FREE IGNOU MHI-02 Solved QUESTION Paper DECEMBER 2022
Section—II
6. International Rivalries Among Superpowers in the 20th Century: The first half of the 20th century was marked by intense international rivalries among major superpowers, contributing to significant geopolitical events:
- World War I (1914-1918): Rivalries among European powers, such as Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Britain, contributed to the outbreak of World War I. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary triggered a chain of events leading to a global conflict.
- Interwar Period and Rise of Totalitarianism: After World War I, economic hardships and the Treaty of Versailles fueled resentment in Germany, which was exploited by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. The expansionist policies of Nazi Germany, coupled with militarization in Japan and the Soviet Union, increased tensions.
- World War II (1939-1945): The rivalry between the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied powers (mainly the United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom) led to World War II. The war ended with the defeat of the Axis powers and the emergence of the United States and Soviet Union as superpowers.
- Cold War (1947-1991): The post-World War II period saw the United States and the Soviet Union locked in a Cold War characterized by ideological, political, and military rivalry. The division of Europe into Western and Eastern blocs, nuclear arms race, and proxy conflicts were hallmarks of this era.
