History glossary
Cold War
the long global rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union after the Second World War.
- Category
- Conflict
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- c. 1947-1991
What it means
The Cold War was called cold because the two superpowers avoided direct all-out war with each other, but they competed through nuclear weapons, alliances, propaganda, spying, proxy wars, and influence over newly independent states.
Related terms
Stories using this term
Apartheid South Africa
From white minority rule to mass resistance, Mandela's release and the first democratic election, apartheid reshaped South Africa and the world.
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
The Kim Dynasty
North Korea’s Kim dynasty built a nuclear-armed regime, maintaining power through crises and control.
The Korean War
A Cold War conflict that divided Korea, ending in stalemate and a lasting unresolved border.
The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia fractured through crisis, nationalism, and war, collapsing violently in the 1990s.
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
The Vietnam War
From decolonisation to Cold War conflict, the Vietnam War reshaped Southeast Asia and global politics.
The Second World War
From fragile peace to global war, WWII reshaped the world through conflict, genocide, and new power orders.
