The world after the Cold War: from two poles towards several
Lessons 1 · 1 lessons · Sh. Ergashev, B. Xodjayev, J. Abdullayev. World History (1991–2017): textbook for Grade 11 of secondary schools and for students of secondary specialised and vocational institutions. 1st edition. “Turon-Iqbol”, Tashkent, 2018
1
International relations at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century
Textbook: pp. 4–8
GoalExplain how international relations changed after the Cold War and what the idea of a multipolar world means.
New words
multipolar world, a system with several centres of power · ko‘pqutbli dunyoglobalization · globallashuvmodernization · modernizatsiyaG-20, the group of 20 major economies · G-20
Explanation
With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 the Cold War ended and the bipolar system, which had divided the world into two military-political blocs, disappeared. In the 1990s the United States remained the strongest state, so this period is sometimes called “unipolar”. At the start of the 21st century fast-growing economies such as China, India and Brazil gained weight, and people began to speak of a multipolar world, a system with several centres of influence. The risk of a global war fell, but regional conflicts, terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons remained dangers. After the financial crisis of 2008–2009 the leaders of the largest economies began to meet in the G-20 format. Events around Ukraine from 2014, and above all the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Russia launched on 24 February 2022 (Moscow calls it a “special military operation”), sharply worsened relations between Russia and the West.
Worked examples
NATO enlargement: Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined in 1999, seven more states in 2004, and Finland and Sweden in 2023–2024, bringing the membership to 32. NATO holds that every sovereign state may freely choose its alliances; Russia regards enlargement as a threat to its security.
After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 NATO invoked Article 5 on collective defence for the first time in its history. This shows that terrorism had become a new kind of international threat.
Class activity
Make a table with three columns: “1945–1991”, “1991–2008” and “2008 to the present”. In each column write the main feature of the international system and three events, then compare the tables between groups.
Practice
1
What was the “bipolar world” and when did it end?
It was a system divided into two blocs led by the United States and the USSR; it ended in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR.
2
What is the G-20 and why is it important?
It is a group that brings together the world’s largest economies; its members produce most of world output and hold a large share of the world’s population, so it is an important forum for economic decisions.
3
How did the economic growth of China and Brazil affect international relations?
As their economic strength grew, their influence on world affairs grew too, and the idea of a multipolar system replaced that of the dominance of a single state.
4
Why did the world not become fully safe after the end of the Cold War? Give two reasons.
First, regional and ethnic conflicts grew (for example on the territory of Yugoslavia). Second, the dangers of terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons remained.