The Cold War
Read this article for a general overview of the Cold War, with close attention to the "historiography" section. Historians frequently disagree about why something occurred, and the Cold War has many competing explanations.
Origin of the Term Cold War
The origins of the term "Cold War" are debated. The term was used hypothetically by George Orwell in 1945, though not in reference to the struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, which had not yet been initiated. American politician Bernard Baruch began using the term in April 1947. It first came into general use in September 1947 when journalist Walter Lippmann published a book on U.S.-Soviet tensions entitled The Cold War.
Did you know?
Walter Lippmann was the first to bring the phrase "Cold War" into common use with the publication of his 1947 book of the same name.