| Summary: | The end of world war II simultaneously turned into the beginning of a new global conflict— the Cold war. The manifestations of the conflict between its two main proponents, the United States of America (‘USA’) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (‘USSR’), were propelled by the possibilities offered by modern technology (nuclear weapons, missile technology, computers, and satellites), and included interventions, proxy wars, and the struggle for natural resources. However, periods of confrontation and crises were succeeded by more stable periods of negotiation, coexistence, and competition. Two ‘non-territorial’ areas, Antarctica and Outer Space, which came into focus during the second phase of the Cold war (1953-1969), become examples of an attempt to refrain from confrontation. with respect to these areas, the two proponents as well as a majority of other States had to set aside their territorial/appropriation ambitions in favor of international cooperative management regimes, at the very least. This attempt was ultimately codified by the Antarctic Treaty (1959) and the Outer Space Treaty (1967).
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