The Cold War was a direct result of the aftermath of World War II; which involved the rise of two major superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. Although the Cold War did not yield any direct fighting between the two nations, it lasted almost half a century. The Cold War was also a time of tight tensions in the global network, which was primarily due to the fact that both superpowers were in possession of nuclear weapons, which could devastate the entire world. The Cold War would ultimately determine the future of the global network post World War II.