Hot war is war in the normal sense of the word, in which two nations are engaged in direct military conflict, trying to kill each other's soldiers and to win battles, either for outright conquest, or to force a favorable peace treaty with concessions that are thought to be necessary (often of a territorial nature). War often includes attacks on civilian populations as well, to weaken the economic and population base that supports the military, as well as to weaken the resolve to fight.
A cold war, in comparison, involves two opposing nations who are using every kind of maneuver to gain the upper hand, short of direct military conflict. This is a unique feature of the nuclear age. Two nations that are both armed with nuclear weapons become more cautious about attacking each other, since any attack could escalate into nuclear war, and the consequences of nuclear war are potentially so horrible that in effect both sides will lose. There is really no point in going to war if the result is going to be the inevitable destruction of the nation that is going to war, even if the enemy nation is also destroyed. Such victories are too costly.
With the exception of the term "cold war", the terms hot, warm, etc. were simply conversational terms used when discussing warfare during maneuvers, briefings, classrooms, board meetings, etc.
Examples: US Army officers on maneuvers (or on patrol) might remark, "...We better watch ourselves, or things might get hot!" Or, "...things are warming up a bit!" Or, "...we had a close one, it's getting a little warm around here, we'd better move on...before things really get hot!"
The term hot meant, SHOOTING real bullets...war.
The term warm meant, getting ready to SHOOT real bullets.
The term cold war meant, no war, no shooting, just eye balling each other...waiting for the word to shoot real bullets.
Hot is war, Cold is not. Cold war is facing each other but not shooting. Hot war is shooting! Korea and Vietnam were "Hot" wars (hot battles of the cold war).
A cold war is a war fought politically not violent. A hot war is a war like Iraq vs the USA they use guns and stuff.
A cold war is a war that is fought politically by diplomacy with no actual shot being fired. A hot war is a war where military action is used.
The cold war was never cold nor hot.
The main opponents of the Cold War were the United States and the Soviet Union. These countries never actually fought in the battle sense, so the war did not become "hot" between them.
Vietnam was a "hot" battle of the "Cold War". The Korea was the first "hot" battle of the "Cold War."
The Cold War was not "cold" per say, but was simply the name of a war that took place.
a cold war does not use actual combat and a hot war does use combata hot wars witness bloodshed and loss of life to a great extent and a cold war refers to economic, political, and military rivaplry
The Cold War was a war where there is standoffs, but no weapons fired. Hot war is where weapons are used.
in a cold war, there is no shooting whatsoever, in a hot war, there are hot girls shooting at each other.
Korea and Vietnam were the only HOT Battles of the cold war; a war between the communist world and the free world.
Cold war is not a war, it's a stand-off (staring at each other). Hot war is war (shooting at each other).
A cold war is a war that is fought politically by diplomacy with no actual shot being fired. A hot war is a war where military action is used.
Best phrase politicians could come up with at the time to separate it from "hot" wars. Cold War=No War Hot War=Shooting War
A hot war is actual fighting (actual killing). A cold war is not a war at all; the name "cold war" was simply a TERM chosen to title the "military stand-off" between the free world and the communist world.
A hot war is shooting at each other. A cold war is facing each other but NOT Shooting.
both are conflicts.
The cold war was never cold nor hot.
The main opponents of the Cold War were the United States and the Soviet Union. These countries never actually fought in the battle sense, so the war did not become "hot" between them.