When Leonid Brezhnev took control of the Soviet Union in 1964, the Cold War with the United States was

The Cold War began soon after World War II, so it was not about to start or already over in 1964. The United States and Soviet Union were still competing intensely for global influence, and tensions remained high after the Cuban Missile Crisis and amid the nuclear arms race. Thus, the Cold War was at its height when Brezhnev took control.

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