The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension and rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, lasting from 1947 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was characterized by ideological conflict between the capitalist Western Bloc, led by the US, and the communist Eastern Bloc, led by the USSR
. Unlike a traditional "hot" war, the Cold War did not involve direct military combat between the two superpowers. Instead, it was fought through proxy wars, an arms race (including nuclear weapons), espionage, propaganda, economic embargoes, and technological competition such as the Space Race
. The origins of the Cold War trace back to the aftermath of World War II when the wartime alliance between the US and the USSR broke down due to mutual distrust and conflicting visions for postwar Europe. The Soviet Union established communist satellite governments in Eastern Europe, while the US sought to contain communism through policies like the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. This division led to the political and military division of Europe, symbolized by the "Iron Curtain"
. Key early Cold War events include the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949), the formation of NATO (1949), the Soviet atomic bomb test (1949), the communist takeover of China (1949), and the Korean War (1950-1953)
. Overall, the Cold War shaped much of international relations in the second half of the 20th century, influencing political, military, and economic policies worldwide without escalating into direct full-scale war between the two superpowers
