ABSTRACT
The Cold War was a peculiar type of coalition struggle involving naval powers. It arose from an international political situation in which the two leading powers had major conflicts of values and interests, and from a military situation in which the direct use of force by either leading power against the other promised to be very costly or risky. The former situation made a comprehensive diplomatic settlement difficult to negotiate, while the latter situation made a resolution by the direct use of force unattractive to both parties.
