hot war
Active military engagement
Hot war is active armed conflict between nations or groups, with actual fighting and combat—as opposed to a cold war, where hostilities remain political, economic, or covert.
The term gained currency during the Cold War to distinguish potential direct military engagement from the prevailing state of tension: Everyone feared the cold war would turn hot.
Combat engagement area
- troopsMilitary personnel collectively
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
- infantryGround combat troops
- tanksStorage vessels for liquids
combat · siege · frontline · trenches · guerrilla · skirmish · firefight · casualties
Organizing for action
- troop deploymentStationing soldiers operationally
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- incursionHostile territorial penetration
- counterattackOffensive response to aggression
offensive · reinforcements · preemptive strike · retaliation · provocation · brinkmanship · flashpoint · intervention
Fraught with danger
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
- lethalCausing or capable of death
- deadlyAble to cause expiration
- catastrophicCausing complete destruction
devastating · destructive · dire · critical · existential threat · humanitarian crisis · scorched earth · nuclear risk
Strained relations between governments
- détenteEasing of strained relations
- ceasefireAgreed halt to fighting
- armisticeAgreement to cease hostilities
- peace negotiationsDiplomatic talks ending conflict
stalemate · covert operations · sanctions · espionage · containment · active combat
battlefield
Combat engagement area
- troopsMilitary personnel collectively
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
- infantryGround combat troops
tanks · combat · siege · frontline · trenches · guerrilla · skirmish · firefight · casualties · ambush
mobilization
Organizing for action
- troop deploymentStationing soldiers operationally
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- incursionHostile territorial penetration
counterattack · offensive · reinforcements · preemptive strike · retaliation · provocation · brinkmanship · flashpoint · intervention · proxy conflict
perilous
Fraught with danger
catastrophic · devastating · destructive · dire · critical · existential threat · humanitarian crisis · scorched earth · nuclear risk · mutually assured destruction
diplomatic tension
Strained relations between governments
- détenteEasing of strained relations
- ceasefireAgreed halt to fighting
- armisticeAgreement to cease hostilities
peace negotiations · stalemate · covert operations · sanctions · espionage · containment · active combat
- conflictclash, fight, battle, dispute, feud
- nuclear waratomic bomb, nuclear holocaust, nuclear arsenal, hydrogen bomb, ICBM
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, armed conflict, military strategy
- geopoliticsbalance of power, bipolarity, bloc, blocs, brinkmanship