The Cold War was a period of time between the end of WWII and the fall of the Soviet Union in which the US and the USSR rivaled each other as world powers. The date range is approximately from 1945-1991. Why was the Cold War called the Cold War? Though there was never any direct military action taken between the two nations, conflict arose abroad in smaller regions where political disagreements and armed coalitions formed as a result of the tension. The longstanding rivalry took place through the use of political and military propaganda, as well as direct political campaigns targeting the other nation as to not be fully trusted. The Cold War influenced the ways of life in the two nations directly, including the nuclear arms race, the race to launch a human into space, as well as wars in Korea & Vietnam, where America became heavily involved. This lesson will explain how the Cold War began, We discussed that events through the decades and how the lasting impact of the Cold War has impacted the world today - especially with he crisis in Ukraine and Europe happening right now.