World War II, the longest and most destructive conflict in history, lasted six years and came to

an end on May 7, 1945, when Germany unconditionally submitted to the Allies in Europe, and
on August 14, 1945, when Japan did the same in Asia. Approximately 2.5 crore people died and
3 crore people were injured as a result of the war. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
demonstrated that nuclear war has already started and that it is capable of obliterating human
civilization at any time. A consequence of the Second World War is the Cold War. But Cold War
isn't a recent addition. Even before World War II, it was there. But it didn't take on greater
dimensions until after World War II. The world was embroiled in the cold war following World
War II. The phases of the cold war's beginning can be broken down into:

(From 1946-1953): During this era, America resorted to direct military engagement through the
Truman Doctrine in March 1947 and the Marshall Plan in June 1947 to economically integrate
West European powers. The creation of NATO on April 4, 1949, marked the end of this phase of
the cold war. The United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom all signed the North
Atlantic Treaty on April 4th, 1949 in Washington. In February 1952, Greece and Turkey were
admitted as members. In May 1955, the Federal Republic of Germany acceded to NATO.

(From 1953 to 1958): The United States of America continued to support the USSR
economically and militarily. There were some changes made to the cold war after Stalin's death
in 1953. The cold war temporarily came to an end. The stance of the western powers, however,
dissatisfied the Russian leaders shortly after. Therefore, the cold war persisted during this time.
Important treaties like the SEATO and WARSAW Treaty were signed during this time. The
major powers' drive for superiority and ideological considerations both influence the current cold
war. The U.S. House of Representatives' committee on international affairs has made this
apparent.