Headlines and Titles of Works

Q. I’m confused why CMOS 15 suggests leaving “cold war” lowercase in rule 8.81. It seems to me that it should be capped, because it’s a clear historical period. Pleeaazze help.

A. In the seventeenth edition of CMOS, we make a distinction between the Cold War (i.e., between the United States and the former Soviet Union) and any old cold war (e.g., between feuding families). See paragraph 8.75.

[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]