Editing Soviet Union (section)

==== Cold War (1945–1991) ====
{{Main|Origins of the Cold War|Cold War}}
The [[Cold War]] was a period of [[geopolitical]] tension between the [[United States]] and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the [[Western Bloc]] and the [[Eastern Bloc]], which began following [[World War II]] in 1945. The term ''[[Cold war (general term)|cold war]]'' is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two [[superpowers]], but they each supported major regional conflicts known as [[proxy war]]s. The conflict was based around the ideological and geopolitical struggle for global influence by these two superpowers, following their temporary [[Allies of World War II|alliance]] and [[Allied-occupied Germany|victory]] against [[Nazi Germany]] in 1945. Aside from the [[Nuclear arms race|nuclear arsenal development]] and conventional military deployment, the struggle for dominance was expressed via indirect means such as [[psychological warfare]], propaganda campaigns, [[Cold War espionage|espionage]], far-reaching [[Economic sanctions|embargoes]], rivalry at [[Politics and sports|sports events]] and technological competitions such as the [[Space Race]].