The term "The cold war" is used to describe a certain period of the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after

World 2 between the United States and the former Soviet Union and their allies. The Americans States and the British feared the permanent Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, the Soviet didn't want any possible renewed threat from Germany. The Cold War had solidified by 1947-1948, when US aid provided under American influence and contrary to them openly communist regimes had been installed in Eastern Europe. The Cold War reached its peak in 1948-53. From 1953 to 1057 Cold War tensions relaxed largely owing ti the death of Joseph Stalin. Nevertheless, the standiff remained. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization formed in 1949 was opposed to the Warsaw Pact(formed in 1955). The last intense stage of the Cold War was in 1958-62 when the Us and USSR began developing intercontinental ballistic missiles. But after 1962, when both the countries showed that neither was ready to use nuclear weapons, the Cold War may be considered to have begun to decline. When on September 12, 1990 Germany was reunited, the era of confrontation and division in Europe has ended.