Pakistan, July 25 -- For nearly half a century following the Second World War, the Soviet Union stood as the United States' principal strategic adversary. The Cold War divided the international system into two competing ideological, political and military blocs. Washington championed liberal democracy and market capitalism, while Moscow promoted centralised communist governance. Their rivalry extended far beyond military confrontation; it encompassed economics, science, technology, diplomacy, intelligence, space exploration and global influence.

The Soviet Union possessed virtually every attribute of a superpower. It maintained one of the world's largest industrial bases, commanded an immense conventional military, developed strategic nu...