The Cold War referred to competitions, tensions and series of confrontations between the US and USSR backed by their respective allies. In 1945, the Allied forces, led by the US, Soviet Union, Britain and France defeated the Axis powers led by Germany, Italy and Japan, ending the Second World War (1939-1945). Also in 1945, the Second World War ended, and the Cold War began when the US dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagashaki causing Japan to surrender. Both the powers became reluctant to initiate war to protect world from large scale destruction as they were aware that it will lead to total nuclear destruction.
