What were the seven phases of the cold war?

The Cold War can be divided into seven phases:

1. Post-World War II Tension (1945-1947) - Emergence of ideological conflict between the U.S. and the USSR.
2. Early Cold War (1947-1953) - Formation of military alliances like NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and the onset of the arms race.
3. Expansion and Containment (1953-1962) - U.S. policies aimed at containing communism, highlighted by events like the Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
4. Detente (1962-1979) - A period of reduced tensions, marked by arms control agreements such as the SALT treaties.
5. Renewed Confrontation (1979-1985) - Resurgence of Cold War hostilities, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
6. Crisis of Communism (1985-1989) - Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms led to increased openness and ultimately the weakening of Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
7. End of the Cold War (1989-1991) - Fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the USSR, marking the conclusion of the Cold War era.