1947-1991 The “Cold War” The term Cold War was first coined in modern times by one of President Truman’s advisers and became famous after the media picked it up and used it to talk about the "chilly relationship" between the US and the Soviets, and was in contrast to a “Hot War” which inferred a nuclear exchange that might end all life on Earth. This period in Tank Design highlights the very much "defensive" mindset that NATO had- good frontal armour and good gun depression of at least 10 degree