The End of Bipolarity is the first chapter in the NCERT Class 12 Political Science (Part 1) textbook. It talks about one of the biggest global changes in the 20th century — the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. This chapter explains how the world shifted from a bipolar world (dominated by the USA and USSR) to a unipolar one with the USA as the sole superpower. It also discusses how Eastern European countries transformed politically and economically after the fall of communism.

I decided to write about this chapter because it sets the stage for understanding present-day world politics. Many current events — from Russia’s foreign policy to NATO’s role — still link back to what happened after the Soviet Union disintegrated. For students preparing for board exams or competitive tests, this chapter helps in understanding international relations clearly. I found this chapter personally interesting because it explains how global ideologies like communism and capitalism shaped international conflicts, alliances, and changes in governments across the world.

What Is Bipolarity and Why Did It End?

The term “bipolarity” means the division of global power between two superpowers — the USA and the USSR — during the Cold War period (1945–1991). These two countries led opposite blocs:

• USA headed the Capitalist Bloc (NATO and allies)
• USSR led the Communist Bloc (Warsaw Pact countries)

But by the late 1980s, things started falling apart in the Soviet Union.

Key Reasons Behind the Collapse of the USSR:

• Economic Weakness: The Soviet economy could not match the development levels of Western countries.
• Political Rigidity: One-party rule and lack of political freedom caused frustration.
• Reforms Gone Wrong: Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms like glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), but they failed to stabilise the country.
• Nationalism: Many republics like Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, etc., wanted independence from the USSR.
• Failed Coup in 1991: A failed military coup by hardliners triggered the final disintegration.

By December 1991, the USSR officially broke into 15 independent countries. Russia was the largest among them.

Aftermath of the Soviet Collapse

The chapter goes on to explain what happened after the Cold War ended:

• Unipolar World: The USA became the only superpower, influencing world politics and economy.
• Emergence of New Nations: Countries like Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and the Baltic states became independent.
• Shock Therapy: Many former Soviet states shifted to capitalism using economic reforms, but this caused unemployment, inflation, and poverty.
• Rise of Oligarchs in Russia: A few businessmen became super-rich while ordinary people suffered.
• NATO Expansion: Despite the end of the Cold War, NATO continued expanding towards Eastern Europe, which later caused tensions with Russia.

Download PDF: NCERT Class 12 Political Science Part 1 Chapter 1 – The End of Bipolarity

You can easily access the official NCERT PDF for this chapter from here:

NCERT Class 12 Political Science Part 1 Chapter 1 – The End of Bipolarity