The Cold War, often dated as having taken place between 1947 and 1986, was a period of political and military tension between the United States and her allies, known as NATO, and the USSR and the Warsaw Pact. After the end of World War 2 the United States and the USSR became world superpowers with profound influence over global politics and economics, and would eventually come into competition with each other, causing a number of proxy wars and indirect conflicts.