question_answer

Study the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The smaller States in the alliances used the link to the superpowers for their own purposes. They got the promise of protection, weapons and economic aid against their local rivals, mostly regional neighbours with whom they had rivalries. The alliance systems led by the two superpowers, therefore, threatened to divide the entire world into two camps.

(i) Name the two superpowers that are referred to in this passage.

(ii) How did the 'alliance systems' assure to protect the smaller States from their regional neighbours?

(iii) Explain any two reasons for the big powers to have smaller countries as their allies.

 

Answer:

(1) The two superpowers are: US and USSR.

(2) In alliance system, superpower promises to smaller State to provide them protection, whenever they required and support them with economic aid against their local rivals.

(3) Superpowers try to allies with smaller countries for following reasons:

(a) To get vital resources like oil and minerals.

(b) Superpowers can have smaller countries7 territory where they can make their own military base and could launch their weapons and troops. Big power requires some secret locations from where they can keep an eye on the working of other countries.

(c) Superpowers require location from where they can spy on other countries.

(d) Economic support in many small allies will help them to pay military expenses.