The cold war was an after effect of the second World War and is characterized by a state of political hostility and tensions between the Unites States and the Soviet Union. The United States and its allies were the western bloc while the Soviet Union along with their allies formed the eastern bloc. There was no active direct fighting that took place between the two superpowers but this time period (from 1947 to 1991) is marked by propaganda campaigns, espionage and attempts by both countries for technological superiority and global dominance.