Cold War

1947–1991 geopolitical rivalry between US and USSR

War & ConflictPolitics & Government

Cold War — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

What happened

President Reagan demands Soviet Union tear down the Berlin Wall in Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987, in a speech at the Brandenburg Gate, marking a major…

Date

June 12, 1987

Key people

Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Peter Robinson, Michael Beschloss

Why it matters

This article offers a unique perspective on the speech at the Brandenburg Gate by examining its specific impact on the collapse of the Soviet Union, with a focus on the speech's role...

What was Cold War?

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc. It began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, embargoes, and sports diplomacy.

Changes in national boundaries after the end of the Cold War

Background and consequences

After the end of the Second World War in 1945, during which the US and USSR had been allies, the USSR installed satellite governments in its occupied territories in Eastern Europe and North Korea by 1949, resulting in the political division of Europe (and Germany) by an "Iron Curtain". The USSR tested its first nuclear weapon in 1949, four years after their use by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and allied with the People's Republic of China, founded in 1949. The US declared the Truman Doctrine of "containment" of communism in 1947, launched the Marshall Plan in 1948 to assist Western Europe's economic recovery, and founded the NATO military alliance in 1949 (matched by the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact in 1955).

Why it matters

The Berlin Blockade of 1948 to 1949 was an early confrontation, as was the Korean War of 1950 to 1953, which ended in a stalemate. US involvement in regime change during the Cold War included support for First World anti-communist and right-wing dictatorships and uprisings, while Soviet involvement included the funding of Second World left-wing parties, wars of independence, and dictatorships. As nearly all the colonial states underwent decolonization, many became Third World battlefields of the Cold War. Both powers used economic aid in an attempt to win the loyalty of non-aligned countries.

Related on thisDay

Cold War: At the Brandenburg Gate, U.S — June 12, 1987

President Reagan demands Soviet Union tear down the Berlin Wall in Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987, in a speech at the Brandenburg Gate, marking a major…

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Cold War: At the Brandenburg Gate, U.S — June 12, 1987 Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Cold War.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/cold-war/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

APA

Cold War. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/cold-war/

Chicago

“Cold War.” thisDay. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/cold-war/.

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