Which event marked the end of the Cold War?

The end of the Cold War is commonly marked by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. This event represented a significant political shift, as it not only concluded decades of tension between the Soviet Union and Western powers, particularly the United States, but also led to the emergence of independent republics from the former Soviet territory. The dissolution signified the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, fundamentally transforming the global political landscape.

While the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a crucial moment that symbolized the decline of communist influence in Europe, it was the actual dissolution of the Soviet Union that formally ended the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War were significant events during the Cold War, but they did not signify its conclusion. Instead, they were part of the tensions and conflicts that characterized the era.