COLD CONFLICT: THE EPOCH OF GLOBAL BIPOLAR DIVISION

This article examines the nature of the Cold War period (late 1940s–1991) as a global rivalry between two opposing political-military blocks led by the United States and the Soviet Union. It analyzes the main characteristics of the Cold War, including ideological struggle, geopolitical competition, arms race, nuclear balance, and proxy wars. In addition, it highlights the early strategic doctrines of U.S. foreign policy such as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Blockade, the formation of military blocks like NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and the emergence of a bipolar world system. The article further discusses key historical events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the détente period, SALT agreements, the INF Treaty, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the USSR, demonstrating the gradual development and ultimate conclusion of the Cold War. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of the political, military, and ideological processes of the Cold War, which fundamentally reshaped 20th-century international relations.