Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should the Cold War be considered a war?
Position‹2 of 2

No, the cold war should not be considered a war

Although the Cold War was an ideological competition between the Soviet Union and the United States, that does not justify defining this period of conflict between the two nations as an actual war. While this Cold War may have led to other proxy wars and even the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union, no true armed conflict ever occurred. Furthermore, because this Cold War was mostly about two superpowers trying to exert superiority over the other in everything from sporting events to space programs, this period of conflict cannot be accurately defined as a war, just a competition.

Supporting arguments · 6

  1. "Races" during the Cold War were tense but not warfare
    Be it the Arms Race or Space Race, the competitiveness between the United States and the Soviet Union was only unrivaled contention, not actual warfare.
  2. The Cold War was not a war, as there was no physical combat
    Although there were proxy wars and an arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States, there was no period of physical combat between the two nations at all.
  3. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a close call, but did not result in war
    The Cuban Missile Crisis is the prime example of what was a close call between the Soviet Union and United States during the Cold War time period, but because it was just that, a close call, this period cannot be correctly defined as having been a true war. The threat of atomic warfare was certainly present during the Cuban Missile Crisis, for both nations involved, but nothing ever came of this near disaster. So, technically, this incident was merely a close call and cannot validate defining this as a Cold War since no war ever officially broke out between the Soviet Union and United States.
  4. There is no reason to call the Cold War a war
    There were no literal battles in the Cold War. The Cold War was a battle of the countries not having good relations with each other.
  5. There was no formal declaration of war during the Cold War
    Neither the Soviet Union nor the United States ever declared war on the other nation during this period of ideological conflict with one another. Without an outright declaration of war, there could not ever have been a legitimate war of any sort that took place between the Soviet Union and United States.
  6. The Cold War was not a war, it was a domestic Frenzy
    Although the United States' Red Scare was an irrational frenzy during this "Cold War" period, this doesn't prove that an actual war broke out between the United States and the Soviet Union.