved to be political

revolutions in the world and a large part of modern world still follow parameters laid by the two

revolutions in polity. The success of American Revolution strengthened the concept of natural rights

throughout the Western world. In a very real sense, it was a precursor to the French Revolution, but it

lacked the French Revolution's violence and chaos because it had occurred in a society that was already

fundamentally liberal. However, the most important contribution of the French Revolution to the world

has been the idea of Republicanism.

The contributions of American Revolution:

1. Secularism: American constitution was the first to separate the state and the church at national

level. Today, majority of modern democracies have secularism as their defining feature.

2. Adult Suffrage: American constitution was one of the first to confer adult suffrage, limit the

powers of state to constitutional provisions.

3. Inspiration to all colonies: To fight for democracy has become the rallying cry of all the

remaining colonies of the world. Newly independent countries have embraced the ideology of “no

representation without taxation”, given by the American revolutionaries.

4. Spread of liberal and revolutionary ideals: The impact of the American Revolution on the

international spread of liberal and revolutionary ideals is well known. Its success immediately








inspired anti-monarchical, democratic, or independence movements not only in France, but also

in the Netherlands, Belgium, Geneva and Ireland.

5. Liberty to Women: more liberal conditions for the women, a change in attitude towards

women’s role in politics were inspired from American Revolution.

6. Extinguishing the Remnants of Feudalism and Aristocracy: This is probably the most

diffuse of the Revolution’s radical consequences. The Revolution not only radically changed the

personal and social relations of people but also destroyed aristocracy as it had been understood

in the Western world for at least two millennia.

The contributions of the French Revolution:

1. Ideology: Ideologies of liberty, equality, and fraternity are inspired from the French revolution,

where all citizens promised individual freedoms, equality in status, and brotherhood.

2. Economic: the revolution abolished the old feudal order, removed all the privileges enjoyed by

the church and the feudal lords. Abolished tax collection by private individuals and made tax the

privilege of state.

3. Constitutionalism: Ending the arbitrary royal rule, the revolution paved way for rule by law

under a constitutional order.

4. Republicanism: After the French Revolution, the idea of Republican rule came to take root in

Europe and people began to question the logic of monarchical rule and the 'Divine Rights Theory'.

5. Democratic ideals: It established the precedent of representational, democratic government,

now the model of governance in much of the world. It also established liberal social tenets of

equality among all citizens, basic property rights, and separation of church and state, much as did

the American Revolution.

Both American and French Revolution gave promotion to Democratic philosophy like freedom of

expression, separation of power, voting rights etc. The concept of fundamental rights in Indian

constitution is inspired by American Revolution liberal thoughts. The ideals of republic, liberty, equality

and fraternity in the Preamble are inspired from the French Revolution.

Q.15) The Suez Canal crisis of 1956 failed to diffuse the Arab- Israel tensions and led

to two more wars in 1967 and 1973. Examine. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduce with the background for Arab-Israel tensions

• Analyse the role of Suez crisis to diffuse tensions in the region

• Justify the linkages of 1967 and 1973 wars with the Suez Canal crisis.

ANSWER:

After Nazis gained power in Germany in 1930s, the Jews influx to Israel was seen by Arabs as a part of a

conspiracy to move Arabs out of their homeland. Consequently, in 1948, the Arab states of Egypt, Jordan,

Iraq, and Syria declared war on Israel, which marked beginning of ‘Arab-Israel tensions’.

In 1956, Israel invaded Egypt, followed by the United Kingdom and France and initiated the second Arab-

Israeli war, also known as the Suez Canal crisis. The aims were to regain Western control of the Suez Canal

and prevent nationalization of the canal.








The Suez Canal crisis provided an opportunity for diffusing the tensions in the region as-

• All the major powers, especially US, Britain, France and Soviet Union were directly associated

with the crisis. This provided essential political background for redrawing of borders for Israel,

which acquired geopolitical significance due to presence of oil in the region.

• Presence of a multinational UN Emergency Force (UNEF), as the peacekeeping force in the region

to ensure that the Arab-Israel tensions do not escalates to violent aggression again.

• Absence of extremist forces like terrorism during 1950s, which in the later times became single-

important blockages to the tensions in the region.

However, the crisis failed to diffuse Arab-Israel tensions because-

• The crisis could not yield a distinct peace treaty or resist rapid militarization of the region despite

the intervention from major political forces of the time.

• Israel regained access to the Straits of Tiran and fueled suspicion in the neighbours of Israel

regarding Israel’s aggressive posture in the region.

• The United States Congress approved the Eisenhower Doctrine - which provided funding and

presidential authority to assist Middle East nations fighting Soviet influence instead providing for

geographical solution to the Arab-Palestine tensions.

• USSR also avoided utilized the crisis to avoid repercussions for its actions during Hungarian

revolution of 1956 and strengthened Soviet influence in the Middle-East, further neglecting the

root cause of the Arab Israel tensions.

Thus, the intensification in Middle East was inevitable and culminated into two more wars in 1967 and 1973

because of-

• Rejection of the existence of the Jewish state by the Arab world

• Israel’s philosophy of increasing military strength

• Israel’s disregard for partition boundaries and its policy of conquering the additional territory

whenever it could

The 1967 and 1973 wars were high point in the Israel-Arab tensions as:

• Israel took possession of the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights etc., altering geography

of the sensitive region

• Also, the Arab world united in the form of the Khartoum Resolution, pledging that until Israel

withdrew from the territories it acquired, there would not be any recognition or peace with Israel.

To conclude, it can be said that the actions of both Israel and Arab world complicated the tensions in the

region. But it was the failure of global powers to utilize the opportunity provided by the Suez crisis; which

could have provided lasting solution for the Arab- Israel tensions.








Q.16) “Hindi as sole national language is an idea which militates against India’s

pluralist unity in diversity.” Examine with respect to controversy surrounding push

for Hindi as national language since independence. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• Mention the issue about Hindi

• Analyse its pros and cons

• Conclude about respecting diversity

ANSWER:

The recently released draft National Policy on Education has made reference to mandatory teaching of

Hindi in non-Hindi speaking States and also supported by Union in the informal capacity through, ‘One

Nation, One Language’. This has brought back the debate in pushing Hindi as a national language.

Controversy for Hindi as a national language since independence:

• In the Constituent Assembly, Hindi was voted as the official language by a single vote. However, it

added that English would continue to be used as an associate official language for 15 years.

• The origin of the linguistic row goes back to the debate on official language. The Official

Languages Act came into effect on the expiry of this 15-year period in 1965.

• However, as early as in 1959 Union government had given an assurance in Parliament that English

would continue to be in use as long as non-Hindi speaking people wanted it.

Pluralist unity in diversity:

• India is home to more than 1600 languages spoken in India and numerous families of languages

as recorded by Peoples of India project. E.g. Indo-Aryan language family, Dravidian

language family, Austroasiatic language family, Sino-Tibetan language family:

• Despite such diversity, the sustenance of Indian democracy since more than 70 years substantiates

the success of our polity in assuring Pluralist Unity in diversity.

The imposition of Hindi as a National language can be viewed through the perspective of pluralist

identity of India-as a nation.

Arguments in favour of Hindi as a national language:

• Hindi is spoken by more than 50% of the citizens of the country, so making it the most popular

language. Thus, a national language will reduce the language barrier among people in a country

as diverse as India, especially in North and South India.

• Hindi as a national language will bring a feeling of cohesiveness among people of India thereby

contributing to integrity of the nation.

• Many non-Hindi states like Nagaland have already accepted the Hindi language as union language.

• Article 351 directs to the union to develop and promote Hindi language.

Despite the virtual advantages, Hindi has not been adopted as the National language due to-

• Fundamental rights promoting interests of linguistic minority and the Eighth schedule

recognizing major languages provides Constitutional basis for sustaining linguistic diversity of

India








• State Reorganization Act, 1956 has demonstrated the ability of states to govern without

adoption of a National Language

• Emergence State parties in various states due to coalition politics and resisting attempts for

accordance of National language Status to Hindi. E.g. Shivsena in Maharashtra, DMK in

Tamilnadu.

• The language is the vehicle of culture and therefore forms one of the foundation for

regionalism in India, thereby aggravating the secessionist voices through various cultural

units of India. Thus, imposition of Hindi as a National language might weaken unity of India and

encourage ‘balkanization’ of India.

To conclude, any effort to unilaterally impose Hindi as a National language would dilute the ethos of

Democracy. However, involving stakeholders and moving ahead on the consensus basis can be the way

forward for introducing Hindi as a national language.

Q.17) The decade of 1950s lead to the emergence of a new kind of regionalism in the

form of “Sons of the Soil” doctrine. What were the factors that gave rise to this

doctrine? What were its effects on newly independent India?


APPROACH:

• Introduction: Explain son of soil doctrine with few examples.

• Body: a) Factors responsible for rise of this doctrine

b) Effects on newly independent India

• Conclusion: Conclude in the light of provision mentioned in the constitution.

ANSWER:

Sons of Soil (SoS) doctrine underlies the view that a state specifically belongs to the main linguistic

group inhabiting it or that the state constitutes the exclusive 'homeland' of its main language speakers who

are the 'sons of the soil' or the 'local residents'.

All others who live there or are settled there and whose mother tongue is not the state`s main language are

declared 'outsiders'. These outsiders might have lived in the state for a long time, or have migrated there

more recently, but they are not regarded as the 'sons of the soil'.

Such demands are generally raised where there is actual or potential resource competition such as for

industrial and middle-class jobs, between the migrants and the local, educated, middle-class youth. In the

struggle for the appropriation of economic resources and economic opportunities-education, employment

etc., recourse is often taken to language loyalty and regionalism. The problem is compounded in cities or

regions where the speakers of the state language are in a minority or have a bare majority.

Some examples during 1950s:

1) Shiv sena in Mumbai against Gujaratis and South Indians

2) Mulki movement in Telangana regions.








Factors responsible for rise of SoS concept-

After independence the central government adopted a whole range of policies to influence the rates of

growth in poorer states and regions so as to reduce their economic distance from the richer states and

regions. The government adopted the trickle-down effect but it failed to bring result.

Due to low rate of economic growth regional inequality did not dissipated even after steps taken by the

government. Widespread poverty and hunger still existed in India. This leads to high volume of migration

from poorer states to rich industrialized states and cities. Shortage of resources and competition for that

arises in industrialized states and cities.

1. The friction has been more intense in states and cities where 'outsiders' had greater access to

higher education and occupied more middle-class positions in government service, professions

and industry and were engaged in small businesses, such as small-scale industry and shop

keeping.

2. The economy's failure to create enough employment opportunities for the recently educated

created an acute scarcity of jobs, and led to intense competition for the available jobs during the

fifties and sixties. The major middle-class job opportunities that opened up after 1952 were in

government service and the public sector enterprises. Popular mobilization and the democratic

political process could therefore be used by the majority linguistic group to put pressure on the

government to appropriate employment and educational avenues and opportunities.

3. Many new political parties emerged and they need issues to mobilize masses. So, they actively

supported SoS movements.

4. Threats to local culture and their customs especially in areas where migrants have near equal

percentage populations also aggravated the SoS movement.

5. After 1951 the rate of migration into the cities accelerated. The problem was aggravated in a

number of cities or regions because the speakers of the state language were in a minority or had a

bare majority. For example, in Bombay, in 1961, the Marathi-speakers constituted 42.8 per cent

of the population. In Bangalore, the Kannada speakers were less than 25 per cent. In Calcutta, the

Bengalis formed a bare majority. In the urban areas of Assam, barely 33 per cent were Assamese.

Effects of SoS movements on newly independent India:

Negatives:

1. Pressure on government to meet their demands as political mobilization against migrants is the

easiest when there is a concentration of migrants from one region or of one ethnicity.

2. It is violative of Art 19 which allows freedom of movement, which was placed as a fundamental

right to ensure not only physical integration of the country but also psychological integration.

3. Constitution got amended to accommodate local demands to reserve employment and education.

Eg: Mulki Rule in article 371(D) for Telangana region in 1956.

4. Control of central leadership on state leadership started losing. This disturbs the federal structure

of the country.

6. Widespread violence against migrants. Eg: In Bombay and Hyderabad. These threatened unity

and integrity of newly formed country.

It is evident even today in the form of Minority psychosis leading to chaos. Eg. rumours leading to exodus

of Bihari migrants from Gujarat, North East IT professionals from Bangalore. This is not only a law and

order issue, but also causes economic impediments.

The unity of India is required for economic and social development. Son of soil movement goes against

Article 19(1)(e) which guarantees fundamental rights to reside and settle anywhere in India. Every Indian








is son of this soil. Social and economic development, spread of education, deepening of democracy and

politicization can act as a medium for solving this issue.

Q.18) The rise of nationalist tendencies coupled with the rise of two anti-colonialist

superpowers hurried the process of decolonialization globally post World Warr II.

Comment. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• What is decolonisation?

• How nationalist tendencies helped in decolonisation?

• How rise of two anti-colonialist superpowers hurried the process of de-

colonisation globally post World War II?

• Conclusion.

ANSWER:

Decolonisation refers to the undoing of colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through

the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction. The term generally refers to the achievement

of independence by the various Western colonies and protectorates in Asia and Africa following World War

II.

How nationalist tendencies helped in decolonisation?

1. Nationalist movements especially in Asia contributed mainly for decolonisation. There were

strong nationalist movements in India and Vietnam. However, nationalism was not so strong in

other areas. Progress towards independence would have been slower without the boost of the

Second World War. The effects of the second world war on nationalism:

o Before the war, colonial people believed that it would be impossible for them to defeat

the mighty Europeans. However, Japanese successes in the early part of the war gave

them the confidence fight for freedom.

o Asians and Africans became more aware of social and political matters as a result of

their involvement in the war. Many Africans were a part of the allied armies. They were

appalled at the contrast between the primitive conditions in Africa and comfortable life

in Europe. Some political leaders cooperated with Japan hoping Japan would grant

them independence after the war.

o Witnessing the cooperation of colonial people with the Japanese, the European powers,

immediately after defeating Japan, offered some degree of independence to the colonies.

Example- Dutch government I the East Indies.

o The war weakened the European states. The British were the first to recognise that they

were not militarily and economically strong enough to hold on to their colonies. Their

policy was to delay independence as long as possible. The French, Dutch, Spanish and

Portuguese wanted to retain their colonies. They got involved in costly military

campaigns but eventually had to admit defeat.








How rise of two anti-colonialist superpowers hurried the process of de-colonisation globally

post World War II?

A. USA:

1. The USA was hostile to imperialism and made it clear that it took the Atlantic Charter to apply to

all the people and not just those taken over by the Germans.

2. The USA pressurised Britain to grand independence to India.

3. The USA reasoned that delays in the grant of freedom to the European colonies would encourage

the development of Communism in those areas.

4. Americans looked at the newly independent nations as a new market for their goods and places

where they could establish their economic and political control.

5. The United Nations came out firmly against imperialism and demanded a step-by-step programme

for decolonisation.

B. USSR:

1. The USSR also denounced imperialism. The Soviet Union sought to affect the abolishment of

colonial governance by Western countries, either by direct subversion of Western-leaning or -

controlled governments or indirectly by influence of political leadership and support.

2. Many of the revolutions of this period were inspired or influenced in this way. The conflicts in

Vietnam, Nicaragua, Congo, and Sudan, among others, have been characterized as such.

3. It followed, then, that Soviet leadership would encourage independence movements in colonised

territories, especially as the Cold War progressed.

All this put pressure on the European states and encouraged nationalists all over the world to intensify their

independence. The colonial powers concentrated on domestic issues, protectionism and tariffs,

disregarding the damage done to international trade flows. The efforts at colonial reform also hastened

their end notably the move from non-interventionist collaborative systems towards directed, disruptive,

direct management to drive economic change.

Q.19) What do you understand by the Policy of Appeasement? Illustrate how the

policy eventually led to the outbreak of World War II. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• What is policy of appeasement?

• Role of appeasement policy in World War 2.

• Conclusion.

ANSWER:

Appeasement was a policy followed by the British and later by the French. It was meant avoiding war with

aggressive power such as Japan, Italy and Germany, by giving way to their demands provided they are not

too unreasonable. 1920-Policy of appeasement began with Dawes and Young Plans and Locarno Treaties.

It was thought essential to avoid war. Britain and France were financially depleted after wars. Also, public

sentiment in the Britain was to avoid any kind of war. As the League of Nations seemed helpless, the only

way to settle disputes was by personal contact with rivals.








How policy of appeasement led to world war 2?

1. One can argue that appeasement caused World War II because it allowed Hitler and the Nazis to

build Germany’s military power until it was strong enough to fight a major war.

2. Additionally, appeasement emboldened Germany, making it think the Allies would never have the

will to fight. This made Germany much more aggressive and encouraged it to take the steps that

eventually led to war.

3. If the French and British had not appeased Hitler, he would not have been able to build the German

war machine. The Treaty of Versailles prohibited Germany from having a strong military.

4. In 1935, Hitler renounced the treaty and started to rearm Germany with no regard for what the

treaty said. If the French and British had stood up to Hitler at that time, he would not have been

able to continue to rearm.

5. The Treaty of Versailles said Germany could not have military troops or installations in a region of

Germany called the Rhineland. In 1936, Hitler put troops in that area. Again, if the French and

British had resisted, Hitler would have lost his ability to build his military power.

6. Hitler enlarged German territory three times. He took the Sudetenland, which had been part of

Czechoslovakia. Then, in March of 1939, Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia. In each case, the

Allies appeased him.

7. All of this emboldened Hitler, making him feel he could safely invade Poland. When Hitler invaded

Poland, the Allies finally decided he had gone too far and went to war.

Impact of Policy:

1. The policy allowed Germany and Italy to emerge as big military power and this rise of fascist forces

ensured that the world had to face another disastrous war during 1939-45

2. The policy also lost faith of system created by peace makers at Paris because all its provisions are

violated.

3. The policy also doomed the faith of League of Nation. the league was responsible for maintaining

system created by countries like Britain had little interest. when league couldn’t maintain this

system. It lost its credibility.

4. The policy of appeasement emboldened to fascist forces to take world democracy to granted. The

warning issued by democracy failed on deaf ear of Fascist Government.

Over confidence due to the faulty policies was responsible for German attack on Poland in 1st sept 1939

Which triggered the second World War. So, it could be said that the idea of appeasement was a good political

decision for the time, it gave Britain time to re-cooperate. but on the other hand, it could be said that Britain

appeasement just fed Germany’s greed for more until there was no more to be given.

Q.20) The First World War was not only a consequence of a chain reaction, but also

the result of “tragedy of miscalculations”. Discuss? (15 Marks, 250 Words)

APPROACH:

• Introduction: Give a brief introduction about the War and the events that

triggered it.

• Body: Explain the events that added up and culminated into the War. Also explain

how the War was a result of miscalculations.

• Conclusion: Mention the effect of the War in brief.








ANSWER:

The Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in a conspiracy on June 28, 1914 by a

Serbian terrorist organization. The First World War officially began on July 28, 1914, when Austria-

Hungary declared war on Serbia for instigating the attack. The murder was the immediate cause but there

were also a series of events (a chain reaction) which triggered the war.

• After the assassination, Austria-Hungary threatened war on Serbia. They set out some

very harsh demands that Serbia must meet. Germany sided by Austria-Hungary, while Russia sided

with the Serbians. At this point, Europe was at the brink of going to war.

• One month after the Archduke’s assassination (July 28, 1914) Austria-Hungary

declared war on Serbia with the backing of Germany. Germany then declared war on

Russia on August 1 and on France on August 3.

• On August 4 1914, the German troops marched on France and the route they took

went through Belgium. Since Britain had agreed to maintain the neutrality of Belgium, they

immediately declared war on Germany.

• British and Germany forces first fought at the Battle of Mons in Belgium. This was the

first of many battles between Britain and Germany on the Western Front and is when World War 1

started for Britain.

To some extent, the outbreak of the First World War was also a tragedy of miscalculations. The events

that gradually turned out were not expected by many countries.

1. Austria declared war on Serbia, in the hope that it would only be a short and local war. Also, the

Austrians miscalculated by thinking that Russia would not support Serbia.

2. Germany had miscalculated the risk of a two-front war. In “The war to end all wars”, Germany also

did not take into calculation the ‘Domino Effect’ of the alliances between France, Russia and Britain.

3. Germany made a crucial mistake by promising to support Austria with no conditions attached,

therefore the Germans were guilty of risking a major war.

4. Politicians in Russia and Germany miscalculated by assuming that mobilisation would not

necessarily mean war.

5. The generals miscalculated by sticking rigidly to their original plans in the belief that this would

bring a quick and decisive victory, however the opposite occurred with no side deciding to budge.

The First World War left an estimated 16 million soldiers and civilians dead and countless others physically

and psychologically wounded. The war also forever altered the world’s social and political landscape. It

accelerated changes in attitudes towards gender and class and led to the collapse of the Russian, Austro-

Hungarian and Ottoman empires.





page 1 of 33 mgp 2020 | test 17a/b solutions (31017

Documents