Sara Hayes, Ruth Vasquez, Mariana Latimer, Gerald Modern History Terms Cold War: the Cold War was a continuing state of political and military tension from 1945-1991 between the powers of the West led by the United States and its NATO allies, and the communist world led by the Soviet Union, and its satellite states and allies. Iron Curtain: The Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting, conflict and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. Marshall Plan: The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American plan to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II to combat the spread of communism.