---
id:"kb-2026-00323"
title:"Cold War"
schema_type:"TechArticle"
category:"history"
language:"en"
confidence:"high"
last_verified:"2026-05-22"
generation_method:"ai_assisted"
ai_models:["claude-opus"]
derived_from_human_seed:true
primary_sources:
  - title:"The Cold War: A New History (John Lewis Gaddis)"
    type:"book"
    year:2005
    url:"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/256540/the-cold-war-by-john-lewis-gaddis/"
    institution:"Penguin Press"
secondary_sources:
  - title: "MDN Web Docs — HTTP"
    type: "documentation"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP"
    institution: "Mozilla"
completeness: 0.88
ai_citations:
  last_citation_check:"2026-05-22"
---

## TL;DR

The Cold War (1947-1991) was a geopolitical struggle between the United States and Soviet Union — ideological (capitalism vs. communism), nuclear arms race, proxy wars, space race. No direct military conflict between the superpowers. Ended with the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991.

## Core Explanation

Key moments: Berlin Blockade (1948-49), Korean War (1950-53), Cuban Missile Crisis (1962, closest to nuclear war), Vietnam War (1955-75), Soviet-Afghan War (1979-89), Berlin Wall falls (1989), USSR dissolution (1991). NATO vs. Warsaw Pact. MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) nuclear doctrine. Space Race: Sputnik (1957) → Moon landing (1969).

## Further Reading

- [The Cold War: A New History (John Lewis Gaddis)](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/256540/the-cold-war-by-john-lewis-gaddis/)