What actually happened in the Cold War?
Explain it like I'm 16
The Cold War was a long struggle for power between the United States and the Soviet Union after the Second World War, roughly from 1947 to 1991. They did not fight each other directly in a full-scale war. Instead, they competed through threats, nuclear weapons, spying, propaganda, technology, alliances and wars in other countries.
A real-world example
It was like two rival teams refusing to fight directly but building huge forces, trying to win supporters, spying on each other and backing different sides in competitions around the world. The danger was that one mistake could have caused a nuclear war.
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Why this matters
It shaped modern borders, military alliances, nuclear weapons, space technology and conflicts that still affect international politics.
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