The Cold War

The Cold War

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The Cold War (1947-1991) was the long confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. Called “cold” because the two superpowers never fought each other directly.

Key Events

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• 1947: Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan
• 1949: NATO, Soviet atomic bomb
• 1955: Warsaw Pact
• 1961: Berlin Wall built
• 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis — the closest the world came to nuclear war
• 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall
• 1991: Dissolution of the USSR — Cold War ends

Conclusion

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The Cold War divided the world for over 40 years. It caused wars, dictatorships and nuclear terror. But it also produced the space race, civil rights, and the awareness that nuclear war would destroy humanity. Its lesson: dialogue is always better than confrontation.