The Cold War began after World War II. It was between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was called the Cold War because both nations were afraid to fight one another directly, so they they did it indirectly. They used words as weapons by denouncing the other and trying to make the other seem foolish.The United States and the Soviet Union were the only two superpowers after the second World War. They both had nuclear weapon capabilities and this made everyone very fearful.Historians disagree as to when the Cold War ended. Some will say that it ended during the 60's and 70's when the US and Soviet Union had better relations. Others will say it ended when the Berlin Wall was torn down (1989) and others say it ended when the Soviet Union collapsed (1991).
