The Cold War persisted through several decades and involved the majority of the world, forcing countries to choose between "East" and "West" ideals. The dates in which the Cold War began and ended are debatable, but many believe it all began shortly after the Second World War came to a close and ended when the Berlin Wall came down, and Germany became a single united country once again. The Cold War divided the "East"; which became synonymous with the Soviet Union and communism, and the "West"; which was connected with the U.S., democracy, and therefore, anti-communism.