DPS JODHPUR

CLASS- XII J

SUBJECT- POLITICAL SCIENCE

SESSION- 2023-24
 CHAPTER-2
THE END OF BIPOLARITY
 THE BERLIN WALL
The Berlin Wall symbolized the division between
the capitalist and the communist world. Built in
1961 to separate East Berlin from West Berlin,
this more than 150 kilometers long wall stood for
28 years and was finally broken by the people on
9 November 1989. This marked the unification of
the two parts of Germany and the beginning of the
end of the communist bloc.
 Why was the soviet
system?
1.The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR) came
into being after the socialist revolution in Russia in 1917.
2.The revolution was inspired by the ideals of socialism,
as opposed to capitalism, and the need for an egalitarian
society.
3.The Soviet political system centered around the
communist party, and no other political party or
opposition was allowed. The economy was planned and
controlled by the state.
 THE SECOND WORLD OR THE
SOCIALIST BLOC
1.After the second world war, the east Europeans countries
that the Soviet army had liberated from the fascist forces
came under the control of the USSR.
2.The political and the economic systems of all these
countries were modeled after the USSR. This group of
countries was called the Second World or the 'socialist
bloc'.
3.The Warsaw Pact, a military alliance held them together.
The USSR was the leader of the bloc.
 PROBLEMS FACED BY THE
SOVIET SYSTEM
1.The Soviet system however, became very bureaucratic and
authoritarian, making life difficult for its citizens.
2.Lack of democracy and the absence of freedom of speech stifled
people who often expressed their dissent in jokes and cartoon.
3.Most of the institutions of the Soviet state needed reform:as the
communist party controlled all the institutions and was
unaccountable to the people.
4.The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 weakened the
system even further. The Soviet economy was faltering in the late
1970's and became stagnant.
Russian Revolution in 1917
Established a communist state; became
totalitarian
Tried to create unified, central state where
national and ethic differences were eliminated
Non-Russian ethnic groups resisted assimilation
Economic planning failed to meet the needs of the
State (arms race with US)
Communism never took root and lost influence
Years of Soviet military buildup at the expense
of domestic development
economic growth stalled/stagnant economy
Failed attempts at reform war in Afghanistan
general feeling of discontent, especially in the
Baltic republics and Eastern Europe (i.e.
Chernobyl)
 Mikhail GorbachevGorbachev
●
Mikhail Gorbachev
With economic and political reforms
bachev
obviously needed,Soviet premier
Mikhail Gorbachev initiated perestroika
(the“restructuring” or decentralizing
of the economy) and glasnost (an
“opening” of the Soviet society to
public scrutiny)
● Gorbachev’s reforms proved difficult
to implement and unleashed hostility
from the old order it threatened,long
suppressed criticism,and ethnic and
nationalist separatism
● By the summer of 1990,Gorbachev’s
reforms had spent themselves
 Collapse of the Soviet
Empire
● Revolutions broke out
throughout eastern
Europe as people
overthrow communist
dictators in places like
Poland,Bulgaria,and
Romania and countries
such as Czechoslovakia
andYugoslavia broke
apart
● The BerlinWall came
down on November 9, The 1989 Romanian Revolution
1989 and East andWest was a violent overthrow of the
Germany united in 1990 communist regime of Nicolae
Ceauşescu
Collapse of the Soviet
Empire
●Beginning inAugust 1991,Soviet
republics began declaring their
independence from the USSR
● Also inAugust,a group of
conspirators representing
dissatisfied elements of the
Communist Party,the KGB,and
the military attempted to seize
power while Gorbachev was on
vacation
● BorisYelstin crushed the coup,
but himself replaced Gorbachev
● By the end of 1991,the USSR had AP photo of Boris Yelstin
ceased to exist
atop an armored personnel
carrier encouraging
resistance to the coup
March 11, 1985
Inherited many problems; recognized need for
change (the economy needed fundamental
reforms)
Introduced two-tiered policy of reform to meet
the needs of the Russian state
 Economic reform and rebuilding (complete
economic restructuring)
did not have the immediate results Gorbachev
had hoped for and had publicly predicted
Unsuccessful – bureaucratic corruption
People used free speech to criticize Gorbachev

Freedom of speech and free elections

1989 elections - reformist politicians swept into
power unwittingly unleashed emotions and
political feelings that had been pent up for
decades Pandora’s Box
 Disintegration began on the peripheries
Baltic nationalist movements;
demanded autonomy
challenge to glasnost
Non-Russian minority groups agitated for
independence during this period
decision to not use military force to put down
revolutions in Eastern Europe
allowing revolutions to run their course
would spell disaster for the Soviet Union
Ultimately eroded the power of the Soviet
Union during 1989 and 1990
 August 1991 – “hard-line” Communists
take over of government
last-ditch effort to save USSR
country went into an uproar; massive
protests soldiers themselves rebelled –
“can’t fire on our countrymen”
Coup collapsed after 3 days
Gorbachev was unable to reestablish real control
negotiated the transition of power made inevitable by
the will of the people.
December 1, 1991 all non- Russian republics declared
independence (population wanted democracy)
political movements which had emerged since the
implementation of glasnost resulted in immediate
Gorbachev and the
disintegration
1.Mikhail Gorbachev, who had become General Secretary of the Communist
Party of the soviet union in 1985, sought to reform the soviet system.
2.Gorbachev initiated the policies of the economic and political reform and
the democratization within the country . The reforms were opposed by the
leaders within the communist party.
3.A coup took place in 1991 that was encouraged by Communist Party
hardliners. The people had tasted freedom by then and did not want the old-
style rule of the Communist Party. Boris Yeltsin emerged as a national hero
in opposing this coup. The Russian Republic, where Yeltsin won a popular
election, began to shakeoff centralised control. Power began to shift from the
Soviet centre to the republics, especially in the more Europeanised part of
the Soviet Union, which saw themselves as sovereign states.
4.In December 1991,under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin, Russia,
Ukraine and Belarus, three major republics of the USSR declared that
the soviet union was disbanded.
5.TheCommunist Party of the SovietUnion was banned.
Capitalismand democracy were adopted asthe bases for the post-
Sovietrepublics.
6.The declaration on thedisintegration of the USSR and theformation of
the Commonwealthof Independent States (CIS) cameas a surprise to the
otherrepublics, especially to the CentralAsian ones.
7.Russia was now accepted as thesuccessor state of the SovietUnion. It
inherited the Soviet seatin the UN Security Council. Russiaaccepted all
the internationaltreaties and commitments of theSoviet Union.
8.It took over as the only nuclear state of the post-Soviet space and
carried out somenuclear disarmament measureswith the US. The old
Soviet Unionwas thus dead and buried.
 Why did the soviet union
disintegrated?
1.The internal weaknesses of the soviet political
and economic institutions, which failed to meet
the aspirations of the people, were responsible for
the collapse of the system.
2.Economic stagnation for many years led to
severe consumer shortages and the large section
of soviet union began ton doubt and question the
system.
 Why did the system become so weak
and why did the economy stagnate?
1. The soviet economy usedmuch of its resources inmaintaining a nuclear
andmilitary arsenal and thedevelopment of its satellite statesin eastern
europe and within thesoviet system (the five centralasian republics in
particular).This led to a huge economicburden that the system could notcope
with.
2. The soviet union had becomestagnant in an administrative and political
sense as well. The communist party that had ruled the soviet union for over
70 years was not accountable to the people.
3. When gorbachev carried out his reforms and loosened the system, he set in
motion forces and expectations that few could have predicted and became
virtually impossible to control. There were sections of soviet society which
felt that gorbachev should havemoved much faster and weredisappointed
and impatient with his methods. They did not benefi tin the way they had
4. They felt that their power and privilegeswere eroding and Gorbachev was
moving too quickly. In this ‘tug of war’, Gorbachev lost support on all sides
and divided public opinion.Even those who were with him became
disillusioned as they felt that he did not adequately defend his own policies.
5. The rise ofnationalism and the desire for sovereignty within various
republics including Russia and the Baltic Republics (Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania), Ukraine, Georgia,and others proved to be the finaland most
immediate cause for the disintegration of the USSR.
Here again there are differing views.
a) One view is that nationalist urges and feelings were very much at work
throughout the history of the Soviet Union and that whether or not the
reforms had occurred there would have been an internal struggle within the
Soviet Union. This is a ‘what-if’ of history, but surely it is not an
unreasonable view given the size and diversity of the Soviet Union and its
growing internal problems.
b) Others think that Gorbachev’s reforms speeded up and increased nationalist
dissatisfaction to the point that the government and rulers could not control
it.
 CONSEQUENCES OF DISINTEGRATION

The collapse of the second world of the Soviet Union and the socialist
systems in eastern Europe had profound consequences for world
politics. Let us note here three broad kinds of enduring changes that
resulted from it.
1. First of all, it meant the end of Cold War confrontations. The
ideological dispute over whether the socialist system would beat
the capitalist system was not an issue any more. Since this dispute
hadengaged the military of the two blocs, had triggered a massive
arms race and accumulation of nuclear weapons, and had led to
the existence of military blocs, the end of the confrontation
demanded an end to this arms race and a possible new peace.
2. Second, power relations in world politics changed and,therefore, the relative
influence of ideas and institutions also changed. The end of the Cold War left open
only two possibilities:either the remaining superpower would dominate and create
a unipolar system, or different countries or groups of countries could become
important players in the international system, thereby bringing in a multipolar
system where no one power could dominate. As it turned out, the US became the
sole superpower.Backed by the power and prestigeof the US, the capitalist
economy was now the dominant economic system internationally. Institutions like
the World Bank and International Monetary Fund became powerful advisors to all
these countries since they gavethem loans for their transitions to capitalism.
Politically, the notion of liberal democracy emerged as the best way to organise
political life.

3. Third, the end of the Soviet bloc meant the emergence of many new countries. All
these countries had their own independent aspirations and choices. Some of
them,especially the Baltic and east European states, wanted to join the European
Union and become part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The
Central Asian countries wanted to take advantage of their geographical location
and continue their close ties with Russia and also to establish ties with the West,
the US, China and others. Thus, the international system saw many new players
What is “shock therapy”?
The collapse of communism was followed in
most of these countries by a painful process
of transition from an authoritarian socialist
system to a democratic capitalist system. The
model of transition in Russia, Central Asia
and east Europe that was influenced by the
World Bankand the IMF came to be known
as ‘shock therapy’.
 What does “shock therapy” involved?
1. It meant that private ownership was to be the dominant pattern of ownership of
property.Privatisation of state assets and corporate ownership patterns were to be
immediately brought in. Collective farms were to be replaced by private farming
and capitalism in agriculture.
2. Shock therapy also involved adrastic change in the external orientation of these
economies.Development was now envisaged through more trade, and thus a sudden
and complete switch to free trade was considered essential. The free trade regime
and foreign direct investment(FDI) were to be the main engines of change. This
also involved openness to foreign investment,financial opening up orde regulation,
and currency convertibility.
3. Finally, the transition also involved a break up of the existing trade alliances among
the countries of the Soviet bloc. Each state from this bloc was now linked directly
to the West and not to each other in the region. The Western capitalist states now
became the leaders and thus guided and controled the development of the region
through various agencies and organisations.
 CONSEQUENCES OF SHOCK
THERAPY
1. It brought ruin to the economies and disaster upon the people of the
entire region. In Russia, the large state-controlled industrial complex
almost collapsed, as about 90 per cent of its industries were put up for
sale to private individuals and companies.
2. Since the restructuring was carried out through market forces and not by
government-directed industrial policies, it led to the virtual
disappearance of entire industries.This was called ‘the largest garage
sale in history’, as valuable industries were undervalued and sold at
throw away prices. Though all citizens were given vouchers to
participate in the sales, most citizens sold their vouchers in the black
market because they needed the money.
3. The value of the ruble, the Russian currency, declined dramatically. The
rate of inflation was so high that people lost all their savings. The
collective farm system disintegrated leaving people without food
security, and Russia started to import food.
4. The old system of social welfare was systematically destroyed. The withdrawal of
government subsidies pushed large sections of the people into poverty. The middle classes
were pushed to the periphery of society, and the academic and intellectual manpower
disintegrated or migrated.
5. Privatisation led to new disparities. Post-Soviet states,especially Russia, were divided
between rich and poor regions.Unlike the earlier system, there was now great economic
inequality between people.
6. The construction of democratic institutions was not given the same attention and priority
as the demands of economic transformation. The constitutions of all these countries were
drafted in a hurry and most, including Russia, had a strong executive president with the
widest possible powers that rendered elected parliaments relatively weak.
7. In Central Asia, the presidents had great powers, and several of them became very
authoritarian. For example, the presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan appointed
themselves to power first for ten years and then extended it for another ten years.They
allowed no dissent or opposition. A judicial culture and independence of the judiciary was
yet to be established in most of these countries.
8. Most of these economies,especially Russia, started reviving in 2000, ten years after their
independence. The reason for the revival for most of their economies was the export of
natural resources like oil, naturalgas and minerals. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are major oil and gas producers. Other countries have gained
because of the oil pipelines that cross their territories for which they get rent.Some amount of
manufacturing has restarted.
 Tensions and conflicts
1. In Russia, two republics, Chechnya and Dagestan, have had violent
secessionist movements. Moscow’s method of dealing with the
Chechen rebels and indiscriminate military bombings have led to
many human rights violations but failed to deter the aspirations for
independence.
2. In Central Asia, Tajikistan witnessed a civil war that went on for
ten years till 2001. The region as a whole has many sectarian
conflicts.
3. There are movements against the existing regimes in Ukraine,
Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. Countries and provinces are fighting over
riverwaters. All this has led to instability, making life difficult for
the ordinary citizen.
4.Central Asia has also become a zone of competition between
outside powers and oil companies. The region is next to Russia,
China,Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and close to West Asia.

5.In eastern Europe,Czechoslovakia split peacefully into two,

with the Czechs and the Slovaks forming independent
countries.

6.But the most severe conflict took place in the Balkan

republics of Yugoslavia. After 1991, it broke apart with several
provinces like Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
declaring independence. Ethnic Serbs opposed this, and a
massacre of non-Serb Bosnians followed. The NATO
intervention and the bombing of Yugoslavia followed the inter-
ethnic civil war.
 INDIA AND POST-COMMUNIST
COUNTRIES
1. India has maintained good relations with all the post-communist
countries. But the strongest relations are still those between Russia and
India. India’s relations with Russia are an important aspect of India’s
foreign policy.
2. Indian heroes from Raj Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan are household
names in Russia and many post-Soviet countries. One can hear Hindi
film songs all over the region, and India is part of the popular memory.
3. Russia and India share a vision of a multipolar world order. What they
mean by a multipolar world order is the co-existence of several powers
in the international system, collective security, greater regionalism,
negotiated settlements of international conflicts, an independent foreign
policy for all countries,and decision making through bodies like the UN
that should be strengthened, democratised, and empowered.
4. More than 80 bilateral agreements have been signed between India and
Russia as part of the Indo-Russian Strategic Agreement of 2001.
5. India stands to benefit from its relationship with Russia on issues like
Kashmir, energy supplies, sharing information on international terrorism,
access to Central Asia, and balancing its relations with China.
6. Russia stands to benefit from this relationship because India is the
second largest arms market for Russia. The Indian military gets most of
its hardware from Russia.
7. Since India is an oil-importing nation, Russia is important to India and
has repeatedly come to the assistance of India during its oil crises. India
is seeking to increase its energy imports from Russia and the republics of
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Cooperation with these republics includes
partnership and investment in oilfields.
8. Russia is important for India’s nuclear energy plans and assisted India’s
space industry by giving, for example, the cryogenic rocket when India
needed it. Russia and India have collaborated on various scientific
projects.
 LEADERS OF SOVIET
UNION
Vladimir Lenin(1870-
1924)Founder of the
Bolshevik Communist
party;leader of the Russian
Revolution of 1917 and the
founder-head of the USSR
during the most difficult
period following the
revolution(1917-1924); an
outstanding theoretician and
practitioner of Marxism and
asource of inspiration for
Joseph Stalin(1879-1953)
Successor to Lenin and led the
Soviet Union during its
consolidation(1924-53); began
rapid industrialisation and
forcible collectivisation of
agriculture;credited with Soviet
victory in the Second World War;
held responsible for the Great
Terror of the 1930s, authoritarian
functioning and elimination of
rivals within the party.
Nikita Khrushchev (1894-
1971) Leader of the Soviet
Union (1953-64); denounced
Stalin’s leadership style and
introduced some reforms in
1956;suggested“peaceful
coexistence” with the West;
involved in suppressing
popular rebellion in Hungary
and in the Cuban missile
crisis.
Leonid Brezhnev (1906-82)
Leader of the Soviet Union
(1964-82); proposed Asian
Collective Security system;
associated with the détente
phase in relations with the
US; involved in suppressing
a popular rebellion in
Czechoslovakia and in
invading Afghanistan.
Mikhail Gorbachev (Born 1931)
Last leader of the Soviet Union
(1985-91); introduced economic
and political reform policies of
perestroika (restructuring) and
glasnost (openness); stopped the
arms race with the US; withdrew
Soviet troops from Afghanistan
and eastern Europe; helped in the
unification of Germany; ended
the Cold War; blamed for the
disintegration of the Soviet
Union.
FLASHBACK: INDIA AND THE USSR

During the Cold War era, India andthe USSR enjoyed a

specialrelationship which led critics to saythat India was part
of the Sovietcamp. It was a multi-dimensionalrelationship:
1. Economic: The Soviet Union assistedIndia’s public sector
companies at atime when such assistance wasdifficult to
get. It gave aid andtechnical assistance for steel plantslike
Bhilai, Bokaro, Visakhapatnam,and machinery plants like
BharatHeavy Electricals Ltd., etc. The SovietUnion
accepted Indian currency fortrade when India was short of
foreignexchange.
2.Political: The Soviet Union supportedIndia’s positions
on the Kashmir issuein the UN. It also supported
Indiaduring its major conflicts, especiallyduring the war
with Pakistan in 1971.India too supported Soviet
foreignpolicy in some crucial but indirectways.
3.Military: India received most of itsmilitary hardware
from the SovietUnion at a time when few othercountries
were willing to part withmilitary technologies. The Soviet
Unionentered into various agreementsallowing India to
jointly producemilitary equipment.
4.Culture: Hindi films and Indian culturewere popular in
the Soviet Union. Alarge number of Indian writers
andartists visited the USSR.
MAP OF CENTRAL, EASTERN EUROPE
AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF
INDEPENDENT STATES
What is the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)?
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional
intergovernmental organization of the former Soviet
Republics which is focused on cooperation in the following
aspects:Political, Economic, Environmental, Humanitarian,
Cultural and Other Issues
Members of Commonwealth of Independent States
12 States — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
History of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 leading to the foundation of
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The founding states of the CIS include Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
The remaining republics of the Soviet Union joined the
Commonwealth of Independent States after signing the Alma-Ata
Protocol. Now, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has
the following countries as its members:
Russia, Belarus & Ukraine
Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan.
Meetings are held periodically on a rotating basis at the CIS countries’
capitals. Forums include the Council of Heads of State, the Council of
Prime Ministers, and the Council of Foreign Ministers.
What is the role of CIS?
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meets periodically on a
rotating basis at the capitals of the Member Countries.
The Council of Heads of State, Council of Prime Ministers and Council of
Foreign Ministers are included in the forums.
The CIS performs its activities based on the CIS Charter which was
signed in 1993 in order to set up various institutions of the CIS and their
rules and functions.
This Charter incorporates the rights and obligations of the member
countries along with the goals and principles of the Commonwealth.
The Charter states that the Commonwealth was formed on the basis of
sovereign equality of all its members and that the Member States were
independent and equal subjects under international law. It also
mentions that the Commonwealth of Independent States shall serve in
developing and strengthening trust, mutual understanding, friendship,
Inter-ethnic accord and cooperation between the member states.
 What Is the Arab Spring?

The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government

protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread
across the Middle East in early 2011. But their
purpose, relative success, and outcome remain hotly
disputed in Arab countries, among foreign observers,
and between world powers looking to cash in on the
changing map of the Middle East.
 Why the Name 'Arab
Spring'?
The term “Arab Spring” was popularized by the Western media in early 2011
when the successful uprising in Tunisia against former leader Zine El Abidine
Ben Ali emboldened similar anti-government protests in most Arab countries.
The term "Arab Spring" is a reference to the Revolutions of 1848, a year in
which a wave of political upheavals occurred in many countries throughout
Europe, many resulting in an overthrow of old monarchical structures and their
replacement with a more representative form of government. 1848 is called in
some countries the Spring of Nations, People's Spring, Springtime of the
Peoples, or the Year of Revolution; and the "Spring" connotation has since been
applied to other periods in history when a chain of revolutions end in increased
representation in government and democracy, such as the Prague Spring, a
reform movement in Czechoslovakia in 1968.
 The "Autumn of Nations" refers to the turmoil in Eastern
Europe in 1989 when seemingly impregnable Communist
regimes began falling under pressure from mass popular
protests in a domino effect. In a short period of time, most
countries in the former Communist bloc adopted democratic
political systems with a market economy.

But the events in the Middle East went in a less

straightforward direction. Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen entered
an uncertain transition period, Syria and Libya were drawn
into a civil conflict, while the wealthy monarchies in the
Persian Gulf remained largely unshaken by the events. The use
of the term the “Arab Spring” has since been criticized for
being inaccurate and simplistic.
 What Was the Aim of the Protests?

The protest movement of 2011 was, at its core, an expression of deep-

seated resentment at the aging Arab dictatorships (some glossed over
with rigged elections), anger at the brutality of the security apparatus,
unemployment, rising prices, and corruption that followed the
privatization of state assets in some countries.

But unlike Communist Eastern Europe in 1989, there was no

consensus on the political and economic model that existing systems
should be replaced with. Protesters in monarchies like Jordan and
Morocco wanted to reform the system under the current rulers, some
calling for an immediate transition to constitutional monarchy.
Others were content with gradual reform. People in
republican regimes like Egypt and Tunisia wanted to
overthrow the president, but other than free elections they had
little idea what to do next.

And, beyond calls for greater social justice, there was no

magic wand for the economy. Leftist groups and unions
wanted higher wages and a reversal of dodgy privatization
deals, others wanted liberal reforms to make more room for
the private sector. Some hardline Islamists were more
concerned with enforcing strict religious norms. All political
parties promised more jobs but none came close to developing
a program with concrete economic policies.
 A Success or Failure?
The Arab Spring was a failure only if one expected that decades of
authoritarian regimes could be easily reversed and replaced with stable
democratic systems across the region. It has also disappointed those hoping
that the removal of corrupt rulers would translate into an instant
improvement in living standards. Chronic instability in countries undergoing
political transitions has put additional strain on struggling local economies,
and deep divisions have emerged between the Islamists and secular Arabs.
But rather than a single event, it’s probably more useful to define the 2011
uprisings as a catalyst for long-term change whose final outcome is yet to be
seen. The main legacy of the Arab Spring is in smashing the myth of Arabs’
political passivity and the perceived invincibility of arrogant ruling elites.
Even in countries that avoided mass unrest, the governments take the
quiescence of the people at their own peril.
THE GULF WAR
 CAUSES
1.Kuwait was selling a lot of oil and it was
making the prices of oil go down so Iraq
wasn’t making as many profits as previously.
2.Iraq always thought that Kuwait was a part
of it, which led to hostilities.
3.There were several oil mills along the
border and Iraq claimed that Kuwait was
illegally tapping Iraq’s mines.
 STORY
The gulf war was a conflict with the new world order and
Iraq over Kuwait. It included a total of thirty-two
coalitions. On august 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein shocked
everyone by ordering his troops to invade Kuwait.
President Bush started to sent over military to assist Kuwait
so they can win back their freedom. He urged other
countries to do the same. Twelve countries joined together
and they created the operation dessert storm, and lead by
Norman Schwarzkopf, they made their way through Iraqi
forces and into Kuwait within one hundred hours.
IRAQ
INTERVENTION

• 2nd August Iraq National Army have crossed the Kuwait border.
• Iraqi Army was the world's fourth largest army; it consisted of
955,000 standing soldiers, 650,000 paramilitary forces, 4,500 tanks,
484 combat aircraft and 232 combat helicopters.
• Kuwait army consisted of 16’000 men, 80 aircraft and 40 helicopters
• Within 12 hours all country was captured.
• Iraq SpecFors attempted to capture Kuwait’s Royale family, but were
unsuccessful. They have fled to OAE.
• Same day, a new government was established, which signed the
document about Kuwait joining Iraq.
 GEORGE BUSH
George Bush was the popular
president of the United States
during the Gulf War. He was
instrumental in putting together the
coalition that would eventually
defeat the Iraqi forces, expelling
them from Kuwait. President Bush
would not allow any nation to
dominate the Persian Gulf and
control most of the World's oil
supply. He reacted by creating
Operation Desert Storm, the largest
land operation since World War II.
 SADDAM HUSSEIN
Saddam Hussein ruthlessly took power
in Iraq in 1979. He led the Nation
through the Iran/Iraq War and the
Persian Gulf War. Saddam Hussein
was the president of Iraq who ordered
the takeover of Kuwait. Hussein
believed it to be his destiny to fight in
the Gulf War. His invasion of Kuwait
sparked operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm. Hussein believed it to be
his destiny to fight in the Gulf War.
Norman Schwarzkopf
General Schwarzkopf was the de
facto allied commander during the
Gulf War. He is credited with
orchestrating the plan that would
efficiently destroy Iraqi war-
making capacity in the Persian Gulf
region and would expell Saddam
Hussein's Republican Guard from
Kuwait. He ran the operation
dessert storm.
 Primary source
Excerpt from a transcript of his July 25, 1990, meeting with U.S.
AmbassadorApril Glaspie.
“On July 25, 1990, a week before Iraq launched its military invasion of
Kuwait, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein held a meeting with April
Glaspie, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. This meeting marked the last
official high-level contact between the Iraqi and American governments
before the invasion. During his meeting with Glaspie, Hussein outlined
a long list of complaints against Kuwait. He discussed the ongoing
border disputes between the two countries, for example, and also
accused Kuwait of pursuing policies that were intended to harm Iraq's
economy. Glaspie listened to Hussein's concerns and expressed
sympathy for Iraq's financial problems. She also emphasized the U.S.
government's wish to maintain friendly relations with Iraq.”
 The end and the
Consequences
1. Iraq was defeated and Kuwait became it’s own country.
2. There were no-fly zones made
3. There was a loot of structure damage, such as the sewage plant
destruction. This made the sewage overflow into the Tigris
River, which is where civilians get drinking water, and caused
a lot of sickness.
4. They suffered enormous property damages.
5. The UN made it where Iraq couldn’t make weapons
of destruction.
6. The casualties are between 35,000 and 60,000.
 Afganistan 1950 - 1979
Pakistan and Afghanistan come close to war over disputed lands.
Government instability leads to frequent riots and overthrows.
Daoud Khan and the Communist Afghan Party seize power and the Republic of Afghanistan
is born in 1973. Internal problems with this party cause Daoud to be killed.
Mass arrests, tortures and violence become common place in Afghanistan.
The Afghan guerrilla group (Mujahideen) formed to fight and resist government that was
backed by Communist Russia.
Mass killings and the murder of the U.S. Ambassador. Many human rights violations.

Mujahideen Freedom Fighters

 Afghanistan
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan with thousands of troops to support
the government in its struggle with the holy warriors called Mujahideen.
Five million Afghan refugees flee to Pakistan and Iran.
The Soviets with superior weapons could not defeat the guerrilla tactics
of the rebels.In 1988 the Soviets began withdrawing its troops from
Afghanistan.
Fighting between the government and the Mujahideen continued until
1992 when the rebels overthrew the government.Fighting among the
factions prevented the formation of a stable government.
By the late 1990’s a Islamic group known as the Taliban had taken control
of most of Afghanistan and set up a Council of Ministers to rule the
country.
 1994 - 1999
The Taliban movement was formed in Kandahar in 1994 by Islamic students who take a
radical approach to interpreting Islam.
The Taliban captured Kabul in September 1996 from Mujaheedin regime. The government of
Burhan-ul Din Rabani ousted. The Taliban government in Kabul has been recognized only
by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Republic.
The Taliban regime strongly have been supported by Pakistani military regime.
Anti-Taliban factions still hold about 15 percent of the country in the northern parts of
Afghanistan.
The United Nations and other international communities condemn the Taliban regime
because of its violation of human rights, particularly restrictions of women from outside work
and freedom.
On October 10, 1999, the United States government declare political and economical
sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan because of holding and supporting
Saudi billionaire Bin Laden.
October 25, 1999, Taliban offer talks between Afghanistan and the US Government including
the future of Osma Bin Laden.
October 28, 1999. Saudi Millionaire declared his desire to leave Afghanistan
November, 5, 1999: Bin Laden likely stay in Afghanistan
 2000 - Today
Mohammed Omar, Taliban leader, continues to give aid
and comfort to the terrorist Bin Lauden.
September 11, 2001. Al Qaeda forces of Bin Laden attack
the United States.
United States and her allies declare war on terrorism.
Taliban Government driven into hiding, many Taliban and Al
Quaeda forces killed or captured by the United States and her
allies.
The Taliban grip on Afghanistan and support for Bin Laden
has ended.The War on Terrorism continues.
The Taliban ruled the country under a strict interpretation
of the Sharia law and many of the progress with regard to
women and education which the country had seen earlier,
were reversed. Girls were forbidden from attending
schools and women banned from working. The Taliban-
ruled country also became a safe haven for international
terrorists. Only Pakistan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia
recognised the Taliban government.
In 2001, a US-led coalition defeated the Taliban and
established another government in place. However,
Afghanistan still sees resistance from the Taliban in
certain pockets
India’s Role in Peace Process Through “Unified Approach”:
India is an important player in the peace process – it has also been
acknowledged by the USA.
India supports all efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan
which are inclusive and Afghan-led, Afghanowned and Afghan-
controlled.
India has invested heavily in infrastructure developments, training
security forces and supplying them with necessary equipment.
India has a major stake in the stability of Afghanistan since it has
invested considerable resources in Afghanistan's development.
India hopes to have a role in setting the terms especially concerning
terrorism, violence, women’s rights and democratic values.