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Cold War

The Cold War was a state of geopolitical tension after the end of World War II. It pitted the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its allies) against the Western Bloc (the United States, its NATO allies).

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Main entrance of the BND, a man walking past

Germany's most spectacular espionage cases

Germany's most spectacular espionage cases

Germany has long been targeted by foreign intelligence services. Here's a reminder of some prominent spy cases.
PoliticsApril 18, 2024
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib cut a cake during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of NATO

75 years of NATO: How is the military alliance faring?

75 years of NATO: How is the military alliance faring?

NATO's 75th anniversary is overshadowed by Russia's war against Ukraine. In 1949, the enemy was in the East as well.
ConflictsApril 4, 2024
people standing atop the Berlin Wall on December 22, 1989, holding a banner reading "Germany, united Fatherland"

Understanding how Germany and Europe ended the Cold War

Understanding how Germany and Europe ended the Cold War

A new way to present history in the classroom: A traveling exhibit illustrates the recent German and European past.
HistoryMarch 23, 2024
A decommissioned Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile sits in an underground silo

Germany and nuclear weapons: A difficult history

Germany and nuclear weapons: A difficult history

Donald Trump's remarks on NATO's principle of collective defense have triggered a debate in Germany on nuclear options.
PoliticsFebruary 17, 2024
Juxtaposed photos of Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, each sitting at a desk and listening intently to a landline telephone.

Ukraine war: 'Hotline' between the US and Russia?

Ukraine war: 'Hotline' between the US and Russia?

A direct line for negotiations was established in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Is the link still active?
HistoryAugust 30, 2023
A boy standing in a tree watches as a plane flies by, in this black and white photo

Berlin Airlift 75 years on: When 'enemies became friends'

Berlin Airlift 75 years on: When 'enemies became friends'

After the Soviet Union cut supply lines to West Berlin in 1948, Western Allies launched a historic rescue effort.
HistoryJune 23, 2023
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Black and white photo of people lighting candles in Leipzig for a prayer for peace in October 1989

Germans revive Cold War Monday demonstrations

Monday protests organized by both the left and the right evoke mixed feelings in Germany.
SocietySeptember 5, 2022
two men play chess at a table

Cold War on a chessboard

The 1972 "Match of the Century" saw Bobby Fischer of the US challenge the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky.
CultureAugust 31, 2022
Goethe-Institut sign on a building

Goethe-Institut marks its 70th anniversary

For Goethe-Institut President Carola Lentz, the cultural institution's history is marked by permanent reinvention.
CultureNovember 23, 2021
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) transits the South China Sea with th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67). Reagan is part of Task Force 70/Carrier Strike Group 5, conducting underway operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific

Are US, China tiptoeing toward Cold War?

After Washington said it will share highly sensitive defense tech with Australia, all eyes are on the Indo-Pacific.
ConflictsSeptember 24, 2021
black and white photo of construction workers building the Berlin Wall

60 years ago, the Berlin Wall went up

The German capital was divided after WWII, but people were able to move freely around the city — until August 13, 1961.
HistoryAugust 13, 2021