- This article is about the general term for a type of international conflict. For the specific conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States, see Cold War.
A cold war (or bipolar superpower confrontation) is a state of battle between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, acts of espionage or conflict through surrogates (proxy wars). The surrogates are typically states that are "satellites" of the conflicting nations, i.e., nations allied to them or under their political influence. It might also mean giving military aid (such as weapons or economical aid, or perhaps even soldiers) to lesser nations oppressed or in guerilla war with the opposing country of a cold war.
Cold wars
- Rome and Carthage, Mid 3rd Century BC-146 BC: The main contest regarding Mediterranean dominance, often being fought through the Punic Wars.
- 92 BC-627: Relations between the Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine Empire on the one hand and the Parthian Empire and its Sassanid successor on the other, could be characterised as decades of cold war intespersed with outbursts of direct warfare. Known as the Roman-Persian Wars, that ancient cold war had most of the above-mentioned characteristics of modern ones, such as war by proxy involving such satellites as Armenia and various pre-Islamic Arab tribes.
- The Great Game, 1813-1907: Geopolitical conflict between the Russian and British Empires over influence in Central Asia.
- 1871-1914: United Kingdom, France, and Russian Empire vs. Germany and Austria-Hungary set off by the formation of the German Empire, which politically and geographically challenged the older empires of Europe.
- 1923-Present: Greece vs. Turkey (see Cyprus), set off by the post-World War I political troubles left from the defunct Ottoman Empire
- 1947-1991: United States vs. Soviet Union - the Cold War set off by the ideological and political differences of the victors of World War II
- 1949-Present: People's Republic of China vs. Taiwan (see Political status of Taiwan), set off by the Chinese Civil War's conclusion
- 1953-Present: North Korea vs. South Korea
- 2007-Present: Russia vs. NATO
- 2007-Present: United States vs Iran
