Cold War espionage describes the intelligence gathering activities during the Cold War (circa 1947-1991) between the Western allies (primarily the US, UK and NATO) and the Eastern Bloc (primarily the Soviet Union and allied countries of the Warsaw Pact). Both relied on a wide variety of military and civilian agencies in this pursuit. While several organizations such as the CIA and KGB became synonymous with Cold War espionage, many others played key roles in the collection and protection of the section concerning detection of spying, and analysis of a wide host of intelligence disciplines.