Cold War Overview
The Cold War was a prolonged period of geopolitical tension and ideological rivalry primarily between the United States (and its allies) and the Soviet Union (along with its satellite states) following the conclusion of World War II. Spanning from approximately 1947 to 1991, it shaped the modern international order through political, military, and cultural confrontations, without direct large-scale conflict between the two superpowers.
The term "Cold War" signifies the absence of direct warfare but highlights a state of strategic competition, marked by events such as the arms race, the development of nuclear weapons, propaganda wars, and proxy conflicts in various regions, including Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. The ideological divide between capitalism and communism underscored most of the disputes.
The Cold War can be divided into distinct phases: the initial confrontation in the late 1940s, the intense rivalry of the 1950s and 60s, and the eventual détente in the 1970s. It escalated once again in the 1980s until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, marking the end of the Cold War. During this time, critical events such as the Berlin Airlift, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the establishment of NATO and the Warsaw Pact were pivotal.
While the Cold War did not lead to an outright military clash between the US and USSR, it profoundly influenced global affairs, economic development, and technological innovations, such as the space race. Its legacy still lingers in contemporary international relations, particularly in the dynamics of East-West tensions and NATO's enduring role.
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