How many people served in the cold war?

Answer 1

382 American military personnel were killed in direct combat with Soviet, North Korean, Yugoslavian, Chinese, Cuban, and other Communist guerrilla forces outside the Vietnam & Korean wars between 1945 - 1991. Additionally, thousands more were killed while stationed overseas and training for potential conflict with Communist bloc forces. In the Federal Republic of Germany, over 2300 American servicemen died between 1965 - 1975 alone.

It is impossible to know how many personnel from the opposing forces were killed. But in addition to enemy action, friendly fire, and accidents, those attempting to defect were routinely killed, along with civilians doing the same.

Answer 2

Many people think that the Cold War was not a fighting war and to some degree that is true, but not completely accurate. There were many conflicts and actions that took place during the many years of the "Cold War" which started around 1949 and ended in the 1990's when the Berlin Wall was torn down.

The Berlin Blockade, The Korean War, the Vietnam war, USSR Cold War, China Cold War, 1958 Lebanon crisis, Bay Of Pigs invasion, Dominican Republic (1965, 1966), Iran (during the Carter Admin), El Salvador Civil war, Beirut Deployment, Persian Gulf escorts, Invasion of Grenada, 1986 Bombing of Libya, and the Invasion of Panama. each of these conflicts and actions had military casualties, and were part of the "Cold War" albeit there were as few as 2 and as many as 47,424, all were in the war against Communism or some other form of tyranny.

The major players in the cold war were the USSR, or the Soviet Block countries, Communist China, and the USA. There were minor players as well like Cuba, supported by the Soviet Block, and Korea supported by Communist China and it was fought both literately and figuratively all over the globe. The total number of military killed in the Cold War in actual combat was 81,547 +/- there were many more casualties and wounded in all of these actions that put the numbers well into the hundreds of thousands for wounded and killed during the cold war.

So please never forget that these men and women while many were never in declared wars, were in harms way from a period from the end of World War 2 until the first Gulf war, and they fought and sacrificed just like the other vets.

Thanks for allowing me to answer this, I am a former Marine and I served honorably from June 1978 until April 1987, and I would like to take this moment to thank all Veterans for your service and sacrifice to the great nation.

Answer 3

The cold war was not a war were soldiers fought in battles, but rather a war of ideology between the USA and USSR.