10 Devastating Wars During the So-Called “Cold” War

Most people think of the Cold War as a largely bloodless standoff between two rival blocs—one led by the United States and the other by the Soviet Union. That’s why it’s often called the “Cold” War.

But once you look beyond that framing, you’ll find numerous conflicts raging across the globe during this period. Some of these wars were extraordinarily destructive, resulting in millions of casualties and widespread devastation. These conflicts make it clear that the Cold War was anything but cold.

Related: 10 Bizarre Battles That Took Place Where You’d Least Expect

10 The Suez Crisis

On October 29, 1956, Israeli forces invaded Egypt and were soon joined by British and French troops. The conflict became known as the Suez Crisis and is now remembered as one of the most consequential confrontations of the Cold War era. It began when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in July 1956, which had previously been controlled by French and British interests. The move followed the U.S. and British refusal to finance the Aswan High Dam project, partly due to Nasser’s growing ties with communist nations like Czechoslovakia and the USSR.

These developments triggered strong international reactions. The Soviet Union openly supported Egypt and issued statements widely interpreted as nuclear threats in response to military action on Egyptian soil. The United States, however, called for de-escalation and the withdrawal of invading forces. Under mounting pressure from Washington and other global powers, British and French troops withdrew by December, and Israel relinquished control of the canal to Egypt by March 1957.

Although relatively limited in scale compared to other conflicts of the period, the Suez Crisis had far-reaching consequences, signaling the decline of British and French imperial influence in the region.^[1]

9 The Bangladeshi Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War was a major conflict rooted in the complex colonial history of South Asia. After the 1947 partition of British India, Pakistan was created as two geographically and culturally distinct regions: West Pakistan and East Pakistan—now Bangladesh. Deep political, ethnic, and linguistic differences soon fueled demands for greater autonomy in East Pakistan.

The crisis escalated in March 1971 when the Pakistani army launched Operation Searchlight, aimed at crushing the Bengali independence movement. Widespread violence and civilian massacres followed, prompting India to intervene militarily in support of Bangladesh.

Concerned about Soviet influence in the region, the United States supported Pakistan with military and economic aid. The war was marked by widespread atrocities, including ethnic cleansing and sexual violence, and resulted in an estimated death toll ranging from hundreds of thousands to as many as three million people, with estimates varying widely.^[2]

8 The Indonesian War of Independence

Fought between 1945 and 1949, the Indonesian War of Independence was an armed struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire. It marked the end of Dutch colonial rule in the East Indies and began with Indonesia’s declaration of independence following the Japanese withdrawal in 1945.

The conflict combined sporadic armed clashes with intense diplomatic negotiations. Dutch forces initially controlled major urban centers but struggled to assert authority in the countryside. International pressure played a crucial role as Cold War tensions intensified. The United States urged the Netherlands to resolve the conflict and threatened to cut off economic aid. That—combined with pressure from other major powers and the Dutch military’s inability to suppress rural resistance—ultimately led to the formal recognition of Indonesian independence in 1949.^[3]

7 The Algerian War

The Algerian War of Independence, also known as the Algerian Revolution, was an anticolonial armed conflict against French rule that lasted from 1954 to 1962. It was fueled in part by broken promises of self-rule following the Second World War and escalated into a full-scale guerrilla campaign led by the National Liberation Front, or FLN, beginning in November 1954. Much of the fighting occurred in and around Algiers, particularly during the Battle of Algiers in 1956 and 1957.

France deployed nearly 500,000 troops and used harsh tactics in an attempt to suppress the rebellion. However, the resilience and persistence of the resistance ultimately pushed France toward negotiations. In the broader Cold War context, the FLN sought to internationalize the conflict and secure support from the Eastern Bloc.^[4]

6 The Guatemala Civil War

The Guatemalan Civil War was rooted in the 1954 coup—a CIA-backed operation that overthrew democratically elected President Jacobo Árbenz over perceived communist influence, particularly his land reforms. The coup brought Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas to power, and his government reversed those reforms while restricting voting rights for illiterate Guatemalans.

Armed conflict formally began in 1960, when left-wing paramilitary groups rose up against the increasingly autocratic regime of Gen. Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, who had come to power after Castillo Armas was assassinated in 1958.

One of the longest and most brutal conflicts of the Cold War, the war has been described in part as genocide, particularly regarding violence against indigenous communities. Reports documented widespread atrocities, including massacres, sexual violence, and forced disappearances.

The conflict ended in 1996 after claiming more than 200,000 lives, with approximately 83 percent of the victims belonging to the indigenous Maya population. A 1999 UN Truth Commission report concluded that about 93 percent of the documented human rights violations were committed by state forces and allied militias.^[5]

5 The Ifni War

Often called the Forgotten Spanish War, the Ifni War was fought between Spain and Moroccan insurgents in Spanish West Africa. After Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, tensions increased in Spanish-held territories historically claimed by Morocco, including Ifni and parts of the Spanish Sahara.

In November 1957, the Moroccan Army of Liberation launched coordinated attacks on both regions, mobilizing roughly 12,000 fighters drawn from tribal groups and volunteers. Despite being outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements, the Spanish garrison in Ifni managed to maintain control of a defensive perimeter around the capital, Sidi Ifni. Spanish forces also repelled Moroccan advances in the Spanish Sahara and, with French assistance, drove the insurgents out by early 1958.

Sidi Ifni remained under Spanish administration until 1969, when it was returned to Morocco under international pressure.^[6]

4 The South African Border War

Also known as the Namibian War of Independence or, in South Africa, the Angolan Bush War, the South African Border War was a prolonged series of asymmetric conflicts between apartheid South Africa and several armed movements, including the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia and the armed wing of the South West African People’s Organization. Fought from August 1966 to March 1990, it became one of the longest conflicts of the Cold War era. It was closely intertwined with the Angolan Civil War, drawing in Cuba, the USSR, and other global powers.

The war began after South Africa refused to grant independence to Namibia—then called South West Africa—despite sustained international pressure and multiple United Nations resolutions. Supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other African states, SWAPO formed PLAN in 1962 and launched an armed campaign. Fighting intensified in August 1966 and later expanded into large-scale South African raids against PLAN bases in Angola between 1975 and 1988.

Although South Africa achieved several early tactical successes, mounting international and military pressures ultimately led to Namibian independence in 1990.^[7]

3 The Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia

While many are familiar with the Soviet invasion of Hungary, fewer recall the military intervention in Czechoslovakia. On August 20, 1968, tens of thousands of Warsaw Pact troops led by the USSR launched a full-scale invasion of the country in response to the Prague Spring—a reform movement led by Czechoslovak First Secretary Alexander Dubček.

The Prague Spring sought to introduce democratic reforms, including greater regional autonomy, freedom of speech and religion, the removal of censorship, and economic restructuring. Determined to preserve orthodox communism within its sphere of influence, the Soviet Union responded with military force.

The invasion crushed the reform movement and led to the deaths of more than 100 protesters, while thousands more were injured or arrested in the aftermath.^[8]

2 The Angola Civil War

The Angolan Civil War was one of the longest and most devastating conflicts of the 20th century, lasting from 1975 to 2002. Nearly one million people were killed, and approximately four million were displaced. The war began after Portugal’s rapid withdrawal from Angola in 1975, which created a power vacuum as multiple liberation movements competed for control of the newly independent state.

Over time, the conflict evolved into a major Cold War proxy battleground. The communist-aligned government received backing from the USSR and Cuba, while opposing factions were supported by South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The war intensified throughout the 1980s, culminating in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in 1988, where both sides claimed victory, and nearly 10,000 soldiers were killed. A temporary ceasefire preceded elections supervised by the United Nations in 1992, but fighting resumed and continued for another decade. The conflict finally ended in 2002 following the death of rebel leader Jonas Savimbi at the hands of government forces.^[9]

1 The Greek Civil War

The Greek Civil War was an often overlooked conflict that erupted in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Within weeks of the end of the German occupation, the communist-controlled EAM-ELAS established a provisional government in the mountains. At the same time, British forces supported a coalition government in Athens. The fragile arrangement quickly collapsed, leading to open civil war.

In 1946, communist forces, operating largely underground, launched a renewed guerrilla campaign against the government and British-backed forces. As Cold War tensions deepened, Britain transferred responsibility to the United States. The Truman Doctrine emerged directly from this crisis, providing substantial military and economic assistance to Greece to defeat the insurgency.

By October 1949, Greek government forces had dismantled the remaining rebel strongholds, bringing the conflict to an end.^[10]