Should the Cold War be considered a war?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Should the Cold War be considered a war?
Position1 of 2›: Yes, the cold war should be considered a war

While no physical conflict ensued between the Soviet Union and the United States, this conflict still created many proxy wars and the constant threat of nuclear war. As such, the Cold War was an actual war that devastated many countries involved, eventually contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Supporting arguments · 5

The Cold War was a war because of the Space Race
Space exploration became yet another competition during the Cold War, as both the United States and Soviet Union vied for dominance over one another. After the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite into space, the Americans launched their own satellite, Explorer I. Going a step further, the Americans landed the first man in space, and then the first man on the moon soon after that; effectively declaring the Space Race as a victory for the United States. Even though no combat took place between the two nations, or even any interaction at all, the Space Race was another example of the intense rivalry between the two nations and their respective ideologies during the Cold War.
The Cold War was a war because of the Red Scare
The Red Scare brought the Cold War tensions closer to home as hysteria about communist threats within the nation broke out all over the United States. The impact of this Red Scare disrupted many lives and civil liberties in the United States.
The Cold War was a war because of the Cuban Missile Crisis
This 13-day political and military gridlock between the United States and the Soviet Union was the closest the Cold War got to having atomic warfare. As the U.S. enacted a naval blockade around Cuba once it was discovered that the Soviet Union had missiles on Cuba, the tense conflict between the two nations skated on thin ice. Even though no actual warfare broke out due to this crisis, it was an important event during the Cold War that contributed to the ongoing nuclear arms race all the more.
The Cold War was a war because of its many Proxy Wars
Many proxy wars occurred during the Cold War. These stood in for actual conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. These wars were another tool through which the Soviet Union and the United States could exercise their sphere of influence while resisting the opposite superpower.
The Cold War was a war because of its deadly Arms Race
As both nations raced to build the most destructive atomic weapons, and schools practiced attack drills with the looming threat of atomic warfare, the Cold War tensions increasingly grew. The threat of an actual, devastating war was ever-present in both nations as the arms race ensued.