Cold War The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted from the end of World War II until the end of the 1980s. Over the course of five decades, they never came to blows directly. Rather, these two world superpowers competed in other arenas that would touch almost every corner of the globe. Inside you will read about... - What Was the Cold War?- The Origins of the Cold War- World War II and the Beginning of the Cold War- The Cold War in the 1950s- The Cold War in the 1960s- The Cold War in the 1970s- The Cold War in the 1980s and the End of the Cold WarBoth interfered in the affairs of other countries to win allies for their opposing ideologies.In the process, governments were destabilized, ideas silenced, revolutions broke out, and culture was controlled. This overview of the Cold War provides the story of how these two countries came to oppose one another, and the impact it had on them and others around the world.